I’m so pleased to be a stop today on the blog tour for ‘Daughters of War’.
Synopsis-
France, 1944. Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful village, three sisters long for the end of the war.
Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening. Elise, the rebel, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost. And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is free.
Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But bravery comes at a cost, and soon the sisters’ lives become even more perilous as they fight for what is right. And secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear…
The first in an epic new series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller, Daughters of War is a stunning tale of sisters, secrets and bravery in the darkness of war-torn France…
About the author-
Dinah Jefferies began her career with The Separation, followed by the number 1 Sunday Times and Richard and Judy bestseller, The Tea-Planter’s Wife.
Born in Malaysia, she moved to England at the age of nine. As a teenager she missed the heat of Malaysia, which left her with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an unusual life. She studied fashion design, went to live in Tuscany where she worked as an au-pair for an Italian countess, and there was even a time when Dinah lived with a rock band in a ‘hippie’ commune in Suffolk.
In 1985, the death of her fourteen-year-old son changed everything and she now draws on the experience of loss in her writing. She started writing novels in her sixties and sets her books abroad, aiming to infuse love, loss and danger with the extremely seductive beauty of her locations.
Dinah and her husband spent five wonderful years living in a small 16th Century village in the Sierra de
Aracena in Northern Andalusia, she’s now lives close to her family in Gloucestershire. She is published in
29 languages and over 30 countries.
Dinah is available for interview and to write features. For more information, please contact: alice.hill@harpercollins.co.uk
Review-
As a huge fan of this author, I eagerly anticipated getting lost in this latest offering.
Daughters of war is another masterpiece from author Dinah Jefferies. Always able to draw in the reader with her evocative descriptions of the setting and the feelings and emotions of the characters, it is impossible not to find yourself completely immersed in the story from the outset.
Sisters Helene, Florence and Elise live in their beautiful family home in Nazi-occupied Dordogne in France. Their story is told in separate chapters, highlighting not only the close bonds between them, but also how starkly different each one is in personality.
As they all find themselves entangled with the war in some way, Jefferies is able to weave the narrative to accurately depict the fear of the unknown, the constant distrust of others, as well as showing the increased presence of the resistance.
There is an added element of family history which is hinted at throughout and comes to light towards the end of the novel which adds an intriguing dimension.
Whether you’re already a fan of the author or this is your first foray into one of her books, this is one not to be missed!
With thanks to Dinah Jefferies, Anne at Random Things Tours and Harper Collins Publishing for the opportunity to participate in the tour. Further blog stops can be found here:
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 