Cover Image: The Whispers of War

The Whispers of War

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Member Reviews

This book was a bit of a disappointment
There was a lot of telling and not a lot of happening.
The romance storyline wasn’t really necessary.

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Marie, Hazel and Nora have been best friends since their time together at boarding school. Now young women, they all live in London and have made different lives for themselves.
Marie is a German who thinks of England as her home. When World War II breaks out, her nationality marks her as alien and an enemy.
Hazel and Nora will do whatever they can to help Marie, even if it means breaking the law.
What secrets are the friends hiding from each other?
What will happen to Marie?
How will World War II change the trio?

Without a doubt, my favourite thing about this book was the female friendships in it - the friendship and bonds between Marie, Hazel and Nora. The were incredibly close and would do anything they could to help each other. It was really nice how supportive they all were.
Marie, Hazel and Nora were different characters who had their own personalities, but they fit together really well and I enjoyed reading about them and finding out their stories. I didn't particularly have a favourite and found them all interesting, likeable and relatable.
The setting of London, both pre and during World War II, was interesting. It didn't feel like the author was trying too hard to make the reader believe the time period - there was just enough detail. I found the internment camps especially interesting to read about as I don't know much about them.
The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat or shocked by anything that happened. I do feel that I could have been a bit more invested in the characters and what happened to them.
The writing style was easy to follow and there weren't any times when I had to go back because I felt I'd missed something.
There was just the right amount of romance for me, as I think that any more would have overshadowed the theme of friendship.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

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The book tells the story of Samantha learning the life story of her Grandmother Marie during WW2 and how she came to live in England and the long friendships that evolved from her school days. It was nice how the book jumped from present day and. back to WW2 so you could see ow the story developed and how it was linked to the present. I felt the story was a little patchy in parts and we could have learnt more about Maries friends stories, I also felt Samanthas life story was left untold.

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Oh I really wanted to love this one, one of my favourite genres, but I really struggled with it.
I found the beginning very slow and long winded.
I didn't really like the main characters and they seemed out of place to me, never quite jelling with me.
I finished it, but it wasn't my favourite book.
Sorry .

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The Whispers of War is a beautiful story.
I liked the style of writing and the vivid descriptions of life during the war. The three main characters; Hazel, Marie and Nora were all strong and authentic. The story lines were emotive and heart wrenching
This book was a very enjoyable and compelling read.

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A beautifully written story which pulls at the heart strings. Three friends who forge a lifetime of friendship. Their story is intriguing and interesting and a compelling read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

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A wonderful tale of long-lasting friendship in the face of adversity.
As war is declared in Britain in 1939, three young women ponder how it will affect each of them; Nora, employed by the Home Office, Hazel, a successful matchmaker in a Matrimonial Agency - married herself - and Marie, whose loyalties lie completely with Britain but is German by birth. As the war gets underway, their loyalties will be tested as never before.
I love the telling of this story; told in retrospect, we get to know each of these three women, their lives, their families and their careers - and exciting reading it makes for too. I do enjoy WWII domestic fiction and this one comes from a slightly different angle. Well written with realistic dialogue, great characterisation and a riveting storyline, this is a book I really enjoyed getting into, and it has a great, solid conclusion. However, there was one glaring error which has dropped my rating to 4*.
My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

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Even if it's well written and the topic is interesting I couldn't care for the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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"The Whispers of War" is one of those rare, truly beautiful books. The writing, the characters, the story... they combine to make something magical and solid. I care about these characters like they're real people, and I will miss them now I've finished reading their stories. The story involves something I didn't know too much about (the internment of Germans, Austrians, and Italians during WWII, for no other reason than their nationality), and the parallels with today's asylum seekers makes this hit hard. The writing is warm, welcoming, and, yes, comforting. Outstanding.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

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Thank you to Netgalley, Orion and Julia Kelly for this ARC to return to my honest review. I really enjoyed reading this book, set in a boarding school while Britain is on the brink of war. An interesting take of a story we've all read so many times, but never fail to tire of. I'll look out for more from this author as this book is beautifully written and crafted.

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if I’m really honest this didn’t do it for me. Topic clearly interesting but the characters didn’t click for me at all so unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it.

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When you think everything about WW2 has already been covered, along comes a story about a different aspect! Thoroughly readable, with engaging characters and new difficulties brought about by the declaration of war.
Three girls, bonded during their time at boarding school, are all thrown into WW2. Marie, born in Germany, is in the most vulnerable position. Will she be interned as an enemy alien? Can her friends help? Hazel, married, working at a marriage bureau and Nora, a secretary at the Home Office.
I really enjoyed reading about the girls every day lives, the issues they faced as Britain entered into the war. I soon got caught up in what would happen for each of them. I will look out for more from this author.

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I found this a lovely book to read it has a brilliant story and great characters that bring the story together,i can highly recommend this book to readers.

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This was a beautiful historical novel that I enjoyed reading. The storyline literally kept me glued to the pages. I can’t recommend the book enough!

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