My Review
Embers in the London Sky is a historical novel set during World War II. Aleida Martens lives in the Netherlands with her three year old son Theo and her controlling husband Sebastian. Sebastian gives Theo to a British couple who whisk him away to safety before Sebastian is killed on the roadside. Aleida travels to England, where her aunt and uncle live, and works tirelessly to find Theo. She is helped by an intrepid BBC reporter, Hugh Collingwood. They get closer as they participate in the war effort in England and search together for Theo. They also work to solve the mystery of some seemingly unrelated murders in their circle of friends.
I wanted to read Embers in the London Sky because I love Sarah Sundin's books. She is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and I have recommended her novels many times to friends. I love fiction set during World War II, so the time period was of interest to me.
I really liked the complexity of this novel. There is the story of Aleida's search for her son, Hugh and his struggles with asthma, their war work in England, and the mysteries they work to solve.
Aleida and Hugh are both wonderful protagonists - both with very human struggles (his asthma and what appeared to be her OCD) but both strengthened by their personal faith and their desire to do the right thing and make a difference. I loved their connection, initially based on friendship and a slowly developing romance. And of course I wanted Aleida to find Theo and be reunited with him.
There were several surprising twists in this novel. It was more of a mystery than Sarah Sundin's other books, but I enjoyed it very much. I recommend Embers in the London Sky to fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in a 1940's setting.
Book Synopsis
London, 1940
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short--and the worst is yet to come.
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short--and the worst is yet to come.
Author Bio
Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, The Sound of Light, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and have appeared on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Sarah lives in California. Visit SarahSundin.com for more information.
