The War Photographers
by SL Beaumont
The War Photographers is an interesting juxtaposition of life in WWII London and then four decades later during the fall of the Berlin wall, as seen through the eyes of Mae and her granddaughter Rachel. Rachel is a war photographer, inspired to take up photography by her grandmother’s stories of Jack, Rachel’s grandfather, who died during WWII. The narrative is told in alternating fashion by Mae and Rachel.
Jack is a New Zealander who ended up in a senior, secret, role in the British war effort. Mae is working at Bletchley Park in one of the teams decoding German messages, after the Enigma code was broken. Neither Jack nor Mae can talk about their work, including with each other. The crux of the story is the identity of a supposed traitor who is handing Bletchley Park information to the Russians. Jack is run over in the street, Mae is sure the traitor killed him and carries this story to New Zealand as she thinks her life is in danger so needs to escape London to protect the daughter with whom she is pregnant.
We meet granddaughter Rachel in New Zealand, about to return to her job in London where she is struggling to be recognised as a photographer in a male-dominated industry where the men get sent to the exciting jobs and women are kept safely at home. Rachel is determined to be a success and finds a way to get to Hungary, to see an early breakdown of the separation between east and west, and then to Berlin, where momentum to cross the divide is gathering. Rachel is determined to document events in Berlin and also use the opportunity of being in East Germany to discover who killed her grandfather as her grandmother believes the killer escaped there after the war. Rachel achieves both her goals, although what she discovers is not what she nor her grandmother hoped for.
The War Photographers is well researched and detailed in its descriptions of two major world events. The connection between the two women and their related experiences of political divides at different times make for an interesting story one wants to keep reading. Mae’s adherence to keeping the secrets of the war, many years afterwards, is a reminder of how strong people can be when they feel they are part of an important common cause.
In summary, the War Photographers is an entertaining and informative read about historical events which should not be forgotten, particularly at a time when the world is becoming more fractured.
by SL Beaumont
The War Photographers is an interesting juxtaposition of life in WWII London and then four decades later during the fall of the Berlin wall, as seen through the eyes of Mae and her granddaughter Rachel. Rachel is a war photographer, inspired to take up photography by her grandmother’s stories of Jack, Rachel’s grandfather, who died during WWII. The narrative is told in alternating fashion by Mae and Rachel.
Jack is a New Zealander who ended up in a senior, secret, role in the British war effort. Mae is working at Bletchley Park in one of the teams decoding German messages, after the Enigma code was broken. Neither Jack nor Mae can talk about their work, including with each other. The crux of the story is the identity of a supposed traitor who is handing Bletchley Park information to the Russians. Jack is run over in the street, Mae is sure the traitor killed him and carries this story to New Zealand as she thinks her life is in danger so needs to escape London to protect the daughter with whom she is pregnant.
We meet granddaughter Rachel in New Zealand, about to return to her job in London where she is struggling to be recognised as a photographer in a male-dominated industry where the men get sent to the exciting jobs and women are kept safely at home. Rachel is determined to be a success and finds a way to get to Hungary, to see an early breakdown of the separation between east and west, and then to Berlin, where momentum to cross the divide is gathering. Rachel is determined to document events in Berlin and also use the opportunity of being in East Germany to discover who killed her grandfather as her grandmother believes the killer escaped there after the war. Rachel achieves both her goals, although what she discovers is not what she nor her grandmother hoped for.
The War Photographers is well researched and detailed in its descriptions of two major world events. The connection between the two women and their related experiences of political divides at different times make for an interesting story one wants to keep reading. Mae’s adherence to keeping the secrets of the war, many years afterwards, is a reminder of how strong people can be when they feel they are part of an important common cause.
In summary, the War Photographers is an entertaining and informative read about historical events which should not be forgotten, particularly at a time when the world is becoming more fractured.
Review by Jane Shearer
Title: The War Photographers
Author: SL Beaumont
Publisher: Paperback Writers Publishing
ISBN: 9780473696436
RRP: $32.99
Available: bookshops
Author: SL Beaumont
Publisher: Paperback Writers Publishing
ISBN: 9780473696436
RRP: $32.99
Available: bookshops
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