Book Review: Spitfire by Suzy Henderson

 

Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Spitfire

Subtitle: A WWII Short Story

Author: Suzy Henderson

Genre: Historic fiction

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53340358-spitfire

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Like the other two books I’ve read by this author, this book is based on real-life events. It tells us about the real-life terror of WW2 for the Spitfire pilots. This is another great book.

What I liked about the book:

The book is easy to read and a page-turner.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I loved the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed the entire story.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the third book I’ve read from this author’s hand.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book continues in the same style of the other two books by this author. They are great reads for those wishing to know more about the second world war.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

 

If you like historic fiction based on real-life, this book may be the book for you.

Book Description by Author:

A gripping tale of the courage and heroism of Churchill's "Few" based on true events. Perfect for fans of Robert Radcliffe and Laura Hillenbrand.

 

May 1940. The French and British armies are in retreat as Hitler's blitzkrieg storms through France. Finally, they are beaten back to the coast at Dunkirk, with nowhere left to flee.

Churchill is determined to rescue as many men as possible, for without her army, Britain is sunk. A plan is hatched to evacuate the men from the beaches by sea, but it will take the combined strength of all the forces to ensure its success.

 

Sam, a young RAF pilot flies sorties daily over France, engaging the enemy in the skies over Dunkirk. He is determined to protect the men trapped on the beaches below, and give them a fighting chance of returning to home shores.

Day after day he returns to base when others do not. He witnesses friends shot down by the Luftwaffe, sometimes lost at sea. And each time he wonders when his luck will run out, yet still, he returns to the hell in the skies.

 

Survival is Victory.

 

2020 is the 75th anniversary of VE Day. While the war still raged on in the Pacific, it was finally over for all in Europe and great celebrations rolled out around the world. Why not celebrate by reading a new book about those remarkable times, and in doing so, remember the "Few" who gave their all for us today. Lest We Forget.

About the Author:

The Beauty Shop, my debut novel, was awarded the B.R.A.G. Medallion. It is based on the true story of Sir Archibald McIndoe and the Guinea Pig Club - an exclusive club for RAF pilots and airmen who required plastic surgery as a result of their war injuries and were under the care of this enigmatic New Zealander and pioneering plastic surgeon.

 

My second novel, Madame Fiocca, was released in 2019. Based on a true story, this gripping adventure follows the tempestuous life of Nancy Wake before and during the Second World War.

Spitfire, a short story, was released in 2020 and is set during WW2.

 

To receive all my latest book news, do join the mailing list here: https://suzyhendersonauthor.com/sign-up/

 

I live with my family on the edge of the Lake District, an area that has always inspired me. After a career in healthcare, I studied creative writing and English at The Open University and fell in love with writing. Armed with a pen, a love of reading and a growing obsession with military and aviation history, I slipped seamlessly into writing historical fiction.

 

Please do catch up with me on social media here:

https://twitter.com/Suzy_Henderson

https://www.facebook.com/SuzyHenderso...

Book Review: Madame Fiocca by Suzy Henderson

 

Book Review

 

Basic Details:

Book Title: Madame Fiocca

Subtitle: The Remarkable True WWII Story of Nancy Wake

Author: Suzy Henderson

Genre: Historical Action

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48552830-madame-fiocca

Overall score:

I scored this book 4.5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. Although I enjoyed “The Beauty Shop” better, this book is another well-written and action-packed novel.

We meet Nancy Wake as she moves from her native Australia to America, England and eventually France. In France she finds a home, working as a journalist. The story starts just before the second World War and continues through the war. Nancy meets the love of her life, Henri Fiocca and they marry. However, Nancy can’t stand by and do nothing when she notices innocent people being persecuted and eventually needs to escape herself.

Nothing can stop her from returning to the war effort and her beloved Henri.

What I liked about the book:

The book was action-packed and again based on real-life.

What I didn’t like about the book:

There was nothing to dislike.

My favourite bits in the book:

The book is brilliant in its entirety.

My least favourite bits in the book:

It’s difficult to tell you without giving away too much from the story.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This author has written another book, also around the second World War, “The Beauty Shop”, which is also worth a read.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book and the previous one are a fabulous mix of fiction interlaced with a big dose of actual history. It fits in well with other books that do the same.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

 

Children	No
Young Adult	Yes
Adult	Yes

 

If you like romantic war stories based on actual events, this book may be the book for you.

I’m certainly looking forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

A gripping tale of love and espionage in Occupied France, based on true events.

 

February 1933: When her aunt gifts her two hundred pounds, twenty-year-old Nancy Wake embarks on a world cruise. Afterwards, she becomes a journalist and finds work in Paris. The city is glamorous, brimming with journalists, artists, and refugees.

 

While travelling across Europe on assignments, she catches the eye of wealthy industrialist Henri Fiocca, and destiny intervenes.

 

But as clouds of war swarm over Europe, German troops are on the march. Horrified when she witnesses Nazis whipping Jews on Vienna’s streets, Nancy vows to stop them if she ever has the chance.

 

When Paris falls, an encounter with a British officer draws her into the heart of an escape network. Soon she is caught in a deadly game of espionage.

 

As the iron fist of the enemy tightens, Nancy and Henri face a heart-breaking decision.

 

What happens when doing right is the road to ruin?

 

A must-read gripping adventure based on the true story of Nancy Wake, Gestapo’s most wanted in World War Two France.

About the Author:

The Beauty Shop, my debut novel, was awarded the B.R.A.G. Medallion. It is based on the true story of Sir Archibald McIndoe and the Guinea Pig Club - an exclusive club for RAF pilots and airmen who required plastic surgery as a result of their war injuries and were under the care of this enigmatic New Zealander and pioneering plastic surgeon.

 

My second novel, Madame Fiocca, was released in 2019. Based on a true story, this gripping adventure follows the tempestuous life of Nancy Wake before and during the Second World War.

Spitfire, a short story, was released in 2020 and is set during WW2.

 

To receive all my latest book news, do join the mailing list here: https://suzyhendersonauthor.com/sign-up/

 

I live with my family on the edge of the Lake District, an area that has always inspired me. After a career in healthcare, I studied creative writing and English at The Open University and fell in love with writing. Armed with a pen, a love of reading and a growing obsession with military and aviation history, I slipped seamlessly into writing historical fiction.

 

Please do catch up with me on social media here:

https://twitter.com/Suzy_Henderson

https://www.facebook.com/SuzyHenderso...

Book Review: The Beauty Shop by Suzy Henderson

Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: The Beauty Shop

Subtitle:

Author: Suzy Henderson

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, History

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series? No

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32549885-the-beauty-shop

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This book tells the story of the brilliant plastic surgeon, Sir Archibald MacIndoe, who treated severely burned Airman during the second World War in England. This work of fiction is strongly based in the real history of this New Zealand surgeon. It also follows John ‘Mac’ MacKenzie, an American pilot and Stella Charlton, an English WAAF recruit. This book is a lovely mix of stories from history, fiction and romance.

What I liked about the book:

I particularly liked the detail in the description of the surgical skill and the romance developing. Further the details of the missions the pilots went on and the feelings they went through were such that I felt I was there with them at times.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I liked this book in its entirety and there is not one thing I did not like about it.

My favourite bits in the book:

I loved where Stella persisted in her attempts to bring Mac around to accepting their love after his horrendous injuries. The tenacity with which Mac worked towards his recovery was also admirable. I also enjoyed the way the author included an epilogue detailing occurrences years after the book ended.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was great in its entirety and there were no points that I disliked.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I understand that this was a stand-alone book.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This book reminded me of Soldier of Orange, Oorlogs Winter (a Dutch book about the war and resistance in The Netherlands) and some other books relating the Second World War. This book was at least on par with those books.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children	No
Young Adult	Possibly
Adult	Yes

If you like Historical Fiction, Romance or History this book is the book for you.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Book Description by Author:

England, 1942. After three years of WWII, Britain is showing the scars. But in this darkest of days, three lives intertwine, changing their destinies and those of many more.

Dr Archibald McIndoe, a New Zealand plastic surgeon with unorthodox methods, is on a mission to treat and rehabilitate badly burned airmen – their bodies and souls. With the camaraderie and support of the Guinea Pig Club, his boys battle to overcome disfigurement, pain, and prejudice to learn to live again.

John ‘Mac’ Mackenzie of the US Air Force is aware of the odds. He has one chance in five of surviving the war. Flying bombing missions through hell and back, he’s fighting more than the Luftwaffe. Fear and doubt stalk him on the ground and in the air, and he’s torn between his duty and his conscience.

Shy, decent and sensible Stella Charlton’s future seems certain until war breaks out. As a new recruit to the WAAF, she meets an American pilot on New Year’s Eve. After just one dance, she falls head over heels for the handsome airman. But when he survives a crash, she realises her own battle has only just begun.

Based on a true story, "The Beauty Shop" is a moving tale of love, compassion, and determination against a backdrop of wartime tragedy.

About the Author:

Suzy Henderson lives with her husband and two sons in Cumbria, England, on the edge of the beautiful Lake District. She never set out to be a writer, although she has always had an insatiable appetite for books.
Some years ago after leaving an established career in healthcare, Suzy began to research family history, soon becoming fascinated with both World War periods. After completing a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, she took a walk along a new path, writing from the heart. She writes historical fiction and has an obsession with military and aviation history.
Other interests include music, old movies, and photography – especially if WW2 aircraft are on the radar. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society. Her debut novel, The Beauty Shop, was released 28th November 2016.