Sunday, March 18, 2012

Review: Next to Love





Next to Love by Ellen Feldman
Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII
Pages: 260 (Ereader)
Source: Net Galley
Author's Website
Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depo
Next to Love
Description:
A story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave, Next to Love follows the lives of three young women and their men during the years of World War II and its aftermath, beginning with the men going off to war and ending a generation later, when their children are on the cusp of their own adulthood.

My Rating:

My Review:
This story follows three childhood friends, Millie, Grace, and Babe, from the beginning of World War II when their men are called to war and continues after as they must all pick up the pieces and carry on through life after it has ended.  Grace struggles when her life takes an unexpected turn and has difficulty leaving the past.  In Millie's efforts to move on with the future, she finds that her past catches up with her despite all her attempts.  Babe is burdened by a secret that haunts her for years to come.  After the war, she knows her reality is much different from what others believe from the outside looking in.  No one can escape the horrors of war, but the real difficulty lies in rebuilding.

This is another read that took me a few pages to get into, but I eventually became hooked and enjoyed the read.  This is not a story that merely takes place during WWII, but rather focuses on how three friends and other individuals in a small town cope with WWII and its effects.  It can be sad at times but just when I was convinced that some of the circumstances was hopeless, I would find myself a believer once again.  I loved how real the characters felt.  They were flawed and interesting.  The story provided a lens into the lives of many characters.  Luckily the titles were great clues to which character was speaking.  Though, I think the reader would be fine without it.

Overall, this is a very good emotional read.  It isn't at all predictable and I think it would make a great book club book.

This book also satisfies the Eclectic Reading Challenge


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20 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 18, 2012 at 11:27 AM

    It definitely does sound like a good book club read.

    Great review!

    Jenny at Books to the Sky

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  2. AnneMarch 18, 2012 at 11:53 AM

    I liked this book too. I love historical fiction set during WWII and this one was a good one.

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  3. UnknownMarch 18, 2012 at 5:56 PM

    Sounds great. I am into historical fiction right now.

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  4. JulieMarch 18, 2012 at 6:51 PM

    Sounds like another terrific WWII book! I have this one through NetGalley. How do you get the add book goodreads button?

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    Replies
    1. Alexis @ Reflections of a BookaholicMarch 19, 2012 at 3:04 AM

      I googled it. I had a very difficult time with it though and I've pretty much abandoned the idea. It is so difficult to get the formatting right.

      Delete
  5. Tales of WhimsyMarch 18, 2012 at 7:01 PM

    Sounds really good. I'm curious about what the gals endured during their absence.

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    Replies
    1. Alexis @ Reflections of a BookaholicMarch 19, 2012 at 3:05 AM

      Oh it is all so interesting and they all went through something different. The types of different that people just don't think about.

      Delete
  6. JadeMarch 18, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    Sounds like some good historical fiction. I wonder how the war and the distance affected their relationships with each other, their mates, and eventual children. Glad you enjoyed the book.

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    Replies
    1. Alexis @ Reflections of a BookaholicMarch 19, 2012 at 3:06 AM

      That is definitely what this one is about. It is a bit more sad.

      Delete
  7. AnonymousMarch 18, 2012 at 11:03 PM

    Sounds really interesting, I like that it follows three different people, though I think it would take me a bit to get into it too.

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    Replies
    1. Alexis @ Reflections of a BookaholicMarch 19, 2012 at 3:06 AM

      I've had that problem with changing point of views. I'm not sure if it is just me.

      Delete
  8. KristenMarch 19, 2012 at 9:29 AM

    I always forget to look for this book at the library! It seems like something that I would enjoy ... definitely looking for it the next time I go to the library!

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  9. Jac (Two Moms Reading) March 19, 2012 at 7:15 PM

    I have been hunting for a good WWII book lately; this sounds like it may be a great one! Thanks for the review; I'm going to hunt this down.


    -Jac @ For Love and Books

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    Replies
    1. Alexis @ Reflections of a BookaholicMarch 20, 2012 at 1:52 AM

      I hope you get it. I have tons of WWII books around here because it is a favorite of mine. Though this is a good one as well.

      Delete
  10. LalaineMarch 23, 2012 at 12:26 AM

    Never heard of this book but it sounds good. great review girl.x

    Ƹ̴Ӂ̴ƷFICBOOKREVIEWSƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ

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  11. AnnaMarch 26, 2012 at 10:58 AM

    I really enjoyed this book, too, especially since I haven't read too many WWII home front books.

    ReplyDelete

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