Book: How Angels Die by David-Michael Harding

categories: Book, WWII, French Resistance, France, Female Protagonists, Suspense Thriller, WW2, Germans, Nazis, Sisters, Germany, War, Historical Fiction

David-Michael Harding

about this book: More than a war story, How Angels Die compels its readers to face the decision-making processes that bring us to where we are and who we are. It also asks questions of the mind that expose prejudices and the eventual regret that follows.

What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?

The devastating personal cost and far reaching affect of war. The story strips away any glamour pushes the reader's face into the reality. The desensitization of modern day long distance war is overcome.

Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?

The sibling sister protagonists remind anyone with family of both the rivalry and comfortable banter that exists. The descriptions and personalization leads you to feel their pain and pleasure. You see the dilemmas and root for them like you do your own family.

How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?

The sisters' reaction to the occupation and their work for the Resistance is constant however, events push them to take harsh stances in defense of their different tactics. This increases the chasm that between the two and ultimately their parents. The divide is rooted in love – an odd foundation for the pain that is to come.

In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view?

The unseen, unspoken devastation of war.

Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?

The writing shattered any glamorous notion I had of battle and the medals my family had won.

Was there a basis for your story? A previous experience? Something else?

I recorded conversations with my father and uncles who served in France prior, during, and following the Normandy invasion.