After the death of her Father, Fran decides to re evaluate her life - a life that has been spent caring for others. The father that has just died is her stepfather but the only father she has known - she decides to explore her birth father in Croatia to find out more about the hero her mother told her little about. The story isn't what she expected and at times she is prepared for him to be the complete opposite of a hero. As she comes to terms with this she is also finding her own way forward in life.
I love Croatia as the background of this story and also that Fran is in her sixties and discovering that life is to be lived to the full.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Collaborator's Daughter.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me a copy of The Collaborator’s Daughter for review. If you are looking for a copy of this book it releases March 31 2023.
Fran has grown up in England with her mother, step father and two younger siblings. Her mother took fled their home country of Yugoslavia with her when she was a baby after WW2. Fran has always wondered about her father and the events surrounding his death, and now that her son is grown and she has time she is going home to look for answers.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t quite to my taste. I really was looking for more of a historical fiction book and this reads to me as a romance, self discovery story with flashes of history mixed in. This really is Fran’s story of finding her self confidence and love for the first time in a long time. I did find some of Fran’s inner monologue to be a bit repetitive, she has the same conversation with herself many times. I did like the history that was included, this is not an area of WW2 I am very familiar with so I enjoyed learning something new.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found the story set in Croatia fascinating. Fran decides to find out more about her roots, particularly her father after the death of her step father. Her birth parents were from Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, where Fran was born during the war. Her mother always described him as a hero, but told Fran nothing else about her early month before their escape to England. The story is written in 2 timelines, 2022 and her fathers 1944. This does not cause problems for the reader, although I would have liked more information about Branko. During her time in Croatia, Fran meets Jadran and his help to find answers is not an easy path. They bring pain and heartache, soul searching for them both. Fran's relationships with her younger half siblings are also a cause for concern.
I can fully recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and like Croatia.

It's never too late for new beginnings.

After the deaths of both parents, Fran decides, at the age of 65, to discover the cause of the death of the biological father she never knew. He was killed by partisans as a collaborator. She has only one memory of her father, a necklace with Jewish symbols.

Fran finds herself alone in a wonderful Dubrovnik, but she soon meets friendly people who are ready to help her. Is she actually ready for the truth?

The author strategically maneuvers through the events of the war, describes the whole atmosphere with a feeling for the people, and does not take sides as she is aware of all the historical events in the troubled Balkans.

A heartwarming story about love, friendship, and new beginnings.

3,5/5

Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure, Eva Glyn shows the devastation that war can bring to families and their communities with the impact lasting for generations. But it also shows the warmth of human nature and the capacity to understand, forgive, forge new friendships and love again.

I expected this book to be about the troubles those who collaborated with the Nazis for their own reasons at the end of WWII. Instead this book was another book that skips between the past and the current century, but with less a look at what happened in 1944 than yet another person in this century discovering her family’s past and ‘info dumping’ to the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the invite to read this eARC.

This is a very well written and enjoyable read. I liked Fran, the main character who travels to Dubrovnik to find out more about her father, and also liked Jadran and reading of how their friendship started off slowly with the hint of becoming something more. I think the author portrayed Fran beautifully and it was lovely to see her grow into her own after always putting others first. I particularly liked the descriptions of Dubrovnik as a city and could picture the main street, the alleyways, and harbour when reading, I’ve visited Dubrovnik and reading this book took me right back there. I liked the dual time lines although I would have personally preferred that the 1944 timeline be more detailed and play a bigger part in the story. It just felt to little and too brief in my opinion, although I did read the author’s acknowledgements as to why this was the case. This is still a good book to read and I loved the ending which I thought was just perfect. If you like books with a bit of historical fiction and romance then this is for you.

3.5 stars

The Collaborator's Daughter is a dual timeline story based on real events about discovery, courage, grief, love and family. It takes place in stunning Croatia, namely Dubrovnik and the nearby island of Daksa.

In 1944 Croatia, Branko and Dragica Milišić and young daughter Safranka have survived the horrors of WWII and the end is in sight. However, the Yugoslav partisans have other ideas and decide to execute resistance members on Daksa.

In 2009, Fran is devastated when her papa ("Daddy") dies. In early 2010 after taking a DNA test Fran decides to travel to Dubrovnik to research her family history and fill in gaps from her past. Her biological father was executed when she was tiny. When she arrives she is struck by the overwhelming grief she feels for her mother as well. She is also amazed at the glorious Mediterranean scenery and delectable food. Meeting Jadran energizes her spirit. Both in their sixties, they are aware they are falling in love. As layers of their pasts are peeled away, truths emerge.

Though the surroundings are described beautifully, the culture and essence are not fully captured. I live in Croatia (no place I'd rather be!) and did not feel the country's soul in the 2010 parts of the story. Croats fluent in English do not speak like Jadran but nuances and vernacular are difficult to portray in dialogue. However, author Eva Glyn clearly did her historical research into the dreadful Daksa massacre and conveyed the terror Branko Milišić must have faced. She also chose a fascinating piece of history to write about and tied both timelines together wonderfully. Do read her insightful notes on her inspiration.

My sincere thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this enthralling novel.

Fran has always known her biological father passed away prior to her birth and the man that raised her was not her biological father. When that man passes away, she starts to unravel information about her biological father and what happened during the war and Nazi Occupation of Yugoslavia. Fran embarks on a trip to her place of birth to find out what happened.

I liked that the author took their time explaining the plot and laying the foundation for the story, but at times it felt almost too slow and was hard to keep interest. Once the story got going, it was a great story and very fun to read. I also like that the main character was in their 60's, because for most WW2 novels, the main character is much younger, so it offered a different perspective.

This was a tremendously good read and a great premise for a story. I loved Fran and could relate to her as many of women my age could I am sure. She was so brave to go to the place of her birth to find more about her father who her mother had told her was a hero. Both sad and heartwarming in equal measure. It was beautifully written and you could just imagine the warmth of the sun and imagine the beautiful landscape and of course the lovely food. Although I am not a fan of dual timelines this worked so well or me. The chapters were short enough enabling me to follow each time line without losing track. I love when I read a book and get completely captivated by the story and its characters losing track of time as I did with this one.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I read a lot of historical fiction plus my father was from Yugoslavia so I had some personal interest in the topic area of this book. I liked that the main character is in her 60s although it was difficult to think of how much of her life she had devoted to others out of guilt and shame. It's not too late for second chances. Two entwined stories about a father and daughter.

Once again Eva Glyn has captured the sense of place with her excellent descriptions of the landscapes and the scenery. This time her book is centred around Dubrovnik and it's nearby islands. I really enjoyed the use of the dual timeframe.
The 'now' being 2010, which follows the life of Fran. Who is searching for the truth about her father.
The 'then' being in 1944, as the Second World War occupation of Dubrovnik draws to a close.

Although this is a work of fiction I like the use of real places. Having toured the region recently, this use of real places helps to give the novel a sense of both geographical and historical reality. The historical aspects are also based on real events which occurred.

I won't go into detail about the plot out of fear of spoiling the story. Suffice to say that both the historical and fictional aspects of the narrative come together very well. I like the way that Eva Glyn slowly develops the characters, whilst at the same time exploring aspects of the tragic recent history of Croatia

Finally I give my thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins (One More Chapter) for a copy in exchange for this review.

This is a charming story told in two timelines 1944 and 2010,mostly set in Dubrovnik Croatia,the descriptions are wonderful I almost felt I was there.Fran decides at the age of 65 to visit the town her parents came from and also to discover the truth about why her Father was executed and then she meets Jadran who will change her life for ever .I really enjoyed this book proving that we all can change for the better even later on in life .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

A story told in 2 different time periods. In present day, a woman is searching for her father. During the war, a man sends his wife and daughter to safety, and joins the resistance.

