The Secret of Raven Point: A Novel
2 journalers for this copy...
Bought at Ollie's discount store today. It was on my wish list - I think I first heard about it via Shelf Awareness. From the jacket:
1943: When seventeen-year-old Juliet Dufresne receives a cryptic letter from her enlisted brother and then discovers that he’s been reported missing in action, she lies about her age and travels to the front lines as an army nurse, determined to find him. Shy and awkward, Juliet is thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, a sprawling encampment north of Rome where she forges new friendships and is increasingly consumed by the plight of her patients. One in particular, Christopher Barnaby, a deserter awaiting court-martial, may hold the answer to her brother’s whereabouts—but the trauma of war has left him catatonic. Racing against the clock, Juliet works with an enigmatic young psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Willard, to break Barnaby’s silence before the authorities take him away. Plunged into the horrifying depths of one man’s memories of combat, Juliet and Willard are forced to plumb the moral nuances of a so-called just war and to face the dangers of their own deepening emotional connection.
In luminous prose, Vanderbes tells the story of one girl’s fierce determination to find her brother as she comes of age in a time of unrelenting violence. Haunting, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, The Secret of Raven Point is an unforgettable war saga that captures the experiences of soldiers long after the battles have ended.
ETA 1-14-17: Promised to maggiesma in the Wish List Tag game.
1943: When seventeen-year-old Juliet Dufresne receives a cryptic letter from her enlisted brother and then discovers that he’s been reported missing in action, she lies about her age and travels to the front lines as an army nurse, determined to find him. Shy and awkward, Juliet is thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, a sprawling encampment north of Rome where she forges new friendships and is increasingly consumed by the plight of her patients. One in particular, Christopher Barnaby, a deserter awaiting court-martial, may hold the answer to her brother’s whereabouts—but the trauma of war has left him catatonic. Racing against the clock, Juliet works with an enigmatic young psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Willard, to break Barnaby’s silence before the authorities take him away. Plunged into the horrifying depths of one man’s memories of combat, Juliet and Willard are forced to plumb the moral nuances of a so-called just war and to face the dangers of their own deepening emotional connection.
In luminous prose, Vanderbes tells the story of one girl’s fierce determination to find her brother as she comes of age in a time of unrelenting violence. Haunting, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, The Secret of Raven Point is an unforgettable war saga that captures the experiences of soldiers long after the battles have ended.
ETA 1-14-17: Promised to maggiesma in the Wish List Tag game.
This book was more substantial than I expected. I though it would be a bit of a romance, but it was far more realistic.
Juliet receives a mysterious final message from her brother before he becomes MIA in the European theater in WWII. She trains as a nurse and enlists in order to try to find him. Horrific wartime experiences ensue. It is a powerful story, with characters that seem very real and a plot that is quite believable. I particularly liked that the chaplain was a really good guy, because often the church gets to play the bad guy in fiction.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
My main criticism of the book may not even be warranted and can only be discussed by giving SPOILERS: At the risk of proving myself a provincial boob with no literary discernment, I have to say I am frustrated at the lack of closure with regard to the book's title. I keep saying to myself and those around me, "What IS the secret of raven point?" Tuck's letter sends Juliet scurrying across the sea to the midst of war to search for him and find answers to his message, and about halfway through the book the author stops mentioning it altogether. What did Tuck mean in his message about Miss Van Effing and Cher Ami? Even if Juliet is never able to find Tuck's answer, surely she formed some opinion of it herself, but there is no further discussion of it. Maybe that's the point, that life does not always have closure and that mysteries are not always solved, but it frustrated me nonetheless.
END OF SPOILERS.
This book kept me riveted throughout. It was fast-paced and unpredictable and gave a fascinating picture of an army nurse's life, as well as some thought-provoking information on the state of psychiatry and the army's take on mental health at that period in our history. I highly recommend this story!
Will send off to maggiesma shortly.
Juliet receives a mysterious final message from her brother before he becomes MIA in the European theater in WWII. She trains as a nurse and enlists in order to try to find him. Horrific wartime experiences ensue. It is a powerful story, with characters that seem very real and a plot that is quite believable. I particularly liked that the chaplain was a really good guy, because often the church gets to play the bad guy in fiction.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
My main criticism of the book may not even be warranted and can only be discussed by giving SPOILERS: At the risk of proving myself a provincial boob with no literary discernment, I have to say I am frustrated at the lack of closure with regard to the book's title. I keep saying to myself and those around me, "What IS the secret of raven point?" Tuck's letter sends Juliet scurrying across the sea to the midst of war to search for him and find answers to his message, and about halfway through the book the author stops mentioning it altogether. What did Tuck mean in his message about Miss Van Effing and Cher Ami? Even if Juliet is never able to find Tuck's answer, surely she formed some opinion of it herself, but there is no further discussion of it. Maybe that's the point, that life does not always have closure and that mysteries are not always solved, but it frustrated me nonetheless.
END OF SPOILERS.
This book kept me riveted throughout. It was fast-paced and unpredictable and gave a fascinating picture of an army nurse's life, as well as some thought-provoking information on the state of psychiatry and the army's take on mental health at that period in our history. I highly recommend this story!
Will send off to maggiesma shortly.
Sent via Media Mail to maggiesma as part of the wish list tag game. Enjoy!
Thank you for the wishlist book. I look forward to reading and releasing it.
