A dual time line (and second chance romance) set in Dubrovnik in 1944 and 2010, this tells the story of both Fran and her father whose loyalty was in question because of his actions during WWII. Fans of the genre know that Fran is going to find that there was more to his story than she was told, Jadran who helps her, has wisdom gained during the wars of the 1990s as well as scars, There aren't many surprises here but I appreciated learning about the impact of both wars on Croatia and it's people. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A good read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is a dual-timeline story.

It’s 1944, in Dubrovnik, a country that’s at war, Branko has Safranka, his newborn daughter in his arms and is thinking of her future.

Years’ later his daughter, whose name has been changed to Fran, wonders about herself, who is she. Her mother, got married again, had two children, Fran too had a son.

In order to find out more about herself, Fran goes to Dubrovnik, in the hope that she’ll uncover more about her father.

But will what she finds out he good or bad news?

I highly recommend this book.

"The Collaborator's Daughter" is a satisfyingly complex story of two people coming to terms with the aftermath of two different wars which affected the city of Dubrovnik. The characters grow throughout the book and the locale is lovingly described. This novel is so much more than a romance; it is also a homage to Dubrovnik and it's people. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for opportunity to review this book.

I was so excited to receive an arc of The Collaborator’s Daughter as I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Eva Glyn’s previous novels set in Croatia and this one did not disappoint. As ever, the author creates a sense of place so strong that I could visualise the streets of Dubrovnik as I read, picture the sun setting over the sea and understand the horrors of Daksa.
The novel tells the story of Fran and it was wonderfully refreshing to have a heroine in her mid-sixties who was struggling to discover what she wanted to do in this next stage of her life, having spent all of her years so far either caring for children or her elderly step-father. She heads to Croatia in search of her roots, wary of finding confirmation that her father was a Nazi collaborator despite her mother's enduring love and respect for him. The truth she uncovers is horrific indeed but the courage she discovers within her is really very special as she embarks on a new adventure in a new city and finds friendship, self-confidence and a possible romance.
One of my favourite things about this book was the way that Eva Glyn wrote the hero. He was a young man during the 1990’s conflict and did things in the war that no-one would ever consider doing during peacetime and then carried this burden throughout his life. Neither Jadran or Fran are your typical hero and heroine but they are real, flawed and full of doubt and self-loathing. Their depth meant I was rooting for them from the start, willing them to show themselves the compassion that they show others. I thought they were outstanding characters that really showed the fears that so many of us carry as we age.
All in all, The Collaborator’s Daughter is a beautifully written, exceptionally well-researched novel with realistic and developed characters that speak to us all. Highly recommended.

There is much to like about this well-researched, dual-timeline novel. Set largely in Dubrovnik in 1944 and 2010, the story follows sexagenarian Safranka, who seeks to discover the truth about her father’s life and the circumstances of his death. Fran is a likeable character, she is quick to jump to conclusions at times, but I enjoyed her journey of discovery (in more ways than one). The people she encounters in Dubrovnik are mostly welcoming; I particularly liked Jadrin, who plays a significant role in her search.

The author’s depiction of the setting transported me to Dubrovnik in both time and place. I was drawn into the story, reading it over a weekend as I willed Fran to find and recognise the truth she was searching for. Based on real events, the impact of war is shown through the far-reaching consequences for all of those touched by it; because of this, it is an emotional read.

Searching for My Roots.

A wonderful second chance romance set in the beautiful country of Croatia. As Fran travels to Dubrovnik to find out more information about her birth father , after the death of her step father she meets and slowly falls in love with Jadran.

It is the story of a young woman conflicted with the past and what she learns of her father, her growing feelings for Jadran and her responsibility to her family and friends in England.

She finds out what she needs to know about her father with the help of Jadran and Eli the director of the Jewish museum. Along with Jadran they visit the island of Daksa where Fran finds out about the way her father died so many years ago.

It also tells the story set in the 1940's of her father, her mother and herself during the German occupation of the country, what happened to her father and how her mother and herself ended up in England. It is quite a story but I will let you read it for yourself.

This was a good book and I enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to Eva Glyn for writing a great story, to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I enjoy this author’s writing and was delighted to receive this ARC. As with all her works, this is a very well-researched story. The dual timeline, 1944 and 2010, is based on actual events in Dubrovnik, Croatia and the island of Daksa. It is a fascinating section of history and portrays the events of the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia in WWII. Fran wants to research her biological father, and the story soon picks up pace as she sets off to discover the truth. Was her father a Nazi collaborator or a hero? I was so engrossed that I lost track of time, a sure sign of a great read. Well written and beautifully told.Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy and the opportunity to review.

The back story is a realistic account of a family living in turmoil and fear in Dubrovnik at the time of WWII, with the front story of a daughter’s plight to find out more about her father whom she never knew and was falsely executed. The novel unfolds and although comes to a predictable close this does not detract from the story. A deep and emotional story, distressing at times, but ultimately a story of a woman in her mid-60s who finds peace and acceptance of her past, but also love in later life. Well researched and a pleasure to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins One more Chapter for this advance copy.

What an interesting historical story taking place in Croatia during WW2. Following a dual timeline, a daughter goes back to her birthplace to find out the story surrounding her Fathers death. A story of grief, healing, courage, family and love no matter what age you are. I did find some of the text to be a little repetitive although I guess it was part of Frans character as she was finding herself and her confidence.
I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A very interesting true story about Fran who decides to visit Dubrovnik after the death of her stepfather. She goes to find out the story of her real father's life and why he was executed as a Nazi collaborator. She stays on her own in a flat and gets to know local people including Vedran who works in a local coffee shop. His uncle Jadran helps her to discover more about her father and also Eli from the local Jewish museum. It eventually turns out that he helped a Jewish family to escape detention and was not a collaborator. Sadly the Partisans did not believe him so he was shot. This was a very well written and researched book about a true story.
Fran becomes close friends with Jadran and regrets the time she has to go back to England as she will miss him, but misses her brother, her son and his family.
A very happy ending to this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an A.R.C.

A fantastic book. Fran goes to Dubrovnik to learn more about her family background but little did she know what she would find out and who she would meet. Interwoven with historical facts and references this book follows love and war. You can’t help but to fall In love with the characters both those in Dubrovnik and in England. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Eva Glyn and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

1944 in war-torn Dubrobvnik, Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and dreams of her future. the Nazis are leaving but a greater danger are the Partisans.
60 years later and Fran, as she is now known, is trying to work out who she really is. Her mother remarried and she has two siblings and also a son.
She travels to Dubrovnik hopefully to find out more about her father but will she find what she wants to hear?
I enjoyed this book but at times would have liked to given Fran a good shake!!!

As a fan of Eva Glyn's novels, I knew from the blurb and the beautiful cover of 'The Collaborator's Daughter' that I was in for a treat. With its themes of grief, friendship, love and new beginnings, it did not disappoint. The novel has all the ingredients I love - a dual-time line, one of which is set in WWII, a beautiful contrasting location, and characters who come to life on the page. The sense of place is very strong; I felt I was walking the streets of Dubrovnik with the characters, both in 1944 and 2009. It made me want to revisit that amazing city. The story kept me turning the pages and I could not put the book down. I particularly liked the way the modern story was interspersed with the 1944 story. Not shying away from the brutality of war, those passages are short and serve to support what the main character, Fran, finds out about her birth father. The use of the present tense for those chapters works well. By allowing us into Fran's thoughts and mindset, I felt I really got to know her and appreciate the journey she makes through the book. I like the fact that she is an older heroine, and enjoyed watching her confront and deal with her insecurities. The developing relationship between her and the lovely Jadran is beautifully explored.

