Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Lies Told in Silence by M.K. Tod

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by France Book Tours, for Lies Told In Silence by M.K. Tod.  Please leave a comment or question for M.K. to let her know you stopped by. You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a copy of her book, by filling out the Giveaway form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour here.

Lies Told In Silence

By M.K. Tod

Publisher: Tod Publishing

Release Date: June 29, 2014

Genre: Historical Fiction/War Romance

Length: 394 Pages

ISBN:  9780991967025

ASIN:  B00LEYV2PI

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO

About the book:  

In May 1914, Helene Noisette’s father believes war is imminent. Convinced Germany will head straight for Paris, he sends his wife, daughter, mother and younger son to Beaufort, a small village in northern France. But when war erupts a few months later, the German army invades neutral Belgium with the intent of sweeping south towards Paris. And by the end of September, Beaufort is less than twenty miles from the front.

During the years that follow, with the rumbling of guns ever present in the distance, three generations of women come together to cope with deprivation, constant fear and the dreadful impacts of war. In 1917, Helene falls in love with a young Canadian soldier who was wounded in the battle of Vimy Ridge.

But war has a way of separating lovers and families, of twisting promises and dashing hopes, and of turning the naïve and innocent into the jaded and war-weary. As the months pass, Helene is forced to reconcile dreams for the future with harsh reality.

Lies Told in Silence examines love and loss, duty and sacrifice, and the unexpected consequences of lies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction featuring WWI and WWII.  Her debut novel, UNRAVELLED, was selected as Indie Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society.

In addition to her writing, Mary maintains the blog www.awriterofhistory.com where she talks about reading and writing historical fiction.  She has also conducted two well-regarded historical fiction reader surveys and in her spare time reviews books for the Historical Novel Society.

M.K. Tod is delighted to hear from readers at mktod at bell dot net.

Visit her blog

Follow her on Facebook |   Twitter | Goodreads

When I first agreed to review Lies Told in Silence by M.K. Tod, I did it without even realizing that we are commemorating the 100 year anniversary of World War 1.  As someone who majored in history, and loves reading books and watching movies about both World Wars, this was quite an oversight for me.  

While I have not read Ms. Tod’s debut novel, Unraveled, which also touches on the lives of the characters in Lies Told In Silence, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book not only stands on its own but that for me, it was better to read this book first since I like reading a characters progression from start to finish.  If you like reading historical novels or historical romance, Lies Told in Silence is a book you’ll want to add to your list; filled with well-developed characters, the colorful and emotionally charged background of war and a young woman’s first romance, this is quite an enjoyable book.

In May 1914, realizing the political climate is primed for war, Henri Noisette sends Lise, his wife, Jean, his youngest son, and Helene, his young teenage daughter, to Beaufort, a small town in northern France, hoping to keep them safe.  Sending his mother to watch over his family, Henri and his oldest son Guy, plan to stay in Paris and face whatever comes.  When war breaks two months later, the German army heads to France determined to capture Paris.  However, in order to get to Paris, they first have to invade northern France and Helene and her family find their lives changed forever by war.

Ms. Tod does a wonderful job developing Helene’s character against the backdrop of the war.  As Helene and her family are drawn together by their experiences, and the war grows larger and uglier, she is forced to become an adult sooner than she would have had there been no war.  Through their shared experiences, Helene becomes closer with her mother and grandmother as their time in Beaufort extends past the first few months.  I enjoyed watching the three women grow closer and how this helps Helene as she grows up.  I also enjoyed learning Helene’s viewpoints on the war and about her involvement.   

Reminding us that war isn’t only about death and misery, Ms. Tod introduces us to Edward Jamieson, a Canadian soldier injured in battle, who becomes Helene’s first real love interest.  While Edward seems somewhat reserved, it’s clear that Helene has also captured his heart.  Their romance, like many things in this book, is portrayed against the backdrop of life in a small French village and the beauty of the French countryside. 

Will Helene and her family survive the war? Will her romance with Edward lead to a happy ending?  You’ll have to read Lies Told In Silence to find out.  I can’t wait to read Unraveled next.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Crowns

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FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I received no other recompense for my review.