I was looking forward to reading this because I LOVED "A View Across the Rooftops" and "When We Were Brave." Unfortunately, this wasn't one of my favorites. It was OK and would give it 2.5 stars. I didn't realize Hedy Lamarr was a real actress. I had to google her. What I found on the Internet was more interesting than how she was portrayed in the book. I would have never guessed she actually had a child in the book. James was never with her. She travelled so many places and must have left him home with the nanny because he was never with her. I just couldn't get into the story and I love historical fiction. I didn't love the characters. There could have been a little bit more about Hedy and her first husband. He wasn't the best husband ever but I thought he would have been much worse for the way Hedy planned her escape. The way Judy and her husband talked made me laugh. They seemed liked teenagers just discovering the opposite sex. Their dialogue on their honeymoon was just too much. I would have thought something else would have destroyed Hedy and Judy's relationship. The reason behind the end of their friendship was ridiculous. Hedy blamed Judy for something she had no control over.

Definitely give the book a try. It just wasn't for me. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When the Nightingale Sings by Suzanne Kelman is a historical fiction novel that brings us the story of two women, who although they are renamed for the purpose of this story, where real women in a time that women did not have the opportunities or possibilities of today's world. The author has skilfully blended and blurred the fictional with the truth to bring a captivating, well written book, that I was unable to leave for too long.
1939, Berlin, Cambridge, Paris, California. The world is in the grips of a terrible war. Can two young women change the course of history?
I have read this author previously and though this is a little different from others, it is a sparkling example of an extremely talented author. Again Suzanne Kelman has made these women so real, their skills, weaknesses and everything in between, is laid bare for all to see. This endeared these women to me and I was quickly immersed and connected to this story. The writing created such a vivid picture it wasn't hard to imagine the times this story is set.
An emotional story of two intelligent and extremely brave women who defied all the odds at a time when everyone was losing hope. I again have loved being educated and entertained simultaneously,
I had never really heard of the two women this story is based on and I had to go and find out more about them both I was so curious.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

Anyone else loving the trend of female empowerment in contemporary fiction?
This book tells the story of two women - some may say unlikely friends, an academic and an actress.
Hedy and Judy meet in London, unlikely friends and very different lives. But their passion unites them as they fight do their part in WWII - while battling sexism.
Very compelling story of women and their untold stories.

This was a solid Historical Fiction, fictionalising the life of Hedy Lamarr and her life. I appreciated the quick and fast-paced plot that Kelman wrote, given this book spans over several decades it was a refreshing pace to read something that didn't drag on. However, in saying that I feel that certain scenes or important moments were skipped over a little too quickly, in favour of other less necessary scenes. The characters were developed, albeit Judy more than Hedy. Overall, an enjoyable read that kept me entertained.

I loved this book.

The friendship between a scientist and an actress is an original idea that I've never read before.

The dynamics between the two brings hope to the story.

It kept me intrigued and wondering what happened to these two people all the way to the end of the book.

Highly recommennd.

Among the numerous World War II books written and published recently, When the Nightingale stands out for its focus on women in the workforce, specifically a woman in science, and its sensitive and realistic handling of relationships between friends and spouses. I really liked learning more about Hedy Lamarr and her incredible story. The author's notes about how she handled some real historical events were very interesting.

When the Nightingale Sings is an emotional story of love and loss and a lifelong friendship!

The story open’s in the 1990s where Judy is about to receive an honour for all her work in the scientific field, at first glance you get a sense and guilt from Judy. She sent a letter to her old friend, a friend who had been by her side through the hardest of times, inviting her to the ceremony but with a hint of something which occurred in their shared past Judy is distraught her good friend Hedy won’t be there.

We are soon swept back to 1937, Judy is a shy young girl who has dreams of going to university and studying science. In Austria, the incredibly beautiful Hedy has to flee her home and her life an act of absolute courage not before long these two young women who are so different meet and their friendship lasts a lifetime. The whole theme running through both women’s stories is that of wanting to change the world and these two young women do just that.

I love that letters between the two women are woven throughout the book, which gives an insight into their emotions and what is going on at specific times during their lives. They put their hearts into their words, it was their letters that I loved the most.

The two women at the centre of the story are strong and detained, despite the horrors of what they have to live through and what happened, I won’t go too much into the circumstances surrounding why Hedy and Judy lost touch and why Judy feels guilt and wants nothing more than forgiveness, that is the real centre point of the plot and what these two amazing women were working on throughout the war.