An emotional and heartwarming story that will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

Knowing very little about her real father's life and death in Dubrovnik, our main character, Fran, returns to her birth place to seek answers. Knowing very little about this time in history, the book interested me in that. However. I found that I liked the history more than the characters. Fran has spent a lifetime of caring for others and she is to be admired for that. But when the story moved to the present, I did not care for her as much. That said, I thought the storyline and the history of the country was fascinating.

A very different time-slip novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. Although there were times I got rather frustrated with Fran overall I liked her and found her insecurities over her body amusing. The story of her father was desperately sad and I was willing the truth to come out. The descriptions of Dubrovnik were beautiful and have made me want to visit.
Thanks Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book.

Based on real events, The Collaborator's Daughter tells the story of Fran (Safranka) who in 2010 returns to the country of her birth, Croatia. Fran left the country in 1944, taken by her mother to England: Her mother married a wonderful man, whom Fran called “Daddy”, and had always told Fran her birth father was a hero who died in 1944.
Having cared for Daddy until his death, Fran is at a loss as to what to do with her life now. A trip to Croatia sounds like a great way to recharge her batteries and learn about her parents’ story. However, she quickly finds herself conflicted when she finds information about her birth father and what happened during the war and Nazi Occupation of Yugoslavia, details that doesn’t match what her mum told her about him.
The story takes Fran on a journey, one she struggles to commit to, especially as her view of her father has been tainted. Was he really the hero her mother described him as?
Interspersed with Fran’s discoveries is the story of her father, Branko Milišić, the true story that Fran has yet to uncover. It’s poignant and subtle, yet with repercussions that he could never have foreseen.
Dubrovnik, Croatia is stunning, but the dark history of what happened in Daksa hangs heavy on Fran’s mind and it’s hard for her not to believe the worst of her father. Meeting Jadran brings some relief to the tale, but he is not without his own troubles, and together they come to realise that they have to live their own lives and not live in the past, in a past they cannot change.
I was rooting for Fran to find out the true story of her father and willing her to not jump to conclusions. Whether she did or not, you’ll need to read for yourself, but I will say that she deserved a happy ending, as did Jadran, and how it unfolded brought a tear to my eyes.
Thanks Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this compelling story.

I enjoyed this story about Dubrovnik but was also horrified by the circumstances the characters found themselves in. I was a bit frustrated with Fran’s timidity & refusal to let the facts speak well for her father. The rushing to the conclusion that he was a fascist over & over again with very little proof was annoying to me. Her family dynamics seemed a little off too. The sister purposely knocking her down at the funeral with no repercussions didn’t seem realistic. I thought Jadran was a great character and would have liked to explore his story a little more in depth and from his perpesctive. All in all a good read about the war years though. I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Fran has always wanted to learn more about her father. When she is an adult she decides to visit the small island. When she learns that he was killed she decides to investigate why. This book took me on a journey that I enjoyed.

Safranka ‘Fran’ has always known she was born in Dubrovnik and that her father was a hero in the war but she knows nothing more about her heritage.
Fran who is in her 60s and retired so that she could become her stepfathers carer is now reassessing her life. Her stepfather and her beloved mother are no longer alive and her son is happily married with two daughters. Her mother never told her much about their former life only that they needed to leave Croatia and travel to England.
It is time for Fran to find out more about where she was born and more about her biological father.
Fran travels to Croatia and discovers not only her heritage but also more about her herself. She meets a kind man Jadran who assists Fran with her search for information about her father but he also helps her discover more about her herself. It is never too late for a second chance in life.
I enjoyed the storyline of this book. The heartache and anguish that war leaves for those touched by the horrors directly and indirectly is well researched and portrayed respectfully.
I highly recommend this book to historical fiction readers.

The Collaborator's Daughter is a delightful reading experience. I was immersed right from the characters to the setting and happily lost in getting to know them all.

The setting in terms of location and it's WW2 is something rarely talked about especially in fiction so that was refreshing and interesting to me.