A Bridge Across the Ocean

This review is all about my opinion, which I know isn't going to be popular. I got this book thinking it was about some War Brides bonding and only that. This book, however, didn't say anything about ghosts in the first description I saw, it just said ' tightly-held secrets' which I always find intriguing, and that the Queen Mary was just re-purposed, now the description says 'famously haunted Queen Mary'. So I felt that the description at first was deceptive. I would have carried on but I couldn't really get past the first chapter without feeling uncomfortable.

I won this book as from Goodreads giveaways and I am writing this review because I enjoyed it very much. This is a wonderful story that tells about 3 women who survived WWII and became war brides, except one never got off the Queen Mary when she docked in NY. Each woman came from a different part of Europe and survived some very bad things that happened to them. Then you throw in that the ship has memories and allows Ghost to come and visit and till the they are ready to move on. One young woman has a gift to see them but doesn't deal with it very well but tries to help a high school friend with his daughter and gets into understanding that one of the women listed as dying on the ship really didn't. I loved this story it is well written and give you a insight on what some of the War Brides went through.

This book mainly tells the story of 3 different women, through alternating chapters. Two are from the 1940s, Annaliese and Simone, and one from modern time. It revolves a great deal around WWII and the Queen Mary. Brett, from modern time, can see ghosts. (I knew ghosts were part of the story, but I didn't expect them to be such a huge part of the storyline.) Brett struggles with this ability and does her best to ignore it.
I enjoyed this book well enough, for the most part. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. The ending lost me, though. It made the whole story seem too corny for my tastes. Also, this is a story that I'd have loved to be a tad longer. It seemed like things move quickly at the end, and I would have loved to learn more about a couple of characters that don't get a great deal of background. A bit more length would have benefited the whole story(in my little ole opinion).
Overall, though, it's a nice story.

One of the reasons I love historical fiction is learning a little more about the past. In A Bridge Across the Ocean I learned that the ship Queen Mary was used as a luxury line, a ship carrying servicemen and she was used to carry war brides back to the United States. Two of the women are Annalise Lange who is married to a Nazi officer and Simone Deveraux who watches her father and brother killed by Nazi soldiers. The story reveals how they survived the war and made it onto the Queen Mary. There is also a present day story that is entwined with the past. Brett Caslake has an unwanted gift of seeing ghosts. A friends young daughter believes her mother's ghost is on the Queen Mary. The friend ask Brett to go on the Queen Mary to check for his wife's ghost. What Brett does find is that one of the war brides does not make it off the Queen Mary. The story slowly unfolds between past and present. The past story is beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I did not care for the ending of the present story line and this is why I gave the book four stars instead of five.

I love Susan Meissner's historical novels. I listened to this one, and I found the reader, Kim Bubbs, to be excellent. This is a story about three women; Simone and Annaliese witnessed and endured cruelty and tragedy as they struggled to survive during WWII, and now as war brides are journeying to the USA on the Queen Mary ship to be reunited with their American soldier husbands, but all is not as it appears. Brette is a character from present day; she has the gift of second sight, but wishes that she didn't. Trying to help the daughter of her friend from the past, Brette visited the Queen Mary, now retired and operating as a museum. While there Brette encounters drifters, spirits stuck between this world and the next, and it is here that a drifter engages Brette to uncover the truth about Annaliese and Simone and their complicated pasts.

Susan Meissner's books never disappoint. They are well researched and engaging. Bridge Across the Ocean is no exception. A suspension of reality is needed, especially for certain present-day chapters, but a thoughtful and recommended read nonetheless.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

I am never one to shy away from a good ghost story or paranormal elements in a book, and I adore historical fiction, so I was fully prepared to love A Bridge Across the Ocean. I felt truly invested in the historical parts, but the present day bits left me wanting more.

