I think I have figured out how to write a best-selling novel. It's much like giving birth to a baby. The beginning pangs are enough to catch the mom's attention, and then it builds until the final transition where the baby is finally born and the moments of high intensity elation are calmed into a satisfying end. I imagine authors go through the same kind of emotions where the idea is conceived, mulled over for a time, built up, pushed through to the plot climax, and then the loose ends of the book are brought together in fulfillment of the whole story. These are the emotions I felt as I read Sarah Sundin's latest World War II novel. Many of her early WWII novels had decidedly American characters, whereas her later stand-alone novels have quite a few European characters. Not a criticism, just an observation. The great romance story formula was an undercurrent in this novel, but it comes across in an organic way that does not hinge on conflict between the characters. Instead the part where boy loses girl was a matter of Hemming being arrested and Else having to leave Denmark without knowing where he was, how he was being treated, or even if he still lived.
Beyond the conflict that is part of every war--the ideologies, the posturing and maneuvering--one conflict among characters was relegated to that of Hemming and his father, who was part of the Danish Aristocracy. In fact, Hemming was titled in his own right. But father and son had their own difficulties that played out in ways that were resolved unexpectedly and all of the resolution hinged on each of their faiths. Another conflict was between Else and one of the professors at the Physics Institute, who didn't believe a woman was smart enough to be a physicist, much less one who could hold a PhD in physics.
Else and Hemming met in the boarding house where they both stayed during the week. Hemming was working at the shipyard and Else was working at the Institute. When Else went to her grandparents' home for the weekend, she was surprised to find Hemming attending the same church. Both held secrets and when those secrets were revealed, it became a greater concern for both of them. They both worked for the Danish resistance and once Germany declared martial law, both were compelled to flee the country. The only fly in the ointment is that Hemming was arrested before he could leave.
As I read this book, I felt like the beginning of the plot moved too slowly, but this is novel is based on actual people and actual events, and it can't be pushed faster than history dictates. Once the events start piling one on top of the other, the book becomes one that is extremely hard to put down. The reader comes to respect the amount of time, effort, and research that has gone into bringing this part of history to the fore in such a readable and relatable fashion. This book is less about the romance of Hemming and Else and more about the things people had to do in desperate times. Their romance provides a sweetness to a sour time in history.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a carving of a merman for your mantel.
Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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