Paperback, 384 pages
Expected publication: March 14th 2017 by Berkley Books
Wartime intrigue spans the lives of three women past and present
in the latest novel from the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life .February, 1946. World War Two is over, but the recovery from the most intimate of its horrors has only just begun for Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina desperate to escape her past, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistance spy.
Now the two women are joining hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic and be reunited with their American husbands. Their new lives in the United States brightly beckon until their tightly-held secrets are laid bare in their shared stateroom. When the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark...
Present day. Facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary at the request of an old friend. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides and will ultimately lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings.
My Thoughts…
Two of my
favorite genres combined in one amazing book. A Bridge Across the Ocean is a historical
fiction book with a twist of paranormal.
I will admit that the historical aspect managed to catch my attention
more than the paranormal side but together they made this one of my best of
2017 books.
The story of
Annaliese and Simone traveling as war time brides to America to join their US
soldiers in their homeland was phenomenal.
I loved learning about their experiences in Europe while WWII was
happening and how they had to adjust to life during war. As with many WWII books written about
women, I was amazed at all they had to do just to stay alive. The strength and persistence of Simone and
Annaliese is what has truly stayed with me after finishing the story.
Brette’s story
was present time. I wasn’t as drawn to
her story but it was interesting. Her
husband bothered me, for some reason I struggled with his treatment of
her. I felt like he was pushy and
rather selfish. The RMS Queen Mary,
which was used as a transport for war time brides, provided the paranormal part
of the story. I have heard of ships
being referred to as alive and with feelings and Susan Meissner did a great job
of bringing the Queen Mary to life.
The tour of the ship by Brette was incredibly detailed and I was hopeful
for what she was hoping to find.
I definitely
recommend picking up your own copy.
The 3 points of view and different time periods make this a book I could
not stop reading.
Book Links
I watched a documentary recently about war brides and the RMS Queen Mary and thought it would make a fantastic setting for a novel. So pleased so read that A Bridge Across the Ocean is that book! Thanks for sharing. : )
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