Sandy M’s review of Come From Away by Genevieve Graham
Historical Romance published by Simon & Schuster 24 Apr 18
I freely admit growing up history was not something I enjoyed. At all. Yes, I listened in school and I know the big moments of the world, but when it comes to those moments that shape citizens in other countries, I’m one of those ignorant folk. But with the bloom of my passion for genealogy about five or six years ago, I’ve now picked up the love of history. This is Genevieve Graham’s third book delving into catastrophic moments of Canadian history, giving me lessons to broaden my minuscule knowledge of her country, all amid the romance I love to read.
While this story is about our heroine, Grace Baker, we also get to catch up with Danny and Audrey Baker, her parents and the featured couple in Tides of Honour. They met during the first World War, and their story is just as emotional and moving as their daughter’s. They came away from that war together, a bit worse for wear, but in love and alive and happy, along with four children: Grace and her three orphaned brothers, Norman, Eugene, and Harry. Here we sprint ahead in time to WWII, and all three boys have gone off to assist Canada and other countries to fight one of the world’s worst dictators, Hitler. Grace works in a local store, a job she loves, but she wishes she could do more like her brothers.
Then one night at a dance she meets the mysterious Rudi. He asks her to dance and then disappears. Rudi is a German soldier aboard a U-boat that patrols the Canadian shoreline near Grace’s home. When disaster strikes the sub, Rudi is on his own to survive the winter alone in an abandoned cabin. He still remembers Grace and their dance, and he is happy to find her again when he ventures into town for food and other supplies. But he knows he has to be careful. He’s the enemy. I like the way Ms. Graham gives readers views from both sides of the war. Rudi is doing his job, following orders, but Grace has a difficult time with that from all she’s heard about Germany and the Nazis. It was a time of horrible prejudice and Grace, as well as others, has a hard time distancing her feelings when it comes to the war and what little she knows about the Third Reich.
This beautifully written enemies-to-lovers story takes on every nuance imaginable for the times and gently and lovingly resolves issues of the heart and mind. No one escapes the ravages of war, but their journey to the other side brings a peace and contentment they never thought possible. They are different in many ways, while still the same person they were before, all due to the love of family who have survived horrible tribulations. Not only does the reader learn of Canada’s complex history, they also receive a dose of that love to warm the heart, leaving them with understanding and acceptance.
Ms. Graham has definitely come into her own in writing these stories of her and her country’s heart. I now anxiously await my next lesson in Canadian history with every book she publishes.
Grade: A-
See my review of Tides of Honour.
Summary:
In the fall of 1939, Grace Baker’s three brothers, sharp and proud in their uniforms, board Canadian ships headed for a faraway war. Grace stays behind, tending to the homefront and the general store that helps keep her small Nova Scotian community running. The war, everyone says, will be over before it starts. But three years later, the fighting rages on and rumours swirl about “wolf packs” of German U-Boats lurking in the deep waters along the shores of East Jeddore, a stone’s throw from Grace’s window. As the harsh realities of war come closer to home, Grace buries herself in her work at the store.
Then, one day, a handsome stranger ventures into the store. He claims to be a trapper come from away, and as Grace gets to know him, she becomes enamoured by his gentle smile and thoughtful ways. But after several weeks, she discovers that Rudi, her mysterious visitor, is not the lonely outsider he appears to be. He is someone else entirely—someone not to be trusted. When a shocking truth about her family forces Grace to question everything she has so strongly believed, she realizes that she and Rudi have more in common than she had thought. And if Grace is to have a chance at love, she must not only choose a side, but take a stand.
Come from Away is a mesmerizing story of love, shifting allegiances, and second chances, set against the tumultuous years of the Second World War.
No excerpt available.
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