Carol Windley

Exploring history through Natalia's eyes is heartbreaking and emotional - from the time she's a child in the 20's in Berlin to spending WWII in Prague.

The relationships, friendships, and romances she has along the way... and how WWII changes each relationship and devastates a group of people. Taking the train from Berlin to Prague seems like a typical adventure, but it is life changing.

If you're a historical fiction fan like I am, you'll find yourself immersed in a far away time and facing life as Natalia and her friends did. This gripping read will suck you in and leave you emotional at times.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.… (más)

So in general WW11 era historical fiction is probably one of my favorite historical timeframes. I have read many, and I have generally loved them. I expected to love this one also, given the subject matter and era, but I did find myself struggling a bit with this one. While the story generally seems to center on either Natalia Faber or Anna Shefferova, there is a lot of bouncing around, and I feel like some major events for the characters are glossed over and summarized later. This style didn’t allow me as a reader to really become involved with what is happening to the characters, and at times had the effect of confusion. I rounded this book up from a 2.5 to a 3 mostly because I hate to tear a writer to shreds in reviews. Perhaps this story may have been better served by expanding the story, and giving more details on our main characters. Some of the best fiction obviously brings the reader into the life of the character and makes us care about that character. In this regard this missed that mark. The writing isn’t poor quality and the story does have some notable moments, but they are not enough to compensate for the lack of development and scattered storyline. Overall, story lacks structure and vital character development, and because of this I can’t recommend it as a shining example of the genre. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.… (más)

Missing people overshadow the lives of young women in Windley’s collection of eight short stories, nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2006. Saffi notices things but thinks it a curse after she spots a missing boy in her neighbour’s basement. Annabel’s father strives to reopen his private school after a student drowns, but Annabel dreams of escaping the island with her math tutor. Nadia tries to please everyone after her mother leaves her father the woodcarver for a logging mogul. Lydia’s grandmother survives the horrible death of her family, but the suffering is passed across generations. Alex secretly wishes for all that her friend Desiree abandons: her husband, her child, and her home. Windley effectively contrasts the complex and often dark inner lives of the characters and their family struggles against the undeveloped and beautiful backdrop of rural Vancouver Island.

http://johnmiedema.ca/2007/09/25/home-schooling-by-carol-windley-book-review/… (más)