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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
3.5. Interesting story and started off strong, but after the first 100 or so pages it needed more editing and felt a bit scattered to me.
This was originally posted on my Facebook page. Bringing my review now to Goodreads.
History is interesting in its own way…
Especially when there are rumors about famous people that made an impact on history.
For example...
Did you hear the rumors about General Dwight Eisenhower having an affair with his driver Kay Summersby during WWII?
Well...
If you did or didn’t, this novel will give you the fictionalized account of the perceived relationship between the two.
The novel is heavily based upon the authors in-depth research and his interpretation of such events.
I have been a sometimes fan of World War II historical fiction. Learning about the private side of a celebrated figure can be very enticing.
Still...
Did Ike have a wartime affair with Kay? Does it matter – or have an influence on history, if he had?
As the reader, you can make your own decision.
History is interesting in its own way…
Especially when there are rumors about famous people that made an impact on history.
For example...
Did you hear the rumors about General Dwight Eisenhower having an affair with his driver Kay Summersby during WWII?
Well...
If you did or didn’t, this novel will give you the fictionalized account of the perceived relationship between the two.
The novel is heavily based upon the authors in-depth research and his interpretation of such events.
I have been a sometimes fan of World War II historical fiction. Learning about the private side of a celebrated figure can be very enticing.
Still...
Did Ike have a wartime affair with Kay? Does it matter – or have an influence on history, if he had?
As the reader, you can make your own decision.
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc.
I will fully admit that I only know the basics about Eisenhower, and I knew nothing about his staff and those surrounding him during WWII. Which is why I really wanted to read this book and start learning more about him in a fictional sense to see if I wanted to continue learning more about him from a more historical standpoint. So, of course, I have done a little bit of research about Eisenhower and Kay, and while there is no confirmation that they ever had a physical affair, it does seem plausible that it could have happened. As far as I can tell though, and what other historians say it does seem that they might have had an emotional affair instead during the war. This is all just speculation though, and we might never fully know.
Typically I don't like books that revolve around affairs or things like that. But there was just something about this book, that had me needing to know how they were going to end. MacManus was able to show the real realities of WWII and mixes them with a plausible rumor surrounding these two.
Kay is a British citizen who is working as a driver during WWII, she gets assigned to US General Eisenhower, and from there forms a friendship of sorts and eventually becomes his secretary and all around person.
Eisenhower is the United States General who is on a fact-finding mission at first, and then who ends up working to help Britain defeat the Nazi's in WWII. During this time he had Kay travel with him and eventually got her to be apart of the US military so she could travel with him easily.
We also have the side characters, some that are known people from WWII, and the others are people that were more unknown that we're apart of his 'family' (staff) as he liked to call them.
Overall I did really find this to be a fascinating read. I always love learning more about WWII, and how things happened and the people behind them. While this is a fiction novel, MacManus did use a lot of real life things that happened and you can tell he did do a lot of research. While the majority of this book is based on speculation and rumor, the behind the main story was extremely realistic. I ended up really enjoyed Kay and Eisenhower as characters until the last 25% of the book and then I stopped liking them as much because of things that were happening.
I do think if you like historical fiction and want to learn more about WWII then this is a great read for you!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc.
I will fully admit that I only know the basics about Eisenhower, and I knew nothing about his staff and those surrounding him during WWII. Which is why I really wanted to read this book and start learning more about him in a fictional sense to see if I wanted to continue learning more about him from a more historical standpoint. So, of course, I have done a little bit of research about Eisenhower and Kay, and while there is no confirmation that they ever had a physical affair, it does seem plausible that it could have happened. As far as I can tell though, and what other historians say it does seem that they might have had an emotional affair instead during the war. This is all just speculation though, and we might never fully know.
Typically I don't like books that revolve around affairs or things like that. But there was just something about this book, that had me needing to know how they were going to end. MacManus was able to show the real realities of WWII and mixes them with a plausible rumor surrounding these two.
Kay is a British citizen who is working as a driver during WWII, she gets assigned to US General Eisenhower, and from there forms a friendship of sorts and eventually becomes his secretary and all around person.
Eisenhower is the United States General who is on a fact-finding mission at first, and then who ends up working to help Britain defeat the Nazi's in WWII. During this time he had Kay travel with him and eventually got her to be apart of the US military so she could travel with him easily.
We also have the side characters, some that are known people from WWII, and the others are people that were more unknown that we're apart of his 'family' (staff) as he liked to call them.
