A Star For Mrs. Blake
$26.99
- Paperback
352 pages
- Release Date
15 September 2014
Summary
The United States Congress in 1929 passed legislation to fund travel for mothers of the fallen soldiers of World War I to visit their sons’ graves in France. Over the next three years, 6,693 Gold Star Mothers made the trip. In this emotionally charged, brilliantly realized novel, April Smith breathes life into a unique moment in American history, imagining the experience of five of these women.
They are strangers at the start, but their lives will become inextricably intertwined, alte…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780307948809 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0307948803 |
| Author: | April Smith |
| Publisher: | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Imprint: | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 352 |
| Release Date: | 15 September 2014 |
| Weight: | 268g |
| Dimensions: | 201mm x 134mm x 21mm |
| Series: | Vintage |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“A Star for Mrs. Blake is a beautifully written, meticulously researched slice of American history. April Smith’s poignant and tender story of five courageous World War I Gold Star mothers’ amazing journey across the sea is one you will never forget.” –Fannie Flagg “[Smith] brings graceful life to a wrongly forgotten historical footnote.” –Entertainment Weekly
“Detailed and colorful … A story of America–rich in the lives of each of the characters.” –Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Vivid and utterly unforgettable..” –The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
“Compelling… . A first-rate novel that is well worth reading.” –The Huffington Post
“Moving and surprising… . Smith, a lucid writer with a detective’s eye for detail, doesn’t let us forget the painful event that launched her heroine’s journey.” –BookPage
“A sensitively drawn portrait of an obscure but consequential event. It is also a story that highlights the power of female community, how that bond can help mitigate even a grief that has no end.” –WBUR.org
“April Smith has written a beautiful and unforgettable novel about five Gold Star Mothers whose stories are both personal and universal. Writing A Star for Mrs. Blake must have been a labor of love and it shows on every page. Everyone who has served or is serving in the military, and also their families and friends, should read this book.” –Nelson DeMille
“Smith writes with great depth of detail and of emotion, giving voice to … [these] Gold Star Mothers who traveled from America to their sons’ graves in France.” –Historical Novel Society
“Riveting… Smith has told this story with memorable characters and truly beautiful writing.” –Hudson Valley News
“Smith captures the mothers’ interactions in beautiful detail.” –Publishers Weekly “Captivating and enlightening… . A heartfelt glimpse into a little-known episode in U.S. history.” –Booklist (starred review)
About The Author
April Smith
April Smith is the author of the successful novels featuring FBI Special Agent Ana Grey as the central character. She is also an Emmy-nominated television writer and producer. In her research for A Star for Mrs. Blake, she traveled to Maine, New York City, Paris, Verdun, and the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. Her home base is Santa Monica, California, where she lives with her husband.
From the Hardcover edition.
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