THE LAST CORRESPONDENT by Soraya M. Lane -a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date November 1, 2020

When journalist Ella Franks is unmasked as a woman writing under a male pseudonym, she loses her job. But having risked everything to write, she refuses to be silenced and leaps at the chance to become a correspondent in war-torn France.

Already entrenched in the thoroughly male arena of war reporting is feisty American photojournalist Danni Bradford. Together with her best friend and partner, Andy, she is determined to cover the events unfolding in Normandy. And to discover the whereabouts of Andy’s flighty sister, Vogue model Chloe, who has followed a lover into the French Resistance.

When trailblazing efforts turn to tragedy, Danni, Ella and Chloe are drawn together, and soon form a formidable team. Each woman is determined to follow her dreams ‘no matter what’, and to make her voice heard over the noise of war.

Europe is a perilous place, with danger at every turn. They’ll need to rely on each other if they are to get their stories back, and themselves out alive. Will the adventure and love they find be worth the journey of their lives?

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REVIEW: THE LAST CORRESPONDENT by Soraya M. Lane is an historical, fictionalized and romantic account of women journalists, photographers and correspondents in World War II.

Based loosely on the exploits of two American women correspondents, told from three third person perspectives, American photojournalist Danni Bradford, and journalist Ella Franks, as well as former fashion model Chloe, THE LAST CORRESPONDENT follows three women in the few days before and after the invasion at Normandy, and the fall-out of finding themselves in a position to report from the front lines about the atrocities of war, the French resistance, and the loss of life including the people they loved.

Ella Franks is an American journalist who, writing under a male pseudonym, would find herself fired for lying, before accepting a position working for the Associated Press as one of the first women reporting from the front lines. Women journalists were expected to write about clothing, recipes, and life at home but no one expected women to write about the horrors of war, and the toll it takes on the body and mind.

Photojournalist Danni Bradford, along with best friend and fellow correspondent Andy found themselves in the trenches, with the allied soldiers but as a woman, Danni was unable to get passage and permission to report from the front lines about the Normandy Invasion. Danni and Andy, along with journalist Elle Franks would stow away on one of the medical ships, where they would find themselves facing a tremendous loss before rescuing a woman with close connections to someone they love.

Meanwhile, Chloe, sister to correspondent Andy, tired of waiting for Gabriel, the man that she loved to invite her to Europe, lands in Paris where she will be met with derision and fear. Gabriel works for the French resistance, work that now places Chloe in the direct line of fire.

THE LAST CORRESPONDENT is an intriguing and dramatic story of war and loss; family, friendships, relationships and love. A story about the rise of feminism; the struggle for equality and respect, and the misogynistic attitudes that continue to reign in the armed forces today, but saying that the behavior of the story line heroines is questionable on so many levels, placing not only themselves in danger but the lives of the men with whom they were working.

The believability factor is low. Former model Chloe journeys to France in 1943 in an effort to confront the man that she loves- a journey during the height of the war and the Nazi occupation of France and Italy: Ella Franks and Danni Bradford continuously disobey orders including those of General Patton and Major Cameron, and find themselves swarming the beaches of Normandy along with the tens of thousands of soldiers who died the same day. Surviving amidst one of the most notorious invasions of WWII, Danni and Ella venture on their own, stealing a jeep, to get up close and personal with war and death.

Overall, THE LAST CORRESPONDENT reveals to what extent women journalists may have had to secret themselves, lying and forging their way into a male dominated world at the front lines. Rules would be broken; lives would be lost; love will be found in the most unlikeliest of places. If you are able to suspend reality THE LAST CORRESPONDENT is an entertaining and engaging story of romance and fiction

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy