I intentionally picked this up at the library for 2 reasons: I recently discovered Anne Perry's books and have decided she is one of my newfound favorite authors - and the book's subject centered around World War I, an event about which I know very little. It turns out I started with the second book in a series of five, but I easily picked up on the story despite not having read the first book. All I can say is that if my history teacher had assigned this book in high school, I would have been much more interested in learning about this war. The series centers around one family -the Reavleys of Cambridgeshire. Joseph Reavley serves on the front lines as a chaplain for Britain in Ypres (Belgium); his sister Judith is an ambulance driver; and third sibling Matthew remains in London, working as an intelligence officer. Again, Perry proves to be an amazing storyteller. Her description of trench warfare was incredibly vivid and I admired Joseph's personal struggle with how to make any sense of the war (and what if any role God plays in it) and despite his religious doubts, how to best serve the soldiers around him. His character was compassionate and his personal honor makes him very admirable, both to his soldiers as well as the reader. It's hard to explain how effectively Perry deals with the issues surrounding war as debated by her characters: the initially controversial idea of a stronger nation who is not at risk but who is willing to defends a weaker one simply because it is the right thing to do; the absolute, almost unbelievable hell of the conditions in the trenches on the front lines; the responsibility of a country to its soldiers, etc. Lots of food for thought there with the constant reminder of just how dramatically this Great War changed history.There is a subplot about a political leader known only as The Peacemaker that to me was not as strong or interesting as the rest of the story, but his part in the series is crucial, because he was responsible for the murder of the Reavley's parents. I'm hoping that will be a stronger, more interesting part of the next book.I would highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy a truly thought provoking portrayal of historical fiction.
This is the second book in this series. I actually preferred most of this book slightly more than the first. This book takes place primarily in Belgium in the early days of the First World War, at the beginning of the protracted trench war. Joseph, the primary character is a Chaplain with a unit of young men from his area in England. He seems to take on far more responsibility than I expect a Chaplain typically handled, but I could be wrong, and Perry does what she does best when Joseph is carrying out his multiple responsibilities. She fills the narrative with so much detail and captures the essence of the moment so well, the reader can believe they are there living the moment. One of Joseph's sisters is also at the front driving a General and Perry handles their unrequited romance well. There isn't a great deal of time spent on the building affection, but it is more time than Perry typically spends on romance.There is a new mystery to solve that keeps the reader engaged and again some appealing and unappealing secondary characters. And in addition to Belgium, Joseph also goes to Gallipoli during the height of the battles there. Perry doesn't spend much time on this part of the story but manages, in a very few pages to paint a clear picture of the disaster as it is occurring. She introduces several characters during this section of the book that unfortunately appear only briefly.What I do not like about this book is the unnecessary continuation of the silly plot line from the first book about a person called the Peacekeeper whose plans to keep England out of the war were thwarted so now he is trying to end it as quickly as possible in Germany's favor. This storyline is affected, silly, unnecessary and annoying. Perry still tries to fool the reader into thinking the guys actions are noble and that he doesn't come across as the madman he must be because he manages to convince other intelligent characters to buy into his plans. Perry has the entire scope of World War 1 to weave into her plot line. There are so many stories she could tell. Instead this character is starting to take on the dimensions of a comic-book villain, which makes the entire book suffer.
What do You think about Shoulder The Sky (2005)?
This was a series I started long time ago. From the first book I could remember the main characters and the outcomes of the story that have lead to the next book. However, Anne Perry, sets things up for you so that you know what is going on in this book. With that said, the realities of WWI in the trenches is vividly portrayed. If you are aware of the history behind WWI and how it was managed the horrible loss of life is overwhelming. Yet, the mystery around the Peacemaker as the antagonist is well crafted. The story gives multiple points of view so that the story isn't coming from one character. The story is based on 3 siblings who participate in the war - two at the front and one at home in intelligence, yet you get an inside-the-head of the antagonist as well. Anyway, I liked it and want to keep going. Book three? Here I come.
—A.
A slow second act. I could read Perry's descriptions of a English countryside for hundreds of pages, but I can not say the same about the way she goes on about the emotions the characters are experiencing in this book. When Perry did give descriptions of the horrors of the first World War the book picked up very well, and even the side excursion to Gallipoli was done well. The story does get sidetracked from original murder mystery, but not to a point of no return. The ongoing chase of 'The Peacemaker' still entertains, but his machinations do not seem overly inspired in this book. If the third novel goes the same directions, in terms of exploring the emotional side of the characters, vice historical fiction and mystery I will give up on the series. Instead, I will pick up on the new Arturo Perez-Reverte series sooner then I expected.
—Martin Mulcahey
The first part of the book is three stars; the second half is definitely two. Perry does an excellent job of giving a reader a feel for life in the trenches, and the battle scenes are well-done. The mystery involving the death of a war reporter while "going over the top" is an interesting hook - especially since it looks like it was done by a friendly. Once the action gets into the larger story of the Reavley brothers trying to find the Peacemaker, I got distracted.The problem with the second half is that I don't buy into the political line supported by the main characters. Here the premise is that they're trying to stop a man who is trying to stop the war (along the lines of appeasement). The problem is that the argument - which takes up most of the last 1/4 of the book - is seriously flawed. Granted, I can look at it with hindsight; WWI was idiotic and tragic, and a sad waste of a generation of young men. So maybe that's why I just can't buy into the idea that Joseph purports, which is mainly that peace would result in Germany occupying Belgium and parts of France (which may have happened, but not necessarily). The last section of the book is a ton of moralizing about how war is good and peace is too expensive.Anyway, by the time I got to the end, I found that I began to agree more with the Peacemaker than the Reavleys. (Also, I found the whole subplot of Judith falling in love with a man older than her father slightly creepy.) I doubt I will finish the series now.
—Jennifer
