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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
challenging
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Finished 1/1/2022
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’d like to thank Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. I have never read anything by Caroline Lea before and have one of her previous books sitting on my kindle. When this one popped up on NetGalley I decided to read it as a buddy read with my good friends Meg and Clare. We all love historical fiction and couldn’t wait to start reading this one.
The story is told from three POV; Dorothy, Constance and Cesare, having some of the story from Cesare was a welcomed addition. I enjoyed his early chapters and learning what life was like for him as a prisoner of war. Having said that, to begin with I found this one a little slow to start, a lot of time was spent laying the groundwork. I also found the writing style to be a little different and it took a little while for me to be fully invested in the story.
Once I reached the half way point I felt the pace had picked up a bit and was really enjoying the read. The relationship between Dorothy and Constance was interesting. At times I felt that both sisters were too hard on each other, perhaps they should of had a good heart to heart to fully understand how the other was feeling. A part of the story that tested the sister’s bond was the developing romance between Dorothy and Cesare. I could understand Constance’s weariness around the prisoner’s but I found myself rooting for Dorothy and Cesare’s happy ending.
I was a little disappointed at the historical inaccuracies and how much had been fictionalised. Caroline Lea explains her reasoning for this at the end of the book but it was definitely a talking point with myself and my buddy readers. We all agreed we loved the setting and have since looked up the Orkney Chapel, which is beautiful, and added it to our list of places to visit.
What resonated throughout the story was the unbreakable bond between Dorothy and Constance. As twin sister’s you would expect them to be close but the depth of their bond was shown in the final chapters. The ending was beautiful and cleverly written. Whilst I had expected a dramatic ending I hadn’t quite expected one as shocking as that. It was packed full of drama, emotion and heart break which made me love the bond between the sister’s even more.
The story is told from three POV; Dorothy, Constance and Cesare, having some of the story from Cesare was a welcomed addition. I enjoyed his early chapters and learning what life was like for him as a prisoner of war. Having said that, to begin with I found this one a little slow to start, a lot of time was spent laying the groundwork. I also found the writing style to be a little different and it took a little while for me to be fully invested in the story.
Once I reached the half way point I felt the pace had picked up a bit and was really enjoying the read. The relationship between Dorothy and Constance was interesting. At times I felt that both sisters were too hard on each other, perhaps they should of had a good heart to heart to fully understand how the other was feeling. A part of the story that tested the sister’s bond was the developing romance between Dorothy and Cesare. I could understand Constance’s weariness around the prisoner’s but I found myself rooting for Dorothy and Cesare’s happy ending.
I was a little disappointed at the historical inaccuracies and how much had been fictionalised. Caroline Lea explains her reasoning for this at the end of the book but it was definitely a talking point with myself and my buddy readers. We all agreed we loved the setting and have since looked up the Orkney Chapel, which is beautiful, and added it to our list of places to visit.
What resonated throughout the story was the unbreakable bond between Dorothy and Constance. As twin sister’s you would expect them to be close but the depth of their bond was shown in the final chapters. The ending was beautiful and cleverly written. Whilst I had expected a dramatic ending I hadn’t quite expected one as shocking as that. It was packed full of drama, emotion and heart break which made me love the bond between the sister’s even more.
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
1941 A newly constructed prison camp on a remote island off of the Scottish coast awaits five hundred Italian soldiers that have been sent to aid the island during WWII.
On this island, a set of recently orphaned twins reside, despite the rumors and various tales of curses that will be brought upon those who inhabit it. It is not long before their paths collide with the prisoners and a powerful connection is made between Cesare, an Italian inmate instantly enamored by Dorothy, one of the sisters.
After a traumatic past, Dorothy’s sister, Constance is left untrusting and suspicious of this new, potentially fatal bond. Are the tales true? If you love someone on this island, are you destined to lose them? Constance isn’t willing to find out and will protect her sister from this possible fate at all costs.
I am blown away by the brilliance that is The Metal Heart. I have a new favorite book. This is a marvelous, unpredictable story of loyalty, loss, and ultimate sacrifice. This is an entirely new perspective of WWII for me, which I always greatly appreciate.
