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crafalsk264 's review for:
The Lies We Leave Behind
by Noelle Salazar
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
In 1943, Kate Campbell is a nurse in the Pacific—specifically she is a flight nurse who accompanies wounded soldiers from the front to rescue. When she is injured and sent back home to recover, she gets reassigned to an airbase in the English countryside. Now her flights are to return the wounded from the field hospitals in Europe to England. On one of her flights she cares for a soldier named William Mitchell. In a short time, the two are deeply in love.
Kate has a tragic past as a childhood refugee from a hostile Germany between the World Wars amid a growing threat from a Germany preparing for another effort to dominate the world. Long a guilt ridden survivor of her family, Kate is moved to return and help those who are in danger from this new threat. Her bravery and determination end up separating her from William. Fast forward to 2003 and William is surprised when a French woman appears with news of what happened to Kate to keep her from reuniting with William after the War.
The first half of this book is definitely the strongest with the description of Kate’s troubled childhood, her determination to help others who are in danger and the love affair with William and could have been a standalone story of a courageous, dedicated young woman who lives a life powered by a need to be of service to others. When you add on the second half which tells the story of that young woman to serve a cause greater than herself, you have one of the best WWII stories I have read recently. Kate is a strong woman facing a society seeming to dismiss her service as a soldier and leaves her to deal with the aftermath of that service on her own. During the first half of the book, I was constantly comparing the story to Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” and finding this book over and above the other. The two tell the stories of two strong, courageous, remarkable women—both nurses but in different wars and their aftermath. Of the two, I liked Kate best and found her story more compelling. The background, the characters, the plot, and the resolution of this book were well written and will probably be one of my best books of the year.
Recommend to readers of historical fiction, mystery, romance and wartime stories.