Barbara Ridley

After meeting Otto in Prague, Lena becomes his lover and secretary. When he moves to Paris, she travels with him. When Otto travels alone to England, Lena becomes stuck in Paris with the outbreak of WWII. Using his connections, Otto obtains a visa for Lena, allowing her to join him in the countryside. Years pass, the two have grown apart and Lena finds herself growing close to another man.

Although this was an interesting book, it felt a bit hastily written. It skipped through a lot of time, which could have added to the book. Because of the time skips, it was harder to see how Otto and Lena both changed throughout the war. Overall, a decent book, 3 stars.… (altro)

I enjoy reading books about WWII but this is different slant on the era. It's told from a more personal view with well researched information about what it was really like to live during this time period - from the difficulties getting food due to rationing (Spam was a real treat!) the contributions that women made to the war - from office jobs to factory jobs, they helped win the war. Plus this is based on history from the author's own family - the main character is based on what her mother went through during WWII.

The novel begins in Prague in the late 1930s when Lena lived with her family. They are Jewish and starting to feel the wrath of antisemitism. Lena much admires Otto, a refugee from Germany who is well known for his speeches about the Spanish War. She goes to work for him, falls in love with him and moves to Paris to work with him. During the time period that she is in Paris, the author rewards us with beautiful descriptions of Paris and the people who are getting ready for war. After Otto again moves - to England this time, she stays behind in Paris hoping that her younger sister from Prague will be joining her in Paris. Finally with help from Otto, she is able to move to Paris right before the borders are totally closed. In England, she survives the Blitz and begins to grow up and face some harsh realities about her life and the lives of her mother and sister that were left behind in Prague.

This is a well researched, well written book and I loved the personal aspect of the way it was written. Lena is a character that I won't soon forget. I look forward to Barbara Ridley's future books.… (altro)

I keep breaking my promise to myself to not read any more WWII books. It is, I suppose, a very deep well to draw upon for story inspiration. When the tale you bring to life is based on your own family’s history it makes the telling all the more compelling. Such is the case of When It’s Over for Ms. Ridley as it is based on her parents’ lives.

The heroine of the story is Lena, a young Czech woman who feels strongly about what she learns is going in Spain with the rise of Fascism. As she and her friends go to protest meetings she encounters a young man named Otto who is far more involved in fighting the evil that is rising. Against her father’s wishes, Lena follows Otto to Paris as Hitler starts his march through Austria into Poland and beyond. As things worsen Otto gets a visa to England but Lena is stuck in Paris until something breaks and she finds her way to Otto. But England is not going to be the safe place they hoped it would be as the Blitz is just around the corner.

This is more than just another war story as it was so personal to the author. That deep meaning comes through in the character development and the feelings presented between the main characters – not just Lena and Otto, but the close circle of refugee friends and their English sponsors. The descriptions brought war time England to life which managed to ruin a couple of night’s sleep. So I am again swearing off WWII novels.

Ms. Ridley writes with power and conviction. Her research is deep – both the personal kind and the historical and it gives her reader an experience in reading that stays with them. I am still thinking about these characters and it’s been days since I turned the last page… (altro)