1949: Starlings of Peace Book 1 of The Historical Fiction Trilogy by Catharine A Deever; Character Driven Novel About Life Between WWII and The Cold War
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: It doesn't take a lot of Historical research to realize that the end of World War II was a direct cause to the Cold War. The United States and Soviet Union were once allied against the Axis Powers and then emerged from the aftermath as the two strongest super powers. They divided most of the world through their ideologies, support of political figures, military might, and resources distribution. Even though not a single weapon was fired between the two superpowers, the Cold War was a war of arms distribution, ideologies, and political maneuvering. It was not the war of guns, aircrafts, tanks, bombers, atomic weapons, and soldiers of the Second World War.
Catharine A. Deever’s novel 1949: Starlings of Peace, captures the tumultuous years in which the Second World War ended and The Cold War began when one conflict was removed but another lay in the horizon.
In keeping with the themes of changing warfare and ideologies, even though it is by definition a war novel, it isn't concerned with big battles and sweeping military fears. It isn't long on plot. Instead it focuses on characterization and how it's various leads, specifically four couples navigate a changing world that promises peace but actually brings more conflict.
The four couples in question are:
Capt. John Jacob “Mac” MacDonald and Magdalena Eva “Maggie” Welles-From America. He is an Air Force pilot who was shot down and is now investigating the damaged European countries. She is a political operative and senator’s daughter who is on a fact finding mission for the Marshall Plan. Their separate ambitions are as powerful as their desire for finding and navigating a future together.
Sir Robert Anthony “Tony” and Lady Evelyn Taylor- From Britain. He is a baronet and financial newspaper magnate. She is an investment firm partner from an aristocratic family. They put off plans for a family on hold during the war and now they are ready. Unfortunately, they have to deal with changing feelings and putting on an elegant front in the face of a troubled home life.
Rene Laurent and Violet Charlet Boulanger-From France. He is an interpreter and translator who is mourning the loss of most of his Jewish family. She is a language teacher who specializes in Russian and is able to study the Soviet Union and provide insights on the impending superpower. They reunited after a long separation and tremendous grief which puts a toll on their relationship.
Sebastian Lukas Gauss and Heidimarie Regina “Heidi” Bauer-From Germany. He is a former soldier and POW who currently runs a small hotel. She is a former resistance fighter who now works for Sebastian. The two work to make their hotel into a success while suffering from the traumas of their past and growing attraction for each other.
The characters have many stand out moments where they deal with the scars of the previous war and live in the uncertainty of the future with another different sort of war looming on the horizon. They are at crossroads and have to navigate a return to a life that they may not be able to fully return to.
The couples have some interesting moments which display the depths of their characterization. Mac for example is still living with his injury and is trying to reform Europe for the future. Maggie is a very dedicated woman who uses her position to find out exactly what post-war lives are like without propaganda getting in the way. Their romance starts out well because they have similar goals and are very intelligent professionals. It goes a bit too fast for two rational adults in a post-war time setting when they get married not even halfway through the book. Considering the setting is one year, they were only involved for weeks or months before they were wed.
I suppose a quickie romance and subsequent marriage would have made more sense during the war but it seems a bit too sudden to be believable here. Maybe, their romance should have been more of a slow burn leading to an engagement in the final chapter. But that's a small quibble because Mac and Maggie are two characters that bounce off each other like lovers in the movies of that era.
Tony and Evelyn’s relationship comes from a different place than Mac and Maggie’s. They are a more sophisticated couple that had to keep their private lives behind closed doors. There is one telling argument that they have which suggests that their marriage was out of convenience and for appearances rather than any emotional or romantic feelings towards each other. This conversation plays a lot into how they interact with each other in public and in private.
They are a couple that put up appearances before the War and put emotional personnel decisions on hold. Now that the War is over, they have to talk about them. Tony and Evelyn care about each other but now have to decide whether appearances matter in a changing world or is it finally time to achieve personal happiness.
We also get PTSD from characters who were first hand witnesses to the brutal dehumanization of the Nazi Party. Rene and Heidi’s stories are by far the most traumatic in the book so it is good to see them embracing chances for new and better lives.
Being Jewish, Rene lost most of his family in the death camps. Even more heart wrenching is that he and Violet’s young son also died. They suffer such tremendous loss and grief and naturally are uncertain whether they can ever recover when they lost everything and everyone they ever knew and loved.
With the absence of family, Rene and Violet from families with the people around them. Ever amiable, Rene works alongside and translates for the others. He is a bridge that brings the various characters together. Violet is also in an interesting position. As a Russian translator, she is able to get some insights into the country that will soon become a formidable adversary on the world stage.
Heidi also has a gripping backstory. She has flashbacks of the things that she had to do to survive such as dressing as a boy to avoid rapists and becoming quite adept at using weapons. She lived in total flight or fight survival mode and it is difficult for her to adjust to a world where she doesn't have to live like that.
Sebastian and Heidi have a very interesting dynamic as she is someone who suffered at the hands of the Nazis and he is someone who while wasn't a member did a lot of damage by ignoring the signs until it was too late. In the post-war period, they have to navigate an unlikely friendship as well as their goals to open and run a successful business.
The characters in 1949 brilliantly capture people who have finally reached the end of one stage in their lives and now have to deal with what comes next in their lives, relationships, and countries.
