This book has been languishing at the bottom of my TBR pile for a long time. I finished it last night and had to say wow! A beautifully written book set in modern day London and flashing back to WW2 occupied France and the experiences of gay people during that time.

Brilliantly written, captures relationships on so many levels. The characters are written with real warmth and at times it made me laugh and cry. Well worth a read, it’s a five stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is so well written and emotional. It deals with the holocaust and LGBTQ issues and handles them sensitively. It is so heartwarming. The characters are likeable and well developed. The ending was a success

This book was lovely and heartwarming and just so moving, It is definitely a book that will break your heart over and over again,

This is a real intense read. The story told between the present day and from the start of world war 2, outlining the story as dictated by Genny detailing her escape with Pierre from France. I cannot out into words how hard some parts were to read; but I loved this book. There is a point in the story’s here you have a real ‘aha’ moment and all characters and pieces tie together.

This was a great read with a poignant storyline but at times it was a little slow paced for me. Its beautifully written with such real life characters. A touching story told in a beautiful way.

Highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley

Love this author he is so relatable and contemporary. He finds characters that are us and puts them in places and situations that are like us. This books was a lovely read thanks!

There are no words that can express how much I loved this book. 5 stars is not enough, this book deserves all the stars.
Alexander takes us on a harrowing, moving journey. We follow Ruth as she tries to find out more about her paternal family. Then we follow interviews on cassettes and slowly discover the reality of what they endured. The truth is revealed but is anyone ready.
Well, this book is incredibly readable. I read this is one day as I could not tear myself away from it. The plot is achingly beautiful and desperately sad. Alexander really evokes the atmosphere of war-torn France. There are some incredibly harrowing events depicted in this which do not make for easy reading but they are incredibly powerful and moving.
There are moments of beauty and love as well throughout this book. More than anything there is the theme of hope and family.
I adored this book and cannot recommend it enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy.

Lovely lovely. A five start read that is well written, dual time line and plenty of interesting characters. Many thanks to publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

This is one of the best books I have read for a long time. A new perspective on terrible atrocities of the second world war. An amazing piece of social history. Never forget the sacrifices people made.

Thank you so much for the ARC. I have to admit that it’s not really the kind of book that I usually read but once you’ve started, you can’t stop. The writing was invigorating and really wreck your hearts out. It’s such a heartbreaking story but worth the read.

Another 5* read for 2022. Occupied France and a dual timeline, romance and intrigue. First read by this author and I’m a fan. After the death of her grandmother and anti semitic comments made by her father, Ruth realises she’s knows little about her family’s past. She receives a package of cassette tapes from a relative which were given to a french magazine and begins to listen to them. This series of interviews reveals her struggles and persecution living as a homosexual under the Nazi regime. You can’t help but be drawn into their plight and discover the fragility of the mental health of those involved.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engrossing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Great read, really enjoyable.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this title in exchange for my feedback.

Reading this book got me so emotional. It’s not an easy read. But so worth it.

Ruth doesn’t know much about her father’s side of the family. She never had the chance to spend much time with her grandparents. Her father isn’t close to them. But why? Nobody knows. At first, this isn’t a big deal. But they’re not getting any younger and soon those who could explain the past to her won’t be around anymore. So, it’s time to investigate.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I think it’s important to say that some parts can be triggering. Ruth has the chance to read a translated version of her grandma’s cassette interviews to a gay magazine, describing everything that happened to her, her friends and family during the WWII. As expected, that includes lots of torture and deaths. Back then, homosexual relationships between men were considered a crime. And relationships between women weren’t even considered at all. Nobody even talked about it. It was all a huge taboo. So she and her friend Pierre, both gay, made lots of sacrifices in order to save their lives and try to protect those they loved.

I think this is the first book I read that shows just how awful things were to gay people during the Nazi occupation. The scenes her grandma describes are just… so, so cruel and sad. It truly makes me want to cry that this is all based on real life.

My favorite quote is: “I can see why people don’t want to talk about it. But the problem if you don’t is that people forget, and if people forget then the whole thing can happen again.”

Ruth’s father is such an interesting character. You’ll hate him at first. Truly, truly hate him. He’ll remind you of that relative of yours that ruins every family meeting. He’s that person who always says the wrong thing, not really caring if it hurts anybody. But after a few chapters, when you actually understand how he became that person, you’ll surprise yourself feeling empathy for him. Suddenly, things make a bit more sense. What happens to our children definitely have an effect on them for the rest of their lives. So, yeah, this book will make you reflect on this too.

Highly recommended read. I truly enjoyed it. It’s such a beautiful story.

(Mini spoiler: I just don’t like Ruth’s husband. At all.)

* I received an ARC from Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

Another book that is superbly written by this author.
Extremely well written, well thought out characters.
This book actually made me quite emotional, not many have that ability and skill to do this, but, here we are.
I’d highly recommend this book to everyone.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

This was an interesting story and I can say that I learned some things from the story too. It was nicely written and the characters well developed, even though sometimes I just wanted for the story to get to point because it was really slow paced, but I understand that life gets in the way and so it wasn't that easy for the main character to discover the truth about her grandparents.

What an amazing book. Jumping between the present and the war the book follows the story of a family full of secrets. The events unfold slowly and each new revelation was great. Highly recommended.

I have to admit, this is not the type of book I generally read. But since I got a widget request from Netgally, I took a chance. Once I started it, I could not put it down.

This is the story of Genny Schmitt who lived in Alsace, France. Her best friend Ethel and Pierre. Before the invasion Ethel is sent to live in London with cousins, but Genny's dad tells her no. Then the Germans invaded and their story begins. When checking on a friend in the Jewish community her friend thrusts her baby into Genny's arms and runs. Because of their identity, Genny and Pierre are forced to "marry" and raise the baby as their own. Leaving Alsace for the Free Zone and living there for 5 years until the end of the war. Then they can finally go to England and find Ethel. In England they hope they can still be a family, but to also be true to themselves.

This story is heartbreaking. The things that happened not only to Genny and Pierre, but to their friends, their families, their countrymen is unimaginable.

I received this ARC from Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Nick Alexander. All opinions are my own.

A very raw and thought-provoking story of a daughter who realises she knows little about her father’s family. She knows there are secrets to be told but knows nothing of them and delves deep into the fate of homosexuals under the rule of WW2 Nazis. A powerful book which highlights real historical atrocities.

Enthralling read

In occupied France, two people sacrificed everything. Now their granddaughter has come looking for the truth…

Ruth’s childhood was a happy one, and her family—on her mother’s side—large and loving. But her father’s French origins have always remained a mystery. Now, with aged relatives beginning to die, Ruth decides to research her father’s family before it’s too late.

When she discovers a series of long-lost cassettes, everything she thought she knew about them shatters. The tapes expose an unimaginable truth – an epic wartime story of hidden love and sacrifice, stretching back to occupied France.

These long-buried confessions will rock Ruth’s family—and finally piece together the puzzle of her father’s heritage. But are any of them ready for the truth?

I had previously read "From something old" by the same author so was excited to read this as well and the synopsis of the book was so interesting. The characters of the book in the present tense are good and the family bonds and issues are a good read - however the flashbacks to the past and nazi occupied France and the impact it had on villages, Jews and homosexuals was truly moving and well written. How the story develops and past meets present is a truly enthralling read and I'd really recommend it. Thanks Nick Alexander for such a good and informative read.