As to be expected from a WW2 historical at times it pulls at the heart-strings, it’s hard-hitting at times especially the events it covers (again I won’t go it detail) but away from the brutality of war and its after-effects on a person, this book is all about the power of friendship and how a friendship can last a lifetime no matter how far apart those friends drift.

What people may not know is that one o the women are an actual person from history, I had heard of Hedy Lamaar before reading this, she was an incredibly inspiring woman. Not only was she one of the most beautiful women of her time, a world-renown actress but she was highly intelligent and an inventor too and if it wasn’t for her we may not have the likes of WiFi. She was a woman whose name isn’t known as much as it should be and this book gives Hedy and all those women who were forgotten in history a voice to which makes people stand up and listen.

Despite having a couple of Suzanne Kelman’s back titles sitting on my kindle, this is the first I have read by her and I feel that I have missed out on something where this fine author is concerned. What an incredible writer she is, I love her fast-paced, compelling and richly descriptive writing, I was hooked from page one and instantly invested in the lives of Judy and Hedy.

When the Nightingale Sings is a stunningly moving and poignant story of a true friendship forged through the fires of adversity.

4.5 Stars

Historical novelist Suzanne Kelman’s latest novel When the Nightingale Sings is a captivating, involving and fascinating tale based on a true story that will draw readers into a complex and beautifully evoked world of courage, danger and love.

In 1937, Judy Morgan has just finished her Physics degree at Cambridge University. The impossibly shy young woman dreams of using her scientific knowledge to change the world, but with the gathering clouds of war fast approaching, little does Judy realise just how much everybody’s lives will change and how much havoc and destruction will be wreaked. Meanwhile, a beautiful young Jewish woman finds herself with no other option but to flee Austria and the impending threat of Nazi dominance and risk her life to get to the United States; a young woman who changes her name to Hedy Lamarr…

When the two women meet in London, they bond instantly and a fast friendship is soon formed. With Judy’s love of science and Hedy’s talent for invention, the two women vow to use their talents for the common good and when war is declared, they realise that the time has come for them to achieve their long-cherished ambitions. As the world changes with each passing day, Judy and Hedy find themselves tested like never before and as their lives intertwine all across the globe, they never lose sight of their determination to end the war.

Nothing and nobody could come between Judy and Hedy, but will an unexpected twist of fate destroy their friendship and change the outcome of the war?

Suzanne Kelman skillfully blends fact and fiction into a wonderfully written, beautifully evocative and thoroughly gripping historical novel. When the Nightingale Sings is a heart-wrenching tale about two brave, intelligent and fearless women and their determination to defy the odds at a time where everything seemed hopeless. Suzanne Kelman writes so vividly and deftly about the past that the reader feels fully immersed in the story she is telling and will be reluctant to say goodbye to the wonderful characters that people When the Nightingale Sings.

An exquisite historical novel, Suzanne Kelman’s When the Nightingale Sings is a powerful, dramatic and haunting tale that is simply unforgettable.

When the Nightingale Sings by Suzanne Kelman begins in 1998 in Cambridge, 85 year old Judy knows the time she has left is short and the friendship long ago forged during the turbulent times of World War Two is one she would like to find closure and acceptance with. But there have been many, many years of silence between herself and Hedy and instantly the readers interest is piqued. You want to know what caused this rift from what seems to be a friendship that existed through the worst of times but yet was unable to come out stronger on the other side? As Judy takes to the stage to receive an honoury degree she clings to one last facet of hope that Hedy has come to this special event and that they can make amends. But to discover how this point has been reached the author takes us back in time to the late 1930’s and through the war years as we see an incredible friendship build up but one in which loyalties were severely tested which ultimately led to the deep separation that Judy now in the present wishes nothing more than to put right.

The story had a great flow to it and I loved how the chapters moved between the two main protagonists Judy and Hedy. They never actually physically met many times, yet the bond they shared appeared to be unbreakable as their love of science bound them together. The end notes were interesting as it gave more of a background to the two women and how the author changed some things around to suit her telling of the story rather than have everything based on fact. Even though the author did say there is no evidence that the two women met I’d like to think they did as I found this story fascinating as it provided the reader with a totally different aspect to the war that you would never think about and which was almost always dominated by men.

Admittedly for a portion of the book I was looking for a bit more war action so to speak, and to really see how things were going on the ground, but then I realised this was not that sort of historical fiction book. Rather it is more character driven and focuses on these two women who are trying to do their best in their respective fields but at the same time trying to escape the moulds that had been created for women at the time. They were both creative and innovative thinkers but a male dominated society continued to conspire against them and I felt this was really highlighted in Judy’s situation.

