This is a beautifully written story of two young women predominantly at the start of the Second World War in Belgium .  I have read quite a few books on this subject recently and this was one of the best - I always read them with a heavy heart, for good reason obviously, but this was a difficult read at times - however it was deeply moving and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read Ashes by Christopher de Vinck. This is an emotional story for all lovers of historical fiction and friendship. The character development, storytelling, and bond between Simone and Hava, left me thinking about this book long after I finished it. One of the best WWII historical fiction books I've read recently!

What a wonderful  book this was, I felt I could actually see Hava and Simone two young girls from Belgian who were the closest of friends like sisters,  one was Jewish and other was not.
When the Germans invaded Belgian they fled, but Hava could not find her parents.
They travelled together until Hava was taken away by the Nazis and Simone carried on to safety on her own.
It took a long time for Simone to forget about her friend,  but she did until one day on the radio she heard Havas favourite music, and was then determined to find out what had happened to her best friend.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review. 
This story was a wonderful and powerful read.

Beautiful, heart wrenching tale of friendship, family and war. The worst and best of humans. Left me feeling incredibly touched. 

Simone is a daughter of a general who lost her mother during her birth. She finds a best friend who helps her grow into herself, but who is cruelly lost during the war, just because she is Jewish. 

I am going to miss reading about the characters in this book. It was a delight to imagine them and see them develop. 

A must read if you enjoy WWII fiction.

What an enjoyable book for me personally. I had the good fortune to live and work in Belgium for ten years so could relate to Brussels and the hinterland mentioned in the book. This snapshot of the story of two young women caught in the German invasion of Belgium and contact with the cruelty and horror of the Holocaust carries with it the very personal relationships that can develop and be carried through one’s life. Throughout this very believable story the summation by the author at the end confirmed my opinion that there was an element of truth to the characters and the important message to the world that these events that happened within living memory are never forgotten.

A story set in Belgium during the Nazi occupation about two friends, Simone the daughter of a Belgian war hero, and Hava her Jewish friend.  It follows their journey to escape the Nazis and their separation when Hava is taken away by the Germans for being a Jew.  It is a tale of a close friendship and harsh separation, and one which is quite emotional at times.  I enjoyed the story and would like to thank Harper Inspire and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Simone is the daughter of Major General Joseph Lyon a war hero much respected. Her best friend is Hava who is Jewish. When the war breaks out and the Germans invade Belgium, the friends find themselves separated from their families, with only each other for support. 

When Hana is taken away for being a Jew, Simone declares that she will find her after the war. 

This story had me on an emotional rollercoaster, laughing one minute and crying the next. The beautiful friendship between the girls will capture you’re heart and keep you gripped to see what happened to Hana. 

This will stay in my thoughts long after reading it. Every time I see a daffodil I will think about this book!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

The story follows the friendship of Simone and Have during WW2. Even though this is my favourite period to read about, I found the story hard to follow at times. It did not flow quite so easily and sometimes you were left wondering why a certain event even happened. I did enjoy the book overall but I feel it could have been so much better.

A Heart-felt story of a Belgian woman, Simone, who is the daughter of a Belgian general, her best friend, Hava, who is a Jew, at the time of the Nazi occupation. The girls try to escape Belgium, but the bus they are travelling on is stopped by an SS patrol, and Hava is taken off. Simone gets to southern France, after spending some time there she returns to Brussels for the rest of the war. Simone tries to trace Hava and her family but is unable to until the war is over.
This is a story of friendship amongst war and persecution.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Harper Inspire and Author Christopher de Vinck for allowing me to review pre-publication.

Set in WW2 in Belgium, Ashes is a story of the friendship between two girls.  A friendship that is tested as the are torn apart through the ravages of war, the division of religions and ethnicities.

I loved the characters and the bond between Hava and Simmone but failed to connect properly with the book.  Its jumpy and not the easiest to follow.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t work for me. I found that the writing style didn’t draw me in enough and I wasn’t engaged enough with the characters. I parked it about 1/3 through and subsequently read another WWII book, which drew me in from the start. Unfortunately I think the style and narrative were too YA for me - so while it appeals to others it’s just not for me.

Belgium 1939, Simone is the daughter of a war hero. Her father is General Joseph Lyon, his reputation proceeds him and his daughter is treated with respect because she is his offspring. Her friend Hava comes from a devout Jewish family. That isn't something that bothers either of them until rumours start trickling through about the way the Germans are treating the Jews. Suddenly the girls are getting different reactions, depending on who they speak to. Slowly but surely the hatred and importance of not associating with the Nazi's enemy number one is seeping into their daily life.

