I am giving this book 4 stars mostly because..the heroine of the story, Safranka (better known as Fran) is over sixty years of age. It is rare that a book is written about a woman of her age. Fran is a woman who has just lost her stepfather who raised her. Her Mother died a few years before the story began. Her real Father died many years ago. She hardly knew her biological father but makes it her mission to learn as much about him as she can. The book is about her journey to do that. It is an interesting story and the characters are fairly well written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

The Collaborator’s Daughter is a complex novel written in two timelines, the first being Dubovnik in WWII, where we are introduced to Branko Milišić, a clerk employed by the city council.
Crippled, desperately poor and controlled by the city mayor, Branko is forced to run messages between Nazi sympathisers. Out of this awful situation, however, he also manages to do something both brave and remarkable, making him a hero in his wife’s eyes.
The second timeline starts in Sussex in england in 2009 where we meet Branko’s daughter Safranka at the funeral of her beloved stepfather. She’s a desperate;y unhappy character when she enters the story, however after deciding to spend three months in Dubrovnik to find out what she can about the father she never knew she begins to heal and grow. Meeting law student and part time café worker Vedran and his retired uncle Jadran is a turning point for Fran and from this point on we get to see romance slowly blooming while the details of her father’s life and death become clearer.
I adored this book. It has its moments of horror as we see Croatian Partisans rounding up and dealing with apparent Nazi sympathisers, but this is beautifully balanced by the blossoming romance. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing until the end and, honestly, I think this is one of those books that will keep revealing more of itself the more I read it. Definitely a keeper!

I am not a massive fan of historical fiction, but this one was pleasantly surprising. A gripping story which I highly can recommend.

Really enjoyed reading this book. The setting in Dubrovnik and the accuracy brought back memories of a visit there. I really liked that the main character was older than usual in such novels. Poignant, sad but really well written. Recommended.

Having travelled in Croatia and Montenegro I was keen to read this book and learn more about the war. I have never read this author before, but love a dual timeline. It did draw me in from page one but I definitely preferred the war element to the love element.

A well handled dual timeline. Much as I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the landscape and liked the older heroine, much of the history and politics of wartime Yugoslavia was lost on me. I was waiting for more of a revelation about the past that never came. Nevertheless, a sad and poignant look back at a terrible time. I enjoyed the modern day story and slow romance more than the earlier story.

Fran Thomson is extremely upset when her beloved step-father dies and she’s spent the last two years taking care of him and her mother passed away seven years ago. Fran has two younger siblings, Andrew and Patti who isn’t very nice to Fran and she tried everything to repair her toxic relationship with her sister. After her step-father’s funeral, Fran feels lost, despite having the support of her son and best friend. Fran wishes she'd asked her mother more about the past, Fran was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia and towards the end of the Second World War. Her parents Branko and Dragica Milisic, lived in the seaside town, and Fran’s real name is Safranka.

Fran travels to Croatia, she shocked to discover her father was shot for being a collaborator in 1944, and her mother told her he was a hero, Branko was a member of the Ustase, he was stationed at the island of Lopud, and where Dubrovnik's Jewish population was interned by the Italians.

Fran meets a university student Vedran at a coffee shop and he introduces her to his uncle Jadran. The widower offers Fran some advice, not everyone who was executed by the partisans were guilty and she needs to look into her father’s past and put the missing pieces of the puzzle together. Jadran encourages Fran to visit the Jewish museum, and he also takes her to the island of Daksa and the markets. Fran enjoys spending time with Jadran and he’s a good-looking man, Fran hasn’t been in a relationship for forty years and she doesn’t know if he feels the same way and she lives in Sussex.

I received a copy of The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. As Ms. Glyn explains in her notes at the end, it was difficult to write about what happened in Dubrovnik during WW II, as there wasn't a lot of information available, her new book couldn't have a dual timeline and she wrote it from the main protagonists Fran's point of view. This was the right choice, so many women can relate to Fran, she spent years raising her son as a single parent and then looking after her aging parents and suddenly she finds herself sixty five, retired and alone. Fran enjoys navigating the city of her birth, Croatia's beautiful scenery, food and culture. Five stars from me, a touching story about a woman embracing her heritage, letting go of the past and moving forward.

