Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs fall around deserted villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and recall long-forgotten memories of her own youth. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amongst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and set off on a course of events that will shape Ulysses's life for the next four decades.

As Ulysses returns home to London, reimmersing himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parrot -- a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics -- he carries his time in Italy with him. And when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate, and returns to the Tuscan hills.

With beautiful prose, extraordinary tenderness, and bursts of humor and light, Still Life is a sweeping portrait of unforgettable individuals who come together to make a family, and a richly drawn celebration of beauty and love in all its forms.

Review:

This is a novel that grows on you.  While the first chapter, taking place in Italy during WWII, is charming, the next few chapters have various characters who I didn't initially love.  But that's one of the joys of Still Life, by Sarah Winman.  As with a still life painting, the seemingly simple characters reveal hidden depths as the novel progresses.  This book covers a long time period, with characters growing up, aging, and (sometimes) dying. This gave me time to get to know the characters, and appreciate how they change and grow over the years.  

I also loved this book because of how several characters decide to move from their predictable hometowns to unknown Italy.  I loved this, as I have lived in three countries, and hope to add a few more to my list in the future.  The idea of searching for a new life is appealing, and shows how resilient people can be, even out of their comfort zone.

What I Liked:

Characters:

The story mostly follows Ulysses, a young British man who begins the story as a soldier in Italy during WWII.  Although the circumstances are horrific, with death all around, Ulysses sees the beauty of classic works of art and of kind people he meets along the way.  When he returns home to England, he tries to reunite with his wife, and find a way to live a more quiet existence.  Much of what happens in Italy is Ulysses trying to find a way to live that is true for himself.  

The character of Peg, Ulysses wife, was harder for me to like, as she seemed initially  very cruel to Ulysses.  Peg's character is complicated with parts of her I hated, and many parts of her I loved.  She is fiercely independent, yet yearns for a man to whisk her away and take care of her.  She loves her daughter (named Alys), but knows she will be terrible with the day to day care of her.  So she lets Ulysses raise Alys.  Again, you want to hate that decision, initially.  But the author shows that this is actually the right choice for these characters. 

I also loved Alys, Peg's daughter.  We see her grow from a precocious toddler, to a lonely child among all the grown ups, to a sulky teen, and finally into a strong young person.  I loved her story arc!  She loves creating art and music.  She also is attracted to females. Thinking of the time periods where the story takes place, this was challenging for Alys to find her place in the world.  Like Ulysses, she takes a while to find a life that works for her.

Side Characters & Found Family:

There are many characters we are introduced to at the pub where Ulysses works and they all have endearing personalities.  There's the pub owner, Col, who's fiercely protecting of his developmentally disabled daughter, Ginny.  Cress, an older patron of the pub, always seems to have great advice.  And Pete, a piano player at the pub, is full of surprises.

All of these characters make up a found family for Ulysses, and Alys.  Like a family, there are loud, opinionated members, people who get themselves into trouble. But, these people look out for one another and would (literally) be the ones to call to bury a body, if the occasion ever arrives.

Impactful meetings: 

Ulysses has one of those personalities that people are drawn to.  As a soldier, Ulysses meets Evelyn, an older fellow British woman, who briefly shows him the importance of art.  He shows her the beauty of life, even in times of terror.  This makes quite an impression on both of the characters.  Over the course of the novel, they try many times to reconnect, often just missing each other turning a street corner!

Story:

The story starts during WWII and ends in 1979!  It covers Ulysses quest (as in the Odyssey) to find a place to call home.  But what really makes a home?  Is it the geographic area, or the people?  There a little bit of both in this story.  Ulysses really enjoys Italy.  Over time, the people in his section of Florence, are as dear to him as the ones he grew up with back in England.  But he also maintains his ties to his oldest British friends.  I loved how he was able to take chances, in order to live a more interesting, fulfilling life.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  November 2nd, 2021

Author:  Sarah Winman

Publisher:  G.P. Putman's Sons

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  464 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This book grew on me.  Once you get to know the characters, you will love the little expat community they create.  A wonderful Historical Fiction novel.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Millie Mosbach and her brother David escaped to the United States just before Kristallnacht, leaving their parents and little sister in Berlin. Now they are both back in their former hometown, haunted by ghosts and hoping against hope to find their family. Millie works in the office responsible for rooting out the most dedicated Nazis from publishing. Like most of their German-born American colleagues, the siblings suffer from rage at Germany and guilt at their own good fortune. Only Millie’s boss, Major Harry Sutton, seems strangely eager to be fair to the Germans.

Living and working in bombed-out Berlin, a latter day Wild West where the desperate prey on the unsuspecting; spies ply their trade; black markets thrive, and forbidden fraternization is rampant, Millie must come to terms with a past decision made in a moment of crisis, and with the enigmatic sometimes infuriating Major Sutton who is mysteriously understanding of her demons. Atmospheric and page-turning, The Living and the Lost is a story of survival, love, and forgiveness, of others and of self.

Review:

I think one of the things that draws me to WWII historical fiction is that there are so many different perspectives that an author can write from.  I've read WWII books about soldiers, civilians, female spies, families, the LGBTQ+ community, and more.  But, as with her previous novel, Paris Never Leaves You, author Ellen Feldman focuses on those who escaped Nazi Germany to start a new life in America.  I wasn't overly fond of Paris Never Leaves You because (to be honest) the protagonist was a German woman who pretended to be Jewish in order to immigrate to the U.S.  I found it hard to have empathy for her.

The Living and the Lost is a tale of a woman learning empathy for everyone affected by the war.   I found the characters complex and the story to be haunting.  The book did not make me feel sorry for Nazis.  But it did show the protagonist, Millie (as well as me), that no one was untouched by the war.  Some scars are obvious, while many more are psychological.  And each person shows their trauma in a different way.  As one character tells Millie, "Don't be so quick to judge others".  Clearly I need that reminder, as well.

What I liked:

Setting:

The majority of the book takes place in post-war Berlin.  Millie, a German-Jew who escaped to America in 1938, returns to her hometown to help with the rebuilding efforts.  She left Germany during the oppression of Jews, but before the war.  So she can hardly recognize the city.  Many of the buildings are destroyed, and the once proud German people are starving, fighting over anything to eat, or to sell on the black market.  But how do you figure out who are the civilians and who are the Nazis?  Who is deserving of sympathy and who should be put on trial for war crimes?

Characters:

Most of the American characters in Germany are German-born Jews who fled to the U.S. years earlier.  But all have lost family members who couldn't get out in time.  They have a lot of survivors guilt, and anger with the German people.  Each person has their own reasons for returning.  Some are looking for lost relatives, while others want revenge for what happened to their family.  Some genuinely want to reclaim Germany and show that Jews could not be eliminated.  For most, it's a mixture of each.

Millie and her brother left Germany and were hopeful that her parents and youngest sister would join them.  But they never did.  David, Millie's brother became a soldier so he could fight in the war, and kill some Nazis.  That is how he begins to deal with the guilt.  But Millie doesn't have that option.  Instead, she goes to college and, when the war is over, returns to Germany as a translator.  She is part of a team of investigators who interview Germans seeking to work in the media.  The United States doesn't want former Nazis in these highly coveted positions, so her mission is to weed them out.

Even though Millie wasn't in a concentration camp, she still is traumatized by the what lead to her leaving her family behind.  And she can't forgive herself for surviving when her parents and sister did not.  This comes out in several ways.  Even though the city has changed, Millie still has panic attacks in places like the main train station.  She looks at children and swears she sees her sister.  And she has immense anger towards Germans.

Other characters, like her brother David, and her boss Harry, feel they need to do as many good deeds as possible to justify their survival.  Other characters are so filled with rage that they will beat up Germans at the slightest provocation.  What I was really surprised about was the rage that the German civilians felt.  These people were not Nazis, but they also didn't exactly jump in to defend their Jewish neighbors either.  Nevertheless, these were people who also lost loved ones, who were terrorized by nightly bombings, who were brutally raped by Russian soldiers.  And they knew that no matter what they suffered, they were not allowed to receive sympathy.  The world was holding every German accountable for the atrocities done to the Jews.  For Millie, as well as other Jewish characters in the book, finding a way to, while perhaps not sympathize, but at least empathize with these Germans was a challenge.

