Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Alone since her first breath when her beautiful mother died in childbirth, Anna Golding has only ever had herself to rely on. But she’s always loved her country. So, on the eve of warshe joins the Women’s Air Force. Her fellow trainees are like the sisters she never had. But, as they all talk of fond memories of home, Anna’s heart breaks. Her past is too painful to share…
Until Anna meets Pilot Jimmy Armstrong. She could lose herself in his deep green eyes. He makes Anna feel properly alive for the first time, and they snatch every moment together even as their duties pull them apart. They don’t have a moment to waste.
But with the bombs of the Blitz making every day dangerous, Anna receives harrowing news from the Royal Air Force that changes everything. With her heart breaking, Anna knows she must do all she can to help her country. But even if she helps win the war, can she save her beloved Jimmy? Or will she lose the only person she’s ever loved?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of Please Come Home to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Please Come Home is the third book in Elaine Johns’ A Cornish Wartime series and in my opinion it’s the best yet. The story highlights the kindness and humanity that people show each other in times of trouble and heartache with the themes of family and romance also being deftly explored. The book as a whole was very well plotted and developed. Although I felt there was a bit of a dip in part two where nothing much seemed to happen but yet at the same time there was a sense of anticipation that something life changing was about to occur. So I would say the story picked up again around the 80% mark.This was a quick read which I read in two sittings which focused on World War Two from through the eyes of Anna and Jimmy. It is set in England with the focus on the air force and the incredible work they did to keep the country safe during the years of such unimaginable destruction, hurt and danger. I found it fascinating learning more about the air force and the WAAF - Women’s Auxiliary Airforce - which Anna joins. The tenacity and bravery of these ordinary men and women doing their bit for their country deserves nothing but admiration and appreciation.
Part One introduces the reader to Anna. Her mother died during childbirth and her father, a wealthy businessman, had always been cold and unapproachable leading to him abandoning her and leaving for Ireland ten years ago when she was 8 in the hands of her cold hearted Aunt Beatrice. She was an unhappy tyrant who showed no love, care or affection to her niece which only served to strengthen Anna and make her mentally tough. These characteristics are always at the forefront of Anna’s mind especially as she embarks upon her war work Anna is self-reliant and resourceful and always calm and organised. Her harsh upbringing made her realise that love was not always freely given or an automatic right. That you have to fight for it and what you believe in but once you find it, it can be the most powerful, strengthening and everlasting thing. When Anna turns 18 she knows she that she can step out into the big bad world and face all the challenges that it will bring and with war coming she knows changes will occur. But is she ready for them?
Anna’s childhood shapes and moulds her. Her every thought, word and deed are fuelled by the fact that now she wants to make something of herself whilst at the same time searching for that love and sense of family that was not afforded to her. She promises herself ‘Anna Golding, you will try to be courageous and honest and fair to others who cross your path’ and my god does she stick to this sentiment. Anna enlists in the WAAF and sets off on her training where she meets Mary. They become firm friends as they navigate their way through the course and Anna finds that she has a talent for plotting and eventually she is posted finds to the ops room at Biggin Hill. Although Mary is posted somewhere else. Her childhood friend Edna, the daughter of the maid who worked at her family home, also enlists in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. I wouldn’t have given any mention to Edna only for much later on in the book she is mentioned in a significant way having been forgotten for the majority of the book. This aspect of the plot came completely out of the blue and just felt wrong. In my mind, there was no need for its inclusion. I found it to be unnecessary and only served to cause stress for Anna. It just felt totally out of place with the entire plot but this was the only fault I found with the book as a whole.
I enjoyed reading of the work that Anna engages in. There was just the right amount of detail so as not to overload the reader with technical information. Yet, I felt I learned lots about Anna’s experiences. Through several incidents that happen the reader sees Anna mature and become really aware of the bigger picture. She is brave, clever, strong and independent and not afraid to muck in when the worst befalls the site where she works. She is intelligent and hardworking and filled with dedication and ambition.Despite having such a complicated family history, this only spurs Anna on to be a better person in the present time and as you get to know her you hope that she can find peace and love in her personal life but the way she has been reared also means that she views people warily and really needs to get to know them before she can fully trust them.
I could see this when she met Jimmy, Mary’s brother, who is a flight navigator. There is a magnetic force that draws the pair to one another. The way they were both written when they had chapters or scenes together was just magical. You could feel Anna letting go and allowing love into her life and that they were the perfect couple for one another. I thought it was excellent to have chapters from Jimmy’s viewpoint as he flies high up above the skies of the English channel and France helping his team navigate. It showed the two sides to the story and contrasted very well the experiences of both Anna and Jimmy. What become even more evident the further the story progressed was that the love they felt for one another was genuine and strong. But underneath it all, despite the dangers of war and the anxiety and fear that exist on a daily basis is the fact that all Anna wants is a proper home and family. Can Jimmy provide her with that or does the war have plenty of barriers and obstacles to throw in their path to true love and happiness?
Having found the Edna aspect of the plot completely out of place, I am relieved to say that I didn’t think this was the case with Anna when it came to her family history making itself known. I thought it was a lovely touch and in fact made Anna revaluate things and see her life in a different light. She felt supported as she also does in her relationship with Jimmy and his family who welcome her with open arms. ’You share each other’s pain. As well as the joy. But it’s worth it’. But at the same time she thinks of what could have been had the truth come out much earlier. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Jimmy and Anna and it was brilliant the way the reader could see that Jimmy wrestles with his conscience that he knew Anna so well. He was afraid that the worst would befall him and that one day he may not come back from a raid. He was so caring and compassionate that he didn’t want to put Anna through that pain but I enjoyed reading how they attempted to work through this. That both sides of the coin were explored so well rather than things being one sided. As previously mentioned, in the last 20% or so things take an unexpected turn and this was the bit of drama that I needed. It really highlighted what is love and family and a sense of belonging is explored too. My heart was in my mouth as to what the outcome would be.
Please Come Home was a very enjoyable read, typical of a World War Two drama but none the less plenty to keep the reader entertained and reading on. Anna and Jimmy’s love story will bring a smile to your face despite all the troubles and ups and downs that they navigate but above all else the strength they both showed as did so many others at the time are the strongest emotions that shine forth from the book. Anna’s strange lonely childhood made her strong and independent and her search for a family to replace the one she never had whilst following her dreams and doing her bit for her country during the war made this a pleasant and engaging read.
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