OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sandra Eden's War" by Michael Low.]

With the Second World War still raging, the Special Operations Executive agents are secretly dispatched to France to aid in undermining German operations by delaying German military movement and destroying railway ties in and around Normandy. Sandra Eden's War is a story about one of the SOE agents, Sandra Eden, and the trials and tribulations that led to her remarkable and brave military adventures.

Sandra Eden parachutes 3,000 feet from a Lysander flying over to Normandy with the moon still shining in the deep of the night, only for her parachute to fail. Fortunately, she lands on a huge tree, whose branches cushion her fall before she lands on moist ground. Her pilot watched as Sandra's parachute failed and believed she had died from the fall. He returns to London with the bad news, and a new SOE agent, Nancy Lake, is sent to France as Sarah’s replacement. The allies know how the enemy can exploit Sandra's disappearance to manipulate them. Nancy is given direct orders to shoot and kill anyone posing as Sandra. When Nancy arrives in Normandy, she encounters Sandra. She is torn between shooting her or believing that this is the genuine Sandra. Will Nancy instantly carry out her command and shoot Sandra, or will she take her chances?

As I read this text, I had the impression that I was watching a movie. This results from the author's graphical representation of the scenes. The vivid descriptions enabled readers to form mental images of characters and subsequently empathize with their circumstances. I had the impression that I was present when Nancy and Sandra detonated the bombs. I can't forget how I felt the air being ripped from my lungs when the fast-moving train was just inches away from Sandra, only for me to realize it was just a book.

My favourite aspect of the book is the author's display of originality, which added to the aesthetic beauty of this book. I couldn't get enough of all the French and German dialogues between the characters, which were later translated. I'm thrilled to have learnt several French vocabulary and phrases that I did not know were so simple to comprehend. This foreign vocabulary gave this novel a unique artistic beauty, gave the book a universal appeal, and brought the narrative to life. The military personnel's figurative language to communicate important messages to their missions also struck me as creative and endearing. The author also included several humorous moments that enhanced the reading experience and frequently caused me to smile. In particular, Michel's description of eggs and bacon as luxury items that needed to be kept in a small case next to the wall because they were too precious to keep in the cupboard made me laugh out loud.

The book is professionally edited because I only found one grammatical error, which did not detract from my reading experience. However, the author failed to explore the protagonist’s personalities in depth. For instance, this being a book about war, I expected a careful review of Sarah’s mental health as the war continued and another review after she survived several brushes with death. This would not only make the book more realistic but also portray the human aspects of the soldier. Roughly brushing through her intimate associations did not give her a clear perspective. I must take away one star for this reason and award this book three out of four stars. Nevertheless, this well-researched book provided a great perspective on how Europe was liberated from Nazism. I recommend it to anyone looking for an action-packed plot and history enthusiasts interested in World War II.

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Sandra Eden's War
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I am drawn to stories about the French Resistance and would probably enjoy this book despite the lack of character development. Thanks for your review.

I enjoyed reading your review. It is true that the author could have told us more about Sandra's personality, emotions, etc. It is an interesting read as the agents' operations are very detailed.

This is a very moving novel. My imagination goes to that moment when Nancy and Sarah meet. Should she shoot or not? It’s good she didn’t carry out her masters’ orders. Basing on the review, this book is a must read. Thanks.

Will Nancy instantly carry out her command and shoot Sandra, or will she take her chances?

Ah! The suspense!
That's a great review Reigning1. You've built up the intrigue and expressed how immersive the story is. I can understand why you felt like you were watching a film. It's a shame that there were deficits in Sarah's character development, but otherwise it seems like a good book to read. Thank you.

I really liked this review.This book provided a great perspective on how Europe was liberated from Nazism. This is really cool.

Maksym Korchak wrote: ↑10 Aug 2022, 11:51 I really liked this review.This book provided a great perspective on how Europe was liberated from Nazism. This is really cool.

Thanks for the review.

Thanks for this great review. The second world war is one of my favorite historical fiction time frames, and although I've read dozens of books based on this, your review convinced me that I have room for another on my shelves.

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