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A review by ashleysilver7
A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner
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.