The Collaborator’s Daughter is an outstanding novel. It makes you look back to the past with sadness and understanding and some regret, and makes you look to the future with hope and just a little bit of trepidation, all the while painting vivid word pictures of Dubrovnik, Croatia both near the end of World War II and in present day: beautiful, dangerous, irresistible.

At age 65, having lived nearly her entire life in England, Fran finds herself at loose ends. Unmarried, with a grown child and young grandchildren, a half-brother she adores and a half-sister who hates her, her mother has been gone for several years and the stepfather she has been nursing through illness has just died. Retired, no one to need her, no necessity of fitting in, Fran thinks if she can find the inner strength and courage that this may be the right time to finally find out more about where she came from, the hero father who died when she was an infant in Dubrovnik and fill in some of the blanks in the stories her mother told her about that time and place. The research she initially does tells her that instead of being the hero she was led to believe her father was executed as a collaborator. She almost turns right around and goes home, but she’s rented an apartment for three months and, with support and encouragement from her son, brother and good friend back home she sets out on what ends up being the adventure and discovery of her lifetime, not only for the past but for the present and the future as well.

The Collaborator’s Daughter is well-written, complex, detailed, intense and tells a fantastically entertaining story. Fran is likeable, insecure and brave at the same time, afraid to stay and learn things she doesn’t want to know but also feeling surprisingly at home in Dubrovnik. The local people are welcoming, particularly a young bartender and his uncle who helps her on her journey of discovery.

This is a delightful, through-provoking, satisfying story. It was refreshing to see in Fran a woman of a certain age who wasn’t a senile, toothless, doddering old lady in a wheelchair but rather an energetic, enervated woman with a little bit of a libido. The surroundings are so authentically described it feels as if you are there. Thanks to Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for providing an advance copy of The Collaborator’s Daughter for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation; all opinions are my own.

What an enchanting story! Author Eva Glyn captured my interest in the first page and held it until the conclusion.

I loved the characters and setting, but it was the juxtaposition that had me spellbound. I couldn’t help but notice the difference in Croatia in the 66-year gap and how it was reflected in the characters. Freedom and fear played off each other.

I loved the mature characters and how they grasped second chances. They weren’t wanting to erase the past and the experiences, as younger generations today, but rather build upon a solid, shared past of survival. It was refreshing. I think Glynn’s characters in this book are phenomenal. She has managed to relate the challenges of this generation and elevate the quality of the story at the same time.

I eagerly search out Glynn’s books because I know I’ll discover a well-researched novel that transports me to the setting and well-rounded characters who are not only authentic but propel the story forwards and keep me engaged. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next! Another 5-star read from a trusted author!

Historical fiction lovers will want to read this story that brings 1944 Croatia alive and shows us the far-reaching effects of war.

I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The author took her time to explain the plot and lay the foundation for the story, which was commendable. However, at times, the pace felt a bit slow, and it was challenging to maintain my interest. Nevertheless, once the story picked up, it was a thrilling read that kept me engaged.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I had not come across this author before by either of her writing names but decided to give her a try.
However I found this book very hard to read and in fact, it became a DNF for me as I really found it boring and repetitive,
From the blurb I thought the story would captivate me but I really did not like this or the style of writing
Sadly it was not for me - sorry

This book is one of my favourite reads this year! I related to the feelings and thoughts of Fran the main character so much that I could be her. Having visited Dubrovnik in my teens, I could easily imagine walking in the streets and well remember oranges and lemons growing on the trees and the bullet holes in the buildings. Fascinating, intriguing, well researched, poignant, heart-breaking and a great read. Another triumph from Eva Glyn – more please.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

not quite what i imagined i enjoyed the war years better than the love interest but never the less an enjoyable read

this is dual timelined novel based 2010 Croatia but looking backwards to 1944 after the Nazi’s had gone.
I enjoy reading historical fiction series but I found this quite a slow read which was disappointing. The basis of the story was good but some long detailed sections were a bit distracting.

