This tale, told from the perspectives of three female protagonists during World War II, exalts the inner strength of war correspondents/journalists, especially women. In fictionalized form, it tells of the courage it takes to report on war as it really happens. It speaks to the obstacles that must be overcome as well as the emotional toll that reporting can take. The note at the end shows how Lane borrowed from real-life history to inspire her writing.
The main theme in this book is how women can gain strength through courageously overcoming difficulties. A female American writer, an American photographer, and a male writer stowaway on a boat to Normandy on D Day and report first-hand on the action there – before any male correspondents land. They overcome death and experience near-death. The women suffer bigotry and discrimination because of their gender. Throughout this story, the women fall in love but must press on to do their jobs with distinction.
My main criticism of the book is that most of the male characters are fairly one-dimensional and superficial. I’d like to see more depth all-around regarding the topic of gender. Male characters seem to fulfill roles in the main characters lives and seem to fall short of representing a truly egalitarian society. Perhaps that’s too much to ask for a story set in the 1940s, but it’s something I’d still like to see.
The book is also light on World War II history. I’d like to see the narrative of the war more integrated with the narrative of the characters. This book is a war-time book, no doubt, but it could have happened in almost any setting of conflict. Commenting on its place in European and Wester affairs would have added another dimension to build reader interest.
Characters grow in maturity, but their central essence remains unchanging. Experiences make each of the three narrators stronger, but not necessarily different. The plot relies heavily on intrigue to build and not much on character development. In some ways, the climax comes too soon for me, about 4/5’s towards the end. The resolution takes many chapters to unroll and play out. I think I would have been more interested were the climax closer to the end.
All in all, this is a nice read and shines a light on the hardships of war journalism, especially from the perspective of women writers. However, I would have liked to have seen more going on in the book than is the case. It lacked depth among characters and thus stayed on the level of “nice.”
The Last Correspondent
By Soraya M. Lane
Copyright (c) 2020
Lake Union Publishing
ASIN B086SWHM6F
eBook
Genre: Historical Fiction
www.amazon.com