Monday, October 13, 2014

War Brides - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter/ First Paragraph/ Tuesday Intros

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     Curious about life in the English countryside during World War II? Author Helen Bryan paints a vivid picture of this era in her novel War Brides. The novel follows the stories of five different young women--a debutante from the southern U.S., a vicar's daughter, a Jewish refugee, an evacuee from London's slums, and a privileged daughter of an Admiral in the British Navy. They all weather the war in rural Crowmarsh Priors.
     The author did a great job of showing the hardships endured by the English people. I came away with a new appreciation for their perseverance, and I couldn't help but wonder how we'd react to a similar situation today.



Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Length:  497 Pages
Amazon Link: War Brides
Author Website: Helen Bryan's Amazon Author Page

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros - I chose the opening to Chapter 1, rather than the Prologue for my post:
Crowmarsh Priors, Boxing Day, 1937
     At twenty-two, Alice Osbourne was the sort of girl people called a "brick," sensible and responsible, though they were inclined to add that she was pretty when she smiled. She was tall like her father, the late vicar of Crowmarsh Priors. Her features, brown hair, and air of bookish distraction were also his.

Teaser Tuesday (from 44% on my Kindle):
There had been no air raid warning, only the drone of an approaching airplane to alert them just as the village children went out to play after lunch on Saturday when a lone German Heinkel 111 suddenly roared low over Crowmarsh Priors. By the time anxious mothers had dropped the washing-up and rushed out in their aprons to drag their children to safety, the bomber was over the downs, twisting and rolling across the sky to escape the RAF Hurricanes now in pursuit.

Partial Synopsis from Amazon:

     With war threatening to spread from Europe to England, the sleepy village of Crowmarsh Priors settles into a new sort of normal: Evacuees from London are billeted in local homes. Nightly air raids become grimly mundane. The tightening vice of rationing curtails every comfort. Men leave to fight and die. And five women forge an unlikely bond of friendship that will change their lives forever.
      As the war and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart their lives also bring the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat formidable enemies—hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a traitor in their midst—and find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends. Theirs is a war-forged loyalty that will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance.
     When four of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age, but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women’s mission is not to commemorate or remember—they’ve returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.


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49 comments:

  1. The first paragraph was a good start. I liked your description of the story. This is the kind of story I like.

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  2. That teaser provokes a real feeling of dread - I'd enjoy this book as I enjoy reading about how the war changed the lives of everyone living through it, not just those fighting. Here is my TT http://cleopatralovesbooks.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/teaser-tuesday-october-14/

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    1. I enjoyed reading about how the women "made do" with what they had and banded together.

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  3. I so appreciate when an author commits to painting significant scenes in a novel, this teaser proves just that. I thoroughly enjoy novels that hem around WWII; this looks like a really good one. Thanks for sharing! :)

    The Empyrean Key | J.L. Tomlinson

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  4. I like the setting, the premise, and the teasers...

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  5. Great intro Sandra. I hope this is a good one! Gla u joined us again this week.

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    1. Thank you for hosting each week. This is a good group of readers, and I've found many good books through their weekly posts.

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  6. I was considering this book a week or two ago... I like both the opening and the teaser. Enjoy!

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  7. This really sounds like an interesting book! I just picked up a book about WWII because I feel the need to continue educating myself about it and I can imagine this one was quite an eye-opener. I really like the description in the beginning, but it is the teaser that really grabs the attention! Thanks for sharing :) Hope you have a great week!
    My Intro
    Juli @ Universe in Words

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  8. I started this recently but DNFd it. The author is too all over the place with her point of view. Which is sad because the WWII Europe is a favorite of mine as is the many-years-later reunion troupe.

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    1. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, along with their "significant others!" However, I'm glad I stayed with the story and finished it.

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  9. I would like to read this one. I like the First Chapter....and I like the Teaser. She's a "brick." I like that name for a decent, strong woman.

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    1. I like "brick" too. Such a descriptive word for that character.

