Wolfsangel
by Liza Perrat
SYNOPSIS:
(NB: The story involves a small amount of sex, but not graphic. It contains the violence of WW2, but again, not graphic, except one event at the end of the story, which is quite graphic and could be a bit shocking).
Seven decades after German troops march into her village, Céleste Roussel is still unable to assuage her guilt.
1943. German soldiers occupy provincial Lucie-sur-Vionne, and as the villagers pursue treacherous schemes to deceive and swindle the enemy, Céleste embarks on her own perilous mission as her passion for a Reich officer flourishes.
When her loved ones are deported to concentration camps, Céleste is drawn into the vortex of this monumental conflict, and the adventure and danger of French Resistance collaboration.
As she confronts the harrowing truths of the Second World War’s darkest years, Céleste is forced to choose: pursue her love for the German officer, or answer General de Gaulle’s call to fight for her country.
Her fate suspended on the fraying thread of her will, Celeste gains strength from the angel talisman bequeathed to her through her lineage of healer kinswomen.
The decision she makes will shadow the remainder of her days.
A woman’s unforgettable journey to help liberate Occupied France, Wolfsangel is a stirring portrayal of the courage and resilience of the human mind, body and spirit.
Release date: 16th November, 2013.
Page number: approx 390.
Publisher link: www.triskelebooks.co.uk/
ISBN Paperback: 9 782 954 168 128
ISBN E-book: 9 782 954 168 135
Buying links:
Author bio:
Liza grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife for fifteen years
When she met her French husband on a Bangkok bus, she moved to France, where she has been living with her husband and three children for twenty years. She works part-time as a French-English medical translator.
Since completing a creative writing course twelve years ago, several of her short stories have won awards, notably the Writers Bureau annual competition of 2004 and her stories have been published widely in anthologies and small press magazines. Her articles on French culture and tradition have been published in international magazines such as France Magazine and France Today.
She has completed four novels and one short-story collection, and is represented by Judith Murdoch of the Judith Murdoch Literary Agency.
Spirit of Lost Angels is the first in an historical series set against a backdrop of rural France. The second in the series – Wolfsangel – will be published in November, 2013, and Liza is busy working on the third novel in the series: Midwife Héloïse – Blood Rose Angel.
Contact and Other Information:
E-mail: liza.perrat@gmail.com
Website: http://www.lizaperrat.com
Twitter: @LizaPerrat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liza.perrat.5
Author Collective: http://www.triskelebooks.co.uk/ Blog: http://triskelebooks.blogspot.comMy thoughts:
Wolfsangel, is not the type of novel I would be drawn to in a bookshop. I've always avoided stories of war, even those which describe the ability of the human spirit to survive. Perhaps it was that I was born in the midst of the Vietnam War to very "counter-culture" parents and I just got sick about hearing of war. Nevertheless, Wolfangel had me riveted.
The protagonist, Celeste Roussel, still cannot get over her guilt for the events of the past seven years since the German occupation. Celeste is torn between her blossoming love for a young German officer stationed in her town and her patriotic duty to fight with the French Resistance. As tensions in the town mount, Celeste's choices lead her deeper into a dangerous game of deception with life or death consequences.
Perrat has a wonderful way with character development; they are so real, so human. The reader feels their anguish, anxiety and their frustration with a world not only occupied but dominated by men. Perrat allows her characters to make mistakes, to fall and often to rise again demonstrating once again the resilience of the human spirit. Honestly, I think I needed to be reminded of that and I appreciate Wolfsangel for reminding me that it isn't the horror of war one should remember but the beauty that the oppressed created in the midst of it.
Wolfsangel is a wonderful work of historical fiction, capturing all the elements that make it a truly exceptional novel. Rich and interesting, but human characters, wonderful detail of the setting, all wrapped in a factual historical framework. I would recommend this book without hesitation to all readers; it is truly as near perfect as it gets.
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Hallo, Hallo!! :)
ReplyDeleteI was looking forward to seeing the book tour for this lovely novel, as I hadn't had the proper chance to read the first book in the series and wanted to see how readers felt about the sequel! :) I happily entered the giveaway for a paperback! How wicked sweet of you to offer an option for a print copy if you only read print books!! I appreciated your honesty at the beginning of your review about how your not naturally akin to war dramas due to your personal experiences. That's a humble way of approaching a book your curious about but are unsure about how your feelings towards it will shift or disperse as you read the story! :) Personally, I can understand your hesitation from another angle -- sometimes I think I am drawn so heartily to war dramas that sometimes I find myself a bit in over my head! :( Sometimes I find the emotional wrecking of the character lives a bit too much for me to draw a breath of relief to carry forward -- which is a natural reaction yes, but I sometimes find that certain war dramas carve into themselves a bit of a Light which extends inwards and outwards throughout the drama to where I feel uplifted in the closing bits rather than melancholic!? If this makes sense!?
See!? What this story gave to you is what I am always in search of myself! The beauty of the resilience of the human spirit to not only overcome but to transcend the tribulations and adversities that alight in our lives at times where we feel we have no strength left to carry-on! I find stories like this such a bedrock of inspiration as we all will face difficult times and even if our own difficulties are not as harsh and brutal as war, how we endeavour to rise above them and how we face our realities in our chosen attitudes will determine how we emerge through the darkness! :) Brilliant review! Thank you!!
I only have one question -- did you or did you not read the first book!? And, if not, do you feel like anything was missing or were there hintings of the main character's experiences in the prior story inserted into the story!? Oft times I am always on the fence to read a sequel, but some authors surprise me in their ability to convey everything to where prior knowledge is not warranted or needed.
Thanks for a great review!
DeleteWow! Thank you so much for you thoughtful comment. I appreciate your taking the time to give me some feedback as well as share your own insight into the book.
DeleteTo answer your question: No, I haven't read the first book, but I have it and it has climbed to the top of my TBR pile quickly after finishing Wolfsangel. Definitely reading the first was not neccessary.
Hallo again, Shannon Leigh! :)
DeleteI didn't have Twitter when I originally entered this lovely bookaway but I do now! :) I love spreading the word of books I stumble across as much as engaging bloggers! I appreciate your reply because even if I do not happen to win this book, I am going to seek it out as the book to start with in the series!! I think chatting about books and authors is one of the blessings of being a book blogger! Thank you for sharing your heart! :) I updated my entries!
You are a doll, really. I have so enjoyed your comments and your true engagement with the review. I have my fingers crossed for you! And thank you for sharing from your heart! I hope our paths cross again!!
Deletethanks for your awesome review! Emma
ReplyDeleteThank you Liza for a wonderful read.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome, Shannon! I hope you enjoy Spirit of Lost Angels as much!
DeleteThank you for the giveaway. This time period is most interesting to me after hearing what relatives in Poland experienced.
ReplyDeleteDenise, I am sure this would be a moving novel to read with relatives in Europe at the time. We cannot even imagine what so many had to endure... but we must always remember - they did.
ReplyDelete