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jilligin's review against another edition
3.0
It started out so great but finished flat. I enjoyed learning about this ship though and the historic aspect of the story but the modern story was lacking.
ashleysilver7's review against another edition
4.0
Susan Meissner is a good author who tells a great story. I loved "Fall of Marigolds" and "Secrets of a charmed life", among other works (I'm having a hard time recalling some of the other titles at the moment). This book had a very strange opening, and I admit, I didn't realize this book was largely about ghosts and the spirit world. However, once I started reading and realizing the stories of the "war brides" and understanding what they went through, it became an easier book to get through.
The main character (I can't remember her name...I finished the book a few days ago) lives in California in the "present day" and has a rare gift or ability...she can see "drifters", or rather ghosts who slip through into our world...she tries very hard to ignore these ghosts, until there are pressing matters in her life that make ignoring them very hard. First, her husband wants to start a family; she is not sure she wants to, as she doesn't want to possibly pass her "gift" down to a daughter. Secondly, (and rather more interesting) is that she is contacted by a high school classmate (not a friend) whose daughter claims saw her dead mother's ghost on the Queen Mary ship. The main character decides to help, and uncovers a very strong, yet unusual "ghost" on the ship...which is how we come to hear the stories of the war brides.
Simone was the daughter of the French resistance during WWII and was extremely brave and went through many trials which most of us could only imagine (in our worst nightmares). Annalise was a German ballerina, and although she maybe didn't suffer as much during the war as we might imagine, she definitely endured a lot. Her circumstances brought her to aboard the Queen Mary ship after the war...but her story is very intriguing, and the present day "ghost hunter" does some digging to find out what became of Simone and Annalise, all while helping her classmate's daughter.
If you love history, especially WWII history, this book is a must read. I must share a common trend among novels that I find slightly annoying: almost every book anymore switches between characters. First you'll hear from this character, then you'll hear from 1-3 others. Usually 4 perspectives is the maximum, but sometimes there is more. I understand this is a great writing technique that helps to build suspense, but I'm kind of getting tired of it...but regardless it's still a good book. 4/5 stars.
The main character (I can't remember her name...I finished the book a few days ago) lives in California in the "present day" and has a rare gift or ability...she can see "drifters", or rather ghosts who slip through into our world...she tries very hard to ignore these ghosts, until there are pressing matters in her life that make ignoring them very hard. First, her husband wants to start a family; she is not sure she wants to, as she doesn't want to possibly pass her "gift" down to a daughter. Secondly, (and rather more interesting) is that she is contacted by a high school classmate (not a friend) whose daughter claims saw her dead mother's ghost on the Queen Mary ship. The main character decides to help, and uncovers a very strong, yet unusual "ghost" on the ship...which is how we come to hear the stories of the war brides.
Simone was the daughter of the French resistance during WWII and was extremely brave and went through many trials which most of us could only imagine (in our worst nightmares). Annalise was a German ballerina, and although she maybe didn't suffer as much during the war as we might imagine, she definitely endured a lot. Her circumstances brought her to aboard the Queen Mary ship after the war...but her story is very intriguing, and the present day "ghost hunter" does some digging to find out what became of Simone and Annalise, all while helping her classmate's daughter.
If you love history, especially WWII history, this book is a must read. I must share a common trend among novels that I find slightly annoying: almost every book anymore switches between characters. First you'll hear from this character, then you'll hear from 1-3 others. Usually 4 perspectives is the maximum, but sometimes there is more. I understand this is a great writing technique that helps to build suspense, but I'm kind of getting tired of it...but regardless it's still a good book. 4/5 stars.
bellsb00ksandwritings's review against another edition
4.0
Will I ever read a book by Susan Meissner that I will not love? I don't think so.
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
Susan Meissner returns following (2016) Stars Over Sunset Boulevard with her latest, A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN — a character-driven tale of three women from modern day to the past of the 1940s, of fear, courage pain, love, and loyalty.
From the past to present, lost souls who had to cross many bridges from pain and suffering on their journey to self-discovery.
Brette Caslake, present day lives in the present. She has a gift. She sees spirits, the ones which linger. She is drawn into a mystery which began with the RMS Queen Mary brought thousands of War brides to the US.
Annaliese Lange, who is escaping from a marriage to a Nazi, and Simone Devereux, who lost her family in the war.