The book tells the tale of three women in alternating perspectives. Simone has lost her brother and father in Nazi occupied France, and since they were part of the Resistance she must go into hiding. Here she falls in love with a downed US Airman. Annaliese is German and forced by her parents to marry an abusive Nazi officer. Both of these World War II women are strong and interesting with heartbreaking back stories that are compelling. Brette’s story plays out in present day San Diego where she can see ghosts but is afraid to embrace her abilities, and this is holding her back in life. Bette’s “gift” is what brings all of the plot threads together.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is Meissner’s ability to make the RMS Queen Mary a character. The ship’s chronicle as a luxury liner to war ship to museum is fascinating. I do not think I knew about its part in reuniting GI brides with their husbands. This history, and its legend of being haunted, plays a crucial part in the book’s story. However, Queen Mary’s role in the resolution of the book feels contrived.

The passages that take place during and immediately following the War are truly lovely. I felt like I was hiding along with Simone in the dark wine cellar. I empathized with Annaliese’s plight and her desperate attempt to escape a horrible situation. I cannot help but wonder what choices I would make in her place. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Brette. Unable to connect with her, I found her whiny and boring. I fully realize that she plays a necessary role in the resolution of the tale, but by the end I was bored with Brette and wish that Meissner had stuck to the historical fiction and left the paranormal for a different book.

Overall, I did like A Bridge Across the Ocean, but I did not love it. Part historical fiction, part mystery, part ghost story, and part women’s lit, it should have something for everyone. I think it tries too hard to fit into all of these genres.

There have been a number of wonderful novels published lately about women's experiences during World War II. Those that have been outstanding include "All the light we cannot see" and "The Nightingale," but there have been others also worthy of praise. "A bridge across the ocean" is clearly meant to fit into that popular genre. It is certainly enjoyable to read, and its main characters are survivors who are brave, engaging women. However, and this is a significant however, it is necessary to completely suspend disbelief in order to immerse oneself into their stories and the plot as a whole, because a main plot device requires an acceptance that spirits, that is ghosts, live among us. As a secular rather than supernatural believer, that was a major barricade for me, but because the characters are fairly rich, I decided not to resist the plot and just treat the book as a quick read.

The main characters are women who meet and travel together as war brides on the Queen Mary, a Cunard ocean liner that was converted into a troop ship to carry servicemen across the Atlantic from America to England; a woman in disguise trying to hide from her abusive Nazi husband; and a modern day woman who inherited her family's gift of "the Sight," an ability to see and communicate with souls who haven't completely crossed over from life to the next life. The time frame of the novel moves frequently from the beginning of the war to the end, to the present day in orde to detail the lives of the main characters.

At war's end, prior to returning to life as a luxury liner, the Queen Mary was used to transport European women who had married American servicemen to the United States. Of three women who room together for the crossing from England, we learn a great deal about two: Simone, a Frenchwoman who has lost a great deal to the Nazis and worked for the Resistance; and Annalise, who was forced to marry an abusive Nazi, and, in order to escape him, is posing as a woman who was her best friend but was recently killed in an auto accident. The third woman, Phoebe, sometimes seems like comic relief, but because of the secrets both Simone and Anneliese hold, her words and actions help move the plot along. Brette, the modern day woman who sees dead people, is full of contradictions and fears. She has tried hard most of her life to pretend she doesn't see ghosts, or "Drifters" between two worlds, as she refers to them. However, two things make her acknowledge that she must address the Sight; her husband's wish to have a baby, even though Brette fears a child will inherit her ability; and an encounter with a ghost on the Queen Mary, which is now operated as a museum and hotel in Long Beach, California.

Brette's conflicts and involvement bring all pieces of the various plot twists and turns together, to a satisfactory, if somewhat overly romantic, ending.

For a reader not put off by the supernatural deus ex machine aspects of the novel, the book is a quick and somewhat informative read, well written and engaging.

Three women share a stateroom on the Queen Mary, which has been requisitioned to bring WWII brides to the U.S. after the war. The backstory of two of the women is told in detail. There also is a present day story set in California of a woman who can see ghosts and eventually it ties into the story of the past. (It was a bit odd that the cover jacket doesn't allude to the ghost story at all, so that was a surprise.) I very much enjoyed the story of the WWII women; the present day story not so much. It took the author an awfully long time to get to the tie-in of the present day story to the past story and I think the book would have been stronger without it, but overall I liked this book.