I do enjoy a good dual timeline book especially if it is well written & interesting.
The stories are set in Sussex 2009 & Dubrovnik 1944 at the time of WW11.
I love how the author brings Dubrovnik to life you can almost feel you are there.
There is a good blend of well researched facts, that work well alongside the fictional aspects of the story.
Fran was brought to England as a baby by her mother in 1944.
The only thing she new about her father was that he died a hero.
After her mum remarried she went on to have two more children a brother & a sister for Fran.
Fran has just spent the last couple of years nursing her stepfather that she loved very much.
After losing her beloved mother 7 years ago she feels the loss deeply when her stepfather also passes away.
Fran is feeling very lost & out of sorts as she tries to come to terms with her life.
She split from her husband when her son Michael was small.
He now has two children but non of them need her as much now.
Perhaps this is now her time to do things for herself if only she is brave enough.
She gets the urge to go to Dubrovnik the place of her birth to see if she can find out more about her real father.
She stumbles upon conflicting information that all points to her father being shot as a collaborator.
The friends she has forged on her stay in Dubrovnik try to help her, as all might not be what it seems.
This was a really lovely read .

The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn is a compelling dual timeline tale that I read in just one sitting. This is a tale that enthralls, entertains and enchants the reader. It is a tale that blends fact and fiction, educating as you read.
Much of the book is set in 2010 Croatia but looking backwards to 1944 after the Nazi’s had fled. The lead character grew up in England, after her mother fled with her in 1944. She longs to know her roots, seeking out her father – was he hero or traitor?
It is also a story about new beginnings. We are never too old for a fresh start. The two lead characters are in their sixties. They both have tragedies, regrets and sorrows behind them. Is it time to take a chance, grasp life and learn to live again?
Croatia in 2010 is very different from 1944 when fear and tension were all around, and trust was in short supply. In contrast, in 2010 lives live in freedom, tasting food and coffee, experiencing sun, sea and laughter. As the past unravels, lives in present day mirror the course and open up.
In the darkness, look for the light. Even at times of great evil, pockets of light, goodness and hope could be found. We witness the lasting legacy of a light amongst the darkness.
Eva Glyn has written a marvelous book that totally consumed me. It was beautiful to watch lives beginning to blossom again, proving that no matter how old we are – life is for living.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I am sorry to say that I found this book very disappointing. It has too many long, descriptive passages padding it out, and I have not read a book with such a huge amount of introspection and navel gazing by the main character. Fran, short for Safranca, is very difficult to connect with. She comes across as a very shallow character, and is not particularly likeable. The 1944 part of the book, about the man who may be her father, is told only in a few very short chapters, and moves at glacial pace.
At more than 50% in, very little has happened, in either part of the narrative.
At times it drifts into Mills&Boon territory, with unexpected suggestive comments made by Fran’s friend at home, during phone calls/ FaceTime communications.
I had high hopes that this book would be an informative and enjoyable WW2 story from an unusual Yugoslavian point of view. That is not the case, at least in the 50% I have read. I really can’t bear reading about any more of Fran’s inner musings, self doubt and introspection, it’s beyond boring. A DNF for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Fran (Safranka) was brought to England from Dubrovnik as a young baby in 1944 by her mother after her biological Father was shot by partisans as a collaborator. Fran was brought up by her mother and stepfather along with a younger brother and sister and was always told by her mother that her natural father was a hero. It’s 2010 and having retired two years ago to care for her ill stepfather Fran is at a loss as to what to do with her life after his loss. Her mother had died several years previously. Having spent her life looking after others Fran no longer feels needed. After careful consideration she decides to travel to Dubrovnik to try to discover her Father’s history. She meets Jadran who changes her life for the better and helps her in this historical quest. This is a lovely if sometimes harrowing story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also liked that the main character is in her 60’s. Very unusual. Although I very much liked Fran I found her to be frustratingly negative at times. I hadn’t read Eva Glynn before this book but have now downloaded An island of secrets which I am looking forward to reading. My thanks to Chloe Cummings, HarperCollins and netgalley for an E arc and the opportunity to read and review. I highly recommend especially for readers who like WWII historical stories.

In 19944, in war-torn Dubrovnik, Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter, Safranka, and wishes her a better future, But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica, and their new baby.

This story has a dual timeline - the present day and the past. 1944. Fran (Safranka) returns to Dubrovnik to find out more about her family background. she wanted to find out what had happened to her father, which was extremely sad. This is a descriptively written story, and the descriptions of Dubrovnik sound beautiful. This is a complex story with people coming to terms with the aftermath of war that affected the city of Dubrovnik. This emotional read can be distressing at times. The story has been well researched.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUk #OneMoreChapter and the author #EvaGlyn for my ARC of #TheCollabratorsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

Fran travels to Dubrovnik after her stepfather dies, to find out about her real father. Very interesting dual timeline. enjoyed the story.