Reminiscent of Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, this entrancing story “is a poignant reminder that there is no limit to what women can do. A nostalgic, engrossing read” (Julia London, New York Times bestselling author). It’s easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than to confront the present, which is why working for a gruff but brilliant … working for a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: an unfinished diary from World War II and a photo of a young woman in uniform. Captivated by the hauntingly beautiful diary, Cara begins her search for the author, never guessing that it might reveal her own family’s wartime secrets.
In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene feels trapped in her Cornish village, waiting for a wealthy suitor her mother has chosen for her to return from the war. But when Louise meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning.
Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s auxiliary branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a gunner girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other gunner girls show their bravery and resilience while performing their duties during deadly air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing that she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him are returned unopened, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.
“Sweeping, stirring, and heartrending in all the best ways, this tale of one of WWII’s courageous, colorful, and enigmatic Gunner Girls will take your breath away” (Kristin Harmel, bestselling author of The Room on Rue Amelie).
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A nostalgic trip into the lives of women in WW2 and the consequences of secrets. I enjoyed it.
Sweeping, stirring, and heartrending in all the best ways, this tale of one of WWII’s courageous, colorful, and enigmatic Gunner Girls will take your breath away.
Deftly weaving together past and present, Kelly tells a fresh, heartfelt story of sisterhood and sacrifice, culminating in a gut-punch finish. Perfect for fans of The Alice Network.
I don’t like it when a book is compared to other books in the same genre. This book is compared to The Nightingale and The Lilac Girls. The only similarity is that they are all about WWII. The Light over London stands on its own as another historical fiction WWII book about a little known group in England during WWII.
This is a dual time line novel and both stories are equally interesting and exciting. In the present day, Cara is working for an antique dealer when she finds a diary stuck into a drawer. She is intrigued and because of her love of history, she takes it home to read. She is living a solitary life after leaving her husband and her parent’s deaths and her work is very important to her. As she reads the diary, she reaches out to her new neighbor who is a history professor for his input on who wrote the diary and to try to track down the family so that it can be returned to them. The other time line is in 1941 when Louise is waiting for her rich suitor to come back from the war. When she meets a dashing RAF pilot, she decides that she needs to change her life and pursue a life with Paul. While she is waiting, she joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a Gunner Girl. When she moves to London and faces daily danger from the bombs being dropped on the city, it’s only her love for Paul that gets her through her fear.
This is a wonderful book about the strength of women though adversity and their resilience in life no matter what is holding them back. The author did considerable research into WWII history to present this well written novel. If you enjoy WWII fiction, this one needs to go on your TBR list.
Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre so I was interested in what this novel had to offer. One of my pet peeves is publicists comparing one book to another. “The Lilac Girls” was about Hitler’s doctors horrible experiments on twins, and the award winning “The Nightingale” was about two sisters and their decisions about how they lived out the war, one at home and one in the French resistance The only thing this novel had in common with those is that it was set during WWII. I think the publisher does more harm than good when comparing one book to another.
I would call this more of a historical romance with a mystery, with lots of emphasis on the romance. The story is told from two points of view and we go back in forth from the present day to WWII.
Louise Keene is 19 years old and living in a small Cornish village with her life seemingly planned out for her by her mother. To escape these plans and her small village she signs up for the British Army and will be working in the anti-aircraft division as what they called an “Ack, Ack” girl. Her cousin Kate, whom she is quite close to, also signs up.The women basically did all of the scoping out of the night sky and when a plane was spotted they did the math that was involved to get the guns in the correct location and then a man was the one who fired the gun. This was an interesting enough part of the book, learning about the gunner girls, although her romance with an RAF pilot seemed trite and underdeveloped. She married him without knowing much about him. She later learns that this was a mistake.
Cara Hargraves is recently divorced and working for an antiques dealer. While clearing out a vast estate she comes across a diary of a woman who was also in the British Army. Because there seems to be a mystery about the woman and because Cara’s grandmother was also in the Army she decides to delve into discovering the identity of the woman who wrote the diary. Along with the diary are also a photo and some other personal items. This would have been more interesting if a romance hadn’t been invented for this character as well. Her new neighbor, Liam, is an engaging, warm guy and also interested in history, (surprise, surprise). She and Liam work together to find out the identity of the diarist. The romance seemed more fitting for a 20 year old than a 30 something divorced woman, i.e. “their fingers brushing when she handed the matches over. Her heart leaped in her throat, and Liam’s gaze flew up to her. For a moment they remained frozen, the tips of their fingers touching”. Really, this from grown adults previously married? There was also lots of sweet tender kissing with tingling feelings, etc.
