Book Review-Unravelled-M.K. Tod

I won this book in a giveaway I entered. It was one of those giveaways where you will win one of a number of books but you won't know which one until the very end. I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got around to reading it. This is the history of a Canadian family (husband and wife) caught up in both World I and World War II. It is based on the author's grandparents. There is quite a bit of actual history included. It is the story of how this family stayed together despite two affairs--the ups and downs of married life, the secret lives of both and the horrors of war. It is a sensitive and well written book and made me glad that this was the book I won.

About the Book: (from Amazon)

Two wars, two affairs, one marriage. In October 1935, Edward Jamieson's memories of war and a passionate love affair resurface when an invitation to a WWI memorial ceremony arrives. Though reluctant to visit the scenes of horror he has spent years trying to forget, Edward succumbs to the unlikely possibility of discovering what happened to Helene Noisette, the woman he once pledged to marry. Travelling through the French countryside with his wife Ann, Edward sees nothing but reminders of war. After a chance encounter with Helene at the dedication ceremony, Edward's past puts his present life in jeopardy. When WWII erupts a few years later, Edward is quickly caught up in the world of training espionage agents, while Ann counsels grieving women and copes with the daily threats facing those she loves. And once again, secrets and war threaten the bonds of marriage. With events unfolding in France, England and Canada, UNRAVELLED is a compelling novel of love, duty and sacrifice set amongst the turmoil of two world wars. PRAISE FOR UNRAVELLED “M. K. Tod’s skilful debut novel spanning two world wars deftly illuminates the subtle stirrings of the human heart as movingly as it depicts the horrors of battle. Poignant and generous, Unravelled gives us Edward, scarred by war, and Ann, alive with longing, two people bound by the heartbreaking bonds of a marriage forged in the crucible of secrets and war.” - Barbara Kyle, author of Blood Between Queens. “A compulsive and convincing read: a story of webs that were innocently woven - and lives that subsequently become unravelled.” - Helen Hollick, author of historical fiction and historical adventure. “An engrossing historical saga. With narrative insight, compassion, and a strong sense of time and place, M.K. Tod observes the inner workings of a marriage as it’s affected by the uncertainty and tumult of both world wars. - Sarah Johnson, Historical Novel Society Book Review Editor. “Wartime relationships have always been compelling reading, and M.K. Tod’s Unravelled beautifully evokes an era of heightened tension, in which her characters’ decisions become all the more heart-rending. A well researched and very enjoyable book.” - Anne Easter Smith, author of A Rose for the Crown, Queen By Right and Royal Mistress “A beautiful rendering of the healing journey of two war torn hearts.” - Elisabeth Storrs, author of The Golden Dice and The Wedding Shroud

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About the Author: (from Amazon)

I have enjoyed a passion for historical novels that began in my early teenage years immersed in the stories of Rosemary Sutcliff, Jean Plaidy and Georgette Heyer. During my twenties, armed with Mathematics and Computer Science degrees, I embarked on a career in technology and consulting continuing to read historical fiction in the tiny snippets of time available to working women with children to raise.

In 2004, I moved to Hong Kong with my husband and no job. To keep busy I decided to research my grandfather's part in the Great War. What began as an effort to understand my grandpar-ents' lives blossomed into a fulltime occupation as a writer. Beyond my debut novel Unravelled, I have written two other novels with WWI settings. I have an active blog--www.awriterofhistory.com--on all aspects of historical fiction including interviews with a variety of authors and others involved in this genre. Additionally, I am a book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. I live in Toronto and I'm happily married with two adult children.

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