1961: Born on the day that WW2 broke out, 21-year-old Fay Knox cannot remember her early childhood in London, before she moved to a Norfolk village with her mother, Kitty. Though she has seen a photograph of her father, she does not recall him either. He died, she was told, in an air raid, and their house destroyed along with all their possessions. Why then, on a visit to Paris on tour with her orchestra, does a strange series of events suggest that she spent the war there instead? There is only one clue to follow, an address on the luggage label of an old canvas satchel. But will the truth hurt or heal?
1937: Eugene Knox, a young American doctor, catches sight of 19-year-old Kitty Travers on the day she arrives in Paris, and cannot get her out of his mind. She has come to study the piano at the famed Conservatoire, and lodges at a convent near Notre Dame. Eugene and Kitty will fall in love, marry and have a daughter, but France's humiliating defeat by Germany is not far behind, and the little family must suffer life under Nazi occupation. Some Parisians keep their heads down and survive, others collaborate with the enemy while others resist. The different actions of Eugene, Kitty and their friends will have devastating consequences that echo down the generations.
What I loved about this story... I am just so addicted to both this author and this type of story right now. I can't get enough. Historical fiction, split narrative and a mystery. Give me all the stories! This story we are split between 1961 and 1937 which is certainly different to her other novels that I have read because I've usually come across a past and a present day mix but to have both in the past, with one just slightly older than the other, was an intriguing and interesting mix. Add in the backdrop of World War II and although for me it did get a bit complicated at times, I enjoyed following the characters as things escalated.
What I disliked about this story... I did find, in places, the story was a bit slow paced and complicated with a backdrop of World War II (a subject that I don't normally gravitate towards to be honest, so this may be a 'me issue' rather than an issue with the story).
Would I recommend... An interesting story and work reading, but if you are reading Rachel Hore for the first time I might be tempted to pick up some of her newer titles first.
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