Book Review of "Clementine & Claudia"

Clementine & Claudia

by Piper Milton

The First World War is raging and sisters Clementine and Claudia are coping in very different ways. Clementine is a nurse on the front line, doing her best to save the lives of soldiers wounded while serving their country. Claudia, on the other hand, is living the good life in England, deliberately oblivious to the horrors her sister and so many others are living through. When they both meet their perfect man, their already fractured relationship is tested in ways they could never imagine.

The début novel from Piper Milton, Clementine and Claudia is a powerful and beautifully written story of romance and war and a wonderful addition to the romantic traditions of Penny Vincenzi, Soraya Lane, Brief Encounter and Downton Abbey. 

MY REVIEW:  Historical fiction fascinates me.  I particularly love to read about the World Wars.   They are sad stories of love and loss, in most cases.   The stories of couples eager to marry and even to conceive a baby just in case the man does not return from the warfield are hauntingly beautiful.  The tragedy that many do not return is heartbreaking.  When I read knowing that, though this is fiction, the reality is that this was all too often the truth for far too many couples.   

   Two sisters who already have a volatile relationship both find the man they wish to marry.  Claudia realizes her dream before her husband, Alexander leaves for the warfield.  Clementine discovers her own true love but does not marry before they both return to the battlefield.   She saves lives and he is forced to take them.  Life continues to be volatile for the two sisters and in fact, it worsens and may never be repaired.   

     What a story!   This is the debut novel for Piper Milton and I would love to read more!   I can easily see the adventures of the characters of Clementine and Claudia continuing.  I know that I would love to meet the characters again.   So Piper, please consider this if you have not already.   Thank you for a beautiful, if sad, story.  

     My rating for this debut novel is 5 stars *****.

     I highly recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction.  

     I received a gift of this book from netgalley and the publishers.  I was not required to write a review and all opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author:

Piper Milton is a mother of three and grandmother of four and lives on the south coast. Clementine and Claudia is her first novel.