Out of the two it was Judy that I was really drawn to, I wanted to read lots more chapters from her viewpoint as I found her to be a women ahead of her time more so than Hedy. I found Hedy to be frustrating and although she too wanted to help in the war effort I just felt she didn’t always have the same drive that Judy had. Judy graduates from college in Cambridge in the summer of 1937 her specialty being physiscs. I couldn’t quite comprehend that she didn’t receive a proper degree even though she had done the same work as her fellow male classmates. It was clear that society viewed women as only being fit for working in the home but here was a character who was so much more than that.

Judy was lonely at college and resented by fellow classmates for being on a scholarship but I loved how she pushed against every injustice that came blocking her path. She had such a passion for science and she knew she was in the right place and that with time and hard work she could prove that to all around her. A chance but brief meeting with Hedy at a science museum in London sees the friendship cemented. Hedy is in transit from Austria to America escaping her husband in the hopes of pursuing a film career. It could have seemed very far fetched that a friendship could develop after such a brief meeting but the author really made it work over the course of the unfolding plot.

Time and time again Judy goes against the grain of what society expects a woman can do and she earned nothing but respect and admiration in my eyes. She gets work in a lab and meets Thomas Jenkins and they work alongside each other and later go on to marry. When war is declared, the work they both do intensifies and Judy shows off her very clever mind and her forward thinking yet never gains any respect and appreciation for all that she does from the main men at the lab. I don’t know how she put up with so many put downs and the lack of acknowledgement for her work but it showed her true grit, determination and strong character that she wanted to help in any way she could in order to see the Germans defeated. At times the technical work herself and Thomas were involved in became a bit too much for me. I understand detail was needed in order to enhance the overall picture of what they were doing but I became a bit confused and glossed over these parts but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I thought the letters that flew back and forth over the Atlantic between Hedy and Judy were a brilliant addition to the book. It helped join the two women’s lives together and gave a deep insight into their friendship. Judy’s life takes her on a dark path emotionally and mentally and a new drive appears deep within her. A thirst for revenge in a way although revenge seems too strong a word. I sensed in the later quarter that the reason for the present day rift between herself and Hedy would be revealed. As we edged ever closer to this point something became clear to me and I could tell one aspect of what was forthcoming and I almost didn’t want to read it in fear of the emotions it would stir in me. But of course I persisted and I thought the way the author brought the strands of the story together and exposed the reasons was very well done. What could have been a let down, wasn’t at all and it all made perfect sense and gives the reader much food for thought regarding both women and their actions, viewpoints and feelings.

I haven’t said much about Hedy and maybe that’s because I didn’t warm to her as much. Reaching America and becoming a Hollywood starlet was she just that little bit out of reach and harder to connect with than Judy who was more down to earth and relatable? There was lots of detail of her time spent on film sets and loads of name dropping of famous Hollywood stars she encountered and worked with. The inclusion of businessman Howard Hughes provides an important link to a pivotal aspect of the overall storyline. But two things that struck me was how did films continue to be made during the war and how could normal people sail across the Atlantic during the war years? I would have thought it was incredibly dangerous to brave the Atlantic and as for the films well I suppose they provided a distraction for people when they needed it most but at times it just seemed unnecessary and superficial.

Hedy’s life took on a typical actress path but I loved when she became involved in wanting to do her bit for the war and showed off her science brain that was quite clearly under utilised and just bursting to come forth with all that she wanted to see the light in order to help the war effort. The connection between Hedy and Judy was wonderfully written throughout and showcased what an uphill battle they faced every day to be taken seriously as women with brilliant ideas and initiatives. Throughout you are hoping that as we revert back to the event at the beginning that things will work out for them both if at all possible.

When the Nightingale Sings is a good historical fiction read, different from those out there in the genre at the moment. It’s not my favourite by Suzanne Kelman but it’s still very much worthy of a read.

Judy Morgan recently graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Physics. Judy meets Hedy Lamarr a Jewish woman who fled Austria, to escape from the grips of the looming war, and is trying to get to America. They meet in London, just before World War II begins. They quickly become friends and they both want to use their talents to change the world and make it a better place. Their paths cross over and over again in America, London and Pearl Harbor. The bonds of friendship that they develop is sure to see them through the tragedy of war. This true story was such a tear jerker. I found myself crying with them and being inspired by their hope. This heartwarming story is sure to be a favorite for historical fiction lovers. This is an amazing and fantastic read. The vivid details portrayed by the author pulls you so deep into the story that you feel like you are walking next to the characters.

