About the book:
A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.
In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself
neutral. Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter
which side they are fighting for. When midwife Nan O'Neil finds a wounded young
Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she's taking a huge risk by letting him
in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant,
she'll face imprisonment.
Still, something compels Nan to take in "flyboy"
Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare.
While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two
begin to form a mutual affection-and an unbreakable bond.
But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with
guilt since her husband's death and made her question ever loving again. As Nan
and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?
My Thoughts:
Grounded Hearts by
new to me author Jeanne M. Dickson was a World War II story that takes place in
Ireland, who declared neutrality. This was the first time I had read a novel
during that time period that took place on neutral grounds and I found the
historical information fascinating. We have a small town/village of people that
know each other very well and are oftentimes in everyone’s business and all
around busy bodies.
The story focuses on midwife and widow, Nan who happens to
have a knock on her door one night from the downed and injured RAF bomber pilot
Dutch Whitney. Cursing the fact that she has been drawn into his struggle to
escape imprisonment and more the dire need of his health, Nan does all she can on her own. I appreciated how the author showed the comradeship of women, especially
when Nan had to seek outside help. The women did not just sit around in Ireland
but were actually very much involved in the war effort, at least in this novel.
There are quite a few characters that make up this eccentric
cast: the priest, the town drunk, and the officers of the LDF, especially the
officer Finn who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer, and of course all
of Nan’s close friends.
Secrets abound, especially one that lays heavy upon Nan, and
there is an instant attraction between her and Dutch. I liked how the author
showed the women in this era as strong and fully capable individuals even
though most of the men looked at them as just weak and ogled them more than
not. This novel was rich in time, place, and characterization that the country
of Ireland became alive to me. This read almost like a miniseries and I think
it would be a great one dealing with midwifery, small town, war and the war
efforts from a neutral country and all the politics that entailed. I look
forward to more from the pen of author Dickson.
I received a copy of this book for free through Litfuse
Publicity. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and
opinions expressed are my own.
About the author:
Jeanne M. Dickson was born into an Irish American family,
the only girl surrounded by four brothers. She credits her mother, her aunts,
and her grandmother with her love of storytelling. Perfecting her craft, she
attends many writer's conferences and over the years, she has won and finaled
in numerous RWA romance writing awards including the Daphne du Maurier Award,
the Maggie Award, The Molly, The Tara, and she was the overall contest winner
of Launching A Star. Today she lives in Coastal San Diego with her fabulous
husband, her two wonderful girls, and a dozen disobedient rose bushes.
Find out more about Jeanne M. at http://www.jeannemdickson.com.
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