Next to Love - Ellen Feldman

Summary from Goodreads:

For fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, The Postmistress, and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave set during the years of World War II and its aftermath.
  Set in a small town in Massachusetts, Next to Love follows three childhood friends, Babe, Millie, and Grace, whose lives are unmoored when their men are called to duty. And yet the changes that are thrust upon them move them in directions they never dreamed possible—while their husbands and boyfriends are enduring their own transformations. In the decades that follow, the three friends lose their innocence, struggle to raise their children, and find meaning and love in unexpected places. And as they change, so does America—from a country in which people know their place in the social hierarchy to a world in which feminism, the Civil Rights movement, and technological innovations present new possibilities—and uncertainties. And yet Babe, Millie, and Grace remain bonded by their past, even as their children grow up and away and a new society rises from the ashes of the war.
 Beautifully crafted and unforgettable, Next to Love depicts the enduring power of love and friendship, and illuminates a transformational moment in American history.

My Thoughts:

Okay, first of all, this book is *nothing* like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  I mean, other than they’re both set (sort of – Next to Love spans more years) in the same time frame.  But I think the similarities end there. 

Next to Love is the story of three friends as they go and grow through World War II and beyond into the 1960’s.  As they face love and loss and everything in between. 

It took me awhile to get into the book and the characters.  Even towards the end, they were doing things and things were happening that made me say “What?”  However, towards the middle and end I was more able to overlook those as I wanted to know where the story was taking the characters. 

Here are my caveats on why I maybe struggled with this book:

1.       I read it on my Kindle.  So I couldn’t easily flip back and forth to line things up as the timeline and story jumped around in and between characters.

2.       I read it in the midst of moving my family a few states away.  So chaos was in my head, and I perhaps transposed some of that to the book.

As I’ve said, I was thoroughly engaged with the characters as the book progressed.  All of the main characters were incredibly nuanced, which I appreciated. 

There are a lot of triggers in this book:  sex, drinking, violence, rape, some language.  So I’m not sure I would necessarily recommend it.  It was interesting but not my cup of tea. 

Also, I read the e-version from my library that had these great hyperlinks throughout.  You could click on one, and it would jump to the appendix and tell you more about Western Union or a particular location or whatever.  So that was a neat feature.  Although now that I think about it, that could have kept me from delving into the story sooner as well. 

Salt to the Sea - Ruta

Summary from Goodreads:

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

My Thoughts:

LOVED this book!

First of all, why have I (nor anyone else in my book club or who I've talked to about it) heard of the sinking of this ship? It was a huge loss of life yet gets no coverage in any of the history classes I've taken. That is not okay.

Ruta Sepetys is such a gifted character builder. I was drawn in from the first. It did take a little bit to get into the rhythm of the multiple voices (switched each chapter), but I couldn't put this book down. Engaging. Compassionate. Beautifully written.

City of Thieves - David Benioff

Title:                City of Thieve

Publisher:        Plume

Market:            General

Genre:             Historical Fiction, WWII

Length:            319 pages

Pub. Date:       March 31, 2009

 

Description (from Amazon):

During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, the New York Times bestseller City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men.

 

My Review:

While I’ve read many a World War II book, I had yet to read any set in Russia.  So I was interested in reading this book when it came up in my book club roster for April. 

The story was fascinating even though it covered just a scant few days of time.  The pace kept me interested and turning pages to see what Lev and Kolya would encounter next. 

And then there were Lev and Kolya themselves.  They are such well-developed characters.  Fully fleshed out.  I felt like I could picture them, be walking next to them, know them.  Benioff did a great job creating dynamic characters the reader can feel something for.

I will not be giving this book a rating.  I’m just torn on what it should be.  Based on the story itself and the character dynamics, It’s probably a 4.5 (or even a 5) out of 5.  But the language and crude sexual discussions lean me towards giving it only 1.  I just don’t think I could set my personal biases aside to recommend the book because of those (I felt) unnecessary elements.

Pros:  amazing character development; engaging action

Cons:  a lot of vulgar language; almost constant crude, sexual references and discussion