Title: The Daughter’s Tale
Author: Armando Lucas Correa
Published: June 1st 2019
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Pages: 352
Genres: Fiction, Historical
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 4 stars
Based on the true story of the Nazi massacre of a French village in 1944, an unforgettable tale of love and redemption from the bestselling author of The German Girl.
New York City, 2015: Elise Duval, eighty years old, receives a phone call from a woman recently arrived from Cuba bearing messages from a time and country that she’s long forgotten. A French Catholic who arrived in new York after World War II, Elise and her world are forever changed when the woman arrives with letters written to Elise from her mother in German during the war, unravelling more than seven decades of secrets.
Berlin, 1939: Bookstore owner and recent widow Amanda Sternberg is fleeing Nazi Germany with her two young daughters, heading towards unoccupied France. She arrives in Haute-Vienne with only one of her girls. Their freedom is short-lived and soon they are taken to a labour camp.
Inspired by one of the most shocking atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II, the 1944 massacre of all the inhabitants of the village of Oradour-Sur-Glane in the south of France, The Daughter’s Tale is a beautifully crafted family saga of love, survival and hope against all odds.
Review:
A family splintered by war and the strength of parental love is at the core of The Daughter’s Tale, the second novel from author Armando Lucas Correa. Corresponding between New York City in 2015, World War II Germany and France, this moving story chronicles the strength, endurance, sacrifice and love of a family during one of our worst periods in human history.
Inspired by the true account of a young girl’s life in World War II and modelled in part on the horrendous events of a massacre of a French village at the hands of the Nazi war machine in the 1940s, The Daughter’s Tale is a haunting novel. The second book penned by Armando Lucas Correa begins its journey in New York, in the year 2015. A woman in her eighties, Elise Duval, is shocked to receive a phone call, taking her back to a past she has long forgotten. This phone call is followed by a set of letters addressed to Elise from her German mother. The content of these letters brings plenty of secrets to the surface. Linked to this story is the life of Amanda, a bookstore owner. In the year 1939, in Berlin, Amanda is forced to escape the dangers of Nazi dominated Germany, in order to secure the safety of her two young daughters. Amanda aims for France, a somewhat safe zone. But the journey is treacherous. The family are torn apart and they face further hardship when they are sent to a camp. The Daughter’s Tale utilises real life events as an impetuous to form this tense story of strength, survival, loss and faith.
Armando Lucas Correa is one of those very talented historical fiction experts. Correa unearths forgotten fragments of history and embroiders the facts around a compelling historical narrative. The Daughter’s Tale is a select piece of literature that excels in conveying a chapter in the past that is just so upsetting and regrettable that it should never be forgotten. The role of a historical fiction novelist, especially when handling such delicate and emotional events of the past is integral, drawing present day readers to the plight of those in the past. We need these special and talented writers to cross that bridge between history and the reader.
I have the deepest respect for Armando Lucas Correa, he is a really campaigner for historical fiction, with a particular emphasis on World War II. Correa’s first novel examined the largely unheard of plight of hundreds of Jewish people on board a ship that was bound for the safe waters of Cuba. Dejected by this country and many others, the ship was forced to sail back. In refusing entry and asylum for the passengers, many of these unsuspecting countries sealed the fate and death warrants for many of the occupants of this ship. It is utterly appalling, and an event that didn’t need to happen, but it did and to this day, after learning about the terrible fate of these people, the story has refused to leave my side. This was again the case with The Daughter’s Tale, based on the events of a Nazi massacre in a French Village in 1944, Correa demonstrates his deep commitment to resurrecting historical events of the past, which are often very difficult to comprehend. There is no questioning the validity and passion demonstrated by Correa in terms of his story crafting. The Daughter’s Tale is a carefully constructed and well informed book. The Daughter’s Tale works to strengthen the reader’s understanding of the facts, feelings and actions of those who lived during this dangerous time in history.
The rich history of The Daughter’s Tale is complimented by an emotive family saga that centres the novel. As a mother, I really bonded with the mother figure of this tale, Amanda. I felt every setback she experienced and I had great hope that she would be able to secure her family’s long term safety. I was moved emotionally by the events that the characters in this novel negotiate, it increased my connection to the novel. The Daughter’s Tale is definitely worthy of your full attention from start to finish.
The Daughter’s Tale is a highly emotive tale, which is carried along by Correa’s receptive prose. The Daughter’s Tale is underscored by a strong focus on the history and the lived experiences of a family that battled against the horrors of war. Readers with a vested interest in World War II will find The Daughter’s Tale of great interest.
The Daughter’s Tale by Armando Lucas Correa was published on 1st June 2019 by Simon & Schuster Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Daughter’s Tale, Armando Lucas Correa, visit here.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