When I read a book, I always have a pencil by my side, ready to jot down a note or highlight a passage that speaks to me. Countless sentences in my copy of The Metal Heart have been underlined, circled, and starred. Words that serve as reminders and lessons. Words that made me feel seen. Words that filled me with hope. I will return to these words often when in need of comfort.
Without giving anything away, I want to applaud Lea on weaving in a story that represents a fear unique to women. The Metal Heart is a nod towards feminism and breaking the silence so many of us have suffered. This part of the story was personally deeply moving.
“I know, as all women do, how fear can turn your muscles to water, how terror can twist your gut, rise into your throat, and choke the breath from you.”
This story is artfully told. It is rich with powerful symbolism. It is a story of love and sacrifice ; a forbidden love, an unbreakable sibling love, and the love these Italian soldiers have for their country, and their families. We are reminded of the great influence hope has in bringing people together; even from entirely different walks of life. Even in the darkest of times.
The Metal Heart is simply striking.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
On this island, a set of recently orphaned twins reside, despite the rumors and various tales of curses that will be brought upon those who inhabit it. It is not long before their paths collide with the prisoners and a powerful connection is made between Cesare, an Italian inmate instantly enamored by Dorothy, one of the sisters.
After a traumatic past, Dorothy’s sister, Constance is left untrusting and suspicious of this new, potentially fatal bond. Are the tales true? If you love someone on this island, are you destined to lose them? Constance isn’t willing to find out and will protect her sister from this possible fate at all costs.
I am blown away by the brilliance that is The Metal Heart. I have a new favorite book. This is a marvelous, unpredictable story of loyalty, loss, and ultimate sacrifice. This is an entirely new perspective of WWII for me, which I always greatly appreciate.
When I read a book, I always have a pencil by my side, ready to jot down a note or highlight a passage that speaks to me. Countless sentences in my copy of The Metal Heart have been underlined, circled, and starred. Words that serve as reminders and lessons. Words that made me feel seen. Words that filled me with hope. I will return to these words often when in need of comfort.
Without giving anything away, I want to applaud Lea on weaving in a story that represents a fear unique to women. The Metal Heart is a nod towards feminism and breaking the silence so many of us have suffered. This part of the story was personally deeply moving.
“I know, as all women do, how fear can turn your muscles to water, how terror can twist your gut, rise into your throat, and choke the breath from you.”
This story is artfully told. It is rich with powerful symbolism. It is a story of love and sacrifice ; a forbidden love, an unbreakable sibling love, and the love these Italian soldiers have for their country, and their families. We are reminded of the great influence hope has in bringing people together; even from entirely different walks of life. Even in the darkest of times.
The Metal Heart is simply striking.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
This was fascinating read because I hadn't heard of these events before. (Read the author's note at the end to know the real timeline of things and what was just a work of fiction)
Italian prisoners sent to a tiny island off of Scotland to build a causeway/barrier to protect against enemies during WW2.
Twins, Dorothy and Constance are living together on the "haunted" part of Orkney after their parents have disappeared. They volunteer to work at the infirmary for the prisoners and there Dot falls in love with one prisoner, Caesar.
Constance is dealing with the consequences of ill fated night with a horrible man from the island.
This is a beautiful story of the love of sisters and what they will do for one another. A beautiful story of first love in a time of war.
I read this in 2 sittings and it was so great.
Italian prisoners sent to a tiny island off of Scotland to build a causeway/barrier to protect against enemies during WW2.
Twins, Dorothy and Constance are living together on the "haunted" part of Orkney after their parents have disappeared. They volunteer to work at the infirmary for the prisoners and there Dot falls in love with one prisoner, Caesar.
Constance is dealing with the consequences of ill fated night with a horrible man from the island.
This is a beautiful story of the love of sisters and what they will do for one another. A beautiful story of first love in a time of war.
I read this in 2 sittings and it was so great.
What a beautiful, emotional slice of historical fiction The Metal Heart was! I love this genre – the blending of facts and real events with the poetic licence of fiction really captivates me. Mix in Caroline Lea’s amazing ability to weave a heart-wrenchingly emotive love story – both the romantic kind and the one between sisters – and I’m hooked!