3 1/2 Stars
With the different storylines, this novel took a while to get into. Meissner does a nice job with the historical aspects and weaves present and past together very well. The best storyline by far was the War Bride portion. The rest were not nearly as compelling. After so much detail throughout the book, the ending seemed a bit rushed. A bit of mystery, a ghost story and filled with history, this book was worth sticking out the slow beginning.

MOVING FROM THE PRESENT TO THE PAST AND BACK ALMOST CONFUSED ME, BUT KNOWING THERE WAS A CONNECTION THERE(Especially with mention of the Queen Mary and her passengers) I had to keep reading.SUSAN'S BOOKS ARE FULL OF HISTORY AND RICH IN DETAILS,SO EVEN THOUGH I AM ANXIOUS TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED, I AM SAD TO FINISH A REALLY
GOOD BOOK.THANKS TO MY KINDLE I CAN KEEP TRACK OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS AND ACCESS THEIR NEW BOOKS FASTER....AND SUSAN MEISSNER IS CERTAINLY ON THAT LIST.

 repays readers who can retain multiple storylines with a thoughtful novel about how inner character and fundamental choices shape our lives and those of the people around us.

Much of the book centers on the challenges two young women endured during and immediately after World War II, and each one's determination to make a fresh life for herself in a new land, away from reminders of struggle and grief. We meet them (and the third woman mentioned in the promo materials) as they prepare to embark on the historic Queen Mary in 1946 for married life in peacetime.

Author Susan Meissner then begins the delicate process of breathing life and texture into each woman's story, rendering these two women as clear individuals. The third woman's presence seems to serve largely as artistic foil.

Even while Meissner reveals the layers of each character's wartime experiences, she heightens the tension of the overall story by introducing a present-day storyline anchored by another young woman who is facing up to her own set of challenges. Keeping track of several major story arcs -- especially when each one is not linear within itself -- is challenging for at least the first half of the book, and will be offputting for some readers, even those interested in the subject matter. However, if you can stick with the story to the two-thirds mark, the reasons for Meissner's choices begin to pay off.

Since this is a non-spoiler review, it is difficult to describe why the development of story lines in two time periods contributes to the richness of this story. Without the interplay, though, the overall story would not work.

I can say that her references to historical events are both vivid and accurate, and provide an unusual perspective on civilian life in Europe during WWII. I found the historical sections more compelling than the modern ones, but that is at least in part because I have a strong interest in that era. Meissner does a good job building tension and evoking setting.

Thus, while some of the narrative mechanics are kludgy, certain plot elements raise this from a 3.5-star book to a full 4 stars as a diverting weekend or vacation read. You probably will be happiest if you can carve out time to read it in one or two sittings.

Susan Meissner is an author I return to again and again. Her stories, plot, and characters are so well-developed, interesting and relatable. That said, I do have my favorites among her titles and this rivals them.

Yes, there is a ghost-story element in the book, but it truly is not what you'd expect--it was the biggest twist of all. It's not creepy, but I would say it is suspenseful at moments. I don't want to spoil the ending, so I'll just say that Meissner managed to give her readers an extremely satisfying ending. The book is a hauntingly (haha) beautiful read that stays with you for days after you read it.

I whole-heartedly recommend this novel.

Possible triggers: Rape and PTSD do appear in the story, although it Meissner handles both deftly.

Since I enjoy World War II era novels, and having read some of Susan Meissner's other works, I looked forward to receiving a pre-publication copy of "A Bridge Across the Ocean" in exchange for an honest review. There are really two interwoven novels within its pages. The sections relating to World War II are fast paced and mostly well written; they're introduced beginning in chapter 3 with Simone Devereux's story in Venelles, France, 1944. The author then shifts back and forth in time from pre-war years to Simone's harrowing war time struggles and then to scenes where war brides are about to embark on their five day, trans Atlantic trip to America aboard the Queen Mary.

