4 out of 4 stars
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The Remnants is the story of Danny and Rose’s relationship, beginning in pre-World War I England and spanning multiple continents through the course of World War I. It is a saga framed by a period of tumultuous change during the war. Danny is an orphan who enlists in the Army to avoid jail time for a minor offense. Rose is a housemaid in an English country estate, who yearns for a life other than the confining English class system that limits her choices. The teenager Rose meets Danny by chance when going to town for a rare afternoon outing with another housemaid. They quickly fall in love, and they soon make plans for a better life. She promises to wait for him to come home, a common refrain among women during wartime.
The book is a riveting saga that takes the reader on a tour of romantic adventure, historical interest, wartime chaos and despair, and the power of the human spirit. I couldn’t put this book down. I am a Downtown Abbey fan, so I was drawn to this book right from the first few chapters. Still, the book is so much more than that. It is a tour de force of the quest for a better life, and the war’s wide-ranging effect on people’s lives.
I was amazed at the author’s skill in threading all the stories together. It is a difficult task to pull together different storylines and settings in several countries. The book is jam-packed with wartime events in far-reaching places, yet the author is able to seamlessly take the reader through the various parts of the story. I was kept interested throughout the book, wondering what would happen to all of the characters, even the minor ones.
The characters were finely drawn, and they came to life on the pages. This book would make an excellent TV series or movie, and a good choice for a book club discussion. Danny and Rose are genuine, likeable characters, and I became emotionally attached to them and their friends. Their romance is heartwarming, and their struggles are realistic. Even when their choices are not the best, you still find yourself rooting for them. The descriptions of Edwardian England, India, and the war battles in Europe are particularly well written. The sections in Canada are also interesting, yet not as vividly drawn as the other settings.
The preface explains that this is the story of the author’s grandparents. I found this particularly touching. The characters’ story stayed with me after I finished reading, and I wanted to know even more about their lives after the war. Hopefully, the author will consider writing a sequel, and continue to tell Danny and Rose’s story. I loved this book and was sorry to read the last page. It was like leaving an old friend. The story is a perfect recipe of love, adventure, history, suspense, despair, loss, and resilience. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
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