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Lecia Cornwall

Auteur de How to Deceive a Duke

22 oeuvres 533 utilisateurs 62 critiques 2 Favoris

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Crédit image: Lecia Cornwall

Séries

Œuvres de Lecia Cornwall

How to Deceive a Duke (2012) 68 exemplaires
Secrets of a Proper Countess (2011) 66 exemplaires
The Woman at the Front (2021) 53 exemplaires
The Price of Temptation (2011) 49 exemplaires
The Secret Life of Lady Julia (2013) 42 exemplaires
Beauty and the Highland Beast (2016) 38 exemplaires
Once Upon a Highland Autumn (2014) — Auteur — 30 exemplaires
What a Lady Most Desires (2014) 26 exemplaires
Once Upon a Highland Summer (2013) — Auteur — 25 exemplaires
That Summer in Berlin (2022) 23 exemplaires
When a Laird Finds a Lass (2016) 21 exemplaires
All the Pleasures of the Season (2011) 19 exemplaires
Once Upon a Highland Christmas (2014) 15 exemplaires
The Lady and the Highlander (2017) 14 exemplaires
Say Yes to the Scot (2017) — Auteur — 14 exemplaires

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Before the onset of WWII, British aristocrats sent their daughters as debutantes to Germany, hoping to strengthen ties between the two countries. When Viviane's accompanies her step-sister to Germany, her true goal is to photograph key German sites and uncover the truth of 1936 Berlin.

This book was a bit predictable and a bit cheesy. The romance was completely expected, and everything seemed just a bit too easy for Viviane. It was a quick read and would be a good fun beach read. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
JanaRose1 | 1 autre critique | Dec 29, 2022 |
Author Lecia Cornwall says she found inspiration for That Summer in Berlin when she happened upon an article about young English debutantes being sent to Germany to experience the culture and find husbands. Many believed, even as late as 1939, with war just weeks away, that if the upper classes of the two countries intermarried, another conflict could be avoided. "The idea of titled English debs dancing with young Nazi officers as the threat of war loomed" formed the first thread of the story, Cornwall recalls. The story began to take shape as she learned about the 1936 Olympics which Hitler was convinced by his advisors "would provide a wonderful way to use propaganda to impress the world and show off Aryan culture and superiority." Readers might be surprised to learn that many rituals devised by the Germans for those games continue, including lighting the Olympic flame. During the games, the Germans hid the antisemitism and violence that had already taken hold in the country, putting on a deceptive show of brotherhood and goodwill. Lastly, Cornwall researched 1930's English society, and found that many admired how Germany recovered from the defeat it suffered in World War I to become a world power in steel and chemistry. While the United States and England were mired in Depression, Germany seemed to be flourishing. Great societal changes were occurring, including the entrance, of necessity, of increasing numbers of women into the workplace. Dorothea Lange came to prominence with her starkly beautiful and often heartbreaking photographs depicting the realities of life in the 1930's as the Depression raged on. Cornwall says she "made Viviane Alden a photographer and let her use her camera to tell the truth others tried to hide." The character of Tom Graham is her homage to Matthew Halton, a daring and revered Canadian reporter.

The result is an absorbing story of two people who meet by happenstance, but agree to combine their talent and determination to gather and relay evidence that Germany, under the control of a madman, is intent on taking the world into another war.

As the book opens, Viviane has just broken off her engagement to Philip who, at first glance, appeared to be the perfect man for her -- rich, handsome, titled, and able to give her a life of privilege. However, it became clear they had nothing in common, especially their politics and views on the roles of husband and wife. Viviane's mother is distraught because she is insistent that Viviane must find a suitable husband to provide for her -- Viviane working for a living is unthinkable. The family is gathered at Halliwell for the wedding of Viviane's step-sister in which Tom Graham will serve as best man. They meet when Viviane is determined to go for a swim, despite a brewing storm, on the seventh anniversary of her beloved father's death. He was a celebrated war hero who sustained permanent and, ultimately, fatal injuries to his lungs as a result of a gas attack during World War I. Putting aside his own safety, he returned to the battlefield over and over to rescue his soldiers. His death changed Viviane, making her "harder, sharper, fiercer."

No one knows that, credited as an anonymous photographer, Viviane has been surreptitiously supplying photographs to the newspaper. She slips away to photograph a march of the British Union of Fascists, scheduled on the same day as a workers' march, which Tom is also covering with an assigned photographer. When the two groups meet and the encounter erupts in violence, Viviane fearlessly captures the events on film. Tom thinks he recognizes her at the scene, and becomes convinced when he sees her photographs published in the newspaper.