Story:

The story follows Millie and her fellow German-Jews, on a path of survival, and then the guilt that follows.  Each character must face the fact they they made it through, but most of their family did not.  What a horrible feeling to lose everyone you love to war.  

With such complex characters, it was so helpful to have the many flashbacks to their different experiences getting to America, and dealing with being German (and Jewish) during the war.   At times, other Americans treated them as dirty Jews, not letting them into restaurants and hotels.  Other times, they were treated as German spies who couldn't bee trusted.  It was a no win situation.  But Millie and her brother know that no matter how hard they have it, the Jews left in Germany had it worse.

I think that is the big takeaway I had from the book.  Anyone who has been through trauma can remember that someone, somewhere else, has had worse things happen to them.  But, that doesn't mean that their suffering is any less.  People tend to compare suffering, but we shouldn't.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  September 7th, 2021

Author:  Ellen Feldman

Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  352 pages

Source:   NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A complex novel of survivorship, this is an historical fiction that you will remember for a long time.  Highly recommended.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper…Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet “Lettie” Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than sixty years.

It’s 1938 when art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in romantic Venice. For her students, it’s a wealth of history, art, and beauty. For Juliet, it’s poignant memories and a chance to reconnect with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves whose future is already determined by his noble family. However star-crossed, nothing can come between them. Until the threat of war closes in on Venice and they’re forced to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever.

Key by key, Lettie’s life of impossible love, loss, and courage unfolds. It’s one that Caroline can now make right again as her own journey of self-discovery begins.

Review:

As someone who has read a lot of historical fiction (one of my favorite genres), I was really looking forward to this book.  Venice, WWII... I should have loved it.  While it had wonderful historical detail about life in Venice in the 1930's through the end of World War Two, the story was full of cheesy, unlikely scenarios, meant to throw the main characters together.  It took me out of the story and had me shaking my head at how silly it got.  I would recommend this book as a library read only.

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

The author does a credible job of showing life for a British expat living in Venice.  As Lettie learns about the city, we see Venice in all it's magic.  There are no cars, and streets bend and turn around on themselves.  It's inevitable that people get lost.  And that is the city's charm, turning a corner to find a hidden gem in this impossible city.

I also appreciated the details of life during WWII.  For much of the war, Italy is aligned with Germany, so life goes along no differently than before.  There are numerous festivals and traditions that only locals know about.  Then, when Italy breaks from Germany, the reality of war finally sets in.  Jewish people begin to be persecuted, there are checkpoints everywhere.  People can be arrested and put in camps just for not having the right papers.  It must have been terrifying.

Characters:

Lettie, Caroline's quiet spinster aunt, is anything but reserved in her youth.  An art student with a thirst for life, she is torn over her attraction to Leo, a handsome Venetian.  Leo is set to be married, so a relationship with him is impossible.  But fate seems to always throw them together (which I found to be a bit much).  I did like how strong Lettie was in a scary, stressful situation.  And I could understand why she didn't ever speak of her time in Venice with her family in England, later in life.  Perhaps her niece would have been impressed.  But her family in the 1940's would have disowned her for what transpired.

What I Didn't Like:

Story:

There are many situations in the story that hinge too much on chance to be a credible way to advance the action.  For instance, Caroline is given some keys, and the word, Venice, from her dying aunt.  Somehow, she is able to get to Venice, and find out what the keys are for?  This happens only be chance, as she walks by a bank with the same design on their logo as on one of the keys.  Could it be a safety deposit box?  Why, yes it is!  I found this way too convenient to be believable.

In the earlier story, there are numerous situations where Lettie runs in to Leo at just the right time: as she falls into the canal, as she falls into the ocean, as she is in a prisoner camp.  Wow, Leo has impeccable timing!  I would have found all these situations more credible if there was more deliberate purpose to the characters finding each other in these encounters.  Instead, it just seems incredibly lucky that these two are near each other in the exact right moment, again and again.

Romance:

I found the romance between Lettie and Leo to be very melodramatic.  There is the convenient obstacle of Leo being married to a beautiful, yet cruel young woman.  It's also handy to the story that he can't divorce his wife because her family are in the Mob (stereotype much?).