The other, more prominent story line is that of Brette Caslake in modern Day San Diego. She's what one might call a "ghost whisperer", and to be honest, since the novel essentially opens with her story, I was both surprised and... well... a little disappointed. Nothing in the publisher's description of the book mentioned ghosts. Or as Brette refers to them, "Drifters". She's really the main character in "A Bridge Across the Ocean", so this element should be disclosed in the novel's synopsis. Having inherited "the Sight" from other women in her family, Brette is uncomfortable and uneasy with her "gift", trying hard to ignore it or pretend it away.

In the very opening pages--and indeed, throughout the book--there's a 3rd story line referring to the Queen Mary at various times throughout history. I was more than halfway through the book before I could make any clear connection as to why those pages were interspersed with Brette's story and those of Simone, Annaliese (aka Katrine), and Pheobe, a character who is never really developed. For me, it added up to a somewhat confusing novel until the final chapters, and while reading, it seemed it might have worked better had each of the three themes been written as its own separate novel... whereby they could be developed more fully in their own right. The blending is awkward. At times, jarring.

Understand it's a matter of personal taste. Other readers might love the book. I didn't feel it was Meissner's best, but also (as stated) I wasn't expecting a modern day ghost story.

This book was sensational! Through Susan Meissner's lovely descriptive writing, I was transported aboard the RMS Queen Mary to a time of hope and tragedy. My heart was broken by the atrocities that occurred during the Nazi takeover of Paris during World War II. Meissner makes one feel as if they are in the heart of the story. Although there are four main characters in this book, their stories intertwined seamlessly. A surprise twist keeps the reader on their toes. This was a lovely story that I heartily recommend!

Okay read- I loved the characters Annalise and Simone and their stories. I do not however like Brette. I am okay with a ghost story, but felt it was an unecessary catalyst for the rest of the story. I think the story would have been even better without Brette and the ghosts. The end was anti-climactic, as well. It was enjoyable but not a must read.

Have you ever picked up a glass of something expecting to be taking a drink of one thing only to be startled by something else? It's not so much that the "something else" is bad. It's just that it takes you so off guard that you have to adjust before you can truly enjoy what you are really drinking.

That's how I felt with A Bridge Across the Ocean.

I love historical fiction. I've never read anything by Susan Meissner, but I have heard good things about her. I like reading novels about sections in history that I've only read history-book blurbs about, because it brings them to life. And this topic - "war brides" making the post-war transition from Europe to the US to be with their American husbands - looked like a fascinating one to dig more deeply into.

Then I read the first section, followed by chapters one and two. None of it had anything to do with war brides. Instead, these chapters introduced two characters and a topic that the blurb about this book didn't even cover: a ghost and a modern-day American young woman who could see and interact with ghosts. I had a nice, big gulp of that unexpected drink.

Chapter three dropped back in time to 1944, introducing one of the war brides. From there, the novel skipped back and forth between modern day, a mysterious ghost whose experiences began in 1936 and jumped around the subsequent decades, various years during World War II, and 1946 when the war brides were transported across the Atlantic on the HMS Queen Mary. The back and forth did make it a bit difficult to put down and pick up the book as I had opportunity to read - sometimes I lost exactly when, where, and with whom we were in the flow of the overall story.

So, that's the negative. With all of that, you're probably wondering why I gave it a four-star rating!

Well, the writing was really delightful. Meissner handled the history beautifully and in a captivating manner. With glimpses into French resistance, the life of normal German citizens impacted by the evil of the Nazis, and the challenges of European women who fell in love with the American men who gave so much of their lives to fighting in Europe, this novel accomplished the purpose of the best historical novels - it made me want to dig and learn more. Meanwhile, the ghost portion of the story is not your run-of-the-mill, psychic storyline (which I do not enjoy). It's just an enjoyable little twist to the presentation of historical fiction.

