Title: That Summer in BerlinAuthor: Lecia Cornwall
Published by: Berkley Books on Oct. 11, 2022
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
Source: Uplit Reads
Book Rating: 9/10
German power is rising again, threatening a war that will be even worse than the last one. The English aristocracy turns to an age-old institution to stave off war and strengthen political bonds—marriage. Debutantes flock to Germany, including Viviane Alden. On holiday with her sister during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Viviane’s true purpose is more clandestine. While many in England want to appease Hitler, others seek to prove Germany is rearming. But they need evidence, photographs to tell the tale, and Viviane is a genius with her trusty Leica. And who would suspect a pretty, young tourist taking holiday snaps of being a spy?
Viviane expects to find hatred and injustice, but during the Olympics, with the world watching, Germany is on its best behavior, graciously welcoming tourists to a festival of peace and goodwill. But first impressions can be deceiving, and it’s up to Viviane and the journalist she’s paired with—a daring man with a guarded heart—to reveal the truth.
But others have their own reasons for befriending Viviane, and her adventure takes a darker turn. Suddenly Viviane finds herself caught in a web of far more deadly games—and closer than she ever imagined to the brink of war.
Review:
Compelling, vivid, and absorbing!
That Summer in Berlin is a captivating tale predominately set in Berlin in 1936 that takes you into the lives of two main characters; Viviane Alden, a young woman who turns down the marriage to a duke in order to pursue her passion for photography, and Tom Graham, an undercover journalist and illegitimate son of a Scottish Earl who under the guise of reporting on the Summer Olympics, recruits his friend and fellow British acquaintance to help him secretly spy and discover if Germany is slyly preparing to start another world war.
The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are independent, spirited, and brave. And the plot is an evocative tale of life, loss, love, self-discovery, war, secrets, friendship, determination, betrayal, family, espionage, and romance.
Overall, That Summer in Berlin is an intriguing, absorbing, atmospheric tale by Cornwall that does a lovely job of blending historical events, intense emotion, and thought-provoking suspense.
This novel is available now.
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Thank you to Uplit Reads for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
About Lecia Cornwall
was born in the wrong century. I must have been. I’ve always been more comfortable with history than modern life—except for essential modern conveniences like flush toilets, hot running water, immersion blenders, and iPads.
Originally from Ontario, I now call the foothills of Canada’s Rocky Mountains home. I am the author of sixteen novels. The Woman at the Front (October 2021) was my first historical fiction title. It is being followed by That Summer in Berlin, coming this October! I write full time, love gardening (though many plants come to my house just to die), knit (and purl!), adopt stray creatures (usually cats), and create magical worlds from cardboard, paint, and glue. If I’m not at my desk working on my next book, you can find me walking my dog ( Andy, the indefatigable chocolate Lab) by the Bow River, or volunteering at a local museum.
Photo credit: Laurie MacBrown