LISTENER
B. Roscoe
Fans Of The Notebook May Enjoy This Book!
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reviewed: 05-29-20
Reads As A Stand-Alone In A Series Of Stories About Lenny And Natasha. The Flashback To World War II Is A Fascinating Tale Of Espionage With A Backdrop Of Romance!
This is the fourth book in the Still Life with Memories series, a five book series with a sixth brief book bite. I have not read the first books in the series and cannot comment on the series as a whole to this point; however, this book reads well as a stand-alone. Fans of The Notebook may enjoy this book, as some aspects are reminiscent of that story.
This is the story of Lenny and Natasha. It opens and closes when they are somewhat older. Lenny has become the caretaker of Natasha, whose memory has been slipping for some time. She has few lucid moments, and it weighs heavily on Lenny. They do not yet have a diagnosis for her condition. Lenny longs for his teenage son, who quit school and is travelling abroad, to return home to him. They have a complicated relationship, however.
The bulk of the book is a flashback to a time before Lenny and Natasha marry. Lenny reflects back to a time when Natasha was at her peak. She was a successful Russian pianist, and he a would-be writer enlisted in the Marines in World War II. After taking time out to return to New York because of his father’s illness and death, Lenny is called back into service. He had spent time with Natasha while in New York, and the young couple was crazy about one another. Duty takes him to London, and love inspires Natasha to hazard a trip across the dangerous waters of the Atlantic and join a USO tour in England, bringing her to Lenny.
Lenny’s talent has caused him to be recruited to join a secret mission to mislead the Germans. He has been tasked to write love letters with false information about the Allied forces in an effort meant to misdirect German intelligence, whose spy network had infiltrated the British postal service. With Natasha’s arrival, Lenny is ordered to find another woman to write letters to, as Natasha’s presence eliminates her as a credible recipient. His friend Ryan’s ex-girlfriend happened to have had eyes for Lenny back in New York, and though Lenny was devoted to Natasha, he could come up with no other option and was forced to begin a correspondence with Lana. The fact that he cannot divulge the truth to Natasha weighs heavily on his conscience, and the possibility of her discovering the letters has him living in fear.
The war story is a fascinating tale of espionage with a backdrop of romance. It is nicely written. The plot is complex. The characters are unique and authentic. The story is written in first person in Lenny’s POV. I rate the book four stars.
As for the Audio: it is well-performed, with unique voices for the various characters.
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