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| GIVEAWAY! |
LOOK TO THE EAST
A village under siege.
A love under fire.
FRANCE 1914
The small village of Briecourt may be isolated from early battles of World War I, but a century-old feud between the de Colvilles and Toussaints rages in the streets. Despite being adopted as a child, Julitte Toussaint endures the scorn of the de Colvilles more than most, given the folklore surrounding her heritage.
Then everything changes the day the German army sweeps in to occupy Briecourt, trapping a handful of outsiders behind enemy lines, including Belgian entrepreneur Charles Lassone. When Julitte discovers Charles hiding in the church basement, an unexpected and dangerous love blossoms between them.
But heroes aren't made in cellars. Eager to join the Allied forces -- and prove himself worthy of Julitte's love -- Charles convinces the de Colvilles and the Toussaints to finally work together to smuggle him out.
Yet with the life of every villager on the line, who can be trusted? And when the line between ally and enemy is blurred, will faith and courage be enough to sustain them all?
My Review:
Breath-taking, heart-wrenching, compelling! What an exciting and emotional read! I loved the fresh setting and time period. I can't think of many novels set during the first world war and this one takes place in occupied France so that's even more of a twist.
The inspirational thread really takes center-stage in this story, but it doesn't come off stilted or 'preachy' or over the top. It simply 'is' because Julitte is a woman of faith. And it's that faith she clings to survive the horrors of war.
Lang has created an intriguing cast of villagers and the family feud adds even more drama into the mix. And then there's the added mystery that surrounds Julitte herself! Look to the East is packed full of action and intrigue and a healthy dose of tender love story. Definitely a winning read for a lazy summer day!
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY
If you would like a chance to win a copy of Look to the East by Maureen Lang, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Make sure to book the book title in the subject line. Draw will be held on Sunday August 7. Open internationally.
Love novels on any of the major wars. Get to learn history along with a great plot. Please enter me. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLinda at:
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com
Hey Linda, you're right about learning things in this book. I learned a lot (barely knew much about the first world war) but now I have a lot of questions too. Plus reading in hindsight makes it all the more tragic as the men go off to war. So that made the story bittersweet too. Good luck in the draw.
ReplyDeleteI have the second (?) book in this series, Springtime of the Spirit, on my TBR stack. :) This one sounds really good! Thank you for the great review and the chance to win a copy!
ReplyDelete~Amber
stokes[dot]a[at]suddenlink[dot]net
Oh, wait! Here's my other e-mail address:
ReplyDeleteamberstokes[at]corban[dot]edu
I remember that we seemed to have more luck with that one rather than my Suddenlink account. ;)
Thanks again!
~Amber
Thank you so much for the chance to win this. This looks like a great book. I would love to read this.
ReplyDeleteagent_beckster(at)yahoo(dot)com
I've been wanting to read this one for awhile. There's not a lot of novels with a WWI setting.
ReplyDeletemchapman (at) windstream (dot) net
Hey Amber -- I think there are four books in the series but I get the feeling they read really well as standalones too. The characters are connected, but they live in different areas and out of touch with each other because of the war. For instance the next one is about Isa, Charles' sister. We never meet here, just through his memories. If that makes sense. Yep, I definitely want to read the whole series.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Rebecca!
Michelle -- I think you'll like this one. I've never read anything by Maureen Lang but she has a lovely, fluid writing style and really knows how to tell a story! Good luck!
I am always drawn to heart-wrenching stories against the backdrop of war. With such a setting I wouldn't expect any less. There is danger and even in the dark there is always light. Thank you for your review.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting NS. Good luck in the draw!
ReplyDeleteI would love to be entered. Sounds like a good historical book:) I have heard of Maureen but never read any of her books. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteesterried[at]yahoo[dot]com
Considered yourself entered, Charity. I think you'll like this one. Good luck!
ReplyDelete