"Life will send us across a bridge we did not want to cross, but when we finally open our eyes on the other side, we see that there had been nothing to fear after all."
Brette becomes drawn into the lives of three women from the past. Two of the women are escaping the horrors of war and a brutal past of pain and suffering. Brette tries to solve the mystery of the death of one of the war brides when traveling to America on the Queen Mary in 1946.
Three women shared a cabin; however, one did not leave the ship when it arrived in America. Brette connects with the lost souls while struggling with her own abilities. The Drifters or spirits. The author unravels the events while connecting the stories of past and present.
While I enjoyed the stories of the courageous women from the past, the present day Brette was not as intriguing.
As always, Meissner has a unique way of transporting you to another time and place re-living the past which lives on. Timeless. With well-researched topics and interesting stories of strong yet complex women, family, and relationships.
Lovers of historical fiction, a little mystery, and complex multi-layered stories will appreciate as well as enjoying the special twist!
A special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early reading copy. An elegant cover!
JDCMustReadBooks
From the past to present, lost souls who had to cross many bridges from pain and suffering on their journey to self-discovery.
Brette Caslake, present day lives in the present. She has a gift. She sees spirits, the ones which linger. She is drawn into a mystery which began with the RMS Queen Mary brought thousands of War brides to the US.
Annaliese Lange, who is escaping from a marriage to a Nazi, and Simone Devereux, who lost her family in the war.
"Life will send us across a bridge we did not want to cross, but when we finally open our eyes on the other side, we see that there had been nothing to fear after all."
Brette becomes drawn into the lives of three women from the past. Two of the women are escaping the horrors of war and a brutal past of pain and suffering. Brette tries to solve the mystery of the death of one of the war brides when traveling to America on the Queen Mary in 1946.
Three women shared a cabin; however, one did not leave the ship when it arrived in America. Brette connects with the lost souls while struggling with her own abilities. The Drifters or spirits. The author unravels the events while connecting the stories of past and present.
While I enjoyed the stories of the courageous women from the past, the present day Brette was not as intriguing.
As always, Meissner has a unique way of transporting you to another time and place re-living the past which lives on. Timeless. With well-researched topics and interesting stories of strong yet complex women, family, and relationships.
Lovers of historical fiction, a little mystery, and complex multi-layered stories will appreciate as well as enjoying the special twist!
A special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early reading copy. An elegant cover!
JDCMustReadBooks
deniseef's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
littletaiko's review against another edition
3.0
How do I describe this book? It's part historical fiction set in WWII with a modern day setting with ghosts to boot. Initially I was more drawn to the modern day setting but eventually tired of the primary character there and preferred the WWII aspect.
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Let me start by saying I am a huge Susan Meissner fan and even after this read I will continue to read her, she is a star author when it comes to historical fiction and I haven't even finished all of her backlist. When I was pitched this book, I didn't read the synopsis because I knew that I would love it and after starting the book I went back and re read it and was surprised that a big plot point wasn't even hinted at in the synopsis.
So there are ghosts and characters who can talk with ghosts and I don't tend to read books with these in them, so I was sad when it started but pushed on because I love this author and the characters beyond their abilities were interesting. And that is what I would say after I read the book, I loved the plot and the characters, I just kind of wish they didn't have special capabilities.
Let me start by saying I am a huge Susan Meissner fan and even after this read I will continue to read her, she is a star author when it comes to historical fiction and I haven't even finished all of her backlist. When I was pitched this book, I didn't read the synopsis because I knew that I would love it and after starting the book I went back and re read it and was surprised that a big plot point wasn't even hinted at in the synopsis.
So there are ghosts and characters who can talk with ghosts and I don't tend to read books with these in them, so I was sad when it started but pushed on because I love this author and the characters beyond their abilities were interesting. And that is what I would say after I read the book, I loved the plot and the characters, I just kind of wish they didn't have special capabilities.
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
Great novel! I found the stories from the past more compelling than the contemporary story that tied them together, but overall I really enjoyed this book. My favorite Susan Meissner book has been A Fall of Marigolds, but this comes close to tying with that story :) Beautiful prose, wonderful characters, perfect narrator. Loved it!
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
This book was unexpectedly excellent! Susan Meissner is one of my new favorites...her ability to mix past and present is phenomenal. I was impressed by how down to earth this story was, even though it involved ghosts. I didn't see the ending coming but I loved it. Great book!