1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Historical suspense and romance, May 31, 2011
A surprisingly good tale at a bargain Kindle price! The author bases his fiction on real-life heroes and heroines of WWII, including members of the British ATA ("Ancient and Tattered Airwomen") and French Resistance. There are many twists and turns as Allied and German lives converge and a woman who has no desire to become a spy finds herself in the midst of a daring game of hide-and-seek. The moral ambiguity of war overshadows many of the heroine's decisions. I could not put this book down because of the clever way the chapters are written, weaving in and out of the protagonist's past and present. In the end, all loose ends are tied up in a very unexpected, stunning manner.
This author has only written one other book so I was hesitant to buy. I am so glad I did and highly recommend it. It was WWII history brought to life and, at end of book, the author provides the names of several figures who provided the template for his imagination, including Andree Peel, a heroine of the French Resistance, who is well worth researching.
As another reviewer stated, this kind of action-and-suspense novel could become a great movie. Vintage WWII and a beautiful, conflicted heroine. I'd definitely buy a ticket!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
WW2 Aviatrix captures hearts, April 20, 2011
This review is from: Fly the Storm (Hardcover)
Fly the Storm
James Stevenson
This action-packed story of the wartime adventures of Blanche Longhurst, a WW2 pilot engaged to deliver Spitfires from factories to air bases, has much to recommend it. It is reminiscent of the BBC series The Secret Army, first screened decades ago on television. Set mainly in rural France, the novel follows impetuous aviatrix Blanche from her first mistaken landing in France, where she is interrogated and put under house arrest, and later used as a spy by the French Resistance, helping to smuggle rescued British airmen back to England. In the course of her intrigues she is obliged to fraternise with many top-ranking officers of the Luftwaffe, some of whom she detests, while others ... yes, pretty Blanche is never short of admirers, not only among the enemy but the airmen she nurses. A further amorous complication involves her English fiancé, missing and presumed dead. Stevenson adroitly handles the transitions between war and love, excitement and romance.
I enjoyed this book so much that it seems churlish to mention its long explanatory speeches - especially by the cell leader Madame Cazalet - where polished prose and unlikely dialogue prevail. Nevertheless, a bold and thrilling caper through occupied France.
Friar's Goose Press 9780953680214 £14.95 286pp
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