Set in 1942, during WWII on the Orkney islands in remote, northern Scotland, this story is narrated by flame-haired, 23-year-old twin sisters Dorothy (Dot) and Constance (Con), as well as Cesare, an Italian prisoner of war.
Dot and Con live on (the fictional) Selkie Holm in a tiny Bothy, an old shepherd’s house that was abandoned and they now take refuge in. They moved from one of the bigger, more populated islands to this smaller one with no people after an incident makes Con wary of being around men.
It is decided that the islands need more war defence, so 500 Italian prisoners of war are brought over to build sea barriers between the islands. The men’s camp is made on Selkie Holm – the twin’s island. They are not happy about this but their lives do end up becoming entwined with the men of the camp, particularly one named Cesare, who changes life for the twins, particularly Dot.
The Italian Chapel (take a little virtual tour of it here) is a Roman Catholic church that was really built by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War on the island of Lamb Holm, constructed from two nissen huts, cement, found materials and the power of craftsmen’s hands. It takes centre stage in The Metal Heart and is truly an amazing monument to peace and hope – both in real life and in the story.
During the weeks in the run up to The Metal Heart‘s publication date, author Caroline Lea posted pictures of her research trip to Orkney on her Twitter. It’s so fascinating to see both an insight to her thought process and the amazing scenery that inspired her book. It’s also where I saw that there is an actual metal heart embedded into the floor of the chapel.
I loved all the themes that are explored in this book – from how women are made to feel scared and vulnerable by men all the time, the abuse of power, the loss of identity, the true impact of war, the strength of love. Yes, there may seem like a lot but they were all so effortlessly woven into both the story and each other, it just felt rich and so satisfying to read. And some of the wonderful sentences just made my heart ache, this is such a marvellously written book.
Weirdly, I read The Metal Heart straight after finishing Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone: both books are set in Scotland and both feature identical twin sisters as their lead characters. What are the chances? Themes of identity and loss crop up in both too, but otherwise, they are very different reads. Both excellent though!
Aside from Con, Dot and Cesare’s story (which you may have gathered, I loved), I also adored learning about the Italian Chapel. I had no idea it existed, so it led to a little Googling and discovering more about this time in history. Books that tell me a great story and teach me something new – my favourite combination.
Set in 1942, during WWII on the Orkney islands in remote, northern Scotland, this story is narrated by flame-haired, 23-year-old twin sisters Dorothy (Dot) and Constance (Con), as well as Cesare, an Italian prisoner of war.
Dot and Con live on (the fictional) Selkie Holm in a tiny Bothy, an old shepherd’s house that was abandoned and they now take refuge in. They moved from one of the bigger, more populated islands to this smaller one with no people after an incident makes Con wary of being around men.
It is decided that the islands need more war defence, so 500 Italian prisoners of war are brought over to build sea barriers between the islands. The men’s camp is made on Selkie Holm – the twin’s island. They are not happy about this but their lives do end up becoming entwined with the men of the camp, particularly one named Cesare, who changes life for the twins, particularly Dot.
The Italian Chapel (take a little virtual tour of it here) is a Roman Catholic church that was really built by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War on the island of Lamb Holm, constructed from two nissen huts, cement, found materials and the power of craftsmen’s hands. It takes centre stage in The Metal Heart and is truly an amazing monument to peace and hope – both in real life and in the story.
During the weeks in the run up to The Metal Heart‘s publication date, author Caroline Lea posted pictures of her research trip to Orkney on her Twitter. It’s so fascinating to see both an insight to her thought process and the amazing scenery that inspired her book. It’s also where I saw that there is an actual metal heart embedded into the floor of the chapel.
I loved all the themes that are explored in this book – from how women are made to feel scared and vulnerable by men all the time, the abuse of power, the loss of identity, the true impact of war, the strength of love. Yes, there may seem like a lot but they were all so effortlessly woven into both the story and each other, it just felt rich and so satisfying to read. And some of the wonderful sentences just made my heart ache, this is such a marvellously written book.
