A young woman on the run finds a second chance in World War II Italy in a thrilling novel of love, intrigue, and redemption by the author of A Girl Divided.
1944, Chicago. From desperate small-town teen to star of the burlesque circuit, Violet Ernte has survived tough choices and more than one reinvention. Now, framed for an underworld murder, she has one way out: agree to keep Marcie, a … to keep Marcie, a reckless USO showgirl and mobster’s daughter, on the straight and narrow. Vi’s new act: play innocent ingenue and join the all-American song-and-dance troupe bound for overseas to a war-torn Italy.
When a USO headliner goes missing soon after landing, the disappearance has treacherous implications for the entire troupe. With Marcie’s safety in peril, Vi turns to battle-roughened army sergeant Ansel Danger for help. But getting closer to Ansel means exposing her past and her double life of scandal and deception. And in a heartbeat, she could lose everything.
Defiant and resilient, Vi is used to taking risks. This time it’s for redemption. To love, and to be loved. And for a second chance at a future she thought was lost forever.
more
This book is about a girl named Vi who goes from a burlesque show to the USO. She finds herself caught up in the war and it goes from there. It’s a good historical novel, it has mystery and some romance. For me it ended too fast, I wanted a few more chapters.
Oh my gosh…what a ride! From a runaway, to becoming a burlesque dance in Chicago, to a possible murderess, to a USO performer in WWII Italy, this book just didn’t disappoint. So many different topics…I want to recommend this book to everyone who enjoys historical romantic suspense, especially the WWII era.
I’ve never read Ellen Lindseth before and I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent background she gives of the time. You can tell she’s done her homework about the time, the treatment of women, and how one must make their own ‘luck’ when confronted with issues beyond their control. An amazing read. This won’t be the last book by this author I’ll be reading!
This was a pretty unique story, about a burlesque dancer and former prostitute that is on the run, for allegedly killing a mobster in Chicago. Her boss arranges for her to join an USO troop, headed for Italy, toward the end of the war. She’s also given the responsibility of supervising a mob bosses daughter to keep her out of trouble.
A very engaging novel by #EllenLindseth, with apparent research that lends historical facts to the story. I found it very entertaining and reminiscent of the WWII musicals of the 50’s, engaging and interesting characters.
I received this ARC from #NetGalley and #LakeUnion and any opinions are my own.
Have not finished it but so far slow and dragged out! When I start a book I have to finish it but tempted to let it go and probably will.
A story of love, war and redemption, the Long Path Home is a story of a young woman who has lived her life as various personas.
Vi hasn’t led a model life, leaving home at the age of 15 because she made a bad choice and couldn’t face her parents and sister with the truth. Working as an exotic dancer under an assumed name, she gets involved with the wrong crowd and becomes a suspect in the murder of a member of the mob.
Vi joins the USO under yet another assumed name and travels abroad to entertain American troops. What follows is an exciting story of love, war and spies that kept me turning the pages until the end.
This is the first book by Ms. Lindseth that I have read, but it definitely won’t be the last. I definitely recommend The Long Path Home to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction, romance and WWII stories. You won’t be disappointed.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Long Path Home, by Ellen Lindseth, is set in Chicago during World War 2. It follows the path of Violet, or Vi, a girl who once acted in a reproachable manner, wrongly becomes the chief suspect in a murder investigation and flees to Europe to hide. While she’s in Europe, Vi takes on a new persona – playing a show girl who entertains the troops with the USO. There’s some interesting material here about the USO, as well as a romance and a thriller of sorts. Defiant and resilient, Vi is used to taking risks. This time it’s for redemption and you want things to work out for her. To love, and to be loved. And for a second chance at a future she thought was lost forever.
This is an exciting read and grips you from the start. There is so much more to Vi than and you want things to work out for her. Falling in love, shot by partisans in Italy and saving a number of lives, Vi is an amazingly brave woman who always tries to do the right thing. The conclusion to her story gives a chance of hope and a happy ending. This story is an enjoyable read, one that certainly won’t disappoint and will appeal to fans of historical fiction. I recommend The Long Path Home to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Thank you NetGalley, the air and publisher for the ARC of The Long Path Home. All opinions are my own.
Well written, a different take on a WWll era story. While some of the story seemed to drag a bit for me, I did enjoy it. The characters were intresting and I especially enjoyed the intrigue they were involved in.