So, how would I recommend this book?
1) I'd encourage the publisher to make sure to include the ghost story heads up in the description. It would have helped!
2) Then there's the idea of ghosts. As a Christian, I have to consider my faith in coordination with every recommendation I make - my faith is very much a part of who I am. So, how do I deal with the ghost story? Well, let me just go ahead and say that this presentation of ghosts does not line up with what I understand from Scripture about the afterlife. But I also do not get my theology from fiction. This is a well-written novel that incorporates a bit of fantasy in the ghost story. I happened to enjoy the imaginative nature of it, and I would recommend this novel to friends because it's an enjoyable book. I'd just reiterate: don't get your theology from fiction. Get it from Scripture.
3) Finally, it you think you're going to have trouble with the time jumps of the book, just read it in print, not as an e-book! This is the kind of book that just cries out for being able to easily flip back and forth. It was kind of fun!
4) I'd recommend this to an older audience - at least high school - simply because of the open discussion of sexual abuse endured by two of the characters. It's not graphic, but it's also not glossed over.

But yes, I'd recommend it. It was different, and that made it fun.

Brette Caslake can see ghosts- she calls them Drifters. This ability runs in her mother’s side of the family, and is creating a problem in her life- she is afraid to have a child, lest it be a girl who inherits the ability. She ignores the Drifters, frightened not of them but of being driven mad like a relative was. So she’s very unhappy when an old classmate calls out of the blue, asking her to use her ability to help him. His daughter, with her mother recently dead, thinks she has found the spirit of her mother. Will Brette go and see, and, hopefully, put the thought to rest?

Reluctantly, Brette agrees. The ghost is supposedly on the Queen Mary, the ship with a varied history: luxury liner; troop transport in WW 2; carrier of hundreds of European women who married Americans during the war and now need to get to America to reunite with their husband; stationary tourist attraction in Long Beach, CA. Brette goes, and discovers that the rumors are true; the ship really is haunted, by several spirits. The little girl’s mother, however, is not among them, but a nameless, formless spirit seizes on Brette and guides her to a plaque stating that a war bride committed suicide. The spirit conveys wordlessly that it wants Brette to investigate this.

There are two other story lines, of two of the war brides; they both take place during WW 2. Simone is a member of the French Resistance after her father and brother are murdered and she is brutalized. While in hiding, she cares for an American paratrooper who was shot. Katrine is British/Belgic, but is carrying a huge secret. Eventually, Simone and Katrine board the Queen Mary and share a room with Phoebe, the one person without a backstory. She serves mainly to draw out Simone and Katrine, and to lighten the mood- not everyone on board this ship has been treated as horribly as Simone and Katrine have been. As they cross the ocean, they share their stories, and Katrine’s secret comes out.

The ending, and also the identity of the spirit that Brette met on the QM, both surprised me. The story itself left something to be desired in my opinion, and I’m not sure what. I’m not horribly bothered by multiple story lines, as long as they aren’t easily confused with each other, and there was no doubting who each section was about. The sections on Katrine and Simone are heart rending. Brette did a good job of sleuthing to find out what happened on the QM, but her character wasn’t very vivid. I couldn’t quite care about her problems. Even Phoebe, who had no backstory, was a stronger character. You’d remember her if you met her; she’s the big cheerful Englishwoman with the child, a woman who wants everyone to be happy. The horror that Katrine and Simone went through keeps this book from being fluffy, even though the ghost whisperer angle skews it that way some. Three out of five stars.

I finished this book and found myself thinking about it and telling someone about it after I finished. I love historical fiction, especially books that have a few story lines going on, and alternate from past to present. This book had more. Several story lines, including the ghostly story line, which completely surprised me. I didn't know what to think at first, but soon I found that I couldn't put the book down, and in the end, I really enjoyed the direction the author took with this story.

Meissner is a reliable writer of quick, entertaining reads and this is no exception. The WWII parts of the novel are more intriguing than the modern parts, although admittedly it is Brette's ability to see ghosts that gives the story it's raison d'etre. Annalise and Simone are the most interesting characters. I was not familiar with the war crime at Malamady and thus did not have the foreshadowing others might. Good twists. All in all, it's a good novel well worth the time.

