Wolfsangel by Liza Perrat

Paperback: 495 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Triskele Books 2013
Source: The author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentences: We gather in the cemetery, before the ossuary, with the straggle of other remaining survivors and their families.

Review Quote: 'Wolfsangel captures the tragedy of betrayal and the constancy of hope. It brings home to the reader that choices made in youth, both good and bad, cast deep shadows. A superb story that stays in the mind long after the final page'. Lorraine Mace, writer, columnist and author of The Writer's ABC Checklist. 
My Opinion: It will not fail to move you.

I was delighted to obtain a copy of Liza Perrat's second novel as I thoroughly enjoyed her début novel Spirit of Lost Angels and as soon as I finished it, was already looking forward to the next in the series. Although written as part of a planned series entitled  'L'Auberge des Anges' featuring  the 'Angel Talisman' this can still be read as a stand alone novel. However I highly recommend you read both as this second novel met my expectations and once again I am left looking forward to the next one, entitled 'Midwife Heloise - Blood Rose Angel', which she is currently working on.

A tragic and moving story 'Wolfsangel' is based on real life events that happened in German occupied France during World War II and opens as Celeste Roussel the heroine is attending a commemorative service for an event that seven decades later the pain of remembering has still not eased. Having set the scene we are transported back to the days of Celeste's youth in 1943 and the village of  Lucie-sur-Vionne. 'L'Auberge des Anges' in the village has been home to the women of Celeste's family for centuries. It is this connection and the angel talisman, that emanates strength to the women that wear it, that links the novels in the series together. Feeling somewhat  protected by her status as the latest keeper of the talisman Celeste hating the occupation of the village and looking for adventure becomes dangerously involved in the resistance movement. Her involvement is bitter-sweet as the course she takes not only threatens her own life but the safety of those around her.

There are many novels written about this era but this is an exceptional one. The story of one young girls extraordinary efforts to help liberate her country from the enemy, that will remind you of the courage that people who lived through this period in history must have had. It will not fail to move you, harrowing but recommended.

If you missed my review for the first novel in the series, 'Spirit of Lost Angels'  you can read it here


Author Profile

Liza grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife for fifteen years.
When she met her French husband on a Bangkok bus, she moved to France, where she has been living with her husband and three children for twenty years. She works part-time as a French-English medical translator.

Since completing a creative writing course ten years ago, several of her short stories have won awards, notably the Writers Bureau annual competition of 2004 and her stories have been published widely in anthologies and small press magazines. Her articles on French culture and tradition have been published in international magazines such as France Magazine and France Today.

Spirit of Lost Angels is the first in the historical "L'Auberge des Anges" series set against a backdrop of rural France during the French Revolution. The second in the series, Wolfsangel, set during the WWII Nazi Occupation of France, was published in October, 2013. Liza is currently working on the third in the series, Midwife Héloïse - Blood Rose Angel, set during the 14th century Black Plague years.
Friends, Family and Other Strangers is a collection of humorous, horrific and entertaining short stories set in Australia.
Liza regularly reviews books for the Historical Novel Society and Words with Jam magazine

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing.

Goodreads Author Profile   Liza Perrat - Twitter    Author's Official Website - Liza Perrat

Blog - Liza Perrat - Author  Facebook Profile - Liza Perrat     Amazon - Author Profile