Well-researched and masterfully told, this powerful tale about war crimes pulls no punches.
Grim memories of the past and present come together in this novel about war, trauma, and family.
Peter Dekker is hired by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the war crimes committed during a recent civil war in Mali. Before he leaves for Mali, he reunites with his aunt Julia, through whom he learns of his own family’s history with war and the terrible things people do. Her World War II stories leave him uneasy and worried about how well he’ll be able to handle his assignment. While he’s gone, his girlfriend, Nora Waterman, talks to Julia and records the tales that she has related about the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Julia also discusses the war’s brutal aftermath (“After the war, the top German Nazis went to Nuremberg, but we had our own mess to clean up. Dutch collaborators”). As Peter delves deeper into the crimes committed against innocent people during the Mali war, Julia reveals her own family’s encounters with bloodshed and evil. Peter’s father, Arie, has always been silent about the war and doesn’t speak to Julia. But as the events of the past come to haunt Peter, he may never be able to see his father in the same way again. As Peter and Nora continue their investigations, they both face obstacles, as finding the truth can be difficult in the face of pain. Niezen creates an excellent parallel between the two wars and the crimes committed during the conflicts, illustrating the nature of violence and how shame is utilized as a form of control. He also shows that the pursuit of justice is often hampered by the desire for revenge. Peter and Nora are strong characters whose humanity and complexity forge perfect lenses through which the traumatic events of the present and the past are examined. Their romance is adorable and provides a comfortable cushion between the scenes that depict and discuss the horrors of war. All of the characters’ relationships are convincing, especially Peter’s bond with his father, which is at the heart of the novel. In addition, the author delivers immersive imagery and engaging dialogue, both of which highlight the realism of the story.
Well-researched and masterfully told, this powerful tale about war crimes pulls no punches.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 375
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.
A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.
When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.
A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781250178633
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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