Genevieve Graham writes a beautiful love story and pays great attention to Canadian history in Bluebird. This is an educational historical novel that transports the reader from tent hospitals during WWI to post-war prohibition with bootlegging and rum-running in Windsor Ontario and Detroit. Its speakeasies and danger to rival mobsters. The divisions and transformations in society, women's rights, and adds a great love story.

What a magnificent, heart-racing story! This is my first Genevieve Graham novel and I can see why everyone is raving about her writing. The hours vanished while reading Bluebird. I became utterly lost in the enthralling characters, plot and setting to the point I could not put this story down. The scenes are so vivid and memorable you forget you are reading a novel! In fact, I did something I have never done before. When I had to get up to tend to some food in the oven, I grabbed my TV remote to pause the button (as if I was watching a show). I forgot for a minute I was reading a book and not watching something! This proves this novel is very visual and would be pure delight on the screen.

I am passionate about historical fiction and once I was introduced to Genevieve’s Bluebird by Canadian author Natalie Jenner (who wrote The Jane Austen Society, and upcoming Bloomsbury Girls), I knew I would be captivated by this story set in my birth home of Canada. And I was. This dual timeline novel is brimming with mystery, romance, action and family drama.

Even though the modern timeline has a smaller space in this novel, the three chapters (plus Prologue and Epilogue that serve as vital book ends) are well placed like dramatic flicks of an artist’s brush adding the right amount of highlights and depth to the mystery as they help shine light on the big picture where past and present meet.

I love the characters. They are intriguing and well created— starting with present day Cassie, a museum curator, who enjoys solving historical mysteries and is drawn into one from her old family home. The new owner, Matthew, has been doing renovations and discovers a cache of whiskey labelled Bailey’s Brothers’ Best concealed in the walls. He drops in to where Cassie works with a sample bottle and a host of questions. It sets her on a quest to unearth the history of these particular rumrunners who transported illegal booze across the Detroit River during Prohibition after the first world war. Her curiosity is spurred on by what she finds, bringing many surprises and even healing to her own life.

From the past timeline, we meet Adele, a wonderful, warm, kind nurse from Canada. She is instantly likeable and we can easily see how she is well received on the war front saving lives. She meets Jerry, a tunneller, a man from back home who is injured in battle. While she attends to his wounds and he is convalescing, a special bond develops between them. When he is healed enough to return to the battlefront, she wonders if she will see him again, alive. If so, will they meet after the war? Theirs is a beautiful love story that carries such a lasting song of hope throughout the novel (like the Bluebird). And oh how their chemistry sings!

Various family relationships are explored. In the past, of note, are siblings Adele and Marie Savard. These sisters begin with opposite views on the Prohibition but when events stir up the conflict, are there changes in the wind? Then there’s the Bailey brothers John and Jerry. John is the eldest and has a fiery temperament that sometimes gets him into strife. Yet he has always taken care of his younger brother, Jerry, who is usually the calm and even-keeled one but even he has his moments of losing control. Their loyalty to each other, though, is steadfast.

The author covers many interesting topics surrounding the Great War, including the Spanish flu that swept through many towns and cut down families (1918-20). Some injustices are touched upon such as the lack of identity and no pay for porters. Plus the issues soldiers faced in coming home when they tried to re-establish their lives, after being deeply affected by their horrific experiences.

Also, we learn a lot about tunnelling. Tunnelling plays an important role in the historical thread and reappears in the present. Without giving anything away, I will say it is an interesting part of the plot during and after the War. Tunnellers were specialist miners employed by the military to dig tunnels to place mines beneath the enemy’s positions. At opportune times, they detonated sections of trenches to cause confusion. This would give the infantry an advantage to advance to the enemy’s front lines. I must mention for those interested, there is an award winning film called Beneath Hill 60 that delivers a story (set in 1916) of the first Australian Tunnelling Company that made tunnels under German fortifications and bunkers. Well worth the watch.

And we cannot forget the Canadian war nurses who wore blue uniforms with white veils and how soldiers nicknamed them Bluebirds. Such an appropriate title not only for their clothing but what they represented. The Bluebird is a symbol of ‘joy, love, hope and renewal’ and is a very fitting symbol for the nurses who attended the injured men at war.

A major focus of the story is Prohibition and the effects it had on society. This led to the successful rum running business that occurred after the war when soldiers and nurses returned home. A lot of alcohol was shipped across the waters in the middle of the night to United States (Detroit) from Canada (Ontario). The many islands between them made it hard to detect the smuggling operations. Bluebird focuses on the wars between runners that were often led by some dangerous, hard-hearted men like Ernie (a head mobster) our anti-hero. It makes you wonder though, what kind of life led him to develop such a callused conscience. Ms Graham does show us an earlier version of who he was and the tragedies of his past so that we can see the starting point of his path. Of course, how a character responds to early negative experiences determines their outcome. People can choose forgiveness or revenge. In Ernie’s case, he chose a life of revenge and this creates some nail-biting drama in Bluebird. In many ways, Ernie’s gaping flaws and vengeful actions help to drive character development in our hero, Jerry and, to a lesser extent, his older brother John.

To say the least, you will love these characters! And Bluebird’s fast-paced plot will keep you on the edge of your seat (literally!). I was connected hook, line and sinker and while seeing all the drama of these characters’ lives, it was easy to care about them and hope for the best outcome. But just as life is never cut and dry, everything does not turn out as expected. This story has its twists for its flesh and blood heroes and anti-heroes are not one dimensional. We get to see all their weaknesses and, in some cases, their redeeming qualities. This allows us to watch them grow, change and fulfill their destinies.

I could easily rave on about this brilliant story so, yes, I highly recommend this novel. But hang on to your hat, for it is a supercharged ride and one you will never forget! 5 Explosive Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Genevieve Graham, her publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for a review copy.
(Review is found also on my website, Amazon and all my social media sites and Goodreads.)

Books about World War I are much less common than WWII, so Bluebird caught my interest.

In the present day, Cassie is interested in the history of her little Canadian town, where during prohibition, the rumrunners ferried illegal whiskey across the Detroit River into the United States. When bottles of Bailey Brothers' Best are found in an old home, she is eager to help the recent owner of the home. The home also happens to be her family home, the one in which Cassie grew up. I must admit, I lost interest during these parts of the book. Fortunately, this part took way fewer pages than the historical part.

In 1918, Adele, a "Bluebird" Canadian nurse is stationed in Belgium at a field hospital. Jerry, a tunneler also from Canada, is brought in after a cave-in at the tunnel that he and his brother are helping to dig under enemy lines. He's badly wounded, and during his recovery, Adele and Jerry form a very close relationship. Turns out they live very close to each other back in Canada, near the Detroit River.

From that, you can probably figure out the storyline. They both return home and eventually meet up. Jerry becomes involved in whiskey production and rumrunning. The story is fascinating. We think we have it hard now, but when they came home from the war, the Spanish Flu was running rampant. And there was also prohibition.

Bluebird really kept my interest, and I love the historical aspect of both the horrible atrocities of war and the interesting manifestations of prohibition. Like I said, I didn't think the present-day story was really needed, but it was okay.

If you are interested in WWI, and/or prohibition, Bluebird is well worth your time.

I enjoyed reading the story of the Canadian Bluebirds who nursed WWI wounded on the front lines. The love story between Jerry and Adele was special and endearing. I also liked learning about the Canadian bootleggers and their struggles getting their products into the US during Prohibition.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

Such a good read! Genevieve Graham does a great job of mixing love and mystery. The story was great, the characters were great!

This book was an interesting and enjoyble read for historical fiction fans and was told thru two timelines. Following the life of one of WWI "Bluebirds", sisters/nurses caring for those injured, Adele, was a great way to tell the story. Her meeting and caring for an injured soldier, Jerry, who just happened to come from the same area in Canada as Adele, led to a very unique post-war romance. As Jerry and his brother John take over their father's "rum-running" business, Adele finds herself still caring for the sick and injured in the small town physician's office. The two careers bring them back together in a startling manner. The characters were very likeable, which helps a reader become more involved in the story. Present day Cassie, a museum curator, helps a young man find the history of the Bailey Brothers Best whiskey he uncovers in a remodel, and in doing so she faces her past and discovers more about her own family. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Bluebird #NetGalley.

This was an intriguing story, well done. Full review here: https://novelpastimes.com/2022/04/11/book-review-bluebird-by-genevieve-graham/

Bluebird revolves around two young Canadiens serving in WWI. Adele is a nurse serving in a hospital in Belgium when she has a new patient, Jerry, who happens to be from the same area near Windsor. Jerry is a tunneller who works with his brother underground. There is a lot of action nearby while Jerry recuperates and gets his strength back. The war and the death that they both deal with remain with them long after they return home.

Back home in Windsor, Jerry and his brother take over making whiskey on the still their father had. With Prohibition in Canada and across the border in Detroit, there is a lot of money to be made. I really enjoyed the Prohibition era in the book. Graham did a wonderful job taking us into the lives of the people trying to survive in this disruptive time. And of course, this is when Adele and Jerry reconnect. There was a spark between them from the moment they met in the hospital and it continues in Windsor.

In present day, Cassie, a museum curator is very interested in the past and house that played a part in her past. Through the new owner who discovers hidden whiskey, they work to learn more about the past.

I thoroughly enjoyed the historical part of the book but I didn't feel like the current day drama really helped lead the story along. I know that the style of historical fiction these days is to have two storylines with the current learning about the past but it needs to lead the story along, I think Graham could have eliminated it and just stayed in the past.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

Such a beautiful heart warming story about a “bluebird”, Canadian nurse who served in WW1, the soldier she meets while in France and their journey after the war and then together. Some mystery involved as told from a descendants perspective as some unknown details unravel in Current year. I loved the characters and was sad to see this book end. Definitely want read more about this time period, nurses serving in WW1 and prohibition.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

What a beautiful love story about 1917 war front in Belgium to present day in Canada. The author does a wonderful job telling about the two timelines.
Adele is a Canadian nurse (a Canadian Bluebird) who meets Jerry a Canadian tunneler. He has been badly injured and Adele is his nurse. As he recuperates from his injuries, they become close. Jerry is sent back to the front and they lose contact with each other.
Present day is about Cassie and Matthew. Cassie is a historian working at a local museum and Matthew is flipping a house in the area. Matthew finds something in the wall of the home he is renovating. He seeks out Cassie’s help to solve the mystery of what he found. Cassie is very intrigued by what Matthew has found. She has a big secret and knows more about what he found then Matthew realizes.
The author gives a wealth of information about Canadian history that I did not know about. Interesting and intriguing information about Canadian Bluebirds, rum runners, speakeasies and tunneling
Bluebird is definitely a must read if you want to learn about Canadian History.
This is the first book I have read written by Genevieve Graham. I am looking forward to getting more of her books.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Great story. I knew nothing about the women that served as nurses in WWI known as Bluebirds. This book uses historical fiction as its storyline but then adds in some romance. The book follows the lives of 2 people who met in WWI to their return to their homes in Canada during the time of Prohibition. Definitely was an enjoyable read and easy to follow. Anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction will like this book.

I was given an advance reading copy (arc) of this book by NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. This book got my attention because of its setting both in time and place. As a girl who grew up two blocks away from the Detroit River, I also spent a lot of time in Windsor because we had family there and the Prohibition era was a wild time for sure. The main character, Adele Savard, hails from Petite Cote located near Windsor along the Detroit River. With World War I raging, she enlists as a nurse with the Canadian Army Medical Corps and is sent overseas. The Canadian nurses wore blue uniforms, hence the nickname 'Bluebirds'. While there, Adele sees more than her share of casualties and death, but one soldier, Jeremiah Bailey aka Jerry, (also from the Windsor area) leaves an impression on her. After the war, they both return home unsure of what the future might hold. Prohibition is in full swing and Jerry, along with his brother John, become bootleggers smuggling their whisky, Bailey Brothers Best, across the river and into Detroit while Adele returns to nursing. Their paths cross again and a dangerous game is played out. At the same time, we meet present day Cassie who is an assistant curator at a Canadian museum. She is a descendent of Jerry and Adele. Her story is not near as interesting. The author would have done better to just focus on Adele and leave Cassie out of it. That being said, author Genevieve Graham did an excellent job blending facts with fiction. Her research was spot on down to the smallest detail. With its proximity to Detroit, Windsor was one of the busiest ports in the world for illegal liquor during the 1920s, combining violence with cunning. It's a fascinating piece of local history that Graham brings to life with vivid detail. I liked this book and I would be interested in reading more of this author's work.

"Bluebirds," I learned from this book, was the nickname for the young women who went to nurse Canadian soldiers in WW I.

This is a dual-timeline story, in which a museum curator named Cassie finds out from a construction renovator that he discovered bottles of whisky concealed in the walls of an old house. She begins to research the history, and we slip back in time toward the end of WW I as Adele, a Bluebird, nurses Jerry, a wounded young soldier who, with his brother, have been sent overseas to become tunnelers, an incredibly dangerous task in an already vicious war.

Once the horrors of the war end (and Graham is quite vivid about those!) the boys return to discover their parents had died of the "Spanish" flu. They get involved with bootleggers, and then Jerry runs into Adele again--at a crisis in her life, as she tries to turn down the advances of the most powerful rum rummer in town.

I think this story would have worked just as well, if not better, as a straight historical novel, though I did love how everything dovetailed at the end. Certainly the story that immersed me the most was Adele and Jerry's tale. It's very well written, impeccably researched--a real page turner.

Bluebird by Genevieve Graham

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Genevieve Graham for a digital ARC for my honest review.

Genevieve Graham has become one of my all-time favourite authors of Canadian Historical Fiction. She continues to bring some of our little known history to life in each new book she writes. I found it very informative as we learn about the Canadian nurses who volunteered in World War I, named 'Bluebirds' due to their blue uniforms; and the dangerous warfare the soldiers performed as Tunnellers.

After the war finishes, she moves the story on to Prohibition in the Windsor/Detroit area. While growing up in the Maritimes, we heard stories about the rum-running that took place there. It was interesting to hear the stories from an Ontario perspective.

I enjoyed how the storylines were connected from wartime, then Prohibition to present day with a Museum curator investigating dozens of bottles of whiskey that were hidden in her old homestead.

I was so looking forward to this book and she didn't disappoint. I loved it so much, I immediately bought a physical copy. The cover is so beautiful!
A must-read for Canadian Historical Fiction lovers!

#NetGalley #Bluebird #GenevieveGraham

Every time I pick up a book written by Genevieve Graham I learn a little bit about the lesser-known Canadian history. This time we’re transported to WWI, years after in Windsor, ON and in the present discovering the history of the Bluebirds, tunnelling during the war, rum-running in Canada during prohibition, and a little bit about Black porters being known as “George.” I was captivated by the dual times, the story of the Bailey Brothers and the love story of Jerry and Adele. The "present" timeline of Casey was okay for me. I found myself wanting more from that story...

I'm so sorry, my Kindle broke, and I didn't download this in time! I will purchase it in the future.

What a lovely introduction to Genevieve Graham! This novel was just splendid and full of so much history that I was completely unaware of! I learned of the incredible Canadian effort during The Great War, along with all of the intricacies that tied our two countries together thereafter. With dual timelines spanning a century, Ms. Graham certainly did her homework, and was able to tie the two stories together seamlessly, filling in all the gaps!

Not only did I learn about the brave Bluebirds of the CAMC, but I also gleaned so much information about tunneling during The Great War (of which I was completely ignorant), The Roaring 20s and its accompanying feminist evolution, Prohibition and The Temperance movement, and the Rumrunners that ran counteractive to that movement. It was SUCH an enlightening novel and I will be on the lookout for more of this author's work!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

For more of my reviews, please check out my blog at www.mamasgottaread.blogspot.com or follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mamasgottaread .

This was an incredibly well researched, moving book. Canadian Adele volunteers to be a “bluebell”, nurse in Belgium during WWI. There, she meets Jerry after he’s been wounded. Jerky is a tunneler, and it was certainly interesting to get to learn more about what that meant. After the war, Adele and Jerry go back to their respective homes and are unsure if they’ll ever see each other again. In present day, Cassie is unearthing some family history.

This was a lovely book, even though it was quite predictable in some aspects. I did like that we got into the Prohibition era. I don’t always like dual timelines in my historical fiction, so I actually didn’t mind that there was less focus on Cassie, and more focus on the historical era. This was a beautifully written story, with well developed characters and realistic emotions after the experiences they’ve gone through.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bluebird is a historical fiction book about some topics new to me. At the beginning of the book, Adele is working as a nurse in WWI Russia, and meets Jerry, a patient who has been in an accident digging tunnels. After the war, they connect in their home towns in Canada, and become involved in the distillery and rumrunning business across the US/Canadian border during Prohibition. There is also a brief dual timeline story featuring Cassie, a descendent of their families, who finds some remaining bottles of liquor in an old house. However, most of the book is from Adele's perspective. I liked this book, it was an interesting take on the time period, didn't seem to judge the decisions the characters made, and the romance and family relationships were believable. The writing got a little choppy at points but I really enjoyed the story.

I enjoyed "Bluebird" by Genevieve Graham. It was a solid, straightforward historical novel set during WWI and then in the years after the war in Canada.

Adele and Jerry's story set years ago is probably 95% of the book. The little bits by Cassie in present-day are mostly short paragraphs setting up each section.

I learned about rum-running across the border a little bit.

This story was sweet and did not have any graphic violence/sex other than some depictions of war injuries and a few fistfights, and not much language.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.