When We Were Brave - an unforgettable and heartbreaking story about love and betrayal during WWII.

In When We Were Brave, we meet Sophie Hamilton in present day London. She is mourning the loss of her mother and daughter. While working on an exhibit at the Imperial War Museum, she sees a photo from WWII that leads to a search for the truth about her great aunt Vivi who had previously been unknown to her. Villainous Vivienne was believed to have run off with a Nazi and was branded a traitor. Told in dual timelines, we are taken back to wartime and Vivi’s initial time serving in the SOE (Special Operations Executive) where she travels to France. Once back in England, her family estate is turned into a hospital for the soldiers. There she meets Marcus Vonstein, a Nazi who was wounded and held captive who may or may not be working undercover for the Resistance. Vivi trusts and helps Marcus escape and they set off undercover to help the Allies while leaving their families to believe the worst in them. Sophie is determined to unravel Vivi’s story. She teams up with Alex Vonstein who also wants to learn the truth about his great-uncle Marcus. Sophie’s determination to clear her aunt gives her new purpose as she is trying to rebuild her life. This was an absorbing, well-researched book that gives the reader some good insight into the real events of the Physician/Prosper Network which operated in the French section of the SOE as well as the days leading up to D-Day. While this is a moving and compelling fictional story, it helps the reader to remember all the brave people who worked behind the scenes during WWII. I loved the author’s last book, A View Across the Rooftops, which was one of my top reads in 2019. When We Were Brave may end up topping my list for 2020 – it was that good. Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the incredibly talented Suzanne Kelman for an advance copy of this moving book which will be published on February 24, 2020.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction.

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