5 stars
War is a many-layered thing

Well! This author gets better and better. Clichéd as it sounds, I couldn’t put The Collaborator’s Daughter down. Published by One More Chapter, I kept thinking before I should have put out the light: just one more chapter. So it truly fits a place in the catalogue of this publishing company…
Firstly, the location: there are plenty of historical war novels set in France, Italy or the Far East, but I enjoyed learning about the history and stunning location and history of Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian islands of Croatia (what used to be known as Yugoslavia. (I have an RAF uncle buried there, shot down in WW2, helping Tito’s partisans, so I was already invested). The author’s pictures of the coastline, the villages and the mouth-watering food have made me now want to visit: “red-tiled roofs, the azure Mediterranean, city walls rising and falling with the rhythm of the rocks that climbed above the sea then plunged down again round the harbour. Pretty churches, colonnades beneath elaborately carved arches, tiny alleyways packed with restaurant tables and chairs…” Wow!
I said I enjoyed this new location, but it is probably not the most suitable verb to cover my experience of the book, because the story is so raw in places. Glyn does not shrink from describing the cruelty of both recent wars that have hit this beautiful part of the world, but the book would not work so well without these graphic descriptions of man’s cruelty to man. The repercussions remain long past war’s end and these ripples are what the author cleverly stirs through both murky and clear waters in her words.
In her notes at the back of the book, Glyn comments that the chapters in the past (set mostly in 1944 and introducing us to Branko Milisic) are quite short and that some readers might not like this. I disagree. I think this is one of the strongest aspects of the book. The chapters are individual glimpses of the past, written with such poignancy. I found myself welling up each time. And they are a clever tool as well, because our lovely present-day heroine, Safranka/Franka/Fran, is on a mission to discover the past of this man, her father, and her roots. And she is very fearful of what she believes she knows about him. But all the while, she does not know what we do, which we glean from these short chapters. Her lack of knowledge leads to misunderstandings and much conflict, which certainly builds tension. Added to this is a mysterious pendant left to her by her mother. But, STOP, I don’t want to give anything away… I like that Glyn has written these past scenes in the present tense – this also adds to the tension and immediacy.
So, the present-day (2010) is peppered with several characters: chiefly belonging to Fran’s rather complicated background and family in England. She has a lovely friend, Parisa, who as well as being a delightful contrast to Fran’s rather safe personality helps our heroine unravel her tightly tangled knots of introspection. And introspection there is aplenty, as well as tears, as she goes over and over her worries and fear for her future. Safranka/Fran is a woman who has constantly worried about everybody else and put herself last, so that she is in danger now of jeopardising her chance of happiness at sixty-five with a very likable silver-haired Croatian man (but he is troubled too – hurrah for that: nobody wants a smooth Mr Perfect)…
His name is Jadran, dear readers. Is it possible to fall in love at sixty-five? Being a few years older myself, I found this layer of the book utterly charming. And I am sure relevant to many readers of this age. The author handles the issues of possible later relationships delicately and with enormous sensitivity. (The problem of "her slightly tatty and greying knickers would remain her secret." That line made me smile.) But what happens? You will have to read the book for yourselves to find out the result of Fran's search into the past, as well as how she can go forwards in the present. I highly recommend.
Congratulations to Eva Glyn/Jane Cable for your thorough research, the way you managed to sew it all together to produce a seamless result; the way you moved me to tears. It is a very special book and you should be very proud.
Thanks also to One More Chapter for the possibility of reading this advanced copy and allowing me to leave an honest review.

The most moving war story I've ever read. Set in mostly Dubrovnik, Croatia, both towards the end of World War II and in 2010, this is a tour de force. When Fran's elderly mother dies, she decides to find out more about her father. Her mother clearly adored him, but she'd had to escape Dubrovnik without him during the war. It seems he was executed as a collaborator but was this true? For fans of Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley.

I did enjoy this book. A good solid read. Fran's father was either a hero or a Nazi collaborator. What is the truth?. An engaging story that was clearly well researched . I didn't really connect with Fran. I'm not sure why. I certainly wasn't Team Patti either. Some trivial things like "daddy" and a few Americanisms did put me off. It would have been nice to have had a clue as to how to pronounce the Croatian names. I'm reading more and more WWII fiction these days and this is an enjoyable read

The book starts out toward the end of WWII when Branko Milisic holds his baby daughter Safranka and hopes she has a better future post-war. However, the fallout from WWII brings additional hardships for everyone, as partisans fight to control the government and Milisic and his family must navigate stressful times. The story jumps ahead to Fran, the older of two half-siblings, who travels to her birth city to learn more about her past. She learns that her father was executed in 1944 after being accused of being a collaborator. However, a major twist is revealed later on in the story. I really enjoyed this story; it was full of WWII and post-WWII history, and the characters were fully developed and had rich details.