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A review by sadiereadsagain
The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea
4.0
I had forgotten that I'd requested a copy of this, and when I saw the cover (the one with the woman looking out to sea) I honestly thought there had been a mistake. It looked like a generic romance, which is really not my thing. But reading the blurb refreshed my memory - this book is set in Orkney, and I'm a sucker for books set in my own country. I am glad the book now seems to have a new cover (the one with the lighthouse), I think that will have wider appeal.
This is the story of twins Dorothy and Constance, who have left Orkney for a bothy on an isolated island across the water after losing their parents. Constance has suffered a further trauma, one which we don't fully understand at first, but which has left her feeling like an outcast and unable to trust anyone but her sister. But their solitude is disturbed by the encroaching war, and the arrival of hundreds of Italian prisoners of war who are to be incarcerated on their island. With the camp comes the arrival of someone that Constance really doesn't want to have near her, and the outrage of the Orkney population at having their limited resources spread even further to support the prisoners as they construct sea barriers to prevent enemy ships accessing the water. When Dorothy volunteers to work in the camp infirmary, and feelings develop between her and a prisoner - Cesare, who builds and decorates a chapel for the prisoners - tensions build, with a devastating result.
I was really surprised with this book, from my initial low expectations. Yes, this involves a romance, but it is much more than that. This book looks at the treatment of prisoners, the danger of giving power to bullies, the impact of war and some Orcadian history. Though, I'll caveat that last part, as the author is open about how she changed details and rearranged timelines to fit her story. And as this isn't written by a native of Scotland, there are some issues with authenticity when it comes to the language. But overall, I found this a fascinating look into the history, and I really enjoyed the storyline. Lea has a really lovely writing style which invokes the atmosphere, and the characters felt well-rounded. I even enjoyed the romance, it didn't feel forced or unrealistic even given the situation. And the twists at the end were fantastic, it left me wanting to know what happened after the book closed.
I received a Netgalley of this title from Penguin Michael Joseph UK in return for a review. All opinions are my own.
This is the story of twins Dorothy and Constance, who have left Orkney for a bothy on an isolated island across the water after losing their parents. Constance has suffered a further trauma, one which we don't fully understand at first, but which has left her feeling like an outcast and unable to trust anyone but her sister. But their solitude is disturbed by the encroaching war, and the arrival of hundreds of Italian prisoners of war who are to be incarcerated on their island. With the camp comes the arrival of someone that Constance really doesn't want to have near her, and the outrage of the Orkney population at having their limited resources spread even further to support the prisoners as they construct sea barriers to prevent enemy ships accessing the water. When Dorothy volunteers to work in the camp infirmary, and feelings develop between her and a prisoner - Cesare, who builds and decorates a chapel for the prisoners - tensions build, with a devastating result.
I was really surprised with this book, from my initial low expectations. Yes, this involves a romance, but it is much more than that. This book looks at the treatment of prisoners, the danger of giving power to bullies, the impact of war and some Orcadian history. Though, I'll caveat that last part, as the author is open about how she changed details and rearranged timelines to fit her story. And as this isn't written by a native of Scotland, there are some issues with authenticity when it comes to the language. But overall, I found this a fascinating look into the history, and I really enjoyed the storyline. Lea has a really lovely writing style which invokes the atmosphere, and the characters felt well-rounded. I even enjoyed the romance, it didn't feel forced or unrealistic even given the situation. And the twists at the end were fantastic, it left me wanting to know what happened after the book closed.
I received a Netgalley of this title from Penguin Michael Joseph UK in return for a review. All opinions are my own.