Tom is the twenty-five-year-old son of a single, Scottish mother and the Earl of Strathwood who provided for him financially, including his education at Cambridge, but has never acknowledged him publicly. Tom has only met his father twice, and has no interest in curating a relationship with him or his half-siblings. Aside from his education, Tom has made his own way in the world, successfully straddling the working and upper classes to his advantage. So he is surprised when he is summoned to a meeting with his editor and his father joins them. At the behest of Winston Churchill, he is recruited to work for a new government agency with a posting in Berlin where he will report on the upcoming Olympics, as well as German advancements in technology, industry, and science, and society events. His assignment is to fit in to German society and gain the Germans' trust, appearing sympathetic to their cause in order to gain exclusive access to press tours and secure interviews. He will be required to "write about the regime in glowing terms" in order to clandestinely discover and transmit the truth.

Viviane's stepfather, Lord Rutherford, is a supporter of Germany and its Nazi government because of the way it has restored prosperity and pride to the country. His friend, Count Georg von Schroeder, invites Julia, Viviane's step-sister, to spend the summer with his family in Germany and attend the Olympics. Rutherford insists Julia will be safe, despite news reports about increasing violence in Germany, and when she hears that von Schroeder has three sons and lives in a castle in the Alps, she is intent on going. "Other young ladies are going to Germany, girls from the finest English families," Rutherford explains. "They get a bit of international polish, visit music festivals, see the mountains, and come home with a greater understanding of how the world works. Surely that can only forge closer social ties and peace between our two nations." Julia must have a chaperone, and Viviane's mother is eager to press her into service. Viviane does not want to go to Germany, but knows that if she remains in England, her mother will continue attempting to force her into marriage.

When Tom learns that Viviane has a chance to spend the summer in Germany, he urges her to "use your talents, expose terrible wrongs with your photographs, possibly even prevent another war." He reveals he learned her secret the day of the riot and convinces her that they will make a good team, especially since he knows why she ended her engagement. She will be the guest of a Count, and have access to places Tom does not. She will be free to take as many photographs as she wants because no one will suspect she is anything but an English socialite on holiday, snapping pictures for her photo album.

Viviane and Julia are welcomed into the von Schroeder family home. They are high-ranking members of the Nazi party. Youngest son Klaus is an enthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth, preparing to follow in the footsteps of oldest son Otto, an Obersturmfürher (equivalent to the rank of lieutenant) with the SD (the security service known to be "more terrifying than the Spanish Inquisition"). Middle son Felix is a research chemist serving as the assistant director of an agricultural laboratory, purportedly perfecting pesticides in order to increase crop production. The Countess is an emphatic disciple of Hitler, while the Count appears more reticent -- which has come to the attention of Nazi leaders -- and openly expresses a desire to see Otto marry an English girl and settle with her in Britain.

Cornwell convincingly takes readers along on Viviane's trek as she, Julia, and the von Schroeder family make their way across Germany to Berlin where they will attend the Olympic games. For Viviane, it is a life-changing journey. At first, she wonders if reports about German activities and ideologies were exaggerated. She initially sees a thriving, beautiful country, but disturbing observations and incidents tell a different story. Germany is indeed on good behavior -- except when Viviane makes the mistake of conversing with a Jewish man they happen upon and the group proceeds to a charming village in which someone forgot to take down a sign declaring it to be "proudly Jew free." Such signs are forbidden for the duration of the Olympic games so that the multitude of tourists do not have "any misunderstandings about Germany." In contrast, young (barely eighteen) and impressionable Julia is aggressively wooed by Otto, who is clearly determined to marry an English aristocrat, in part, to advance his position within the Nazi party. He lavishes gifts on Julia, one of which Viviane finds particularly abhorrent and horrifying, but Julia is thoroughly smitten and sees only what she wants to see, ignoring Viviane's warnings.

Otto is charming and refined, but Viviane immediately catches flashes of darkness and menacing in his forced smiles and transparently phony gestures of hospitality. Felix is a bit of an enigma. He is witty and irreverent, but also intellectual. And Cornwall deftly keeps Viviane, as well as readers, guessing about his allegiances within his powerful, but ideologically fractured family and to his country. The matter seems settled when he introduces Viviane to his professor, mentor, and the director of the lab where he works, Solomon Hitzig. He has been allowed to remain in Germany because his brilliant work is valuable to and needed by the Nazis, but when Viviane learns about his scientific accomplishments and the history of their implementation, she is appalled and overcome by painful memories. Still, it seems that Felix truly cares for Hitzig and is trustworthy, and when he enlists her assistance, Viviane must navigate a moral dilemma. All the while, she takes photographs of the subjects Tom has instructed her to capture, but her activities do not appear benign to at least one astute observer. Tom warns her not to trust anyone, as he perceives their mission growing increasingly dangerous. Cornwall expertly accelerates the tale's pace and dramatic tension as the Olympics get underway and Viviane finds herself in peril once the motivations and actions of Cornwall's intriguing cast of characters are revealed.

