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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 90 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 What a page-turner! Dec 06, 2007
By K. K. McClelland
"books, books, books"
This book is a riveting page-turner!!! I had trouble setting it aside once I began reading. Ms. St. Sure weaves a truly believable tale which speaks truth to the brave courage of two young women transported from rural Missouri to the horrors of Nazi Germany during WWII. I seldom read a book twice, but this is worth a second reading.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 War, depression and what people will do for those they love and what they believe in. Feb 11, 2010
By Roger Y
In general this book "Evensong by M. L. St. Sure" is about war, depression and what people will do for those they love and what they believe in.
You start with a father whose life is affected greatly by World War I. It ruins his singing career and causes him to go to America to live. Next you have a daughter that he teaches to sing and a family struggling after his death in the depression.
The daughter "Christine" gets away and makes a life for herself and then moves to France to live with an uncle. From this position she gets involved with the French politics and eventually with the French resistance during World War II.
The story goes on to describe some of Christine's exploits during the war and gives some insights to things that were happening during World War II. The story does a good job of presenting a strong female character and how she deals with the trials and tribulations of life, love, and war.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Self-published? Dec 29, 2008
By J. Collier
"subtle elf"
I feel a little misled on this book. I ordered it, expecting a great read, but immediately got the sinking feeling that this was a self-published, first time writer. It's not that I criticize that; I think it's admirable, and St. Sure has much promise as a story teller and writer. It's just that this is a first effort, with several errors and a few implausible plots (or predictable). I did like the first paragraph about the fossil and definitely think she has promise. I'm just not sure the many 5 reviews weren't published by friends.
I'm not trying to be critical; it was just a little disappointing. I wasn't able to finish it, though I think the idea and effort are very good.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Fast paced read! Feb 15, 2010
By Shena Lawson
Evensong is a story that has you pulled in very quickly. Christina is such a lovely character that you will not soon forget. Despite everything she goes through, she never gives up and stands for what she believes in. The author did a very good job at the historical references of WWII throughout the book. This book covers romance, love and hope. I don't believe it is for the faint of heart or someone "feel good" story. It is open, raw and bittersweet. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Romance and War Feb 27, 2009
By Sam Sattler
"Evensong," a blending of historical fiction, romance novel and war thriller, is set during the period in which Hitler conquers France and begins his bloody effort to keep her. Americans Christina Cross and her young sister have only recently arrived in the country but soon find themselves caught up in the struggle and fighting for their lives.
Christina's story begins on a miserable farm in Kelly Flat, Missouri, where her father, a European opera singer and World War I veteran, started a new life with Christina and his French wife. Despite the near impossibility of eking a living from the farm, things suddenly get even worse and Christina is forced to take a job in town in order for her family to survive.
Senator Liam Caradine, owner of the small luxury hotel employing Christina, is struck by her resemblance to his lost daughter and decides to do all he can to make life easier for Christina and her family. Caradine quickly realizes that Christina is a remarkable singer and he takes advantage of an opportunity to have her sing at a West Point event, an event which just happens to include Laurent de Gauvion Saint Cyr in its audience. Laurent, a French army officer sent to West Point to collaborate with like-minded American military officers, is immediately attracted to Christina. Christina, however, knows that she loves the elderly senator and rejects the advances of the young Frenchman.
It is only when Christina and Nicolette, her little sister, go to France to live with their uncle, General Petain, that she becomes reacquainted with Laurent through a chance encounter. Despite the loyalty Christina feels toward her uncle, she soon finds herself in complete disagreement with his strategy to pacify Hitler and allows Laurent to recruit her into the French resistance.
As France and its allies fight the German army, Christina, Laurent, and even Nicolette, find themselves in the thick of things. Laurent is so in love with Christina that he is willing to risk his troops in an attempt to rescue Nicolette from the Nazi experimental death camp in which she has become a prisoner. Christina, unaware that Laurent is preparing to infiltrate the camp, decides to rescue Nicolette on her own. What happens next leads to an ending that is not what most readers will expect to read.
"Evensong" is an exciting, but seldom completely realistic, adventure. Much of its continuing action depends on extremely unlikely last-second rescues and superhuman endurance and strength from men who have been shot multiple times, burned by flame throwers or had limbs completely blown off them. The storyline depends so much on coincidence to move it along, and the situations and characters are handled so melodramatically, that the book seldom reaches the level of realism needed to give it the emotional depth demanded by its plot. The most compelling reason to read "Evensong" is for the way it describes the horrors of how children were handled and exploited in the Nazi death camps. That portion of the book is, indeed, very powerful.
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