Review of Sandra Eden's War

[Amina Yusuf]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Sandra Eden's War" by Michael Low.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Flight Lieutenant James Silverstone dropped Sandra Eden into Normandy, France. As he watched her slowly made her descent towards the ground, he realized at the same time something was wrong. She was having trouble with her parachute, which refused to open. James was horrific at the scene playing out before his eyes and there was nothing he could do about it. He feared that she was falling to her death. He turned the aircraft around and headed back to base, still shocked that Sandra would be dead.

Sandra Eden’s War, written by Michael Low, is a fascinating wartime fiction set in 1944 during the Second World War. It tells the story of Sandra Eden, a Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent sent into occupied France to work with the Maquis, also known as the French Resistance. Their mission was to disrupt the movement of German troops and sabotage their supply lines in Normandy. As the war raged on around Europe, the Maquis planned and carried out their attacks under cover of darkness. They raced against time to complete their mission, at the risk of been caught by the Gestapo.

What I liked most about this book was the action-packed and fast-paced plot. Character development was not given much attention in the story. However, the strength of the characters and their dedication to the war effort was a major focus. Their interest was getting the job done as long as the enemy suffered heavy losses. The main character, Sandra was fearless. She had to endure chauvinist remarks but that did not distract her from her mission. Michel was another character I liked. His admiration for Sandra made me wished both characters would get romantically involved. Since they were fighting for freedom, romantic distractions were avoided. Other minor characters were introduced as the story progressed. This provided some surprising twists and turns that gave the plot more depth. Overall, the book was entertaining and a delight to read.

I also liked that the book was well-researched by the author. He provided a list of the references he used while researching material for the book. There were a total of ten chapters. At 168 pages, it was also a quick read. It was interesting to learn about the technology and wartime phrases used by soldiers during the war. Words like ‘Roman Candle’ were new discoveries for me. The use of codes by the characters was significant and gave the story more authenticity. There were also French words and phrases with English translations. I didn’t have to think too hard to understand the conversations between the characters.

There is nothing I disliked about this book. However, it contained mild profanity, violence and graphic description of torture.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was professionally edited, as I noted only one minor typo. The book will appeal to readers who are interested in historical fiction. Readers who are interested in the Second World War and the activities of the French Resistance will also find it enjoyable.

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Sandra Eden's War
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[Sanju Lali]

A nice books that portrays the life of Sandra Edens and her contrubution to her country during the second world war. Thanks for your honest and insightful review.