Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War.
August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.
But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…
Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?
Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…
Review: This epistolary novel follows Evie and Tom. Tom was always Evie's brother's best friend but when WWI separates them, they begin writing to each other as friends. As time goes on and they endure unimaginable losses and hardships, they begin to feel more for one another but remain separated by circumstances and fate.
I wanted to love this more, but it felt really slow for much of the book. I think this was due to the epistolary structure and the way the characters were never together on the page, nor did any big actions take place on the page but were rather relayed after the fact in letters. I also wondered why it was marketed as a Christmas book. The Christmas season does come around multiple times in the book and Christmas is for sure referenced but it was very very light on the seasonal content, and I think this could easily be read at any time of the year and enjoyed.
I will say, on a positive note, I really wasn't sure how this novel would end. It kept me guessing! It opens in 1968 with a very elderly and feeble Tom trying to return to Paris for one last Christmas time as he rereads letters from Evie all those years ago. While much of the book dragged, the ending really redeemed it in many ways. I think most readers will be satisfied in how it all tied up and how it is, like most things in life, both happy and sad in how it concludes.
This was excellent on audio with a full cast of characters. I think 9 narrators in total! It was lovely to have different voices to bring the different characters to life, especially since this was a bit slow due to the epistolary structure.
Stars: 3
Related Title:
Comments
Post a Comment