Overall I did really find this to be a fascinating read. I always love learning more about WWII, and how things happened and the people behind them. While this is a fiction novel, MacManus did use a lot of real life things that happened and you can tell he did do a lot of research. While the majority of this book is based on speculation and rumor, the behind the main story was extremely realistic. I ended up really enjoyed Kay and Eisenhower as characters until the last 25% of the book and then I stopped liking them as much because of things that were happening.
I do think if you like historical fiction and want to learn more about WWII then this is a great read for you!
A bit predictable however a very different, very real story. Gives a behind the scenes that I never knew.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In his work of historical fiction, MacManus explores the relationship between General Dwight D Eisenhower and his assigned driver during WWII, Kay Sommersby. Rumor, innuendo and gossip have surrounded their affair for decades. Only after both Dwight and his wife, Mamie, died did much of the truth come out.
I have to say that Ike came off like a real jerk in this book. Kay, of course, was hardly blameless. She knew he was a married man, and a powerful one as well. If she thought she could win this man she was deluding only herself. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how the relationship unfolded and to get a glimpse of what they may have meant to one another, especially during the stress of wartime.
I also appreciated the details of other wartime relationships between generals and heads of state. President Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchhill and many others make appearances in this novel. One glaring error very nearly spoiled it for me (and totally turned my husband off). MacManus goes on about Patton serving in the Pacific and how he abandoned the Philippines for the relative safety of Australia. The general who did that was MacArthur, not Patton. Wonder what else he got wrong?
Oh well, it’s historical FICTION, and it certainly held my attention.
I have to say that Ike came off like a real jerk in this book. Kay, of course, was hardly blameless. She knew he was a married man, and a powerful one as well. If she thought she could win this man she was deluding only herself. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how the relationship unfolded and to get a glimpse of what they may have meant to one another, especially during the stress of wartime.
I also appreciated the details of other wartime relationships between generals and heads of state. President Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchhill and many others make appearances in this novel. One glaring error very nearly spoiled it for me (and totally turned my husband off). MacManus goes on about Patton serving in the Pacific and how he abandoned the Philippines for the relative safety of Australia. The general who did that was MacArthur, not Patton. Wonder what else he got wrong?
Oh well, it’s historical FICTION, and it certainly held my attention.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Eh. Nothing groundbreaking here. It held my attention and I did enjoy it. I don't know how much of this is actually true. I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not Eisenhower had an affair or not. The one thing I really didn't like, hence the three stars, is I hated how the author made Kay seem so desperate and pathetic at the end of the book. I never got that impression of her during the book. She's a single woman driving ambulances in WWII, there's nothing weak about that. If the ending were changed a little, I would have given it a higher rating.
Ike And Kay was a novel that appealed to me when I read the synopsis despite knowing little about Eisenhower and nothing at all about Kay Summersby. They were though, characters I struggled to like, despite having sympathy for both at times. I preferred Charlotte, Kay’s extremely honest friend and Mamie, Ike’s wife. I felt for her, having little contact with her husband throughout the war and reading a lot about him in newspaper gossip columns.
The account of the devastation caused by the war, the descriptions of war dead left in villages and on the side of roads, the fear felt by the soldiers and the poverty during and after the war was the part of the novel that I found the most interesting. It was evident how much research the author had done, much of it felt like a first hand account. One scene more than any other was the one where Eisenhower had to convince a terrified soldier that he needed to return to duty.
I always enjoy learning from fiction. Whenever I read a novel like this I’m eager to find out more about the characters concerned. I spent quite a bit of time looking on the internet finding out more as I read.
The account of the devastation caused by the war, the descriptions of war dead left in villages and on the side of roads, the fear felt by the soldiers and the poverty during and after the war was the part of the novel that I found the most interesting. It was evident how much research the author had done, much of it felt like a first hand account. One scene more than any other was the one where Eisenhower had to convince a terrified soldier that he needed to return to duty.
I always enjoy learning from fiction. Whenever I read a novel like this I’m eager to find out more about the characters concerned. I spent quite a bit of time looking on the internet finding out more as I read.
This was a great read. I love history, historical fiction and this hit the spot. Based on real life figures and a rumor of a love affair, I could not put this one down! I actually googled Kay Summersby after I finished... the description in the book fit her exactly.
I was a little upset with Ike.. I won't spoil it, but in reality we all know how it turns out.
Thank you James MacManus, NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read this story of love, war, sadness and life!
I was a little upset with Ike.. I won't spoil it, but in reality we all know how it turns out.
Thank you James MacManus, NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read this story of love, war, sadness and life!