Captivating! Absolutely a joy to read. You are immediately transported into the Europe during/after WWII and completely absorbed into the lives of these women. The addition of the paranormal adds a spark that holds the whole saga together. The flashes back and forth through time are seamless and keep the story moving at a brisk pace. You get little insights from one woman about the lives of the other. Seemingly unrelated, they all come together in a beautiful way.

3.75 Stars I enjoyed this one. The historical timelines are heartbreaking and written pretty well (alternate POVs). It did take longer for me to fully appreciate the contemporary story, especially since it did not flow as effortlessly as the WWII arc, but it pulls in the reader eventually too. There's a supernatural element and the ending did surprise me. If you like historical women's novels, this book might be up your alley. Penguin First to Read Galley

The author brings together WWII era and present day and displays the ability to alternate between both with ease. Annalise (German) and Simone (France) both sail on the Queen Mary to USA as war brides. One of them is not a war bride but is trying to escape an abusive marriage. Good Book Club read.

I picked up this book because I enjoy historical fiction set during World War 2. This is the first time I have any of Ms. Meissner's books and i did not know what to expect. Very interesting book but honestly it was odd and slightly confusing to me until the 1/2 point. Once I got to the halfway point the rest of the book flew by! Four sides of the story and multiple periods of time, and each change kept drawing me in.

In A BRIDGE ACROSS the OCEAN (Berkley), it’s February 1946. World War II is over, but for many, the horrors continue. German ballerina, Annaliese Lange may have survived the war, but will she be able to move past memories of what she had to do to survive? Simone Devereaux had to pay a high price for her father’s position as a Resistance spy. Can she start a new life?
During WWII, The luxury ocean liner, the RMS Queen Mary is used to transport troops between the United States and Europe. It’s called “The Gray Ghost,” because it’s thought to be haunted. After the fighting ceases, war brides are brought from Europe to begin new lives in the US. Annaliese and Simone are just two of hundreds of European war brides aboard the Queen Mary crossing the Atlantic to be reunited with their American husbands. All have bright futures, but secrets and gossip tumble out in staterooms, during long stretches of boredom. Both Annaliese and Simone will not make it to New York Harbor, or will they? Did one of them jump? Or was she pushed? Is the other really a war bride or a sympathizer?
Today. An old friend asks Brette Caslake to visit the famously haunted Queen Mary and investigate an old family mystery. Finding herself at a crossroads of sorts, she accepts. What she discovers sets her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy and draws her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides. Ultimately, Brette has to reconsider what she’s willing to sacrifice to satisfy her own  needs and desires.
I enjoyed how the narrative switched between the various character’s points of view. I was intrigued by this time in history, which I knew nothing of. Because I’ve read so many WWII novels, I’m always thrilled when an author reveals a unique slice of that time in history. At first, I wasn’t sure about the paranormal element, but I found once I signed on, it allowed the story to have another dimension, which was enjoyable.

Brette has a gift she fears greatly. She sees ghosts. It’s a skill that passes randomly through generations and she worries she could pass it on to her own daughter. She has learned that if she looks away, she doesn’t have to communicate with each appearance. But she’s also been warned that there are evil spirits as well as benevolent ones, therefore she should avoid getting involved in any way because it might turn disastrous. Easier said than done! She winds up communicating with one, finding out about a 70 year-old tragedy on the Queen Mary and deciding to investigate. This makes for a wild adventure where she also meets other women who have the same skill or curse, depending on one’s point of view.
Simone Deveraux sees her father and brother murdered during WWII and escapes only to suffer a grievous wrong. She escapes anew and winds up free and falling in love with a very unlikely man.
Annaliese Lange marries a brutal Nazi soldier. She however escapes to live with a childhood friend, Katrine. They suffer a terrible wartime event and Annaliese escapes, taking the name of Katrine who had married an American soldier. Annaliese wonders how much she will have to pay for the false act she has committed.
These three women are now on the Queen Mary, a ship used both for wartime troops and the brides of American soldiers traveling to America while their spouses are away fighting the war. Their stories now converge as Brette leads the investigation of the mystery she promised to explore.
WWII in the 1930s was a period time fraught with disaster and love affairs, mostly the former. It brought out all that is good and all that is ugly in millions of characters. A Bridge Across the Ocean unites these three women who are decent at heart but have learned about the motives of those who in a flash of a moment act with and without any integrity.
Sue Meissner writes a fine mystery full of adventure and dynamic characters. The ghosts are sometimes benign, sometimes horrifyingly malicious! Enjoy the read! Nicely done, Ms. Meissner!

