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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
The stories of war brides coming to America after World War II, as well as stories of the French Resistance are topics that form the basis of this novel. Simone, a daughter of a French Resistance fighter, and Annaliese, a young German girl forced to marry a sadistic Nazi, had some depth but were a little too formulaic. I was not thrilled with the pairing of these stories with a current day ghost whisperer, Brette. Not as good as Meissner's previous books, which I loved.
I've written this review for Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
This book y’all- I was Really Into it.
No spoilers here, but this is a ghost story, a touching WWII Historical Fiction novel, a story about love, friendship, secrets & refuge rolled into one. Susan does the unthinkable & weaves this all together into a beautiful cohesive story.
One my buddies was initially tuned off because a chapter or so in, we learn that Brette can see spirits or ghosts. This was a surprise to me as I didn’t remember reading anything about that in the publisher’s description. We both kept reading & although spirits are a part of the story, there’s so much more that is here, so please don’t let that deter you.
I loved reading about Annaliese becoming a ballerina & her friendship with Katrine. This is my first book by Susan Meissner & it certainly will not be my last. I had the pleasure of meeting her this summer at an event in Savannah, GA & she was so pleasant & kind. I’ve heard wonderful things about A Fall of Marigolds & Secrets of A Charmed Life.
If you’re a fan of The Nightingale or The Girl You Left Behind, I bet you will be Really Into This book as well.
Special thanks to Susan Meissner, Berkley Books & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
This book y’all- I was Really Into it.
No spoilers here, but this is a ghost story, a touching WWII Historical Fiction novel, a story about love, friendship, secrets & refuge rolled into one. Susan does the unthinkable & weaves this all together into a beautiful cohesive story.
One my buddies was initially tuned off because a chapter or so in, we learn that Brette can see spirits or ghosts. This was a surprise to me as I didn’t remember reading anything about that in the publisher’s description. We both kept reading & although spirits are a part of the story, there’s so much more that is here, so please don’t let that deter you.
I loved reading about Annaliese becoming a ballerina & her friendship with Katrine. This is my first book by Susan Meissner & it certainly will not be my last. I had the pleasure of meeting her this summer at an event in Savannah, GA & she was so pleasant & kind. I’ve heard wonderful things about A Fall of Marigolds & Secrets of A Charmed Life.
If you’re a fan of The Nightingale or The Girl You Left Behind, I bet you will be Really Into This book as well.
Special thanks to Susan Meissner, Berkley Books & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Wonderful book. I have yet to read a Susan Meissner book I didn't enjoy. The historical elements are thoroughly researched and very engaging.
This book was fine. There were three plot lines and I think it would have been better if she had justs chosen two and flushed them out but it wasn't bad. I wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't a fan of World War II novels or things related to ghosts.
3.5 stars.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, but far from perfect. The present-day characters were sadly underdeveloped; I would've liked to learn more about Brette's family and their gift of Sight. The WWII-era characters were much, much more interesting.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, but far from perfect. The present-day characters were sadly underdeveloped; I would've liked to learn more about Brette's family and their gift of Sight. The WWII-era characters were much, much more interesting.
Spoiler
I really, really disliked that the ship was a "ghost" or spirit driving the central narrative. I understood what Meissner was going for, but the "twist" just bellyflopped. The point of the novel is that there is a spirit who desperately wants a truth to come out; to have that truth come from a ship who harbours mother-love felt flat and cheap.
The Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner follows a commonly used structure to tell the story in two time periods. A character and story exist in the the present. A character and story exist in the past. There is a link between the two. In alternating sections, the book tells both story, drawing them together into a conclusions. What does not really work in this book is the connection between past and present. In this story of two times, the story of the past clearly wins out in terms of characters and plot.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/03/a-bridge-across-ocean.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/03/a-bridge-across-ocean.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
When you start a book and discover that the current timeline is set in the hometown that you grew up in, you’re hooked no matter what. So yes, hearing the narrator mention places in San Diego that I know and love, especially Solana Beach where I spent my formative years, was a fun bonus. But the overall book, with its beautiful storytelling from WWII, the history and crossings of the Queen Mary, and a bit of the supernatural thrown in, made this a really enjoyable read!
Was not expecting a ghost story, and the marriage relationship described felt totally bogus.
I gave up. I loved Meissner's other books. Something about the going back and forth with the ghost catcher just wasn't working for me. I finally decided there are many other books in my pile I'd rather get to.
My eye was drawn to the cover of this one, so I read the synopsis and was pulled in immediately! One thing that this the synopsis did not mention was that this is a story involving ghosts. I’m pretty sure had I known that I would not have been so quick to pick it up. Stories involving the supernatural do not always work for me. I’m glad this wasn’t mentioned because I’m happy to say this one worked very well for me!
The story centers around three war brides who are traveling to the US after WWII to rejoin their American husbands, and Brette Caslake, a contemporary young woman who has inherited ‘the sight’ and struggles with her unusual ability. The story is told from different viewpoints, alternating between current day and the wartime experiences of two of the war brides. I found the background story of these women to be the most interesting part of the story, but I also enjoyed the mystery of what happened to the woman who did not get off the ship.
While I found the realistic events of the war years most interesting, I also enjoyed the current day ghost story much more than I expected I might when I found out ghosts were involved.. I often struggle with stories about the supernatural because I get distracted as I read and I try to figure how events could have happened. The ghost story in this book was so well written that I didn’t even stop to think about whether or not this was realistic! My only complaint about the story is that I felt like it ended a little abruptly. Whether or not you are normally a reader of supernatural fiction, I think you will enjoy this one!
My Rating: ✰✰✰✰½ 4½ Stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review purposes.