From the moment he meets her, Tom is intrigued with Viviane, recognizing that she is not just a vapid aristocrat but, rather, a deep thinker with dreams and desires. Viviane soon learns that Tom is not entitled and spoiled like the other young men who have assembled for her step-sister's wedding. He recognizes her talent for capturing the very essence of the subjects she photographs, treating her as a capable equal who can make a great contribution to the effort to prevent war. Over time they grow closer, but Viviane must come to terms with the truth about her past. A false narrative informed her choices and self-concept, and she is forced to re-evaluate her beliefs, principles, and desires. Tom faces a similar crisis as a result of his journalistic pursuits in Germany. While he knows that he has helped the war effort by gathering information, his byline has led everyone to view him as a Nazi sympathizer when, in reality, he is anything but. Cornwall's depiction of their introspection is credible and touching because both characters are endearing. Early in the tale she establishes that they are honorable people, both of whom have grown up in worlds in which they don't truly belong. Standing apart from their peers, both have evolved into keen observers and documentarians -- Tom with words, Viviane with photographs. Viviane's father died penniless and rumors swirled about the circumstances surrounding his death, and her mother married Lord Rutherford solely for security. Tom is the illegitimate son of a nobleman who was only able to attend a top-notch college and become enmeshed in the upper echelons of society because of his father's vast fortune. Neither wants to be constrained by the circumstances of their birth or childhood, or conform to societal of familial. Both of them are brave and stubbornly devoted to uncovering the truth, even if that requires sacrifices.

At its core, That Summer in Berlin is a fascinating, pointed, and timely look at a specific point in history -- a summer when Germany sought to deceive the world, using the Olympic games as a backdrop, while secretly constructing concentration camps, expelling Jews and others who failed to live up to their Aryan ideal from their homes and professions, and developing weaponry that would ultimately take the lives of millions. Cornwall examines it primarily from the perspective of an intelligent woman who defies societal expectations. Rather, she plays upon those expectations, using them to camouflage the significance of the actions in which she engages in plain sight.

Cornwall says she hopes That Summer in Berlin will inspire readers "to be bold and brave in their own life, find their own path and make their dreams a reality." Because, as she demonstrates through the journeys of Viviane and Tom, "sometimes unexpected opportunities can lead us to exactly where we were meant to go if we’re brave enough to accept the challenges."

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
JHSColloquium | 1 autre critique | Oct 18, 2022 |
Truth be told, I had to let this book settle with me before I wrote a review. There was more than once, because of the males in this book, that I wanted to throw this book across the room in frustration. Eleanor is a trained doctor, graduating seventh in her class during WWI. When she is given the opportunity to go to France to be the personal doctor of a childhood friend. However when she gets there, very little goes according to plan. The childhood friend doesn’t want her around, the doctors and nurses in the hospital don’t want her around and Eleanor is questioning whether it was right for her to even come. However, she doesn’t back down and digs in when the situation calls for it. I admire Eleanor’s determination, grit and perseverance. In the end, I absolutely loved this book and loved how Leica wrapped it up. Highly recommend this book for an unique view into WWI battlefronts.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
dabutkus | 3 autres critiques | Sep 4, 2022 |
After graduating from medical school, Eleanor finds it impossible to find work as a woman in the 1910's. When given the opportunity to travel to France as the private doctor of her brother's childhood friend, she jumps at the chance. Despite the prejudice against her sex, she quickly becomes invaluable to the medical post, proving herself over and over.

It seemed throughout the book that all of the characters were obsessed over romance. I found this very off putting. I wanted to read a story about a strong independent woman, not someone who wanted to fall in love with every man that she met. Despite this criticism, I did enjoy reading about Eleanor's successes, and her fight for equality at the medical station. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
JanaRose1 | 3 autres critiques | Jun 22, 2022 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
22
Membres
533
Popularité
#46,708
Évaluation
½ 3.7
Critiques
62
ISBN
47
Langues
3
Favoris
2

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