When the Germans invade Belgium Hava is separated from her family, Simone's father is off to do his duty, which leaves both young girls alone and running away from the invading force. They nearly make it to some semblance of freedom, although that is debatable when the invaders are coming from all directions, when something terrible happens.

Simone forgets the promise she made to Hava and in a way she forgets her too. The war rages and life rages on. Survival of self becomes the most important factor in occupied Belgium.

One of the elements of the story I found really interesting was the way Simone reacted or rather her lack of reaction when it come to Hava being Jewish. Almost a denial that there is a difference between them for some people, even if it is one that is forced upon everyone during the Nazi regime. To Simone they are friends, sisters - they are the same. Unfortunately the truth is they are, but it becomes irrelevant during the war.

This is one of those stories that makes your heart weep a little, despite the inspirational message woven into the fabric of the tale. De Vinck gives both sides of the story, which includes the trauma and the truth, albeit it sometimes an uncomfortable one.

I love historical fiction novels and I enjoyed Ashes however I did find it a little difficult to follow at times. Great characters and well researched. Heartwarming yet harrowing read. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read.

Heart-rending story of a young Belgian woman, Simone, the daughter of a famous Belgian general and her best friend, Hava, who is Jewish, at the time of the Nazi occupation of Belgium. Although they escape from Belgium, their bus is stopped by an SS patrol and Hava is taken away. Simone manages to reach southern France, spending some time there before returning to Brussels where she endures the rest of the war. She is unable to trace Hava or her family until after the end of the war.
This is one of few books that takes the Holocaust to a truly personal level. We all know the data, but it is sometimes hard to think of the individuals involved - here, the author brings them to life

There seems to be a huge amount of holocaust literature about at the moment and this is such a book. Two Belgian girls, typical teenagers but one is Jewish. All is ok until the German invasion, Hava is separated from her family and ripped away from Simone’s life. She is (we learn at the end of the book) transported to Auschwitz. This was an interesting tale which I enjoyed reading and was a quick read too.

The story starts and we meet Simone Lyon the daughter of a Belgian national hero, who inspired his fellow soldiers to dig trenches which helped halt the Germans in the First World War. She lives a fairly privileged lifestyle and watches her father ride a white horse through the park of Brussels each week with people cheering him as he goes. When she volunteers for the day with the Red Cross she meets Hava and they instantly strike up a close friendship. The author captures the innocence of two 18 year old girls at the end of the 1930's, reading Gone With The Wind, dreaming of meeting Clark Gable, going for picnics and drawing lines up the back of their legs to pretend they're wearing stockings and trying to ignore the growing threat of war. I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into Hava's family life, with her father telling Simone Jewish stories and Hava's younger brother enlisting his sister to put on a play for Simone and their parents.

Their peace is shattered as the German army arrives and the author immerses you in the horror, fear and utter chaos of an invading army bombing a city and people trying to flee, but not sure where to go. It's terrifying and so hard to think of people going through this both then and in more recent history. The majority of the book follows Simone and Hava as they try to stay ahead of the advancing Germany army. 

I couldn't put this book down, I was deeply involved in the story of Simone and Hava's friendship and the book left me heartbroken all over again by the pain and loss caused by World War II.

I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5.

Following a story of a young women’s journey throughout WW2 and her strong, unstoppable  friendship with a young Jewish woman, Ashes is just perfect in tone, in narrative and in portraying the tragedy of war - not to mention highlighting the bravery amongst friends, and kindness of strangers.

Reading this book is like reading somebody’s published memoirs, with such detail and sense of accuracy that I could visualise being there, observing Simone and Hava from afar. 

Christopher de Vinck has added such detail and well researched additions, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming or overbearing - just completely the right proportion to make everything about this utterly believable.

I found myself feeling angry, frustrated, proud, even inspired and, also, feeling bereft. There are not many books that have the capacity to draw out so many emotions and yet makes one feel better educated within the space of a few hours. Ashes is one of those rare finds. 

This is great book and one that I know will stay with me in the future. I can not recommend this book highly enough.

I think that this story is similar to so many that happened during WWII, and is a sad situation that was caused by fanaticism. I hope anyone reading this book wil enjoy it in the manner that is intended. Definitely recommended.

I enjoy reading books set in World War Two, but this one stood out for a number of reasons. Unusually, it was set in Belgium. In addition, each chapter started with a fact or extract from a real speech or document which added a gravitas to the fictional events which took place. A stand out novel amongst the many Holocaust works of fiction.