Author: Rose Prendeville
Released: 09/08/26
Genre: Historical Romance
“Plenty of poems were jotted in the cramped spaces between shellings. Some were likely written in the doldrums with ample refinement, but many poets were cut down before their time, leaving only a draft they might well be ashamed to see in print. One can only hope they’d be pleased.”
“The Unknown Birds” follows Charlotte Ashley during WWI and following the events of the Great War. Charlotte’s an eighteen-year-old living in England with her twin brother, Charles, and mother when the Crown drafts her brother.
Instead of reporting for duty, Charles runs away. Fearful of what will happen to her brother if caught, Charlotte decides to take matters into her own hands. She disguises herself and reports in his place as Charley “Ash” Ashley, alongside TomTom, an observant and kind nineteen-year-old. Both are assigned as runners in the trenches of France.
Having missed out on essential training, their Captain requests sniper Alex Rook assist in this manner. Charlotte finds an instant connection to Rook, one she can’t deny. Fighting her feelings and fighting to stay alive, she manages to find a family away from home in her fellow runners. But war has a way of tearing things apart, and when Charlotte is torn from battle she spends the next twenty years running from ghosts. One day, a ghost turns out to be a bit more real than expected.
How will Charlotte’s past come back to her? Will those closest to her forgive her deception? And who actually survived those trenches?
Trigger Warning: violence, war-time death, adult language, sexual situations
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. This is a dual-timeline book told through the POV of the main protagonist, Charley or “Ash”. One timeline begins in 1916 and follows Charley as she fights to survive in the trenches during WWI. Charley begins her tale as a rather innocent, though determined, 18-year-old. Her character develops over the course of the war from having panic attacks and looking to others for reassurance into a much more hardened and self-assured individual. She meets and builds a connection with several of the other runners including Rook, a sniper with a heart, who steals hers. Obvious complicating matters- like the war and her cover story, prevent her from acting on her feelings, but she can’t help but be drawn to Rook. Charley’s love from afar is tortuous and heartbreaking. But the love she and her runners have for each other is endearing and lovely. There’s a particular scene involving the song “Silent Night” which is one of the most emotionally charged and stirring scenes I have read in a book in a while. I cared about these characters and felt their pain (AND THANK YOU FOR NOT KILLING THE DOG!!). The other timeline begins in London in 1939 about 20 years after Charley’s return home from the war. This timeline focuses on the repercussions of the war and Charley‘s actions to enter it. It also reveals who made it home, wrapping up Charley’s story in a way that feels fulfilling and complete- oh, and there’s a good amount of romance in there too little bird...
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A historical romance, dual-timeline with well-developed characters, a likable protagonist, and strong emotional connections.
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