The Girls From the Beach by Andie Newton

 

Setting 

The book is set in Lorraine, a region in north-eastern France that was part of operations of the U.S. Army during 1944. The book also talks about the Normandy landings which were the landing operations of the Allied forces during the invasion of Normandy. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Utah Beach was the code name of one of the sectors of German-occupied France that the Allies invaded during the Normandy landings. The werewolf was a Nazi plan to create a resistance force to operate behind enemy lines. 

Storyline

The book is about four American battlefield nurses - Red, Kit, Roxy and Gail serving at the Lorraine near the French-German border during 1944. When they are tricked into a top-secret mission that takes them into enemy territory, they face the challenge head-on without batting an eyelid. They put their lives at risk to steal something that would make the difference between winning and losing the war. They endured everything that was thrown at them with temerity and grit, from being shot at or walking into the house of Nazi supporters. In the other timeline, a wartime nurse suffers from PTSD, still trying to come to terms with all the brutality she encountered during the war. 

My Thoughts

The Girls from the Beach have all the elements which are pre-requisites for a good story - emotions, friendship, drama, action and thrill. It is an incredible tale of exemplary fortitude, tenacity and endurance. Being a battlefield nurse was not a job for the faint-hearted, treating soldiers who had lost body parts or may not see the next sunrise. But Kit, Gail, Red and Roxy not only excel at that but go a step further. The bond between Kit, Red, Roxy and Gail is the epitome of friendship. The camaraderie between them was a treat to read. It made me cry and laughed with them. It is an action-packed fast-paced story that does not slacken its pace at any point. Though it is another dual timeline book, the author has handled the timelines so well that nowhere the flow of the story breaks. The transitions are seamless. The author has responsibly dealt with PTSD emphasising that not only soldiers but all those who served at the frontline could suffer from it, be it, doctors or nurses. It is a page-turner that brought tears to my eyes. If you love historical fiction then it is a book you must not miss. I am definitely going to read other books by Andie Newton. 

Rating - 5/5

Recommend - Oh Yes! Don't miss it!