"We are not the same people, and the world is not the same place."
-Saga Hillbom, A Generation of Poppies
☆☆☆☆.5
After being given an early copy for this book I was looking forward to the opportunity to break out of my comfort zone. For the longest time I've only read fantasy, so diving into historical fiction to review this book had been great and I'm loving the genre. I'm not the biggest history buff in the world but I truly enjoyed reading the book. Thanks so much to the author for allowing me to read your wonderful book. I'm giving this book 4.5 stars (rounding to 5 for Goodreads).
The Plot
The plot follows the two main characters, Rosalie Wilkes and Charles D'Aboville. The story goes between their two, first-person POVs and their experiences in World War One. Rosalie signs up to be a voluntary Red Cross nurse stationed in France, while Charles is forced out of his studies to become an officer. After an explosion, Charles is injured and taken to the hospital were are two characters meet and a budding romance is formed.
I really liked the plot of this book because it feels so real. Throughout the story there is a sense of suspense because the stakes are so high, at anytime a character could die in battle and the story would go on. I was instantly invested in the story knowing that within a moment everything could change.
Not knowing much about history and the dates and locations of WW1, sometimes during reading, I felt a little lost because of the time jumps and location changes but that was fixed once a character mentioned the setting. The plot was interesting and engaging to keep the reader hooked and wanting more.
The Characters
The characters were very well written. They all felt like this could be a real story from wartime. Through each character, we see the trauma that the nurses and soldiers went through during the war.
Rosalie's character is written beautifully. She starts as more of a quiet reserved girl and we see her journey of growth into a strong woman. Rosalie gives us a glimpse of what it was like to be a woman in the 1910s and how she is treated by the people around her. She and Charles have great chemistry and banter making it a very sweet relationship.
Charles is the rich boy thrown into circumstances that he could have never imagined. As a reader, we get to see him mature and the trauma that the war did to his character and the growth it caused. Charles had some charm to him that made the reader fall in love with his character.
The characters around our two main lovers represented the times well, it's clear that even if they were not one of the leads all the characters got time put into them to make them what they are.
The World
The story takes place in 1914s in Europe during World War One. It is obvious the author put a lot of effort into making this world feel as real as possible. The amount of research that was put into this book is shown throughout the expanding world the author created.
Honestly, there aren't many flaws to this book. It is a great starter to get into historical fiction and if you already like the genre it is the perfect book. It has an interesting and thought-provoking plot, lovable characters and a well-researched world. It is an epic tale of the duty to your country, love, honour and sacrifice. I recommend reading this book when it is released and look forward to reading more of Hillbom's works.
Thank you, Saga so much for letting me read and review your book!
☪ Received an advanced copy but all thoughts and opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Saga's Instagram: @writing_history_
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