I am a big fan of Judith Lennox, and can always guarantee I am in for a good read when I pick up one of her novels. "The Heart of the Night" has proved to be no exception. This story begins a few years before the Second World War and ends a few years after it, but it is primarily a tale of wartime experiences across Europe and beyond, and is centered around two young women, Miranda, and Kay - their loves and losses, their triumphs and tragedies, their journeys and homecomings.
Kay Garland takes the job of companion to the outgoing, mischievous Miranda Denisov in London in 1936, and from there they travel around Europe with Miranda's powerful and controlling father. The world teeters on the brink of major conflict, and by the time Kay is dismissed from the household for keeping Miranda's relationship with a young man she met in Paris a secret, the inevitability of war is evident.
Although this is obviously a work of fiction, the author's in depth knowledge of the events that provide the background to the story, and her talent for bringing those events right into the lives of her characters, make for compulsive reading.
The emotional honesty and insight that goes hand in hand with Ms Lennox's writing is truly amazing, and creates characters whovery quickly start to live in my head and remain with me after the last page is turned.
This is a book to lose yourself in. The only criticism I have is that I'm not quite sure how the title fits. Perhaps others will be able to see what I can't, but in any case it does not detract from what I feel is a well deserved five star review.