Those in peril Book

"Then, just as she was thinking this, he turned his head and looked at her. And smiled."

3 stars.

I may only be giving this book three stars, but I did really enjoy it. The thing is, when you read a lot of books, like and love become a bit more defined, so anything that you liked but didn't fall head over heels in love with gets that awkward three star rating.

Those In Peril is a story set between England and France during ths Second World War, right on the heels of the French surrender to Germany. Louis Duval, not the only narrator but certainly the main character of the tale, escapes to England just before the surrender, landing in Dartmouth and falling straight into the hands of the Royal Navy. He's an incredibly vibrant character - as an fairly well-known artist, he's seen as a bit of an eccentric by those around him. When he arrives in England he immediately offers his assitance in any way he can, with the goal of doing at least something to aid his country against the Germans. He's given lodging in Mrs Hillyard's home (another of the narrators), and eventually meets Lieutenant Commander Alan Powell (the last narrator), who is in charge of the missions that Louis volunteers for.

While the blurb makes this seem primarily to be a romance, there's so much more at play here. Love, loss, love for one's country, and the desire to fight back against a seemingly unstoppable enemy are the highlight of this book. Not only do you see the United Kingdom's struggle against the prospect of imminent invasion, you see the reality of occupation in France and the power of the everyday person in opposing their oppressors.

Every character in this book is so nuanced and well-written; no matter how long they were a part of the story, you got a real sense for their personality. It was so easy to get lost in their stories, in the atmosphere, and the beautiful way this world was described. Margaret Mayhew does an incredible job at bringing the whole thing to life, even without action and over-the-top drama. I'd definitely describe this as a quiet book, but in no way does that mean it's boring.

The thing that stood out to be (other than the little storyline about the cat, with which I was particularly invested) was the realistic ending. I won't go into it too much for fear of spoiling, other than to say that it would have felt disingenuine if it had gone any other way. While books are there for escapism, sometimes they're also a reminder of lives lived and what people in days gone by have lived through. That's what this book is to me, and I really enjoyed every moment of it.