Where the Sky Begins

Author: Rhys Bowen
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Amazon Publishing, 2022
Pages: 400
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Bank's world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash. Josie's beloved tearoom boss has been killed, and Josie herself is injured, with nothing left and nowhere to go.

Evacuated to the English countryside, Josie ends up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt, a reluctant host to survivors of the Blitz. Awed as she is by the magnificent landscape, Josie sees opportunity. Josie convinces Miss Harcourt to let her open a humble tea shop, seeing it as a chance for everyone to begin again. When Josie meets Mike Johnson, a handsome Canadian pilot stationed at a neighboring bomber base, a growing intimacy brings her an inner peace she's never felt before. Than Stan returns from the war.

Now, a threat looms larger than anyone imagined. And a dangerous secret is about to upend Josie's life again. Her newfound courage will be put to the test if she is to emerge, like a survivor, triumphant.

Review: I began reading this one cautious page at a time. It's not often I read World War II novels back-to-back. This time period and subject matter is emotionally draining. However, I love Rhys Bowen's historical fiction novels, and wanted to give it a chance since it was available at the library.

Like, The Paris Daughter, this focused on a different aspect of World War II - the families and women left behind while the men went off to fight. While I think some of the challenges were glossed over and conveniences made for the sake of the story, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I was rooting for Josie, and she felt real and was relatable to me.

Other Rhys Bowen Novels:
The Venice Sketchbook
Above the Bay of Angels
In Farleigh Field
The Tuscan Child