The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Out June 25th! Pre-order from Amazon here!
One of my favorite things about historical fiction is that virtually every time I read something in the genre, I learn something new. Alan Hlad’s The Long Flight Home is no exception. I was fascinated to learn that during WWII, the British dropped 200,000 homing pigeons into Nazi-occupied France in an attempt to get intelligence back to Britain from behind enemy lines. Although this story is fiction, I loved Hlad’s use of historical elements to enhance the fictional story line.
Ollie is an American who lives a (for lack of a better word) pitiful life. His parents passed away. He was robbed. He has no assets to his name. But as a pilot dusting crops on his father’s farm, he feels he can contribute to the fight in Britain. America hasn’t entered the war yet (we’re in the late 1930’s) so he travels overseas to lend a hand. But rather than flying, he ends up working with the National Pigeon Service, a less than glamorous assignment. That is until he meets the beautiful pigeon trainer, Susan.
I just adored the characters in this book. I cannot imagine the horrific things the British people enduring during The Blitz. Relentless bombing. Countless civilian casualties. Unbelievable destruction. The resilience displayed in this book was heartwarming.
Hlad was also able to built quite a bit of suspense throughout the novel. Several of the characters found themselves in challenging situations that kept me flipping page after page. I couldn’t wait to discover the outcome for our protagonists.
Overall, I adored this book. It was wonderful to learn yet another little morsel about WWII that I hadn’t yet. And to be told in such a beautiful way. Bravo to Alan Hlad. You’ve got a new fan in me.
I won an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Alan Hlad and Kensington Publishing for hosting the giveaway.
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