When We Were Brave

A Completely Gripping and Emotional WW2 Historical Novel

By: Suzanne Kelman

Narrated by: Alison Campbell

The face of the woman in the photograph was tilted upwards, as if enjoying the sunshine just for a moment, even as the wreckage of the bombed-out street lay behind her...

Cornwall, 1944: Blinded by love, Vivienne Hamilton eloped to Paris with a Nazi prisoner-of-war, never to be seen again. A disgrace to her family, her name would not be mentioned by any of her relatives for over 75 years.

Present day, London: When Sophie discovers a photograph of her great aunt Vivi from World War II, it throws her into a world of confusion. Because, as she learns about this secret relative, she quickly realizes that the photograph doesn’t fit with her family’s story. It shows Vivi leaving an address associated with a spy network in London - a place she had no reason to be - and it is dated right before she disappeared.

Meanwhile Sophie’s own life feels as blasted and bombed as the blitzed city in the photograph she’s looking at. Her beautiful daughter - as full of joy and wild energy as Vivi had apparently once been - is gone; and Sophie’s heart has been left broken into pieces.

Retreating to the family home in rural Cornwall to seek solace from her pain and the feelings of guilt that she could have done more to protect her daughter, Sophie finds herself becoming obsessed with Vivi’s life.

But nothing can prepare Sophie for what she is about to uncover - the story of a woman who risked everything for the person she loved the most; and a secret family history that could be the key to Sophie’s own future.

A powerful, haunting and unforgettable audiobook about love, heartbreak and betrayal set in World War II Britain and France. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Under a Scarlet Sky, and My Name is Eva.

Listeners love Suzanne Kelman:

"A heart-wrenching story of ordinary people elevated to the realm of heroes through love and sacrifice...It is an emotional journey of heartache and love that will leave you in tears. One of the finest books I have ever read." (NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars)

"Oh my goodness! Evocatively unsettling yet hauntingly beautiful...the story is incredibly powerful...I read this book with bated breath. I cried, I grieved and I hoped...I was left both heartbroken and satisfied. Suzanne Kelman...has floored me with this book." (Robin Loves Reading, 5 stars)

"A captivating story of love, friendships and hope for the future. It’s written with such depth that the characters and settings come alive before your eyes." (Chells and Books, 5 stars)

"Heartbreaking...Make sure to have your box of tissues at the ready while you read this beautifully told story!" (Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars)

©2020 Suzanne Kelman (P)2020 Bookouture

Excellent story of love and espionage; Joe

This book is very well written and captivating. The back and forth in time was not a distraction and there was enough mystery to it about who the principal characters really were.
A very good read and listen to.

Everything about this is excellent

What a well done, we’ll researched novel. Many bravos for the author and narrator; cannot praise this one enough. I will look for more from this author and narrator.

Couldn’t stop reading!

Great story and well written! I enjoyed the mixture of present day and historical- Love World War II stories- they truly were the greatest generation!

Kleenex needed Ch 25

Nice story. Two worlds collide. Listened on my drive from TX to NM. I had to skip part of ch 25 otherwise I would had to pull over the side of the road.

A sleeper

Not sure how I found this but very happy I did. For several hours I felt like I just wanted to find out what happened. Not exactly sure why. The narrator is very good but sometimes seems to over accent points, and I found a bit of the sex stuff kinda “lame”? “Over dramatized”? In the end I loved it because of the story and the mystery. I loved the ending and retelling of the song of the sparrows. Maybe most the authors description of her historical research and how it led to the book. Brilliant! Give us more! Cut no corners!