Tides of Honour

by Genevieve Graham

From bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a novel of love, loss, and honour amidst the horrors of war and its aftermath.

In the summer of 1916, Private Daniel Baker marches into battle with the boys of Nova Scotia's 25th Battalion. Out of brutal necessity, Danny has steeled himself against the trials and horrors of war, but he is completely unprepared to meet the love of his life in war-torn France.

Audrey Poulin has the soul of an artist. She lives alone with her grandmother in the quiet French countryside, where her only joy is in her brush and palette. When, by chance, she encounters Danny, the handsome young soldier captures her heart and inspires her painting. The young lovers believe that only together can they face the hardships the war brings.

But love is just the beginning. Mere months later, Danny is gravely wounded at the Battle of the Somme, and his future is thrown into uncertainty. Soon, he and Audrey find themselves struggling to build a new life in Halifax, a city grieving its lost men. As the grey winter of 1917 sets in, Danny's lack of purpose and Audrey's isolation continue to mount, pulling the two apart just as a new catastrophe threatens their existence.

Heartrending and enthralling, Tides of Honour is a novel of love and second chances set against Halifax's most devastating moment of the First World War.

• ISBN10: 1476790515
• ISBN13: 9781476790510
• Publish Date: 21 April 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

From the fields of France to the shores of Nova Scotia, Graham captured the period and delivered a tale that will stay with you long after the audio ends. In Tides of Honour, she shares the story of  Nova Scotian soldier Danny Baker as he traipses through France in the summer of 1916 and meets a young woman named Audrey Poulin. His troop holds up for the night in the barn of her grandmother's farm. Orphaned, Audry has spent the last ten years caring for her grandmother and the farm. The two feel a connection and begin a relationship through letters.

The story is told through the POVs of Danny and Audrey as their letter courtship grows. Graham takes us through their courtship, Danny's time in the trenches and eventually brings them both to the shores of Nova Scotia. Their fated romance faced obstacles as Danny carries the war with him and Audrey's passion for her art grows.

Graham made me weep, laugh, scowl in anger, and cry out in despair as I listened to Tides of Honour. Her ability to bring the period and characters to life through imagery and emotions created a timeless story with depth. I found myself caught up in the happenings and trials of the Baker family. I felt Danny's struggles as a man and provider as he battled the demons of war and faced down his fears of inadequacy. Graham has a firm grasp of PTSD, as well as the thoughts and expectations one faces. She allowed Danny to suffer, grow and ultimately heal.

Audrey is smart, bright, and a little insecure but I admired her strength and willingness to forgive. Graham doesn't go easy on Audrey, and at times I was angered by her actions and fears, but her story will make you ponder your action if you had to step into her shoes.

This was my first time listening to Fajer Al-Kaisi, and I felt his narration from the Irish lilt to the tone was brilliantly done. His pacing and tone allowed me to slip easily into the world and enhanced Graham's story. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer