It's been 4 days and I've only made it to 20% so I have to shelve it. The story didn't seem to be going anywhere and I've been avoiding reading rather than just admitting I wasn't enjoying this.

All Kayte Nunn's books have been fantastic and The Last Reunion is no exception. This wonderful story opened my eyes up to the Wasbies (Women’s Auxiliary Service [Burma]), who I had never heard of. After reading this book and researching them I was happy to say I learnt something new! This intriguing story was set during the 1940s along with a modern day story line in the 1990s, involved a very interesting artifact. The artifact called a Netsuke, ties back to the wartime story. I loved this book and can't wait to read Kayte's next book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

The Last Reunion is a story about female friendship, war, revenge, secrets and courage, and is based on a brave group of five British and Australian servicewomen in Burma (the forgotten war) during World War II. Intrigued? If you enjoy historical fiction books with alternating timelines, dive into The Last Reunion now.

First, Nunn knows how to write historical fiction. It's obvious she does her research and she has a compelling writing style. I loved that The Last Reunion had a mystery element too, as secrets are slowly revealed and relationships are tested. Nunn has created a great and heart-warming cast of courageous and inspiring women in The Last Reunion, and I think historical fiction fans will love this book.

Thank you to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The Last Reunion is a dual timeline story, alternating between Burma in 1945 and London/Galway in 1999. In 1945, we follow a group of five women who join a group called the Wasbies - women who supported army troupes close to the front line. The author paints a vivid picture of life during the war, and gives us insight into what women experienced during their service. There is huge character development for these women as they move from privileged lives to a life that is far more unpredictable and carries with it the risk of death.

In 1999, we read about Olivia, an assistant to an art dealer, meeting Beatrix - one of the former Wasbies. Olivia and Beatrix strike up a friendship, and Olivia accompanies Beatrix to a New Years Eve party - a reunion with the other former Wasbies.

I cannot speak highly enough of this novel. I learnt so much through reading this (I’d never heard about the Wasbies before) - one of the reasons I love reading historical fiction. The focus on women making their mark, and female friendships, was strong and another fabulous reason to read this book.

Thanks to @hachetteaus and @tandemcollectiveglobal for the review copy - I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this!

Loved it!

Five women come together at a New Year's Eve's party after decades apart, in this thrilling story of desire, revenge, and courage, based on a brave group of Australian and British WWII servicewomen! - What is there not to love????

Told from different timelines. It’s a beautiful book filled with love and tenacity, hope, friendship, but also secrets and revenge! A real Page-turner.

This is mostly a dual timeline, taking place partially in 1945 and partially in 1999 with a small scene from 1976. In 1945, it details the story of Bea and a bunch of other women who join the Women’s Auxiliary Service (Burma) known as the Wasbies. They run a sort of canteen where the men can get sandwiches, cakes, treats and tea as well as purchase little luxuries like cigarettes, razors, creams, soaps etc. They’re imperative for boosting the morale of the men and the women also provide a social aspect, attending dances and being friendly faces. The women become very close as they get closer and closer to the front lines and see and experience things that will change them forever. Most are from privileged backgrounds, some have husbands or brothers serving in the war.

In 1999, Aussie ex-pat Olivia is working as an intern for an art dealer and she goes to meet Beatrix for her boss, because the elderly widow has indicated she has something very valuable to sell. A freak snowstorm and an illness traps Olivia in the country with Bea, which leads to her hearing a lot of Bea’s story and attending a reunion of the Wasbies, where many things come to light. And Olivia will make choices about her own future as well, inspired by the somewhat crotchety old lady she’s come to admire.

I found this book so fascinating. The opening scene is intrigue and then both timelines are so equally interesting. I loved reading about Bea signing up for the Wasbies, wanting to contribute, meeting the other women and them forming bonds. There’s plenty of description of their duties as well as the conditions of their surroundings and also the local area – the oppressive heat, the insects, etc as well as the other challenges. It really gives you a clear picture of what it must’ve been like to be involved in the war this way, from the long days preparing and serving often hundreds of men, to the jungle setting. I don’t know much about Burma (which is now known as Myanmar) – it’s pretty limited to the invasion by Japan in WWII, which tore the country apart and the Burma Railway, which was responsible for the deaths of large numbers of Allied war prisoners. It was interesting to see it from a different perspective, not of a prisoner but from someone who was working in a different role, providing comfort and support in the best way they could, to fighting troops. They’re all women that volunteered, some of them giving up quite comfortable lives well away from war zones, in order to help and do their part, to try and give the men a bit of cheer and comfort in what were incredibly horrible times.

In 1999, Olivia is lonely in London, she’s been working non-stop in an industry where it’s hard to get a good position and there’s a lot of competition. Her boss is demanding and thinks nothing of sending her on a trek to visit Beatrix a couple days before Christmas. By now Bea is in her 70s, living alone in a crumbling pile and she desperately needs money to fix the roof, which is why she’s considering selling something that means the world to her. She’s equal parts brusque and caring, tender and abrupt and it’s clear to Olivia she has a lot of stories to tell, which Olivia would love to hear. Especially about her time with the Wasbies and the other women. Olivia gets a chance to meet those remaining from the group and even more chance to understand what sort of things they experienced back in Burma, where some of the dangers weren’t from the local surroundings at all.

I really enjoyed the friendship that built between Olivia and Bea, built in such a short time but with such genuine warmth and feeling. Olivia hasn’t really made any connections since she moved to London from Australia but in meeting Bea, it gives her opportunity to make several different ones, some of which give her personal happiness and others which give her the courage to make decisions to further her career.

And the ending? So wonderfully satisfying.

9/10

What can I say, I am a fan of Kayte Nunn. After The Silk House I could not wait for Nunn's next novel. And I was not disappointed.

The Last Reunion is a take on the forgotten and unknown part of the WWII, Burma. The novel takes part in both 1945 and 1999. It is about strong, resilient women who can do anything they put their minds to. Who are much stronger than men around them and who can survive and overcome the horrors of war and what people inflict on each other.

The Last Reunion has amazing characters. Pea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy carefree ex-pats living in Burma. How quickly they grow up and tough up. How quickly the war and their dedication to the cause makes them stronger, inseparable and almost invincible.

The losses, the horrors and the joys of little things that these friends survived and experienced during the war molded them into a special kind of women for the post-war world. Their friendship fazed out, but their memories remained.

New Millennium eve brings them back together for one last reunion. Why is it the last? You will have to read to find out. But even though they have not seen or been in touch with each other over the years, they still remember who is who in their circle. Their connection is still strong. Their faith and trust in each other is prevalent. They remain superheroes till the end.

Kate Nunn has done amazing job in telling the story of the war in Burma. It is very visual and horrific. Her special trick of telling the story in two timelines worked again. We get the story as it unfolds and then we get the memories of the story and we get to see the story 'telling' through the eyes of the young girl, an outsider.

I loved the characters. I felt for them. I admired their faith, dedication, their attitude and their value of the present and the now.

Amazing read.

A fascinating story about such a small physical treasure - Netsuke. But also about a far deeper treasure - friendship.
I have personally been lucky enough to have friends 1 or 2 generations older than me. And what tales they have to tell. Of life before I knew it. Lives of simpler pleasures, longer lasting loves and horrific life changing wars. The modern day character Olivia was privileged to find her every day work (internship) leads her to a week of discovery. It is actually amazing that this whole story in based in a week of realtime but covers 50 years of history of the life of Beatrix.
I had heard of the women's auxiliary in the UK but not of the Burma section. A theatre of war much closer to my home but also a more hidden theatre that has never had as much exposure. Even though these women Wasbies worked almost on the front line! 
Bea and her friends are a formidable bunch who provide an invaluable mobile canteen service to the fighting soldiers, in the most harsh of WW2 jungle conditions. I loved their intrepid tales ...long days and constantly on the move. And along the way Bea meets Jack....the love of her life. And the small netsuke he gifts to her, ties our story lines together.
Overall a reminder to me of how precious female friendship is. 
I will be actively searching out more of Kayte's book as she has a knack of taking a not widely known snap shot of history and turns it into an addictive read.
Thanks to Hachette Australia, NetGalley and Kayte Nunn for this ARC

In 1945, Bea decides to join the Army in a women's only squad assigned in Burma. They are the forgotten squadron in the forgotten war, serving food and supplies to the Allied forces and coming very close to the front line.

Fast forward to 1999 and Olivia meets Bea as the latter is ready to sell a rare piece of art that was last seen (and stolen) over 30 years ago.

As Olivia tries to unravel the story of the piece, we also learn more about Bea and her Wasbies (Women’s Auxiliary Service – WAS(B) ) while these two make an unlikely friendship.

I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect and I also thought the characterisation was pretty good. As with [book:The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant|48812540] I just found the ending a little too well put together and it verges on twee. Perhaps best read by those who enjoy a little bit of soap opera in their historical fiction. 3.5 Stars.