Thank you Suzanne Kelman for such a phenomenal unputdownable story.  I truly enjoyed every bit of this book. A definite favorite of mine and an absolute must read. I thoroughly loved it! I highly recommend this book.

I love Suzanne Kelman’s historical fiction writing, having read ‘A View across the Rooftops’ and ‘Under a Sky on Fire’. As with her previous books, the character development in this book is excellent.

A story of two women - Judy Morgan & Hedy Lamarr (assumed name); both have their dreams & ambitions. But it is a difficult period and, in an era, when not much is expected from women. Hedy breaks free from an abusive marriage in Austria and flees first to London. As a Jew it is a lucky break for her as Hitler is just about to force the merger with Germany. Judy Morgan, encouraged by her father, has good academic credentials and wants to make a career in scientific research. As she joins Cambridge lab, she has a boss who has no respect for her skills (being a woman), but she has a supportive research partner in Tom. Judy & Hedy meet in London, and this sets the stage for a long-term friendship.

Hedy moves to the US, and after a period of struggle, makes a successful career in Hollywood. There is however a lingering pain that nobody sees her intellect & scientific temper and it is only her face & body which seems to count. Her relationships go nowhere as a result, and she feels a deep inner void. In contrast, while Judy builds a stable & strong relationship with Tom, there is a lot of personal tragedy and pain (which makes for very depressing reading). They meet again when both of them are at critical junctures of their lives, and the war is also taking a huge toll.

I understand that this book borrows from true stories. The pace as with her books, is somewhat slow but the writing and the character depth is great. However, the science descriptions are sketchy and ideally should have had some more research & depth to make it more authentic. The novelty of the story wears down a little in the second half of the book, and overall, I did not find this as impactful as her earlier books.

My love of learning new things from historical fiction novels should be obvious by now (I’ve mentioned it enough times). But what I am finding that I like even more is when an author takes a little-known fact – or something that is widely known but rarely detailed – and runs with it, turning it into a full story.
That is certainly the case with this book. From the blurb, you know what is going to happen, but the details that go into making the story come alive are superbly researched. And if there is any artistic license taken, it is done so in such a way that it is seamless within the kernels of truth.
The author does a fantastic job of describing the science loved by both Hedy and Judy so that a layperson can understand it. Even as they are working on advanced physics and other topics, the descriptions are general enough to know that they’re important without getting bogged down with scientific details.
What I really enjoyed most about the book was the balance between the science and horrors of war and the Hollywood scene of the era. It was as if the author captured exactly how people viewed Hollywood at the time – as an escape from the despair.
Even as I write this review, it’s crystallizing in my mind – the scenes set in Hollywood were little escapes from what was going on elsewhere with Judy. This was truly excellent plotting by the author. As a fan of several of her books, I have to believe that this was done purposely, and it was masterful.
The author also has a knack for writing vividly detailed scenes that make the reader feel as if they are actually experiencing the event with the characters. This was especially true with the London Blitz and Pearl Harbor in this book.
She gave depth to a Hollywood bombshell who never really got the credit that she deserved for her mind. I liked how this paralleled what Judy experienced, even though Judy felt that she was never attractive. Neither woman was acknowledged at the moment for their contributions.
I also like it when I get towards the end of the book and have been so caught up in the narrative that I forgot where it all started. That was the case in this book. I was taken away by Hedy and Judy’s stories, and when the author returned to the scene from the beginning, I was able to look at it with a deeper understanding of both characters. That is a job extremely well done.
I could go on and on, analyzing Hedy and Judy’s parallels and dissecting the story, but I’d be better off just saying that this should be at the top of your reading list. It is impeccably researched, heartfelt and emotional (I needed tissues for the last few chapters).
By far, one of my favorites of the year.

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Suzanne Kelman's unforgettable story of friendship and courage WHEN THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS.

This story begins in part in Cambridge where a young Welsh physicist studied for a degree she was not permitted to receive, gaining only a certificate to confirm her completion of studies. She went on to work at the Cavendish Lab in Cambridge, developing the technology to confuse the enemy through radar during WW2. That woman was Joan Curran, who was portrayed in this heartwarming and heartbreaking story as Judy Morgan. A woman of great courage, great spirit and great mind who found a special kinship in someone who loved science as she did. Someone who was known as "the most beautiful woman in the world" but largely unknown for the technology she herself invented.

Hedwig Keisler was an unknown Jewish woman from Austria, escaping not only the approaching Nazi regime but a husband with ties to the Third Reich. She found her way to Hollywood via London where she became known as "the most beautiful woman in the world" but she wanted to be known for than that. She had an analytical mind and an interest in physics and invention. It was her and a fellow inventor who came up with the idea of signal hopping - the very foundation upon which Bluetooth, WiFi and cellular technology is based. However, being a woman made it difficult for such innovations to be taken seriously and her "invention" was shelved until the patent ran out, which therefore meant she was largely unrecognised for the design and received no royalties for which she was entitled. She was finally recognised for it in the 1990s but died in 2000 without any royalties. That technology today is worth billions and billions of USD and it was all down to an idea that a woman came up with based upon a piano that plays itself in the 1940s. That woman was the famous actress Hedy Lamarr.

Both women made significant discoveries which would aid the Allies in the fight against the enemy but struggled to be taken seriously or recognised for their worth. Kelman has written before accounts based on true events and fictionalised them but each story is a powerful tale of courage, strength and resilience. WHEN THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS is one such story in which a friendship is forged between two women who fought against the odds to be recognised for who they were and on their own merits.

At the beginning of the story, we meet an elderly woman now in her 80s ruminating over the years since past as she prepares for an honourary award of a degree she earned sixty years ago. Although now frail, Judy Jenkins ponders over what has gone before and longs for a reconciliation with her closest friend with whom she had lost contact just before victory over the Japanese was declared in 1945. So many years, so many memories, so much has already passed...but one thing Judy longest for before she too left this earth was to reconcile with Hedy. Just one more time.

Cambridge 1937: Young and shy student Judy Morgan was feeling excited and nervous about completing her studies. She knew she would not be awarded a degree, although she'd earned it, but her greatest wish now was to get a job at the Cavendish Laboratory as a research scientist. En route home to Wales, she decides to visit the Science Museum in London which she has never seen and there she meets Hedwig. The two women find a kinship in one another over their shared love of science and invention and spend an interesting afternoon in a cafe sharing thoughts and ideas. But as the time ticks on, Judy is aware of the last train home to Cardiff is approaching and bids farewell to Hedwig. Before parting, the women exchange addresses with the firm intention to correspond with one another.

Judy returns to Wales and to a letter awaiting her, offering her a position at the Cavendish Lab. She is ecstatic and upon arriving back in Cambridge to begin her new job she is shocked at the attitude of the man she is to be working under, Professor Finnegan, who believes a woman's place is in the home. He pairs her with Tom Jenkins, a similarly shy and self-confident man, but the two form a working relationship that soon becomes a friendship before Tom stutteringly proposes. Judy, of course, accepts and shares her exciting news with Hedwig in her next letter. But life isn't to be easy for Judy - neither in the professional nor the personal front and her struggles soon pave the way for an even bigger event that will change her life.

Austria 1937: Trapped in a loveless marriage to a cruel man, Hedwig Kiesler escapes its confines one night with the help of her maid. She flees first to Paris where she catches up with best friend Stefan, a journalist, before travelling to London in the hope to become an actress. There she meets Judy at the Science Museum and sees in her a woman with whom she shares more than just an interest. It was with a fleeting thought that she suggested they exchange addresses so as to correspond with someone who appreciated her mind and for who she was - more than just a face.

Using most of her the money she could glean from selling some jewellery her maid had expertly sewn into her coat, she bought a passage on the Normandie for America where she attracted the attention of Louis B. Mayer who immediately signed her up with a seven year contract with MGM Studios upon arriving in Los Angeles. But her name was a bit of a mouthful. And it was then that Hedy Lamarr was born.

Over the years, Hedy made a name for herself filming opposite already established and well-known Hollywood names such as Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart. But she longed to find someone to love her just for her. She rushed into a second marriage after a whirlwind romance with a scriptwriter lasting only two years. She swore off marriage instead focusing on her career but jumped into another marriage with a British actor she'd worked alongside in her first Hollywood movie Algiers some years before. That too didn't last and Hedy was once again left bereft.

Through it all she had her friendship with Judy and was thrilled when she and husband Tom moved to the US to work outside Berkeley on a top secret project for the US military. But in a cruel twist of fate, the two women came face to face with something that came between them and threatened to destroy their friendship. Both Judy and Hedy were strong and resilient and rose above whatever life threw at them, but each of them continued to struggle with things neither of them could or would share...except with each other. Except they couldn't. And so life went on...

I've been a fan of Suzanne Kelman since her historical WW2 fiction debut "A View Across the Rooftops" and have enjoyed each of them since. Well-researched and in a mix of fact and fiction, she weaves a heartbreaking tale of two women who struggled to be recognised for more than who they were seen as. WHEN THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS is an epic tale of their friendship, their resilience, courage and strength in a time when women were not recognised as individuals. While some of the scientific parts went over my head a little, I was still able to appreciate their contributions in the efforts both women made in the inventions of chaff (Judy aka Joan Curran) and signal hopping (Hedy Lamarr).

Of course, I knew the name Hedy Lamarr but I soon found myself googling several times to learn a little bit more about her since I only knew her as a famous Hollywood actress of the 30s and 40s. But as I was to discover, she certainly was more than just "the most beautiful woman in the world". WHEN THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS brings both women's story to life in a heartbreaking way as they each fought battles of their own.

A story of life-long friendships, love, resilience and courage against the backdrop of war, WHEN THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS is a fascinating re-telling of two women's fight to be more than they are seen as, their friendship and the inventions they developed that changed the world.

Perfect for fans of historical wartime fiction and those interested in reading about the unsung heroes of history.

I would like to thank #SuzanneKelman, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #WhenTheNightingaleSings in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing book, a bit biographical but a truly fun and emotional read , whether it's Hedy or Judy you connect with both and our invested in their stories from the first page.
There is a sense of foreboding but also hope through out the book.
Loved it and can't wait for more books by the author

Oh my gosh! What a powerful yet heartbreaking novel. The story of two women, who find themselves together for a short time to go on to live their lives on different continents. These women were strong woman during a time when it was frowned upon. The telling of this story is so real, I felt it could be autobiographical. A brilliant book.

"Based on a true story" really needs to be taken with a grain of salt here. Or, more likely, an entire shaker of salt. Yes, the main characters were based on two real remarkable women who did really remarkable things during (and after) World War II.

When the Nightingale Sings is the very fictionalized story of the very fictionalized friendship between Joan Curran (renamed as Judy Morgan Jenkins) and Hedy Lamarr (who actually did change her name from Hedwig Kiesler, so at least that part was true).

I really wanted to love this when I saw it listed on NetGalley.

I really wanted it to be a little more true and a little less, well, based.

I'm absolutely okay with taking historical figures and fictionalizing them. I've read books about Jane Austen being a vampire, for Pete's sake. I'm reading a series now of a young Charles Dickens as an amateur sleuth. I'm okay with fudging history ... as long as you don't claim it be true.

There's no indication that Curran and Lamarr ever met. No decades long friendship. No Curran and Lamarr on board a ship in Pearl Harbor when the attacks took place. No idea how believable "based on a true story" will be in future book choices for me. I'm a bit jaded by the term now. I wish I had read Kelman's end letter first. I would have at least been forewarned at how not true the "true story" was.

At least it started well.

I really wanted to like this book, but it fell flat for me. While some of the dialogue flowed well, most of the rest of the book read editorially. It didn't hold my attention. I wanted to see how the end of the book came together. There is some truth to the story, however, much of it is created using author license and creativity. There are a few trigger-worthy moments: depression, infertility and miscarriage a few of them.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this emotional and poignant book

a story of life long friendships and love with the added bonus of a war getting in the way...

learnt some things whilst reading this, that the grass isnt always greener on the other side and to enjoy your life and what you have, this book will make you appreciate what you have...

two women from different backgrounds...one ends up a famous hollywood actress the other becomes a scientist and through the years their friendship remains steadfast until the devastation of war pulls them apart...excellent compelling read

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this story. Based on two women, one a scientist and the other an actress with a flair for inventions, readers will see the the little regard society had for their intelligence. The fictional friendship between Hedy and Judy lasted throughout their lives. Interesting read.

This is an exceptionally good historical fiction story. This is set in the 30's and 40's and focuses on two women ; one a scientist, one an inventor who never got credit for what they accomplished until many years later. It is also about love, loyalty, resilience and a lifelong friendship. It is a beautifully written book with lots of information about world war 2 and the atrocities that so many suffered through. Great historical fiction! I highly recommend.
Thanks Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing arc for my honest opinion.