As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.
My Review:
I have read every book Sarah Sundin has written and after each read I think, ‘that was so good, she can’t possibly top this!’ And then she does. Over and over again with each new release. So, for the moment, I’m saying that ‘Embers in the London Sky’ is her best ever and my ultimate favourite…but that is likely to change when I read her next book, or even a previous book I’ve already enjoyed. I’m fickle when it comes to Sarah Sundin’s books, I guess. 🙂
But this one…oh…mercy! I ugly cried at the end. Great heaving sobs, hail-sized tears, I just couldn’t hold all the emotions back! Which was kind of embarrassing since I listened to the audio book and I was walking outside at the time. Thankfully it was raining so there’s hope that passersby assumed those drops rolling down my face were from the cloudy sky, not my eyes!
And, oh, the journey to that emotional climax. Utter perfection! Impeccable pacing — the plot never lagged though sometimes I thought I’d burst if I didn’t get the full story on…well, so many things. But the author pulls backstories and plot threads together at just the right time…keeping me in rapturous bibliophile tenterhooks all the way through! And…eeeeppp…there’s even a murder mystery too!
Again, I’m amazed at the way authors can approach a World War II novel from so many different angles. I was particularly captivated by Hugh’s work as a war correspondent. The significance the war had on changes to news coverage was a surprise to me…and utterly fascinating. And the clashes over censorship ran true to our 21st century media struggles so that was really eye-opening too. Who knew we didn’t create fake news?! 🙂
The romance is deeply emotional and not without pitfalls, but it’s clear that Hugh and Aleida are better together than apart — even if they don’t always see things that way! Oh, the shivery delight of a well fought marathon to a happily ever after! Rich and satisfying and full of hope!
I listened to the audible edition narrated by Lisa Larsen who did an amazing job with the various accents. Her performance brought these characters to life in a memorable way and I highly recommend the audio edition of ‘Embers in the London Sky’ if you’re a ‘listening reader’ like I am.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.
US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice
Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice
International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.
If you would like a chance to win a copy of Embers in the London Sky , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 16 2024.