Secrets of a Charmed Life
Author: Susan Meissner
416 pages in Paperback
Published: February 3, 2015
Dates Read: April 27- May 18, 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars
Book Summary from Amazon:
The author of A Fall of Marigolds journeys from the present day to World War II England, as two sisters are separated by the chaos of wartime …
She stood at a crossroads, half-aware that her choice would send her down a path from which there could be no turning back. But instead of two choices, she saw only one—because it was all she really wanted to see…
Current day, Oxford, England. Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life, interviews Isabel McFarland just when the elderly woman is ready to give up secrets about the war that she has kept for decades…beginning with who she really is. What Kendra receives from Isabel is both a gift and a burden–one that will test her convictions and her heart.
1940s, England. As Hitler wages an unprecedented war against London’s civilian population, hundreds of thousands of children are evacuated to foster homes in the rural countryside. But even as fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree and her much younger sister Julia find refuge in a charming Cotswold cottage, Emmy’s burning ambition to return to the city and apprentice with a fashion designer pits her against Julia’s profound need for her sister’s presence. Acting at cross purposes just as the Luftwaffe rains down its terrible destruction, the sisters are cruelly separated, and their lives are transformed…
My Review in 2015:
Secrets of a Charmed Life was my #1 read last year. Obviously, I gave it 5 stars. It is Historical Fiction. The cover of the book is beautiful. I had never heard of The Blitz during World War II or the evacuation of the children of London before the Blitz. (Or I don’t remember learning this in school). I found this very intriguing.
I was pulled in to the book from the beginning. You feel like you are there. I did not want to put this book down! I liked Susan Meissner’s writing style with the two different timelines (World War II and Present Day) and the bringing of them together. I love seeing how they are connected!
I even took this book on a girls trip to Myrtle Beach with my book club ladies!!
If you are a fan of Historical Fiction, you must read this book!! I am not much of a Historical Fiction reader, but the summary of the book intrigued me…. So I had to read it!! As I said, it was my top read of the year last year, so I can’t recommend it enough!!!!!