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.

A difficult read about the seemingly inseparable bond between two friends and the harsh brutalities of the Second World War that pulled them - if only physically - apart. Made more poignant, the story is interspersed with true extracts from leaders on both side of the conflict which set the scene as the story unfolds. and yet, despite the realities of war, there are inspiring positive themes of the enduring nature of friendship and love.

A tale of love, life and loss in World War II told from the perspective of a young Belgian girl, the daughter of a General.

I really enjoyed how the novel was interspersed with historical quotations and this helped contextualise the narrative. I found the first 3/4 of the book compelling. It was an easy read (from an academic perspective, but not always from an emotional one) that had me turning pages. Unfortunately, much of the imagery and power that was built up was then destroyed by the attempt to draw things together at the end, with a retrospective look on the life of the central character post-war. I saw the intent of the author but felt rather disappointed with the execution.

I actually think that this book would appeal to a YA audience as an alternative to some of the more modern "love and friendship" texts.

With thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Set against the monumental events of World War 2, de Vinck tells the moving story of a deep friendship between Simone Lyon, daughter of an heroic Belgian General and Hava Daniels, daughter of a close knit Jewish family.

In their home town of Brussels, the inseparable teenage girls share their dreams, their feelings, their crushes and their follies. They swear their unshakeable loyalty to each other but despite immense courage and determination to survive together, they are cruelly torn apart when Jewish people are separated and sent to be ‘relocated’.

This much, I enjoyed. But the narrative then rushes to cover too much in its final section. Too much happens, personally and internationally and much of the emotional power of the girls’ story dissipates.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperInspire for my pre-release download.

Set in World War 2, this story involves the relationship between Simone, the daughter of a Belgian national war hero, and Hava, a jewish girl. The relationship between these two is the driving force and the successful heart of this novel and I was rooting for them throughout. However, the pace was a little odd- at times it was deathly slow and then lots happened all at once and this was difficult to follow at times and at times I felt the girls got lost in the narrative which was a shame. A good read but It didn't make me delay putting it down to go and do the essential things in life in the way that a great book usually does. 3.5 stars.

This was a very heart wrenching book. The woman went through some horrendous issues. If you like history and war this is worth reading

Ashes is set during World War II, it tells the story of Belgian Simone, daughter of a national war hero and her best friend, Jewish Hava. I have to say I am conflicted about this novel. I love elements of this book, such as the relationship between Simone and Hava but I felt that the story moved at an unsteady pace and was difficult to follow at times. Overall, I like this book but didn't love it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC