WHERE THE SKY BEGINS by Rhys Bowen
After barely surviving a bombing in London, Josie is sent to recuperate in the countryside, forced upon a reclusive woman, in a grand house but with no income. Despite a surly non-welcome, Josie tries to make things better, cooking, planting vegetables, opening a small tea room, and making friends. The constant stream of problems for her to sort and endure is almost too much. One can understand the impulse to give up in despair, and doubly admire the “grit” that keeps people working to move forward . . . and the essential nature of honest communication.
I read this as the news was filled with images from Ukraine, which made the book feel even more real, with parallels in the inhumane destruction as well as the human spirit finding moments of joy where it can. This is stirring book, hard to put down, and these characters and lessons will stay with me for a long while.

Where the Sky Begins is another of Rhys Bowen’s wonderful WWII books that envelopes readers in the story, and what a story this is. Josie is a character to cheer for as she goes from a bored, put upon and put down wife to a survivor with purpose and organizational skills as the circumstances of war take her out of London to the country and back again. Bowen’s characters showcase all facets of 1940s British society as well as the prejudices of each group…and there are lots of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

An enjoyable, well paced story set during the Second World War in London and the English countryside. . The main character, Josie, is well drawn and very likable and deserves the happiness that comes to her.
It generally seemed authentic to the time in which it was set, although a couple of things did seem odd, Hopefully these will be sorted as what I read was an uncorrected proof.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I am such a fan of Rhys Bowen and couldn't wait to get my hands on her newest book! Her stories are always beautifully written and enriched with such dazzling culture and likeable characters. Where the Sky Begins checked all of those boxes! This was a fast, easy read that I really enjoyed.

Where the Sky Begins features Josie Banks, a London housewife, who is not only trying to survive the war, but trying to find herself as well. From the bombed-out streets of London to the isolated countryside, her journey of survival and discovery is filled with many challenges, life lessons and love. Her strength of character, positivity and determination when against all odds is truly admirable. I loved all of the characters in this book and how they all came together when faced with great hardship. I couldn't even imagine having to live through a war like that!

My only critique would be that the transitioning felt stilted at times. This could very well be due to my reading an unedited proof, so I did not deduct from my overall rating. Also, I felt like the beginning of the story was drawn out and then other parts were rushed through without much detail. Overall, this was still a wonderful book and worth the read!

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this ARC!

Rhys Bowen’s latest is a World War II story of a woman named Josie Banks, who is evacuated from London’s East End to the English countryside after her home and the cafe in which she works are destroyed by German bombing and she is left with almost nothing but a domineering husband who is away serving in the military. Though Josie hails from very modest means and has little education, she is smart, savvy, strong and resourceful - and the circumstances in which she finds herself during the war allow her to grow and thrive. This was a solid, relatively well crafted read, but there’s little to distinguish it from the barrage of WW II fiction published in recent years, and I couldn’t help but feel I’d essentially read Josie’s story before. Still, readers who (like me) are fans of Ms. Bowen’s fiction will want to pick up Where the Sky Begins. Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to #NetGalley for advanced Copt of #WhereTheSkyBegins. It was a relatively easy read and nice and comfortable book too fall into. It didn't really have 'gripping' features, but all in all it was enjoyable.

Rhys Bowen writes beautiful, heartwarming novels. Where the Sky Begins may be my favorite.

London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks’ world crumbles around her. Evacuated to the English countryside she begins a new life and discovers new things about the world, and herself,

I love this book.