In the present day, Caroline (seperated from her husband) meets a Venetian who she might be related to, and jumps into bed with him.  If I found out I might be distantly related to someone, my first reaction would not be, "Wow, he's just my type!".  I was super icked out by this!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 13th, 2021

Author:  Ryes Bowen

Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  412 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  While there are wonderful descriptions of life in Venice, I found the story to be silly.   I would read this as a library check out only.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

With its delightful adaptation of Napoleon Bonaparte's real attempt to write a novel, Finding Napoleon offers a fresh take on Europe's most powerful man after he's lost everything. A forgotten woman of history--Napoleon's last love, the audacious Albine de Montholon--narrates their tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal.

After the defeated Emperor Napoleon goes into exile on tiny St. Helena Island in the remote South Atlantic, he and his lover, Albine de Montholon, plot to escape and rescue his young son. Banding together African slaves, British sympathizers, a Jewish merchant, a Corsican rogue, and French followers, they confront British opposition--as well as treachery within their own ranks--with sometimes subtle, sometimes bold, but always desperate action.
When Napoleon and Albine break faith with one another, ambition and Albine's husband threaten their reconciliation. To succeed, Napoleon must learn whom to trust. To survive, Albine must decide whom to betray.

Two hundred years after Napoleon's death, this elegant, richly researched novel reveals a relationship history conceals.

Review:

I was approached by the publisher to review this book.  Being a fan of historical fiction, I readily agreed.  I don't really know much about Napoleon other than he lost the battle of Waterloo and was exiled after he lost.  But there is so much more to this man and his escapades,  The author, Margaret Rodenberg, really knows how to bring historical figures to life, and comes up with a suspenseful story.  The amount of historical detail in this book is impressive. I only wish that the characters were people I could find more sympathy with.  Mostly, it was rather sad how Napoleon, and his hangers-on, were stuck trying to return to their glory days, rather than accept their fate and find peace.

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

The amount of research that the author did was truly amazing.  She even traveled to the remote island of St. Helena, in the South Atlantic, where Napoleon was exiled for a second time.  From the clothing, to the food, to how goods were bartered on the island, the novel was rich in details.

I also found it fascinating that Rodenberg was able to incorporate the unfinished novel that Napoleon, himself, wrote as a young man.  It was a smart device to show aspects of Napoleon's own formative years.  Both Clisson, the character in Napoleon's novel and young Napoleon himself, were from the island of Corsica, which had a profound impact on their lives.  Napoleon is often portrayed as feeling inferior, and I'm sure that being from Corsica, he was dismissed as an uncivilized person by the French.  You can see that the author was making the point that this had a deep impact on Napoleon's life.

The book has an extensive section, at the end of the book, that details who all the real life characters were, along with background information for readers (like myself) who aren't experts in European history.  This was much appreciated.

Story:

Even though I knew the outcome of the book (spoiler: Napoleon never leaves St. Helena), I found all the various plots he concocted to leave were quite compelling.  With his charisma and intellect, Napoleon manages to find ways to get messages out to the world, and get information about his family back to him.  He even finds ways to convince people to help him escape.  

But there was also a rather sad component to the plot.  Napoleon was rather like a fading rock star (or former politician...).  Everyone who stays with him in exile wants something from him.  They're really only with him because they are infatuated with his fame, they think he will reward their loyalty when he comes back into power, or they have no other place to go.  Even though he is surrounded by "Yes" men, he is very much alone.

What I Was Mixed About:

Characters:

There were no empathetic characters in this novel, aside from Napoleon himself.  The narration moves between Napoleon, and his lover, Albine de Montholon.  Although the novel does show that she had very few options as a woman in that era, I found Albine to be too calculating, and selfish.  She is constantly scheming to become Napoleon's lover so she can influence him.  She always thinks she's smarter than everyone else with her plots, and feels she's hit the jackpot when she becomes pregnant with Napoleon's child.  I might have had more sympathy with Albine if the author had shown more of her background,  I'm sure she had a difficult life.  But she never seemed to feel any kind of love for anyone other than herself.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 6th, 2021

Author:  Margaret Rodenberg

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  358 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Paperback

Recommendation:  A lush historical novel of the waning years of Napoleon in exile.  While you won't find anyone you can cheer on, you will find the plot suspenseful, and the historical details superb.