Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly

4 reviews

daralexandria's review

dark informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Antisemitism, Grief, Genocide, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

kimveach's review

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Despite its 511 pages, this is a surprisingly fast read. It's another gripping novel from the author of Lilac Girls. As with her other books, Kelly doesn't shy away from the dangers for women spies in WWII and for the work they continued to do hunting Nazi war criminals after the war ended. I loved the characters, Arlette and Josie, and their search for Arlette's baby and the war criminal.

The author's note at the end tells us her inspiration for the novel and where she wrote history in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Trafficking, Alcohol, Misogyny, Confinement, Death, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Suicide, Ableism, War, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Torture

laheath's review

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Another fantastic historical fiction novel from this author!  Her research, detailed in her author's note at the end, seems so thorough and I love her stories about meeting survivors or family members who inspire her to delve deeper and write another book, especially these little-known stories of WWII.  This novel centers around Josie and Arlette, who meet while working in the Resistance, and the chapters alternate between this time and the early 1950's.  Both storylines held my interest, but I was especially drawn into Josie searching for Nazis who had escaped prosecution for war crimes and/or had made deals with foreign governments to live a life of luxury after the war.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Grief, Death, War, Torture, and Medical trauma

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content

tbrplaylist's review

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts