Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Rachel Beanland. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
Eileen is still mourning the death of her brother in Vietnam when she meets Paul, a Navy officer. Soon afterwards, he gets orders to report to the Mediterranean island of La Maddalena, where Paul will be heading up Radiological Controls aboard a submarine tender. Rather than be separated, they quickly marry and Eileen finds herself newly married in a country where she doesn't speak the language and the rules for a Navy wife are long. She soon becomes involved in the local politics and meets an Italian journalist, who awakens her in many ways.
I really enjoyed this look at a woman in the 1970s who is just on the cusp of figuring out who she is. I couldn't help but relate it to my mom who got married quickly when my dad was being sent to France in the late 1950s. The pressure on being perfect in a situation where you don't know the language or culture had to be so difficult. Eileen was a strong woman, trying to keep her marriage going, but discovering that there's a big world out there. Beautifully written and a personal story (be sure and read the author's note), it was told in the form of a written letter to a person unknown until the very end of the book. That person may have learned more than she wanted to! Very entertaining and informative as only the best historical fiction is.
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