Weirdly, I read The Metal Heart straight after finishing Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone: both books are set in Scotland and both feature identical twin sisters as their lead characters. What are the chances? Themes of identity and loss crop up in both too, but otherwise, they are very different reads. Both excellent though!
Aside from Con, Dot and Cesare’s story (which you may have gathered, I loved), I also adored learning about the Italian Chapel. I had no idea it existed, so it led to a little Googling and discovering more about this time in history. Books that tell me a great story and teach me something new – my favourite combination.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I was very excited to read this book. I really love books that have different takes on WWII and The Metal Heart definitely stands out. This was a piece of WWII history I was not aware of and I was grateful to learn something new.
This novel takes place on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Twin sisters Dot (Dorothea) and Constance (Con) moved to the island to escape painful memories from the main land. The quiet of the island is soon disturbed with the arrival of hundreds of Italian POWs. The soldiers are forced to construct the Churchill Barriers to protect against Naval attacks.
Dot and Con offer to help as nurses at the POW infirmary where Dot forms a connection with one of the prisoners, Cesare. As the war drags on, Dot and Cesare’s relationship grows but threatens to ruin the sisters’ twin bond.
In addition to building the barriers, the prisoners also constructed The Italian Chapel. I had never heard of this chapel before so ended up on Google to find photos. The chapel was constructed out of spare scraps of metal and paint. For example, the light holders were made out of empty corned beef tins. The chapel is so much more beautiful than I expected. It amazes me how something that beautiful was built during such a dark time. If you get a chance, look up The Italian Chapel on the Orkney Islands. You will be amazed!
This was such a beautiful story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR if you enjoy historical fiction and learning about lesser known parts of WWII.
Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for this gifted copy.
This novel takes place on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Twin sisters Dot (Dorothea) and Constance (Con) moved to the island to escape painful memories from the main land. The quiet of the island is soon disturbed with the arrival of hundreds of Italian POWs. The soldiers are forced to construct the Churchill Barriers to protect against Naval attacks.
Dot and Con offer to help as nurses at the POW infirmary where Dot forms a connection with one of the prisoners, Cesare. As the war drags on, Dot and Cesare’s relationship grows but threatens to ruin the sisters’ twin bond.
In addition to building the barriers, the prisoners also constructed The Italian Chapel. I had never heard of this chapel before so ended up on Google to find photos. The chapel was constructed out of spare scraps of metal and paint. For example, the light holders were made out of empty corned beef tins. The chapel is so much more beautiful than I expected. It amazes me how something that beautiful was built during such a dark time. If you get a chance, look up The Italian Chapel on the Orkney Islands. You will be amazed!
This was such a beautiful story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR if you enjoy historical fiction and learning about lesser known parts of WWII.
Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for this gifted copy.
The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea is set on Orkney during WW2 when Italian prisoners of war tasked with building fortifications following a German U-boat attack. These men are imprisoned on a small island believed by locals to be cursed, where the only two inhabitants are Dorothy and Constance, twin sisters who have been living in a derelict bothy to escape their grief and fear. When Dorothy saves one of these Italian men from drowning, a relationship against all odds is born, testing the sister’s loyalty to its limits.
I devoured this book in just a few days, I loved the storytelling and was completely absorbed in the characters and their connections to one another. Lea’s writing is beautifully moving, I was transported to the freezing Orkney island and fully invested in the story between Dot and Cesare. It is told from three points of view, which I enjoyed as it revealed more of the complexities of their character and the shape of their pasts as the story moves along. Despite being a bleak and remote setting, this is a heart-warming story about how there is always love, beauty and humanity to be found even during the darkest of times. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a digital copy for review.
I devoured this book in just a few days, I loved the storytelling and was completely absorbed in the characters and their connections to one another. Lea’s writing is beautifully moving, I was transported to the freezing Orkney island and fully invested in the story between Dot and Cesare. It is told from three points of view, which I enjoyed as it revealed more of the complexities of their character and the shape of their pasts as the story moves along. Despite being a bleak and remote setting, this is a heart-warming story about how there is always love, beauty and humanity to be found even during the darkest of times. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a digital copy for review.