Never to Surrender
Mary-Anne O'Connor
Reviewed by Helen
This is a beautiful, heartbreaking and heartwarming story, it tells of finding your soul mate the other half of you during times that were so hard. Set during the Nazi invasion of Crete during World War 2, it is beautifully told by Mary-Anne O’Connor, a must read, I am still crying as I write this review.
1939 and Carl Smith is studying to be a doctor and is happily enjoying life on the south coast of NSW in a small town called Berry, he lives there with his beloved Papa Dr. Louis Schmidt, a professor teaching at the university, his parents came to Australia from Germany after WW1 as immigrants and like is father Carl is a pacifist. But when war breaks out and there is every chance his father will be put into an internment camp, Carl does the unthinkable and signs up to fight for Australia.
1941 Athena Papandrakis lives on the beautiful island of Crete with her family, swimming in the sea and exploring the ruins of the ancient land are her passion she is strong and willing to go to any lengths to save her home and family, when the Nazis arrive in invade, she is as strong as her ancestors before her, the Cretans will always come through.
After fighting in Africa Carl and his battalion first go to Greece where he explores the ruins he has learnt so much about from his father, they then go onto to Crete to try and stave of the Nazis there, here he meets Athena the woman of his heart she is part of his soul when they first meet in the taverna run by her parents. They have a very short time together before the Nazis arrive and cause bedlam on this beautiful island, but they never ever give up on each other no matter what they go through.
I do love MS O’Connor’s stories and I think this one just might be my favourite so far, based on fact it is filled with emotion and love through such horrid times, the strength and courage that is shown by the characters in the story had me cheering them on through my tears, to see the Australian and New Zealand soldiers work together felt so real. I loved Carl and Athena so much and all of the characters that added so much to this story, they all played a big part. This is a story not to missed, I do highly recommend it.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin AU for my digital copy to read and review.
1939 and Carl Smith is studying to be a doctor and is happily enjoying life on the south coast of NSW in a small town called Berry, he lives there with his beloved Papa Dr. Louis Schmidt, a professor teaching at the university, his parents came to Australia from Germany after WW1 as immigrants and like is father Carl is a pacifist. But when war breaks out and there is every chance his father will be put into an internment camp, Carl does the unthinkable and signs up to fight for Australia.
1941 Athena Papandrakis lives on the beautiful island of Crete with her family, swimming in the sea and exploring the ruins of the ancient land are her passion she is strong and willing to go to any lengths to save her home and family, when the Nazis arrive in invade, she is as strong as her ancestors before her, the Cretans will always come through.
After fighting in Africa Carl and his battalion first go to Greece where he explores the ruins he has learnt so much about from his father, they then go onto to Crete to try and stave of the Nazis there, here he meets Athena the woman of his heart she is part of his soul when they first meet in the taverna run by her parents. They have a very short time together before the Nazis arrive and cause bedlam on this beautiful island, but they never ever give up on each other no matter what they go through.
I do love MS O’Connor’s stories and I think this one just might be my favourite so far, based on fact it is filled with emotion and love through such horrid times, the strength and courage that is shown by the characters in the story had me cheering them on through my tears, to see the Australian and New Zealand soldiers work together felt so real. I loved Carl and Athena so much and all of the characters that added so much to this story, they all played a big part. This is a story not to missed, I do highly recommend it.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin AU for my digital copy to read and review.
5 stars
February 1, 2023 by HQ Fiction
