Lindsay Ashford

Set in the first six months after the end of World War II, The Snow Gypsy by Lyndsay Jayne Ashford is the story of two women, one searching for answers from the past, while the other tries to forget the past and move into the future. Rose Daniel is searching for answers as to what happened to her brother who came to Spain in 1938 to fight alongside the Partisans. The last letter Rose got described a fountain in a small town in the mountains and the fact that he had fallen in love with a Gypsy woman. There were many atrocities during the Spanish Revolution and flamenco dancer Lola Aragon is trying to forget the horrible deaths of her mother and twin brother who were murdered with a number of other Gypsies. Lola managed to save a new born baby who she is now raising as her daughter. Rose and Lola meet and Lola is able to steer Rose in the direction that she needs to go.

I wanted to like this novel more that I actually did especially when I read that the main character was based on a real person and many of the incidents actually happened. I was intrigued by the setting but unfortunately I never connected with the characters and they didn’t seem to be developed in any significant way. It’s unfortunate that the execution and details of this story were weak as I think there could have been a really good novel here.… (lisätietoja)

A Feather on the Water focuses on an often overlooked period of World War II: the months and years just after the end of the war as the many displaced persons struggle to survive and find their next steps after the devastation of the war. Three women from very different circumstances come together in German to run a displaced persons' camp. Their personal stories are interwoven with those of the people they serve and it was a compelling book. Lindsay Jayne Ashford creates complex characters and digs into the details of those chaotic days.… (lisätietoja)