Evensong [Paperback]

M.L. St. Sure (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 14, 2007

M.L. St. Sure's Evensong is a powerful and captivating historical romance novel, set in World War II, about a beautiful, celebrated opera singer forced to sing the singspiel before Hitler. Amidst terrible consequences, after heartbreaking conflict and loss, the heroine's voice carries the ultimate message of courage and freedom.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Historical fiction fans will be drawn to M.L. St. Sure's rich narrative, a page-turning pace that is not hampered by an infusion of information that  often overwhelms the plot and characters of historical novels."

--U S Review by J. Alpha

A war torn romance, "Evensong", will live forever in your mind - revealing a true testament to the power of love and the strength to survive.
--Brian Knight - Premium Promotional

"The most compelling reason to read Evensong is the way it describes the horrors of how children were exploited in the Nazi death camps. That portion of the book is, indeed, very powerful." --Book Chase - written by Sam Sattler

A historical novel of a young woman's return to Europe and her service in the French resistance. The Cross family ekes out a living in hardscrabble Kelly Flatt, Mo., where they have been brought by their father, an opera prodigy who fought in the Great War. When a lightning-felled tree kills her father, her mother turns to drink, forcing the thrush-voiced and raven-haired Christina Cross to find work in a hotel. There, Senator Liam Caradine discovers her vocal talent. Christina accepts the Senator's patronage and performs at West Point under the smitten gaze of one Laurent de Gauvion Saint Cyr, grandson of the eponymous World War I general, who has come to seek American collaboration against French horizons dark with Hitler's rearmament of Germany. In love with the paternal senator, Christina rebuffs Laurent, an infamous paramour, only to find her self again in his company when Germany attacks Austria and she, following in her father's footsteps, travels to France to serve in the war effort. She brings her sister Nicolette to keep her safe from their drunken mother. They arrive in France just as their uncle, General Philippe Petain, is being sworn in as vice premier of France. At first loyal to Philippe, Christina soon rejects his complacency toward the Nazis and her loyalty turns to Laurent and the resistance. She joins Operation Cri de Coeur, rescuing babies from Hitler's camps with a submarine based in North African catacombs. But then the unthinkable happens: Nicolette is captured and sent to a Nazi work camp, eventually becoming a test subject for secret Nazi bio-weapons. Christina mounts a mission to infiltrate the camp and rescue Nicolette.

Written with brio and filled with ecstatic reveries and 11th-hour rescues, St. Sure's prose has a passion . . . action-driven and enjoyable ride . . . spirited work. -- Kirkus Discoveries, June 1, 2008

Clearly unafraid to work hard and think big. One can certainly appreciate her (M. L. St. Sure) careful attention to detail, diligent effort to research the period, and the ambitious scope of the work. -- FOREWORD CLARION REVIEWS. Date written: Feb. 28, 2008

About the Author

M.L. St Sure lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken. She has three daughters, Nicole, Amy and Kristi, and five grandchildren, Nick, Zack, Anna, Liam and Murphy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419668242
• ISBN-13: 978-1419668241
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 7.9 x 5.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,409,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My Dad was in the Marines during World War II. As a child I questioned him many times about his shiny medals, photographs, letters and postcards to my Mom; things about the war. It seemed the more I pressed him for answers, the more reticent he became. By the time I was eight years old I was writing war stories in the closet where my Dad's uniform hung.

I became obsessed with writing. One day I mailed a story to the Oakland Tribune, and it was published the next weekend in the "Aunt Elsie" column. Well, that did it for me. I was a PUBLISHED author! I was born and raised in Berkeley, California, and a few years later, I entered college and majored in English. I was still writing stories in my free time. A friend of mine who was editing for me, suggested I attend the Iowa Writer's Workshop in Iowa City, Iowa. So off I went to write more stories, and I absolutely loved it! I had just finished a summer session when I received a phone call from my Mom. She said my Dad had just passed away from an aneurysm. I was devastated. My chance to know him was over. A few months later, a package arrived in the mail. I opened it, and wrapped in old newspapers were my Dad's war journals. What a day that was for me. Though by the time I began reading them, I soon understood why he never spoke of the war. It took me a long time to absorb, to rethink, rehash everything that had happened to him. I really took it hard. My husband, Ken and my daughters encouraged me to write his story; that it would be therapeutic. So I began writing, and I could tell with each page I finished I was beginning to come to terms with my grief. By the time I was finished, I was healed. My book EVENSONG is dedicated to my Dad.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a page-turner! December 5, 2007

By K. K. McClelland

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a riveting page-turner!!! I had trouble setting it aside once I began reading. Ms. St. Sure weaves a truly believable tale which speaks truth to the brave courage of two young women transported from rural Missouri to the horrors of Nazi Germany during WWII. I seldom read a book twice, but this is worth a second reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars War, depression and what people will do for those they love and what they believe in. February 11, 2010

By Roger Y

Format:Paperback

In general this book "Evensong by M. L. St. Sure" is about war, depression and what people will do for those they love and what they believe in.

You start with a father whose life is affected greatly by World War I. It ruins his singing career and causes him to go to America to live. Next you have a daughter that he teaches to sing and a family struggling after his death in the depression.

The daughter "Christine" gets away and makes a life for herself and then moves to France to live with an uncle. From this position she gets involved with the French politics and eventually with the French resistance during World War II.

The story goes on to describe some of Christine's exploits during the war and gives some insights to things that were happening during World War II. The story does a good job of presenting a strong female character and how she deals with the trials and tribulations of life, love, and war.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Self-published? December 29, 2008

By J. Collier

Format:Paperback

I feel a little misled on this book. I ordered it, expecting a great read, but immediately got the sinking feeling that this was a self-published, first time writer. It's not that I criticize that; I think it's admirable, and St. Sure has much promise as a story teller and writer. It's just that this is a first effort, with several errors and a few implausible plots (or predictable). I did like the first paragraph about the fossil and definitely think she has promise. I'm just not sure the many 5 reviews weren't published by friends.

I'm not trying to be critical; it was just a little disappointing. I wasn't able to finish it, though I think the idea and effort are very good.