Books like A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith
Set in the aftermath of World War I, the novel follows five American women—Gold Star Mothers—who journey to France to visit the graves of the soldiers they lost. The women, whose backgrounds range from an Irish maid to a former tennis star, meet on the eve of their trip and discover a shared grief that deepens with each step. Their pilgrimage to Verdun brings them face‑to‑face with the battlefield where their sons fought and the cemeteries that hold their bodies, revealing shocking events—a death, a scandal, a hidden secret—that bind their stories together. Through this shared journey, their lives are irrevocably altered, and they find a way to confront their grief and return home transformed.
First publish date: 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: April Smith
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