Good morning! This Friday’s Fiction feature is Whom Shall I Fear? by Anne Clare! If you enjoy World War II stories, you will want to check this one out.

First Line

Sergeant James Milburn stumbled on a corner of threadbare carpet.

About the Book

Back Cover

1943

All that Sergeant James Milburn wants is to heal. Sent to finish his convalescence in a lonely village in the north of England, the friends he’s lost haunt his dreams. If he can only be declared fit for active service again, perhaps he can rejoin his surviving mates in the fight across Sicily and either protect them or die alongside them.

All that Evie Worther wants is purpose. War has reduced her family to an elderly matriarch and Charles, her controlling cousin, both determined to keep her safely tucked away in their family home. If she can somehow balance her sense of obligation to family with her desperate need to be of use, perhaps she can discover how she fits into her tumultuous world.

All that Charles Heatherington wants is his due. Since his brother’s death, he is positioned to be the family’s heir with only one step left to make his future secure. If only he can keep the family matriarch happy, he can finally start living the easy life he is certain he deserves.

However, when James’s, Evie’s and Charles’s paths collide, a dark secret of the past is forced into the light, and everything that they have hoped and striven for is thrown into doubt. Weaving in historical detail from World War II in Britain, Italy, and Egypt, WHOM SHALL I FEAR? follows their individual struggles with guilt and faith, love and family, and forces them to ask if the greatest threat they face is really from the enemy abroad.

My Thoughts

This is one of two WWII stories I’ve read this year. Whom Shall I Fear? was a history lesson and getaway rolled into one. I enjoyed Sergeant James Milburn’s and Evie Worther’s love story. The mystery kept me turning pages. Don’t tell the author, but I skipped ahead several times, fearing for the life of my new friends.

Clare’s love of history shines in her debut novel. With historical settings, a plausible plotline, and relatable characters, Whom Shall I Fear? is a page-turner.

Fans of WWII fiction will enjoy this tale of intrigue, clean romance, and victory.