I liked the character of Louise’s Gran a lot and wish that her history had been more well developed. Louise knows that there is a secret that Gran has been keeping from the family for years and she wants to discover what it is. If you are a mystery reader you will likely figure out the mystery before it is revealed, there are plenty of red herrings.
I would say that if you are looking for a quick, romantic novel with some history of the gunner girls you would enjoy this book. I did give it 3 stars because there is some good writing here and it kept me turning the pages. This was a debut novel and I will definitely check out any further books by Ms. Kelly.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
I loved this dual-time story, set in the present and during WWII. Cara and Louise were both wonderful heroines, challenged by life but rising above. It was a stretch for the publisher to compare the novel to Lilac Girls and The Nightingale. Those books were filled with real tragedy. I found The Light Over London well-written, sweet, and touching.
Note: I listened to the audiobook edition and appreciated the narrator. A kind of breathy performance but enjoyable.
I enjoyed this historical fiction read with a dual timeline set in both WWII and 2017.
Cara, as an employee in an antiques shop, is dealing with both a divorce and the death of her parents. She discovers a WWII diary and becomes absorbed by the story of a young woman in the ATS who becomes a gunner girl. As she tries to discover the owner of the diary, she begins to see similarities between herself and the writer.
While fairly predictable, I enjoyed the writing and all that I learned while reading. The characters are well-drawn and Louise and Cara especially, very compelling.
The Light Over London by Julia Kelly
January 8, 2019
Gallery Books
336 pages
Historical fiction, book review, GoodReads
Rating: 4/5
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from GoodReads Giveaway and publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Cara Hargraves wants to make a good impression as she begins work for Jock Wilson at his antique shop in Barlow, Gloucestershire, England in 2017.
Wilson’s Antiques and Curiosities respectfully evaluates and acquisitions items from the estates of the wealthy after their passing.
While assisting Mrs Leithbridge with her great aunt Lenora house, Cara discovers the diary of Louise Keene. Since it is of no value to the family they allow Cara to keep the diary which she hopes to return to the owner. As she is drawn into this woman’s story as she describes life during the war. Her emotional investment in the life of Louise Keene spurs her curiosity into her own family history.
After both her parents were killed in a car crash, Cara maintains a close connection with her maternal grandmother, Iris Warren. Her grandmother although in her 90’s does very well living at Widcote Manor. After a traumatic divorce, Cara is content with her job and supportive friend Nicole. She unexpectedly develops a friendship with her new neighbor, Liam who works as a history professor.
Much to her chagrin, Cara finds herself seeking Liam’s assistance while investigating the owner of the diary. The more she reads this woman’s intimate journey during the war effort the more invested she becomes in returning the diary. When she discovers that the woman joined the military ATS during the war, it stirs up questions regarding her own family history.
Cara recalls an argument between her mother and grandmother just prior to the car crash. Her grandmother has always refused to discuss it or her own military service where she served the ATS as a gunner girl. The history of these brave women during the war fascinates Cara who continues to delve into history which uncovers secrets of the past.
The story provides a unique perspective of the British women during the war effort. Although fiction, the story does explore the courage and dedication of the gunner girls who were specially recruited. A touching and remarkable story of love, courage, betrayal and resilience.
The Light Over London by Julia Kelly is a World War II historical novel. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of life in this era. I found the jobs women filled were especially interesting. Certain parts of the story were predictable but well told. The characters were interesting although I would have preferred more detail at the end of their stories. Plenty of fast paced mystery and Intrigue throughout.
A solid read.
The Light Over London is beautiful! It weaves two different timelines together to create one moving story of the bravery and hope of women in both WWII and the present. I love Julia Kelly as a human and a writer because she is tireless in her research, her commitment to her craft, and her love of writing. Grab a copy right now!
Each time I read The Light Over London, I didn’t want to put it down. It is elegant, engrossing, a fascinating picture of the lives of women in conflict (both past and present), and a dang good yarn.
It’s got enough drama and historical precision to delight the women’s/fiction reader and just enough swoon to make a romance reader happy sigh.