Thank to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

An aspect of war service and a war I knew very little about.

The stories of these women and what they did to serve their country with a backstory of love, friendship and betrayal was written so beautifully.

The women are all interesting and the characters written so well I could clearly ‘see’ them.

I think the stories being told in dual timelines was written well.

4★
“Beatrix, once ensconced in a tub chair in the ferry’s lounge, closed her eyes and seemed to sleep for almost the entire duration.

‘This is nothing compared to piggy-backing a plane-load of stores in a DC-3,’ she told Olivia when she eventually stirred. ‘At least there’s a comfortable seat this time.’”

Beatrix, Bea, was a Wasbie (Women’s Auxiliary Service – WAS(B) ) during WWII. Olivia is a young Aussie who lives in London, working (unpaid!) for an independent art dealer who has sent her to find a particular piece of artwork that Beatrix has offered for sale.

This is a three-timeline story, and it actually didn’t take me long to get into the rhythm of each. Although I read a preview copy on a Kindle, which doesn’t give me the advantage of blank pages and good physical paper breaks between chapters or sections, the author has made use of helpful introductions like:

“Calcutta, 1944”
“Oxford, 1976”
“London, 1999”

There are a few reunions, but the main one is the one that Bea and Olivia are headed to on the ferry – the fifty-fifth reunion of the Wasbies of the Number fifty-five Canteen. The girls who joined up came from England, Australia, and India and drove trucks and canteens into the war zones in Asia for the soldiers.

”Bea had resigned herself to sitting out the war contributing nothing more than rolling bandages with her mother and – with precious little enthusiasm, it must be said – attending secretarial college, while her father and brother served in the British Indian Army.”.

Then she learned about the Wasbies, and she and pal Plum joined up and formed a close-knit group with Joy, Bubbles, and Lucy, a jill-of-all-trades from Australia.

“After lunch, they gathered outside again and presently a Jeep carrying the Lieutenant General pulled up. Captain Taylor stepped forward to salute him, and he shook the hand of each of the women in turn, exchanging a few words, asking them where they had come from and thanking them for their service.

‘Morale is one of the most underestimated factors in winning a war,’ he said as he faced them. ‘Never forget that you ladies are playing a big part in that. The sight of a cheerful face from home does more to support the war effort than you might realise.’”

They get their uniforms, their orders (Joy is in charge of that side of things), and start work. Basically, they are a travelling commissary. They make tea and sandwiches and more.

“When the women had arrived, the temperature was easily over eighty degrees as they prepared to serve hot tea, lukewarm lemonade and slabs of cake from the side of the mobile canteen. ‘Leave your hats there, chaps,’ said Joy, as they handed out drinks in return. ‘You’ll get them back when you bring back your mugs.’

There were gallons of tea, piles of bacon butties, trays of fudge and dozens of sheet cakes baked that morning by a team of Indian cooks. The floor-to-ceiling shelves were crammed with everything from razor blades, Macleans toothpaste and shaving cream, to cigarettes and Gold Flake tobacco, greasy leather bootlaces, even tins of Bird’s custard powder and Huntley & Palmers biscuits.”

The story alternates primarily between the Wasbies and Olivia working for the art dealer and meeting Bea. Olivia knows nothing of Bea’s wartime service – she knows only that Bea is selling her husband’s collection of Japanese art.

We are suspicious, because the book opens with ‘a girl’ in a museum, reaching into a cabinet and stealing the netsuke that were on display.

“Oxford, 1976
It was the work of a moment; a tiny revenge for a much graver crime.”

Nunn has done a terrific job of describing the dreadful conditions and the privations the Wasbies and soldiers suffered during the so-called Forgotten War. I am writing from Australia, and I’d suggest it certainly isn’t forgotten here. But I suppose Americans’ and Europeans’ knowledge of it may be based only on the film “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, but by golly that was back in 1957.

Today, we also have Richard Flanagan’s 2014 Booker-winning novel "The Narrow Road to the Deep North". I hope some younger generations have read that and realise how widespread (and absolutely dreadful) the war was in Asia.

The Monsoon scenes in the girls’ camps and trucks are wet and muddy and miserable, but when there are bigger buildings and halls, they sing and dance with the soldiers, boosting morale. Mostly, they are exhausted all the time. At the end of the war, they do what they can to help build the morale of the skeletal men who survived the Japanese POW camps and the Burma Railway. Horrifying stuff.

As we move between then and ‘now’ (1999), we gradually find out who, what, and where. Who’s falling in love, who’s shooting at enemy soldiers, who’s not going to make it home again.

