What I’m Reading: A Fire Sparkling

Over Christmas I bought a few Audible books.  They were half price and I was treating myself.  I have several books in my Audible library and grab one when I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to look on the free online libraries I use.

The book I recently grabbed was A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean.  It’s a WWII book which has become a favorite period of time for me to read about.

This book was especially good.  The story follows an age old premise where two story lines are told.  One is the perspective of a modern day person and the other is of a relative who lived in WWII time.  One might think I would get sick of those stories but, I sincerely like them.  I think I’ve always had a longing to have had a grandma whose life parallelled mine.  I didn’t really have a grandma that I knew or had a close relationship with.  My mom’s mom lived further away and she was a cold person.  She died in 1990 when I was 24.  I never really knew her.  I only ever sat on a couch in her presences.  My Dad’s mom died before I was born.  I imagine she would have been the loving more kind grandma…but I don’t know as I never met her.  She died 16 years before I was born.  I always begged mom to tell me stories about her but my mom had only known her for a couple years.

But back to the story….the book was compared to The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky.  I loved both of those books and this one two.  I do recommend it.

Here’s what Amazon had to say:“After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a much-needed escape, but when she finds an old photograph of her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, Gillian’s life gets even more complicated. Rattled by the discovery, Gillian attempts to unravel the truth behind the photos, setting her off on an epic journey through the past…

1939. England is on the brink of war as Vivian Hughes falls in love with a handsome British official, but when bombs begin to fall and Vivian’s happy life is destroyed in the blitz, she will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…

As Gillian learns more about her grandmother’s past, the old photo begins to make more sense. But for every question answered, a new one takes its place. Faced with a truth that is not at all what she expected, Gillian attempts to shine a light not only on the mysteries of her family’s past but also on her own future.

This gorgeously written multigenerational saga is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of one woman’s struggle to survive, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky.”

Amazon readers gave the book 4.7 stars.  I’d have to agree.  It was a very good book.

If you’re interested in the book, you can find it on Amazon HERE.  I checked and if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can get the book for free.  If you don’t it’s only $4.99 for a Kindle version which isn’t bad either.