(Full disclosure, author Julia Kelly is a dear friend and my name is in the acknowledgements.)
The Light Over London is a dual timeline story that grabbed me from page one. I love historical fiction about strong women who buck the societal norms to make their own way in life! Julia Kelly’s latest work is a must read for historical fiction fans!
I was excited to read this book as my mother-in-law was a war bride having driven jeeps for officers….and also seeing this book compared to Nightingale and The Lilac Girls. In addition this book is a two time period book. I felt the book started out well with Cara finding a diary of Louise who was a Gunner Girl. Both Cara and Louise have “love “ problems. I enjoyed learning about the role the Gunner Girls played in World War II. For me, this book was more of a romance story than the level of historical fiction portrayed in Nightingale and The Lilac Girls. Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ArC of this book.
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Light Over London” by Julia Kelly, Gallery Books, January 8, 2019
Julia Kelly, Author of “The Light Over London” has written an intense, captivating, enthralling, intriguing and dramatic novel about World War Two. The Genres for this book are Historical Fiction and Fiction. There are two timelines for this novel, World War Two and the present. I appreciate how the two timelines do connect to each other. The author describes her colorful characters as complex and complicated.
Cara Hargraves deals with many antiques when going through people’s homes. Her boss wants her to sell them as quickly as she can. Cara discovers an old diary from World War Two in a old fashioned tin in one of the pieces of furniture. When she investigates further, she realizes that one of the pictures of a woman in uniform reminds her of her Grandmother, who also wore a uniform during the World War Two. Cara is fascinated by the unfinished diary, and also wonders why her Grandmother has never shared information about this time. Before her parents were in an fatal accident, Cara, remembers her Mom and Grandmother arguing about something in regard to this matter.
In 1941, Louise Keene is encouraged to go to a dance with her vibrant cousin Kate. Louise has a stressful relationship with her mother, who is always finding fault with anything she does. Louise meets a charming man Paul, a RAF pilot. When Paul is deployed, they promise to write letters to one another.
Louise is unhappy at home, and unhappy that Paul is gone, and decides to join the Woman’s branch in the British Army as a gunner girl. There is a tremendous amount of danger in this position, but Louise feels that she is doing something for her country. It seems that Louise is writing a diary of what is in her heart and mind.
Cara has this diary, and there isn’t a conclusion. With the help of her new neighbor, a History professor, they look to see if anyone in the present can help them with what happened in the past.
There are betrayals, and well-kept dark that can change many things. In both timelines, the women characters are strong and determined. I would highly recommend this story for those readers who enjoy Historical Fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
The Light Over London is a dual timeline novel about two women trying to find their place in their changing world. I found this book very moving and enjoyed learning more about the women that were gunner girls during WWII. I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy war genre historical fiction.
New to the historical fiction genre, I found I was quite unexpectedly entertained by this book. After all, isn’t that why we read? Well researched and set in WWII time frame, this book explores family ties and memories that show the true strength of women of that time and the love and hopes that kept them going through a wartime angst that kept them moving through a time the world hopes to never repeat. I definitely recommend Lizzie, Mary and the others to all–not to mention this fabulous new to me author and genre
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Gallery Books for the ARC of ‘The Light Over London’ by Julia Kelly. I was expecting to read a historical fiction novel but what I was reading was a romance novel with some history. Once I started the book, I found myself drawn in and I ended up enjoying it. I learned about Gunner Girls the brave women that assisted the men who were shooting guns at the incoming bombers. The book was very well written and an easy read, even with the back and forth in time. I enjoyed the surprise ending. I highly recommend that you read this book when it comes out in January 2019. You will not be disappointed.
This was a great book. It was action packed about women in WWII in London who were very valuable.
I love WWII stories as well as dual timeline books. When a book combines both, it’s even better! The one complaint I have is that this was promoted as being “reminiscent” of “Lilac Girls” and “The Nightingale.” While both books are set in WWII, that is where the similarity ends. I would have probably chosen to read the book anyway. But the misrepresentation left a bad taste in my mouth.
I did enjoy the book. It was a “lite” historical romance story where there is mystery, personal trauma, and romance. There is not a lot of the ugliness and horrors that occurred during the Nazi invasion. The focus was more on relationships during the past and present. There are some surprises, so it satisfies the reader who enjoys the random twists and turns. The characters are well developed and you will develop strong feelings about them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.