Come from Away

by Genevieve Graham

From the bestselling author of Tides of Honour and Promises to Keep comes a poignant novel about a young couple caught on opposite sides of the Second World War.

In the fall of 1939, Grace Baker’s three brothers, sharp and proud in their uniforms, board Canadian ships headed for a faraway war. Grace stays behind, tending to the homefront and the general store that helps keep her small Nova Scotian community running. The war, everyone says, will be over before it starts. But three years later, the fighting rages on and rumours swirl about “wolf packs” of German U-Boats lurking in the deep waters along the shores of East Jeddore, a stone’s throw from Grace’s window. As the harsh realities of war come closer to home, Grace buries herself in her work at the store.

Then, one day, a handsome stranger ventures into the store. He claims to be a trapper come from away, and as Grace gets to know him, she becomes enamoured by his gentle smile and thoughtful ways. But after several weeks, she discovers that Rudi, her mysterious visitor, is not the lonely outsider he appears to be. He is someone else entirely—someone not to be trusted. When a shocking truth about her family forces Grace to question everything she has so strongly believed, she realizes that she and Rudi have more in common than she had thought. And if Grace is to have a chance at love, she must not only choose a side, but take a stand.

Come from Away is a mesmerizing story of love, shifting allegiances, and second chances, set against the tumultuous years of the Second World War.

• ISBN10: 1501142925
• ISBN13: 9781501142925
• Publish Date: 24 April 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

World War II has hit the banks of Grace Baker’s small coastal town. Her three beloved brothers, have all entered the war against Germany. Grace has stayed behind to tend the local merchant shop she runs and assist her parents. A dance offers a reprieve from thoughts of the war and it is where Grace meets a handsome young man named Rudy.

The tale that unfolds is poignant, rich in history, emotions, and as relevant today as it would have been then. A character driven tale wrapped in history that makes you feel, think, and become fully vested.

Graham presents Grace and others with the impossible task of seeing past the ugliness of war. So often we paint with a wide brush when thinking of the enemy. However, it isn’t always easy to hate the enemy when presented with an individual.

The author showed us both sides of the war and the people caught up in duty, politics and customs. I found the information from Rudy’s perspective informative and a gentle reminder that everything isn’t always black and white.

Their situation felt authentic as did the character’s actions even as I struggled with Grace’s flip-flopping opinion regarding Rudy. It was interesting seeing different reactions from compassion to blinding hatred.

Graham’s stories lend themselves perfectly to audio. Michelle Ferguson narrates Come Far Away, offering unique voices and accents. I found she enhanced the story allowing me entry into the emotions of this small-town.

While the story is fictional, Graham weaved in Canadian history. It was as accurately as possible and clarifies any changes in an author’s note.

This is a standalone story but fans of Graham will delight in this new generation of Bakers. We meet the first in Tides of Honour. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a ChapterI received this book for free from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



I was approached by Genevieve Graham to be one of the bloggers based in the US market to review her newest release and first time available in the US market.

Come from Away by Genevieve Graham was a fantastic read. I love history but admit to having a pretty narrow view of it. Mostly through the lens of the US. For instance I had no idea German UBoats had made it to Canadian shores. In all WWII related things I’ve ever seen online this somehow never managed to show up.

Come from Away tackles a big subject: prejudice. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. No matter how much instinct tells you to, you just can’t put large groups of people under one label. Germany’s role in WWII was unmeasurably awful; therefore, Germans must be awful. German soldiers? Even worse. Turns out even though one man (or even a group of people) represent a country, in no way does that mean one man speaks the opinions of every single person he represents. That remains true to this day. It was ignorant of me to ever think otherwise.

Come from Away brought me out of a huge reading slump. I couldn’t put it down. It had history, a good romance, and the book’s pacing kept me wondering what would happen next. I really truly worried how things were going to turn out for Rudi and Grace. There was so much that should have kept them apart. I really enjoyed the family as well.

Once I closed Come From Away I needed to make sure I had the companion novel Tides of Honour (this one is Grace’s parents’ story). Thankfully I do! I’ve been looking into Graham’s backlist and I’m excited to see I have some options!