Official Review: For Beau by Simon Gandossi

[shish_by_design]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "For Beau" by Simon Gandossi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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For Beau by Simon Gandossi is a beautiful story about espionage, that was simply beautifully written with such admirable, brave, and inspiring characters that are guaranteed to leave an imprint on one's soul.

As this spellbinding, historical fiction with the pace and intensity of a thriller unfolds, we are treated to a story about
how a woman's love for her country and her passion for revenge propels her to join the resistance in WWII.

The story is told in the form of a narrative in 2009 by an elderly woman called Sarah Ashdown, who is being interviewed by the local TV about her life as a soldier in the resistance. As Sarah recounts her story, we learn that she was just an ordinary housewife/teacher when the war began. But then she witnesses the death of a young girl who was very dear to her and feels responsible. This event makes her realize her true purpose and propels her to leave her country along with her closest friend and family behind in order to join the French resistance in France, where the war was most severe, and help them fight against the Germans.

I had a little trouble connecting with the story in the beginning
as I felt it was a bit dragging, but I kept on reading and I am glad that I did so. Simon is a very skilled writer with a beautiful prose. He brought the story to life in the most amazing way. He juggles both stories expertly so that the reader gets a peek into Sarah's present life, and the people she's in contact with without getting them confused with the people in the narrative. I liked how he portrays the changes in the characters during the war, how they lose their innocence and naivety. The depth of emotions, both love and hate, for various characters in this book blew my mind.

It was fun to watch Sarah gain both internal and external strength. Sarah's character is well drawn, painted in the shades of gray. She's not depicted as a saint, yet she has some strong redeeming qualities. One of the many aspects I liked about this book were the descriptions of life in England, France, Germany and Austria during the war. Learning about spy craft during that era was also very interesting. As in the case of most war stories, there are brutal scenes vividly described in this book. I didn't agree with the author's justification for some of the killings, but it made me appreciate Sarah's strength and courage more.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Its a masterful work of historical fiction that shows a great deal of research and some actual historical details. The author does an excellent job of setting the atmosphere, and provides a clear image of what life was like during WWII in Britain, France and Germany.

I recommend this book to any spy/espionage enthusiast and WWII buffs. I do not recommend this book to anyone below the age of 18 as some of the scenes are a little too graphic.

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For Beau
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Like shish_by_design's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Snowflake]

Thanks for the review. I'm not really into books set in WWII, but this does sound like it might be a good one.

[kandscreeley]

I do love a good spy story especially with a woman lead. Great review. I'll look at this one.

[Elle Howard]

This book is not my usual genre but your review has me wanting to read it. You can tell just by how you have written your review how much you enjoyed reading this book. Very well done! I look forward to reading this one myself.

[Zelinda]

Thanks for your review. At first I thought it was actually a true story, but as I continued to read, saw that it was fiction. It looks like one I might like and it is a little different from my usual espionage/spy dramas that I read.

[Mercelle]

We never really hear of strong women of the WWII era. Sounds like an interesting book.

[MrsCatInTheHat]

We never really hear of strong women of the WWII era. Sounds like an interesting book.

I think that's the most appealing part of the book. I will probably check this one out.

[shish_by_design]

Thank you all for reading my review. I hope you get around to reading it cause you won't get disappointed.

-- 28 Sep 2017, 10:15 --

Thanks for your review. At first I thought it was actually a true story, but as I continued to read, saw that it was fiction. It looks like one I might like and it is a little different from my usual espionage/spy dramas that I read.

I actually felt the same way too, and am so glad you tried it. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

[lampard]

Am not much into stuff of world war but i like it when someone tries to fight for what they believe in. I guess i will give it a try

[KeriCraven]

I love a good story with a strong female lead. Thank you for your review

[Manang Muyang]

WWll was a nightmare. I think schools should include such readings in college so that our youth may be moved to fight against WWlll. The world doesn't need another war.

[Tsheola Asavela]

Well-written review indeed, high-five to that. It did what it's meant to do i.e. making one want to read the book. I personally, am in fact a WWII buff for days, and the last book I read, 'The Legion of the Damned' by Sven Hassel is also on the same tip; a narrative by a German soldier and his experiences in the war. However, if I'm not mistaken, I think the only difference is that this one is a true story.
I guess, reading this book would make a nice follow-up to the WWII narrative stories theme... Straight to the shelf!