The Secret of Raven Point: A Novel

by Jennifer Vanderbes

1943: When seventeen-year-old Juliet Dufresne receives a cryptic letter from her enlisted older brother pleading for help, and then finds out he's been reported missing overseas, she lies about her age and volunteers as an army nurse to find him. Shy and awkward, Juliet is thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, living in a sprawling encampment north of Rome where she forges new friendships with her fellow nurses and is increasingly consumed by the plight of her patients. One in particular, Christopher Barnaby, a deserter awaiting court martial, may hold the answer to her brother's fate-but the trauma of war has left him unable to speak. Racing against the clock, Juliet works with an enigmatic young psychiatrist, Henry Willard, to heal Barnaby's psychic wound before the authorities take him away and any clues as to her brother's fate are forever lost. Plunged into the horrifying depths of one man's combat memories, Juliet and Willard are forced to plumb the moral nuances of a so-called just war, and to face the dangers of their own deepening connection.

Reminiscent of Pat Barker's Regeneration, The Secret of Raven Pointis a war saga capturing the experiences of soldiers after the battles have ended. And as few novels have done, it depicts the ravages of war through the eyes of a young woman.

In luminous prose, Vanderbes tells the story of one girl's fierce determination to find her brother as she comes of age in a time of unrelenting violence. The Secret of Raven Pointis historical fiction at its best: haunting, heart-breaking, and ultimately uplifting.

• ISBN10: 1439167001
• ISBN13: 9781439167007
• Publish Date: 10 April 2014 (first published 4 February 2014)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Imprint: Scribner
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

When I began The Secret of Raven Point my first impression was that this is a novel of devotion. How far would you go for someone you love? It sounds a little sappy, like a Nicholas Sparks novel, the difference is that Juliet has grit. That trait is what carries The Secret of Raven Point. While I knew Juliet's mission of finding her brother Tuck was a fool's errand her determination and courage is what persevered

Even though it was fiction The Secret of Raven Point showed an interesting view-finder that can go overlooked, that of an army nurse. Jennifer Vanderbes, drew an elaborate picture of an army hospital. There were moments when I wish she hadn't painted such a vivid image as it was an unimaginable sight. Although, one cannot simply turn their head aside and wait for it to pass, I tackled it head on riveted by each character's role.

One patient Christopher Barnaby, may hold the answers to Juliet's burning question which is slowly revealed through the rise and fall of his battle fatigue. As this held a key point of the novel one could longingly anticipate the return to this story but there was so much swirling around that I didn't feel the need to speed through to Barnaby's next confession, instead it became the cream inside a Hostess cupcake.

On two separate occasions Jennifer Vanderbes incorporates a chance at romance. Thank goodness these were short lived, I thought that if advances were included it could be likened to an action film with the directors adding a little romance to draw female viewers. They did add a softening to a hard edged book, but I'm glad they puttered out.

The recovery of her brother Tuck soon became a novelty idea, a lost cause that was clung to. Despite no good deed going unpunished, this misguided hope is what held the novel together. My one complaint was the ending, while concluding on a cliffhanger I almost felt that the author didn't know how to end it and just stopped mid sentence. The epilogue ties everything together but if not for that I would have been left with something missing, an incomplete story. Overall, The Secret of Raven Point is worth the read and a different look at WWII.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review