This seems to be well-researched (but really, what would I know?) and the writing style will bring the story of the ‘Forgotten War’ to many readers who might otherwise never read about it. Thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted, so quotes may have changed.

I've mentioned before I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, and that's usually because I feel like I can't always related to the characters, and with so much great contemporary fiction out there, I often bypass historical fiction... but something about The Last Reunion really appealed to me. The idea of a group of women working together during the war, and then reuniting, years later, seemed interesting. And yes, it was very relatable with a rich portrayal of strong female characters and obviously well-researched. This was my first Kayte Nunn book, but I'm going to read The Silk House next.

Thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Reunion introduces a story that is totally new to me, a group of women, working under the acronym WASBIES in Burma during World War II. These women bought food and other necessities to the forces fighting the war.

The book reunion of the women is written in 1999 and they have to work few a few issues pertaining to their friendship and an item that was thought lost during the war.

Kayte Nunn obviously does her research on the topics within her novels and she develops characters who readers care for. This novel is no exception, it is wonderfully written and the characters pull on the heart.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @hachetteaus for this ARC! The Last Reunion is available now.

The Last Reunion starts with a museum robbery in 1976. From there, it alternates between Burma in 1944, where Bea and other women have been deployed to sell goods to soldiers on the frontlines, and the UK in 1999 where Olivia is trying to track down a rare netsuke. I’d probably describe it as a slow burn historical mystery, though I have seen it marketed as romance.

I love historical fiction which teaches me about a time/historical event that I didn’t know about. In this case, I had never heard of the Wasbies, women who were on the front lines of battle in Burma in WWII and it was fascinating to learn about these strong women. I also found the art aspects particularly interesting.

Nunn weaves the timelines together in a way that heightens the suspense and made me want to keep reading to find out what happened. However, there were places where I found the pacing slightly off. I think this is because I was more invested in the mystery aspect and so found some of the passages on the Wasbie’s day to day life a bit superfluous as I wanted to get back to the action. Having said this, I did appreciate how these aspects influenced the Wasbie’s relationships in the later timeline. Furthermore, while I liked the ending it did feel a bit neat.

Overall, I recommend The Last Reunion for anyone looking for a fun historical fiction read with hints of mystery and romance.

What an amazing story!

This is a beautifully told story of strong bonds, amazing women, hidden secrets and righting wrongs.

The Last Reunion starts it’s story in 1976 when a rare Japanese netsuke is stolen, then the rest is then told over two time periods, 1945 and 1999.

Based on a group of brave Australian and British WWII servicewomen who head to Burma in 1945 assigned to a mobile canteen. Of the five amazing women we first meet Beatrix, in 1999 as she’s preparing to sell some artwork, and join the women she served with in Burma for a reunion. She’s an eccentric character that you can’t help but fall in love with.

I have to admit that I knew little of the Women’s Auxiliary Service (Burma), or the Wasbies as they are more fondly known. So I enjoyed learning more about them through this story and that I couldn’t help but jump on google!

One of my favourite quotes from the book is “Marriage halves one’s rights and doubles one’s duties” it made me chuckle but also feel for the women of the time as they’d were expected to step up and do all these amazing things while the men severed but then they were also just expected to step down once it was all over.

This is another outstanding historical fiction novel highlighting the importance of what women did during the war, stories that are not often told.

Thank you so much for so kindly gifting me this book

The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn is an exceptional story inspired by a very little known group of women called the Women’s Auxiliary Service (Burma) and known as the Wasbies who worked closer the the frontline than any other women’s service during World War Two. Using the very little information she had gleaned from her research Kayte Nunn created a group of friends Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy who worked as Wasbies in the harsh environment of Burma.

From 1945 to travel forward to the end of the millennium, 1999 where we meet Olivia, an Australian working in London for an art dealer who is given the task of following up on Beatrix (Bea) who wishes to sell her late husband’s Japanese art collection. Olivia’s visit to Bea in Ireland is extended due to her poor health and being snowed in. While there Bea receives an invitation for a reunion of the surviving members of the Wasbie group of friends and Olivia is invited to accompany Bea on this trip.

The characters are superbly developed and the story moves between 1945 and 1999 as we learn of the past and present events.

Normally I would read a novel as quickly as possible but while the story and characters held me spellbound I wanted to saviour it all so I read slowly, enjoying the depth of the story as it unravelled.

Highly recommended read.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Hachette Australia for a copy to read and review.

Fresh and intriguing, this dual timeline story introduced me to a type of artwork and a side of the Second World War in Indochina that I knew nothing about. Set partly in late 20th century England and Ireland and partly in 1944 Burma the story depicts massive contrasts in climate and living conditions. Author Kayte Nunn has done a sterling job of showing the horror of war through the eyes of Bea and her fellow members of the Women’s Auxiliary Service (Burma), or Wasbies as they were called. It was truly eye-opening to see young women who had largely come from upper class British families in India slowly transform to the point where they could simply walk past a dead body and get on with their day and could competently feed 500 starving soldiers at the drop of a hat. Add to this a fascinating story involving a stolen netsuke and I found this book very hard to put down.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn is the first book I have read by this author, apparently her other work is still on my TBR, but after this I will read it as soon as possible.

The Last Reunion is told as a split timeline from 1944 during the war in Burma to 1999 and the dawning of the new millennium. It tells the fictional account of the true life Wasbies - women who served during the war running the canteens on the frontline.

This is the story of friendship, resilience, love and heartbreak. It is well written, well researched and thoroughly enjoyable read for lovers of historical fiction. A fascinating four star read. Highly recommended.

Historical fiction has been a bit hit and miss for me lately, and from the description, THE LAST REUNION could have gone either way. Would it be, as so many others, simply a Hallmark style romance in disguise? I am very happy to be proven wrong, because this story packed some punch and I really enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Have you heard of the “Wasbies”? The Women’s Auxiliary Service of Burma (“Wasbies”) were an intrepid group of women who supported the 14th Army during WW2 by providing the troops with food and drink and boosting morale. I admit that this piece of WW2 history was new to me, and I applaud the author for bringing the service of these brave and resilient women to our attention. The Burma campaign is often referred to as the “forgotten war” because it did not garner as much attention as the events in Europe at the time, but with the creation of her five plucky female characters Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy, Nunn has made sure that the women’s contribution to the war effort will be remembered.

THE LAST REUNION plays out in two separate timeframes, one during the Burma Campaign and one in the present time, as an older Beatrice is getting ready to meet her fellow ex-Wasbies for a reunion. I was pleased to find that I enjoyed each timeline equally as much, perhaps thanks to the character of Olivia, who stars as the enigmatic second lead in the present-tense timeline. This was further aided by providing the atmospheric setting of Beatrice’s rambling English mansion as a backdrop, serving as a crass contrast to the humid Burmese jungle the five women served in during the war. To connect the two timelines, the author uses a rare netsuke, a miniature Japanese sculpture, traditionally used to secure pouches or other items to kimonos, which were devoid of pockets. I had great fun looking up pictures of netsukes online, and they truly are works of art! And whilst Olivia’s ulterior motive may initially have been to secure the rare netsuke of the “fox girl” for her art dealer boss, she soon falls under Beatrice’s spell as she learns more about her history.

I really enjoyed Nunn’s writing and it is obvious that a lot of research has gone into her story as her characters are brimming with life. It was interesting to find out more about the Wasbies and the harsh life they endured so bravely on the frontier – a part of history that should never be forgotten.

THE LAST REUNION is a perfect example of the way that historical fiction should be written: brimming with interesting, enigmatic characters set against an atmospheric background. The writing just flowed and the characters soon had me in their spell. The details of the era seemed authentic and further enhanced my reading experience. Not only has Nunn mastered the art of bringing history to life, but she also achieved what many writers struggle with – to make each of her two timelines equally interesting. I really look forward to reading more from this author in future!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Reunion follows the story of five women who come together at the turn of the century New Years Eve party after decades apart. Bea, Lucy, Joy and Bubbles served together in WWII, Burma, and were called WASBIES (Women’s Auxiliary Service). The Last Reunion is a beautiful piece of historical fiction, weaved together with a contemporary setting in 1999. I am not usually drawn towards Historical Fiction, and I can’t say I’ve read a lot in the HF genre, but wow did I love this book. I had heard a lot of really good things about Kayte Nunn books and was delighted when I received an ARC of her new novel. I felt like I was transported back to WWII and rode an absolute roller coaster with the ladies. There were twists and turns, highs and lows - I cried a little too. And did I mention the STRENGTH of these characters?! Wow. Congratulations Kayte Nunn on a fantastic new story. Please excuse me while I run to the bookstore and buy all your back catalogue! Also perfect for: the perfect bookish gift (isn’t Mother’s Day coming up?!) 

As always, thanks a million to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely love you guys! And thank you to Kayte Nunn for taking me to that world.

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