Book Blurb:
On the shore of Oslo Fjord, teenagers Kristian Thorsen and Helene Berg
watch in shock and horror as their world is upended by a Nazi invasion.
Driven apart by tragedy and trauma, Helene and Kristian take different paths to join the Resistance, but fate soon swirls them back together. Like many who rebel against the invaders, they must become spies and covert warriors on the fly, making huge mistakes along the way. Yet even on such a tortuous path, they are surprised by moments of grace.
When Helene manages to steal secret Nazi plans for precision bombing of
England, Kristian launches a life-or-death mission to get this crucial
intelligence across the North Sea and into Allied hands. He’ll try anything to
defeat the fascist occupiers—and to win Helene’s heart.
His Review:
Norway declared itself neutral during WW II. Germany needs Norway’s fjords to hide and protect its mighty warships, therefore, Hitler offers to shield the citizens of Norway with Germany’s mighty warships. They send in the SS and other secret police to round up and dispatch any saboteurs that may be hiding in plain sight.
Kristian and his friend Helena believe that the occupation of their homeland by the Nazis is in fact an act of war against their country. Norway clings to its’ position of neutrality despite the presence of so many soldiers and naval troops. The citizens of Norway resist this occupation during a war they are not a part of.
Kristian decides to assist the Allies by providing troop and naval exercise information to the British. Having access to this information is vital to the ongoing war effort.
The Germans attack and even try to sink Norway’s fishing fleet. Kristian winds up providing valuable intel regarding the activities of the Nazi war machine to the British. This is accomplished by rowing a small kayak hundreds of kilometers across the North Sea to Allied forces. The voyages are harrowing and illuminate the tough and heroic conditions encountered by the patriots.
This story is very illuminating and reveals the tenacity of the Norwegians. The read is fast and very satisfying. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.
Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Military Thrillers, War & Military Action Fiction
Publisher: Bronzeville Books
ASIN: B0C5FZJJ8V
Print Length: 399 pages
Publication Date: May 15, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Author: Paul McHugh, Bio
Q: How do you accurately summarize 40 years of professional writing?
A: I can’t! Best I can do is hit a few of the high points!
One rousing pinnacle was publication of “Deadlines,” which won the 2011 Best Mystery award from the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association and the 2011 Best Mystery prize from National Indie Excellence Awards.
“Deadlines,” (“a novel of murder, conspiracy and the media”) is based on author Paul McHugh’s 22 years at the San Francisco Chronicle as lead outdoor feature writer, editor and reporter. In that period, he also won awards for his environment, resource use and sports coverage.
[truancated]
Throughout his career, McHugh has maintained an adventurous outdoor lifestyle that informs his writing and invigorates his life. He was on the U.S. National Kayak Surfing Team in 1988, when it won a world championship at an international contest in Ireland. He ran all major rapids of the Grand Canyon on a 276-mile voyage in a whitewater kayak to celebrate his birthday in 2000. In 2005, he undertook his most ambitious project for the Chronicle, launching a 40-day, 400-mile sea kayak voyage from the Oregon border to San Francisco Bay. En route, he filed 36 stories in print and online, as well as five videocasts and four podcasts, covering environmental and social issues along the North Coast.
In addition, McHugh is an accomplished public speaker and stage performer. He has given keynote addresses at the 2007 Trails & Greenways Conference in San Francisco, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute annual dinner in 2008, the California Biodiversity Council annual dinner in 2009, and gave three visiting writer lectures at U.C. Davis in 2010
He has been interviewed about his novel “Deadlines” in 2010 by Michael Krasny on KQED-FM, Rick Kleffel on KUSP-FM, Russell Sadler on Jefferson Public Radio, and Jeff Callahan on Capitol Public Radio. In 2011, he has presented solo speaking performances at the Mark Twain Cultural Center at Lake Tahoe, at the Gualala Art Center, and benefit lectures for the Siskiyou Mountain Foundation in Mount Shasta and the Solano Library Foundation in Fairfield.
McHugh was born in Homestead, Florida. He has a summa cum laude degree in English from Florida State University in Tallahasee.
More on McHugh’s background and writing history is posted at his site, paulmchugh.net
©2023 CE Williams – V Williams