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  10. I would definitely add this one to my reading list. This was the era of my mother and fathers courtship and marriage. I usually enjoy books from this time period. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. +JMJ+

    Reading about trying times in history also makes me wonder how our generation would do under the same pressures. I'm enough of a pessimist to say, "Not very well . . ." but then I remember all the times when people have surprised me!

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    1. I'm the same way. I have an optimistic outlook in general, but I'm often appalled at how people react to adversity. I hope we never have to find out how we'd respond to a war waged in our own country.

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  12. I like the sound of this one, especially given the World War II backdrop. It's one of my favorite time periods to read about.

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  13. I actually have this book but haven't picked it up yet. It looks like a good one!

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  14. I have this one on my Kindle. I need to read it.

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  15. You definitely piqued my interest with these excerpts and descriptions. I love reading about this era and how the war affected a sleepy village in England sounds fascinating. I also like the idea of a "look back" fifty years later.

    Here's mine: “RUIN FALLS”

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  16. As of a lover of historical fiction this one got my attention. Enjoy.

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  17. Sounds good, Sandy -- though also a bit like something the BBC might turn into a mini-series. Mine: A Killer Crop

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    1. The same thought occurred to me! I guess I was thinking of "Midwives" or "Downton Abbey."

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  18. This is definitely an interesting teaser! I'm curious as to whether he dropped the bomb on the village or if they escaped his notice. Great pick!
    Here are My Teasers.

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  19. Ooh sounds like a good read.Stopping by from Teaser Tuesday AND my first ever Tuesday Intros - thanks for bringing that to my attention last week. :)

    Chippy

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  20. Sounds like a great read.

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  21. I like toi visit a historical book now and then and this comes from the English perspective. Sounds interesting.
    Here is my TT - http://fuonlyknew.com/2014/10/14/teaser-tuesdays-85-the-memory-closet/

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  22. I doubt Americans today would put up with even as little as the Americans during World War II

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    1. I'm afraid you're right. Look at the looting, etc., in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters. So sad.

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  23. War Brides sounds like a book I might enjoy, particularly since I've recently read through the entire Maisie Dobbs series set in England in the period between the wars. Thanks for stopping by my blog and introducing me to this book.

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    1. I'll look for the Maisie Dobbs series. Sounds interesting.

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  24. I like WWII stories and think this one will be put on my reading list. Girl Who Reads

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  25. Your selection sounds good. What really grabbed my attention after the teaser was in the synopsis where it mentions that the women return to avenge one of their own.

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  26. Sounds like the TV show, ARMY WIVES except it's during World War II.

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  27. This isn't the sort of book I usually read but it does sound interesting. Happy reading!

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    1. One thing I love about these Tuesday posts is the variety of books I find. Something for everyone!

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  28. War books give me nightmares. Seriously dark nightmares. This sounds interesting.

    Thanks for visiting my blog. Mine is from a young adult suspense novel:

    http://pdworkman.com/excerpt-and-trailer-for-those-who-believe-teasertuesday-trw14-2/

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  29. I've been eying this book for a long time. It really looks good.

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  30. This one sounds interesting! I love historical fiction and really liked the intro.
    Thanks for stopping by today!

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  31. This one looks good, and I'm curious about the settling the score angle in the modern day.

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  32. I love a good historical fiction. I haven't read this one yet. Thanks for sharing!
    Alison ~ Ali's Books

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  33. I'm pretty sure I would love this one. Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a good week. Have a nice week! kelley—the road goes ever ever on

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  34. Interesting teaser! Although it's not my cup of tea, it does sound interesting. Thank you for stopping by.

    Rin @ Delirious Romances

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  35. That's a great teaser Sandy:) Historical fiction is a favorite of mine, and I especially love settings in England. Thanks!

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  36. Oooh, I love these sorts of books! Thanks for sharing :D

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  37. "air of bookish distraction", I like that description! Kind of how I imagine myself looking sometimes.

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