A review of the novel ‘When it’s over’ by Barbara Ridley
A review of the novel ‘When it’s over’ by Barbara Ridley
There is no denying the fact that Barbara Ridley’s historical fiction novel, When It’s Over, is a wonderfully written story centered on the opinionated situation in England during World War II. Based on a true story, it’s shown from side to side the eyes of Lena, a young Jewish woman from Czechoslovakia. Lena meets Otto, a German fugitive who is vigorous in intelligence gathering, in a small cafe in Prague in 1938 where she comes to hear news of the fighting on the front line. Swept away by her belief in the left-wing activists and their fight against Hitler, she moves with Otto to Paris to go on with his work.
According to the gist of the novel, Lena Kulkova, who is Jewish, becomes involved with the underground resistance movement, as well as with Otto, a German-Jewish refugee. Lena has a troubled relationship with her strict father and, other than sadness at leaving behind her mother and younger sister; Lena does not look back when she flees her childhood home. Together, she and Otto make their way to Paris and eventually England, where Lena awaits news of the rest of her family, some of whom are still trapped in Nazi-occupied Prague. The couple lives with other friends, also part of the resistance group. As Otto becomes more withdrawn and more involved in the movement, Lena begins to pull away from him, spiraling her romantic behavior instead to the nephew of an well-bred lady of the manor in the English countryside.
Many WWII-era novels are set in the midst of the fighting; it was intriguing, yet heartbreaking, to read about the war from the perspective of those who are safe but whose families are trapped. Lena is strong-willed and often butts heads with those around her, but she is nonetheless an engaging protagonist. Otto, on the other hand, is less like-able, and at times reading about his political viewpoints bordered on the tedious. Nonetheless, the book held my interest, particularly as it was based on true stories told to the author by her parents. The book is well researched and will likely resonate with those looking for a WWII novel with some politics in the mix.
There is no denying the fact that Barbara Ridley’s historical fiction novel, When It’s Over, is a wonderfully written story centered on the opinionated situation in England during World War II. Based on a true story, it’s shown from side to side the eyes of Lena, a young Jewish woman from Czechoslovakia. Lena meets Otto, a German fugitive who is vigorous in intelligence gathering, in a small cafe in Prague in 1938 where she comes to hear news of the fighting on the front line. Swept away by her belief in the left-wing activists and their fight against Hitler, she moves with Otto to Paris to go on with his work.
According to the gist of the novel, Lena Kulkova, who is Jewish, becomes involved with the underground resistance movement, as well as with Otto, a German-Jewish refugee. Lena has a troubled relationship with her strict father and, other than sadness at leaving behind her mother and younger sister; Lena does not look back when she flees her childhood home. Together, she and Otto make their way to Paris and eventually England, where Lena awaits news of the rest of her family, some of whom are still trapped in Nazi-occupied Prague. The couple lives with other friends, also part of the resistance group. As Otto becomes more withdrawn and more involved in the movement, Lena begins to pull away from him, spiraling her romantic behavior instead to the nephew of an well-bred lady of the manor in the English countryside.
Many WWII-era novels are set in the midst of the fighting; it was intriguing, yet heartbreaking, to read about the war from the perspective of those who are safe but whose families are trapped. Lena is strong-willed and often butts heads with those around her, but she is nonetheless an engaging protagonist. Otto, on the other hand, is less like-able, and at times reading about his political viewpoints bordered on the tedious. Nonetheless, the book held my interest, particularly as it was based on true stories told to the author by her parents. The book is well researched and will likely resonate with those looking for a WWII novel with some politics in the mix.
As Hitler steadily works his way through Europe, Lena fears for her
family, especially her mother and younger sister, still in Prague. Reuniting
with Otto in England, Lena has to learn to make a life of her own in a foreign
country. With propaganda on every side, no one is sure of the truth of what’s
happening in Europe, and Lena’s worry grows. With her growing political
awareness and her changing relationship with Otto, she comes to learn that
nothing is certain in war-torn England. With all this uncertainty, will she
ever be able to find her family again?
Set in Prague, Paris, and England, during the years 1938 to 1945, this book is different in many ways from other war-based stories which I have read. This looks at the various political beliefs of young people during this time, as they lose their trust in their leaders’ capabilities and war tactics. While this may make the story sound a bit dry, it is anything but.
There is no doubt that marvelously written in third person, the truth that this is based on spot on happenings makes the story even more poignant. Lena is a wonderfully written main character with an blamelessness and naivety about her, more than ever at the beginning, which is very realistic. Her development was great to read, as she started to grow in both her courage and her own views, determined to make something of her life. Otto comes across realistically as an avid believer in his own personal views, determined that everyone should think the same as him. I tended to not like him very much by the end, but could easily see how his behaviour was a reaction to his circumstances. The other characters were all three dimensional and believable, from Muriel, an English gentlewoman who was rebelling against her own society to do her bit to help escaping Europeans, to Eva, Lena’s friend, who was focused on herself and improving her own situation, no matter who it hurt. An appealing perception shown here was how the English public reacted to propaganda concerning “foreigners”. I found it heartbreaking that these people who had been through so much to get to the safety of England, were only then to face mass hysteria by people thinking that just because they had an accent it meant that they were a spy for Hitler.
In view of the above it is evident that with thorny subjects touched on in this book such as gas chambers, the Holocaust, death, and grief, the author never let it get too overwhelming. The inscription was in a comprehensible, easy to read style, and I have brought into being no editorial mistakes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It’s a near-term of age story about ancestors, love, politics, grief, and destitution in a war-torn country. I would propose this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a concentration in World War II, as well as those who like stories based on true happenings. It is luminous novel which is perceptibly written from core of the heart of the author to the readers who can ideally understand the thematic perception of the story.
Set in Prague, Paris, and England, during the years 1938 to 1945, this book is different in many ways from other war-based stories which I have read. This looks at the various political beliefs of young people during this time, as they lose their trust in their leaders’ capabilities and war tactics. While this may make the story sound a bit dry, it is anything but.
There is no doubt that marvelously written in third person, the truth that this is based on spot on happenings makes the story even more poignant. Lena is a wonderfully written main character with an blamelessness and naivety about her, more than ever at the beginning, which is very realistic. Her development was great to read, as she started to grow in both her courage and her own views, determined to make something of her life. Otto comes across realistically as an avid believer in his own personal views, determined that everyone should think the same as him. I tended to not like him very much by the end, but could easily see how his behaviour was a reaction to his circumstances. The other characters were all three dimensional and believable, from Muriel, an English gentlewoman who was rebelling against her own society to do her bit to help escaping Europeans, to Eva, Lena’s friend, who was focused on herself and improving her own situation, no matter who it hurt. An appealing perception shown here was how the English public reacted to propaganda concerning “foreigners”. I found it heartbreaking that these people who had been through so much to get to the safety of England, were only then to face mass hysteria by people thinking that just because they had an accent it meant that they were a spy for Hitler.
In view of the above it is evident that with thorny subjects touched on in this book such as gas chambers, the Holocaust, death, and grief, the author never let it get too overwhelming. The inscription was in a comprehensible, easy to read style, and I have brought into being no editorial mistakes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It’s a near-term of age story about ancestors, love, politics, grief, and destitution in a war-torn country. I would propose this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a concentration in World War II, as well as those who like stories based on true happenings. It is luminous novel which is perceptibly written from core of the heart of the author to the readers who can ideally understand the thematic perception of the story.
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