ABOUT THE BOOK:
THE FIRE BY NIGHT by Teresa
Messineo
William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers | On Sale: 1/17/17
Hardcover ISBN: 9780062459107; $26.99 | E-book ISBN:
9780062459121; $12.99
A powerful and evocative debut novel about two American
military nurses during World War II that illuminates the unsung heroism of
women who risked their lives in the fight—a riveting saga of friendship, valor,
sacrifice, and survival combining the grit and selflessness of Band of
Brothers with the emotional resonance of The Nightingale.In war-torn France, Jo McMahon, an Italian-Irish girl from the tenements of Brooklyn, tends to six seriously wounded soldiers in a makeshift medical unit. Enemy bombs have destroyed her hospital convoy, and now Jo singlehandedly struggles to keep her patients and herself alive in a cramped and freezing tent close to German troops. There is a growing tenderness between her and one of her patients, a Scottish officer, but Jo’s heart is seared by the pain of all she has lost and seen. Nearing her breaking point, she fights to hold on to joyful memories of the past, to the times she shared with her best friend, Kay, whom she met in nursing school.
Half a world away in the Pacific, Kay is trapped in a squalid Japanese POW camp in Manila, one of thousands of Allied men, women, and children whose fates rest in the hands of a sadistic enemy. Far from the familiar safety of the small Pennsylvania coal town of her childhood, Kay clings to memories of her happy days posted in Hawaii, and the handsome flyer who swept her off her feet in the weeks before Pearl Harbor. Surrounded by cruelty and death, Kay battles to maintain her sanity and save lives as best she can . . . and live to see her beloved friend Jo once more.
When the conflict at last comes to an end, Jo and Kay discover that to achieve their own peace, they must find their place—and the hope of love—in a world that’s forever changed. With rich, superbly researched detail, Teresa Messineo’s thrilling novel brings to life the pain and uncertainty of war and the sustaining power of love and friendship, and illuminates the lives of the women who risked everything to save others during a horrifying time.
My Thoughts…
I am a huge fan of World War II yet very rarely do I find a
book about women during this time especially nurses on the front lines, right
next to the men. This is an amazing
book. The realities of the dangers
that these nurses faced while trying to save the men who were fighting was eye opening
to me.
Jo and Kay are friends from nursing school and they both
enlisted in the Army as nurses. As
chance would have it they are stationed in two entirely different worlds. Kay is in the Phillipines and is “safe” until
the Japanese attack. Then she is
forced into captivity until the end of the war. Jo is sent to Europe and left to care for 6 injured while waiting
to be relocated to another area.
Kay and Jo tell their stories in alternating chapters. There were times that I was more invested in
one character than the other but I liked that they were not just telling the
same events over and over. Jo told her
story in the time of the war and then what had happen with her life after the
war. Kay’s story was a lot about the
nurses history and her life in the
camp. Their stories did not overlap
and their experiences were so different it was hard to imagine that they were
part of the same war.
I felt like this was a realistic look at the war from a
nurses point of view and how these nurses could have lasting effects after the
war was over. This is a book I will
not forget and I cannot wait to recommend it to my fellow WWII readers.
Book Links
“A powerful read.”—Booklist
“Meticulously researched…Messineo has an eye for accurate
historical detail and skillfully portrays her characters’ inner emotions; this
story will stay with readers long after they have finished the book.”—Library
Journal
“Messineo’s writing style, in which scenes often play out
without extensive explanation but are later elucidated, adds to the feel of
wartime chaos…The novel’s strength lies in how well it conveys—mostly without
sentimentality—the selflessness and bravery of nurses during the darkest
hours….Engaging.”—Publishers Weekly
Teresa Messineo spent seven years researching the history
behind THE FIRE BY NIGHT, her first novel. A graduate of DeSales
University, her varied interests include homeschooling her four children,
volunteering with the underprivileged, medicine, swing dancing and competitive
athletics. She lives near Philadelphia with her family.
MORE PRAISE FOR THE FIRE BY NIGHT
“An epic story of love, loss and survival that weaves
meticulous research together with the complexities of the human heart. This
novel is not to be missed."
—Karen White, New York Times bestselling
author of FLIGHT PATTERNS
“A luminous once-in-a-lifetime story of war, love, loss
and the enduring grace of the human spirit. I can't remember the last time
I was so deeply moved by a novel. You must read this book!”
—Lauren Willig, author of the Pink Carnation series and
THE OTHER DAUGHTER
“THE FIRE BY NIGHT is quite simply
historical fiction at its best: a genuine page-turner, with vivid language and
rich, unforgettable characters. But more than that, it’s a startling anthem to
the service and sacrifice of women in World War II.”
— David Gilham, author of THE CITY OF WOMEN
“With strong, sharp characters, explosive situations,
marvelous detail, epic sweep, this fine first novel of war and friendship has
it all.”— Laird Hunt, author of NEVERHOME
No comments:
Post a Comment