He sees patterns in what she deems chaos.
She sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed.
Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.
Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.
After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share, and neither is entirely sure they can trust the other. When Zivon's loyalties are called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple's future dreams--it becomes a matter of ending the war.
About the Author:
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
My Thoughts:
I know for authors, they spend months, sometimes years writing a book. But for a reader who spends hours reading what took much longer to write, it seems this series went by far too quickly for my liking. I’ve greatly enjoyed all of Ms. White’s books that I’ve read and I honestly don’t think I could ever choose a favorite . . . but if I were to try, this one would definitely be in the running!
One of my favorite things about Ms. White’s books is the historical detail. I love how it colors the stories and adds depth and detail to the characters and settings. I also enjoy the uniqueness of the characters, along with their gifts and talents. I’d never read of photography during WWI or how it was used in the war effort. I so enjoyed how Lily, being a photographer, saw the world in a different way. Ms. White did a great job showcasing that difference without making it overbearing or distracting from the rest of the story. And I was fascinated by Zivon’s way of watching everything and predicting what would happen next. I was also very happy to see characters from the previous books back to reprise their roles and get to see their stories continue! I love that these characters have become dear friends over the course of the series, though I hated bidding them “farewell,” for now.
". . . Batya used to say that the difference between a wise man and a fool
was not that the wise man was right and the fool was wrong - but that the fool always
assumed himself right, and the wise man would wonder if he could be wrong.
We cannot learn from our mistakes and grow wiser if we never admit to the times we've chosen the wrong path."
- Evgeni Marin
It seems to me that some of the most difficult books to read are often the ones that I keep coming back to read over and over. I’m fairly confident that this one will be one of them. Actually, probably this entire series. In this story, grief, loss, hate, and bitterness, along with differing opinions in politics, are topics that are woven throughout. I really appreciate how the author approaches them with her customary thought-provoking conversations, grace, and compassion.
There honestly wasn’t a single page of this book that I didn’t enjoy! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction!
*My thanks to the author and publisher for my copy of this book! I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise, and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by! There were several other quotes that I really wanted to share in this post too, but I don't want to spoil the fun of finding them for yourself! If you'd care to learn more about the book, links are below!
Have a beautiful day!
Excellent review! Roseanna is an exceptional author!
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