A FIRE SPARKLING by Julianne MacLean- a review
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 1, 2019
After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a much-needed escape, but when she finds an old photograph of her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, Gillian’s life gets even more complicated. Rattled by the discovery, Gillian attempts to unravel the truth behind the photos, setting her off on an epic journey through the past…
1939. England is on the brink of war as Vivian Hughes falls in love with a handsome British official, but when bombs begin to fall and Vivian’s happy life is destroyed in the blitz, she will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves…
As Gillian learns more about her grandmother’s past, the old photo begins to make more sense. But for every question answered, a new one takes its place. Faced with a truth that is not at all what she expected, Gillian attempts to shine a light not only on the mysteries of her family’s past but also on her own future.
This gorgeously written multigenerational saga is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of one woman’s struggle to survive.
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REVIEW: A FIRE SPARKLING by Julianne MacLean is a story of fiction, of history, of one family’s ties to the past.
Told from third person (Vivian), and dual first person (Gillian and April) using present day (2011) and memories from the past (1939-1945) A FIRE SPARKLING focuses on the search for the truth. Gillian Gibbons life was upended when she discovered her boyfriend of several years with another woman on the night of his fiftieth birthday. Hoping to clear her head, Gillian heads home only to be met by her father with a WWII era picture of her beloved grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer. Gillian and her father struggle to confront Gillian’s ninety-six year old grandmother in an effort to understand what it is they found. What ensues is the retelling, revelations and acceptance of one family’s history, a history that has been turned on its’ head as Gillian’s grandmother reveals the truth about the past.
A FIRE SPARKLING follows three generations as past sins are slowly revealed. The mother and grandmother they have come to know is so much more than the frail old woman that now struggles with her life. Vivian Hughes’ life reads like a Hollywood movie script but a script where one woman has lived and died in an effort to save the people she loves. From London, England, Bordeaux France, then to the USA, the Hughes/ Cooper/ Gibbons family history is awash in secrets, lies, betrayal and love.
The world building pulls the reader into two vastly different timelines: 2011, and WWII beginning in 1939 and ending a few days after the Nazi surrender to the Allied forces. A FIRE SPARKLING is a tale of love wrapped in an historical account of one woman’s adventures, struggles, and loss during the war to end all wars. We are witness to the devastation of London before and after the day known as Black Saturday; the blackouts and rationing; the loss of lives and loves; betrayal and hate. Friendships forged but not forgotten reveal more to the story than everyone knew.
A FIRE SPARKLING is an emotional story of conflict and war; of betrayal, family, acceptance and love. A character driven story set to the backdrop of WWII wherein history is rewritten by one family’s secrets, and lies perpetuated by desperation and love.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
