Hi, everyone!
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE PROMISE SHE MADE by Julie Hartley on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
As our ship starts to sink, I see flares lighting up the midnight sky. ‘Hold on tight. I will keep you safe. I promise,’ I say to my terrified little sister as I hold back my tears. But I know I can’t hold on for much longer and as she slips away, my heart breaks. Will I ever see her again?
England, 1942. On a dark night of the Blitz, Ruby returns to her beloved hometown with her heart shattered. Tears sting her eyes as she remembers the Nazis sinking their ship, and her little sister Eliza drifting away from her on the dark sea. It was their one chance of escape and it cost Ruby so much to leave behind her fiancé Antoine. She’s devastated that she couldn’t keep the promise she made to her dying mother – to keep her little sister safe.
When Ruby finds her family home destroyed, she falls to her knees in tears. The Germans have taken everything from her – first her family, and now her home. Among the ruins of her life, she wonders if she has the strength to carry on. But then, she finds a mysterious note.
Eliza is alive. I’ve seen her. You must find her…
A flicker of hope is ignited in her heart, and Ruby vows to never give up looking for Eliza. But her newfound courage is put to the test when a message from Antoine reveals something about Eliza’s fate that changes everything. She must find him again to learn the truth, but with England at war, will they find their way back to each other? And will she ever see her little sister again?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221490207-the-promise-she-made?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_20
Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0DMWPL5KKsocial
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE PROMISE SHE MADE by Julie Hartley is a compelling WWII historical fiction story which follows a young English woman over several years of the war in England and the life-altering decisions she makes that not only effect herself but also those she loves.
Ruby promises her dying mother she will always keep her little sister, Eliza, safe.
From this promise forward in the story, Ruby attempts to keep this promise, but makes decisions that not only do not work out as she hoped but also hurt and alienate those who love her and Eliza. The story is divided into parts that cover a specific few months in Ruby’s entire life story and the consequences caused by either the war, her personal decisions, or both. Ruby is not an easy main character to like due to her temper and inability to listen to others who love her. She is led by guilt over uncontrollable situations and her inability to understand this.
While this is a story that pulled me in and kept me turning the pages, Ruby and the secondary characters around her felt more like a compilation of character stories with Ruby being an archetype of many women’s stories during the war, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this story. Ruby and Antoine’s romance plotline is believable and had me on an emotional roller coaster throughout the story. The resolution of the story brings all the plotline threads together and left me satisfied.
I recommend this emotional WWII historical fiction read.
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About the Author
Born in Lincolnshire, England, Julie Hartley is a writer, storyteller, creative writing teacher and writing retreat host currently based in Toronto, Canada. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and she is the author of a middle grade novel, The Finding Place, published by Red Deer Press; a poetry collection, Deboning a Dragon, published by Mansfield Press, and a book on how to teach Shakespeare, published by Theatrefolk. Julie teaches creative writing to children, teens and adults in schools and universities, and at her own studio in Toronto. She is the instructor for annual creative writing retreats in Costa Rica, Mexico and England. Her next book – a historical novel set on the south coast of England in 1940, is forthcoming with Bookouture in September 2024.
Social Media Links
Website: https://www.juliehartley.ca/
