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Doris (Angora, MN)
Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford
This is a good read. It starts out a bit slowly but I would encourage the reader not to give up.
The author tells a fascinating story about how WWI affected the people living in London. By starting off with the famous Christmas Day truce he continues to tie in the feelings of the people from England and Germany.
Gifts of War would lead to interesting discussions in a book club. Readers who enjoy historical fiction should consider reading this book.
Jeanne W. (Columbia, MD)
Great atmospherics, weak dialogue
This historian-turned-fiction-writer does a great job evoking the atmosphere of WWI-era London and his imagery leaps off the page. The characters are the weakest part of this very good book. The main character's decision to withhold information is the central point of the novel but this choice makes him a difficult character to like and that detracts from the enjoyment of the book somewhat. The insight into military intelligence analysis was fascinating. Overall, a very good book.
Mary Lou C. (Shenandoah Junction, WV)
Gifts of War
I thought this was a very good read. It kept my interest. I find the period during WWI fascinating, and the author wove in some interesting facts about the time period that were enlightening.
It is a romance, albeit a rather dark one.
Mary M. (St. Paul, MN)
Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford
This book is wonderful in capturing the tragedy, drama, and difficulties that people lived with during World War 1 in England. I enjoy reading stories of the times during the World Wars, and the author nicely wove the love story with historical facts. The descriptions of life during these years is very realistic, and I thought the author did a good job in telling about the changing role of women during this era.
This story is based on a love borne of deceit, omission and the tragedy of secrets.
A few times I thought the plot a bit contrived, but the ending had an unusual twist.
A good story and a good read.
Elaine B. (franklin, MA)
Surprisingly Literary Descriptives
I really loved the descriptive passages in this book. The historical passages and informative context of World War 1, although a painless way to learn history, were not what kept me reading. It was the word pictures of the sights, smells, and sounds so beautifully written and transporting. A really pleasant surprise!
Molinda C. (APO, AE)
"Gifts of War", like some gifts, not all I hoped for.
"Gifts of War" did not draw me in in the way that I had hoped. As a person in the military, I was interested in this book as a work of historical fiction. In that sense, Mackenzie Ford delivers. Her story is set within the chaotic backdrop of England during WWI. She writes so that the reader has a sense of the fear and recklessness that the British lived with during that period. Unfortunately, the story drags a bit and seems a bit contrived at key junctures so that it is all too neatly tied up in the end. This was not a page turner for me.
Rebbie M. (Parrish, FL)
Lots of historical detail, little emotion
I love the era of World War One, and was looking forward to being whisked away by a riveting story complete with the historical details of that fascinating period. The historical detail was there, and I particularly enjoyed the description of the famous Christmas truce, but beyond that, I felt that the story lacked emotion. I couldn't sympathize with the protagonist because the prose was dry, almost in the style of a report. There were no haunting descriptions or accounts of the wrenching emotions that a soldier in the trenches would experience. The author is a historian turned novelist, and even though the history was accurate, I had to make myself finish the book.
Catherine H. (Nashua, NH)
An "okay" gift.
Despite being well written with excellent WWI research, I just found this "love story/spy/pacifist" story hard to believe.
This book is definitively not "All Quiet on the Western Front" and if turned into a movie, it would not be "Paths of glory".
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