“War, in all its grotesque forms, completed me.”
Mandy Robotham, The War Pianist
Title: The War Pianist
Author: Mandy Robotham
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 359 (Paperback)
Publish Date: August 1st, 2023 (U.S.)
My Rating: ★★★★
Read: 7/28/2023 – 7/31/2023
Happy U.S. publication day!
Review:
I’ve never heard the term ‘pianist’ used in relation to transmitting. If I’m learning something from the title and synopsis, my interest is piqued. Of course, Mandy Robotham is also a great reason to pick up the book!
When Marnie’s grandfather is killed during the London Blitz, she learns through a radio set that he’s been working with the Dutch Resistance. She decides to take his place and comes into contact with Corrie, another ‘pianist’ operator in Amsterdam. Together with some others, they eagerly do what they can for the war effort despite the danger that may befall them. The book also depicts life in the Netherlands at the time and the power the Nazis had in the territory.
I’m always so fascinated by WWII books that involve the technology and code of the time. It’s such a contrast to what we have at our disposal for everyday use nowadays. I was more into that aspect of the story over the plot with Willem, granted, it’s all connected. The multiple plot points and a fairly large number of characters were more than my brain was ready for at the time of reading, but it was an exciting (and emotional) story nonetheless. This is the second book by this author I’ve read and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next!
A huge thanks to Harper360 for sending me a free ARC copy of the book to read and review!
Likes & Dislikes:
What I liked:
- Lovable characters.
- Informative.
- The plots intertwine well.
What I didn’t like:
- There’s a lot going on, yet the book still felt like it was about 50 pages longer than it needed to be.
- A couple of side plots felt more distracting than beneficial.
Afterthoughts:
Evidently I purchased the Kindle version of this book back in March and had no memory of it until I went to put the links below and saw the ‘purchased’ banner at the top of the page… whoops! Well, I’m happy to have the paperback copy to put next to The Resistance Girl. Thanks Harper360!