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How Angels Die

David-Michael HARDING

Published in 2011, by Q&CY BOOKS

420 pages

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines,
I received this book for free from the author
in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer,
and the thoughts are my own.

ISBN-10: 0615503322
ISBN13: 9780615503325

Purchase the book (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords)

This book counts for the following Reading Challenges:

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK

Wow, what a book!
I always swear I have read enough about WWII, but once again I could not resist accepting this book when the author contacted me.
How Angels Die is not for the faint of heart, and I was tempted several times to quit because of its tough content. But the quality of the writing itself and the suspense had be go to the end!

We have all heard stories about French women prostituting themselves with Nazi soldiers during the German occupation of France, but this is set here at the very heart of the Resistance movement and inside a struggling family. And only near the end will you know how deep this family is struggling.

Monique and Claire, the two sisters of this family, have their own way of working for the Resistance. This is a great way of presenting what the French went through, and all the issues at stake, at the level of the nation, of local villages, and of families. The book thus deals with the difficult question of what you do when your country is in danger: do you just try to survive in your little corner, trying to hide and ignore what’s going on hoping it will get better soon? Do you use your gifts and talents to help salvage the situation: your mind and arms if you are strong? Your body if you are pretty? Is one way better than the other? Are the 2 ways compatible one by side?

The characters are extremely well defined, with their own personalities and personal struggles during that terrible time.

I also liked the way the author showed that it was not all black and white for some German soldiers either.

If you love war novels and are especially interested in the Resistance movement during WWII, you absolutely have to read this book. But be prepared, there’s a lot of violence, blood, rape included. It is also very tough at the emotional level, and you may experience a feeling of oppression as you devour the book, so good it is. You feel taken in the action right away, and it won’t leave you in peace until you are done. Actually the characters will remain with you for a long time.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

Two sisters take different roads in their work for the French Resistance during World War II. Claire is an active guerrilla fighter while Monique seduces German officers to learn military secrets from bedroom pillows. Love enters in for both as battles rage in their family over the morality of killing vs. sex while, unknown to them all, D-Day rapidly approaches.

How Angels Die is a highly dramatic novel with very strong female protagonists. The story is rife with action, conflict, and intrigue. Through it all, the characters struggle with devotion to family, country, cause, and oneself. The reader is effortlessly drawn along the storyline and feels the impact of the events surrounding the sisters. Compassion for the characters, German as well as French, runs deep and captures the imagination as coastal war-torn France comes alive on the pages.

Brimming with high drama that is punctuated by family humor, How Angels Die lifts the veil on a lesser-known side of the French Resistance. Through the prism of two intrepid women, the novel illuminates how these women employ their formidable assets and fierce love of country to face down a vicious enemy. With page-turning action, unstoppable passion, and historical accuracy, this heart-racing novel is a must-read for sisters, history buffs, and action enthusiasts alike.

More than a war story, How Angels Die compels its readers to face the decision-making processes that bring us to where we are and who we are. It also asks questions of the mind that expose prejudices and the eventual regret that follows.

“In How Angels Die Harding delivers an edge of the seat read as he skillfully summarizes the events and pain of years of conflict during the Nazi occupation of France into ninety-six gut wrenching, mesmerizing hours.” David Roth, Tampa Writing Examiner [provided by the author]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David-Michael Harding is a life-long writer whose last novel, How Angels Die, received critical acclaim. A former semi-professional football player, his writing is hard hitting and passionate. He holds a master’s degree in education and is an adjunct professor of writing. His respect and admiration of Native American culture inspired this novel. Most of his days are spent writing from the cockpit of his sailboat, Pegasus, somewhere off the Nature Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

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AND NOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THIS BOOK !

I have way too many books on my shelves, so here is a chance for you to win my copy:

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Notes:

* If you have problems entering the giveaway for this book, please send me an email before midnight on 8/15 at ehc16e {at] yahoo [dot) com. Include in it:

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the url of your tweet of this giveaway, for an extra entry.

* when you enter a giveaway, I keep your email address only until a winner has been chosen and has confirmed. After that, I delete the form where your answers were stored during the duration of the giveaway. If you win and you email me your mailing address, I delete this email and its information as soon as I have mailed you the book.