Metal Heart, The
Lea, CarolineWhen devoted sisters Dorothy and Constance Reid withdraw to the small island of Selkie Holm, the last thing they are expecting is the arrival of five hundred Italian prisoners of war who have been sent to Orkney to bolster the islands' defences. One POW in particular - Cesare - will have a powerful effect on the relationship between these identical twins who have always looked out for each other, especially since Con's traumatic experiences at the hands of a local man.
Captivating and heart-wrenching, with its beautiful descriptions of the Orcadian landscape, this is an unexpected story of WWII, inspired by real events and revealing the beauty and hope that is still possible in the worst of circumstances. [Larger font]
Pages
378
378
Year
2021
2021
Reviews
08-05-2024
Easy read, we enjoyed reading about the Orkney islands. Overall most people liked the book but didn't love it.
19-04-2024
The majority of us enjoyed this book. It was very easy to read but was basically a love story with not a lot of body to it. We all enjoyed the twist at the end, some having to read it twice to figure it out. We all agreed the writing was very descriptive and we all got cold reading it! The chapel & history were very interesting and the chapel so pretty when we googled it after we had finished the story. It is always interesting to read a book with some actual history, as it's based on events that really did happen.
07-03-2024
General approval of this book, although some questions raised about the historical accuracy re brutality towards POWs.
15-11-2023
Although the setting (the church built by the Italian prisoners) and the history were of interest, the story descended to 'Mills & Boon' romance. We are all too cynical for this!
13-09-2023
Everyone enjoyed the book and the history of Orkney. Most thought the ending a bit 'Mills & Boon', but some enjoyed the happy ending. A good twist at the end. We enjoyed the descriptive prose - felt like you were there.
17-07-2023
Enjoyed by many in the group. Liked the mix of fiction with facts from history eg. the Italian chapel, causeways etc. Great ending.
26-04-2023
All group members read this, and found characters rather difficult to connect with. We loved the descriptions of the island, and enjoyed the chapel building - leading us to look up the actual history. Discussion mostly centred around history in this part of the world.
28-02-2023
Very interesting - weaving history into the relatable story of the lives of the people who lived through those times.