Title: Beyond This Place of Wrath and TearsAuthor: Jack Ford
Published by: Kensington on May 27, 2024
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, Paperback
Source: Uplit Reads
Book Rating: 8/10
Washington, DC, April 1954: Lee Carson, former war correspondent, is frustrated that her journalism career has been relegated to society events and fashion stories. But when she receives a tip about a Russian spy in a high-ranking government position at the height of the Cold War, she feels the thrill of a story that she hasn’t felt since she was on the front lines of the European theater . . .
London, December 1943: As war rages on across Europe, twenty-two-year-old Lee Carson is waging a private battle of her own. An American-born correspondent for the International News Service, Lee is determined to cover the war from the field. But no woman, certainly not an attractive young woman with no military experience, will be allowed near the front lines.
Lee is not easily dissuaded. And as the Allied forces prepare to take the fight to the enemy, her gift for boosting public morale is seen as a valuable weapon. Assigned to cover the build-up to the invasion of Nazi-held Europe, she constantly wrangles with authorities to get to the heart of the action. From talking herself onto a bomber and flying over the beaches of Normandy at the start of D-Day to other feats of daring, she witnesses and reports on the war’s most pivotal moments.
Told in dual timelines, Beyond this Place of Wrath and Tears is inspired by the story of an incredible woman who has largely been forgotten by history, and who, like many women in WWII, broke barriers in wartime only to find that upon the return home, she had to continue to fight for relevance in an entirely different way . . .
Review:
Rich, descriptive, and intriguing!
Beyond This Place of Wrath and Tears is an insightful, fascinating tale that takes us into Lee Carson’s personal and professional successes, frustrations, experiences, sacrifices, and accomplishments as a female reporter on the ground in Europe during WWII.
The writing is clear and precise. The characters are resilient, determined, and endearing. And the plot is a compelling, absorbing tale of one woman’s dedication and passion, under extremely dangerous circumstances, to help record and publish important stories that needed to be told and heard.
Overall, Beyond This Place of Wrath and Tears is a vivid, captivating, emotive story by Ford that highlights his considerable knowledge and impressive research into this renowned historical figure whose life and contribution during the war and after is often unknown or unfortunately long forgotten.
This novel is available now.
Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.
Thank you to Uplit Reads for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
About Jack Ford
Jack Ford is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist, author, college professor, award-winning documentary film producer, and former trial attorney. An original anchor at the launch of Court TV, he was the co-anchor of the Weekend Today Show, a substitute anchor for Nightly News and Meet the Press, and has worked as a correspondent for Good Morning America and ESPN. Currently he is a CBS News Correspondent for 60 Minutes Sports and the co-host of Metro Focus on PBS. He has received two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, an American Radio and Television Award, a National Headliner Award, and the March of Dimes FDR Award. A graduate of Yale University and the Fordham University School of Law, he is a Visiting Lecturer at Yale, NYU, and the University of Virginia, teaching a seminar on famous trials.
Photo Credit: Stephen Lacko.