For those who enjoy reading about the WWII era, here's a look at the aftermath for women who married American soldiers. But, it's not nearly as simple as that. These women have endured unspeakable war experiences, and crossing the ocean symbolizes more than just meeting their husbands - it's a beginning of a new life without fear - and trying to put the past to rest,

This novel is written using the current, trendy, back and forth narrative - from present day back to 1946. Since I am getting used to this trend, it seems easier to follow with each new book I read, and the earlier pain of whiplash is subsiding! In the beginning, we are introduced to Brett in present day, who bears a strange gift - the ability to see and talk with ghosts. Frankly, I am not a ghostie person, so, after a couple chapters of this, I was tempted to throw in the towel! Thank goodness, I didn't! Brett turned out to be the key that opened the unbelievable story of three strong women who meet on the Queen Mary.

There are twists and turns in this novel which you will not be able to predict, and to try to give you a hint of them would just ruin the story. After meeting the ghost whisperer, we meet each war bride individually - each one a story within a story. And, just when you think you've got them all figured out, the author throws us a curve, which keeps the pages turning at rapid-fire speed. I read the last 100 pages, in bed at 7pm, with no drooping eyelids, finishing at close to 11PM!

This is a five star read - as it definitely fills all the requirements. Beautifully written. Definitive characters which conjure up liking and disliking - like watching a tennis game. The settings pull you in, and you find yourself not only feeling the dark and dank of a cellar, but smelling the old, empty wine kegs, and feeling the dirt of the floor between your toes. Does this novel transport? In spades. And after all these goodies, Meissner delivers an unexpected twist to all you had come to believe - and that's what kept me up past my bedtime. And, finally - memorable.

Highly recommended for all who love to read novels circa the WWII era - written by an excellent writer!

What a perfect companion on a recent flight from Wisconsin to California: This engrossing story of war brides crossing the ocean on the Queen Mary. But one of the women isn't really a war bride. (This isn't a spoiler. We find out early on.) And that leads to a mystery that persists for decades, until a psychic young woman connects to the great ships' ghosts. Susan Meissner weaves the historical and contemporary tales—and the ghost story—seamlessly.

Great novel! I found the stories from the past more compelling than the contemporary story that tied them together, but overall I really enjoyed this book. My favorite Susan Meissner book has been A Fall of Marigolds, but this comes close to tying with that story :) Beautiful prose, wonderful characters, perfect narrator. Loved it!

This book was incredible. I loved the story line and characters. So much destruction during the war which effected so many people. Three women whose lives were changed forever. Present day and past come together in a story you will not want to put down.

4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The time period and story about WWII was fascinating and so intriguing!

Susan Meissner is a very talented author and tells her story so beautifully. Her writing is detailed, but not overly full of "SAT words". The writing added to the story and actually was a character to me.

This book is a HIGHLY recommend!

So many novels lately regarding the affect of war on women, especially those during WWII. This is a different take - passing between then and current times. You don't have to believe in the paranormal to get value from the lessons learned by the characters in this book about living a life without fear.

4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The time period and story about WWII was fascinating and so intriguing!

Susan Meissner is a very talented author and tells her story so beautifully. Her writing is detailed, but not overly full of "SAT words". The writing added to the story and actually was a character to me.

This book is a HIGHLY recommend!

So many novels lately regarding the affect of war on women, especially those during WWII. This is a different take - passing between then and current times. You don't have to believe in the paranormal to get value from the lessons learned by the characters in this book about living a life without fear.