This haunting story takes us back and forth through time to find out what secrets the elderly Evelyn Taylor-Clarke has kept hidden for so many years. Now in a care home, Mrs T-C’s niece discovers old photos in a suitcase whilst clearing out her house which could mean that the secrets that Mrs T-C has been hiding may about to be revealed.

I love World War II books, so jumped at the chance to read this one. This author is a new one to me, but I shall be keeping an eye out for more books by her in the future. I did initially wonder where this book was going though. Evelyn Taylor-Clarke (Mrs T-C to the care home staff) appeared to be faking how much she could remember about the past, when it was obvious that she was a sharp as a tack. The chapters were interspersed with letters from her to her late husband Hugh, who was tragically killed in the war. As the story moves you, it takes us through Mrs T-C’s past when she was known as Eva, working in a newly liberated Europe, vowing to revenge her husband’s early death.

I loved how Mrs T-C wasn’t necessarily the sweet grey haired old woman that she comes across as! I certainly didn’t expect her story to end up as it did though! Her story was a difficult and sad one to read, knowing that whilst this is a work of fiction these atrocities really did happen and women like Mrs T-C did actually go through these things. Mrs T-C was a very clever lady who was obviously feigning dementia for some reason and whilst I tried to work it out as I read, it’s not until much later in the story that it all becomes apparent.

This was a completely different book to what I thought it was going to be. Other WWII books that I have read focus on the people left behind at home and the camaraderie between them to help them get through those war years. This story however, was focussed mainly on Mrs T-C, on what she experienced and how it affected her whole life right through to her being an old lady. It made me cry at so many points throughout the book, and shamefully, made me thankful that I didn’t have to go through anything like Mrs T-C did!

The story twists and turns throughout time and provides us with a different view than what other wartime books do. Beginning as a bit of a slow starter, this book certainly turns up the suspense and mystery as the story moves on. It left me completely hooked and towards the end I just couldn’t put the book down! Would definitely recommend.

I absolutely loved this book! This is really different from the usual WWII Historical Fiction books that I love to read. The story starts out with Evelyn Taylor-Clark who is in her 90s and in an assisted living facility being visited by her Power of Attorney niece, Pat. Pat is in the process of disposing Evelyn's possessions and comes across some pictures in a biscuit container that she does not recognize. Evelyn seems to have dementia, or does she??? The book proceeds in a then and now format where it takes us back to Evelyn's early life when she is married to Hugh who is in the service in 1939. There are lots of twists and turns in this truly fascinating book and it definitely is a page turner. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this great book that I highly recommend to anyone who loves Historical Fiction.

Received a copy of this book through NetGalley to give an honest opion of the book.
The plot sets out fine,but then it spirals into different timelines,a lot to take in sometimes.
The plot is about Eva,love,betray and revenge,after the war.
I didn't like the way Eva pretends that she has dementia, or how she portrays Pam in the story,as someone unable to cope,and has no backbone,while she is doing her best to cope.
Found it hard to comprehend how she sets out to kill the Colonial, on so little evidence and here say a bit hard to comprehend as she is portrayed as a level headed woman.
The plot seemed good at the start but then so many other things take over and the reader is lost,for example why would she keep her clothes that she was attacked in on the slopes in a suitcase there is no reason,what's the point,then her letters to her deceased husband Hugh seem so out of place and does not help the story to progress.
Needs a lot of polishing up.

This is not the typical WWII story about what happens during the war. It tells Evelyn’s story about after the war. It is told from three main timelines, the present where Evelyn lives in a nursing home pretending she knows less than she does, the 1940’s after the war when Evelyn helped the survivors, and the 1980’s after Evelyn returns home. After the war was over things did not return to normal and Evelyn had to do unthinkable things to survive. Now she must find a way to keep her past a secret.

It was very interesting to read about after WWII as many stories focus on during the war. I thought this was a good book but I struggled to get into the story at times. I almost gave up on the book but I’m glad I didn’t. I had to keep going to find out the secrets. I felt for Evelyn and her story and found myself laughing at her attempts to trick people into thinking she knew less than she did. It was not the book I was expecting but it was well worth a read.

I was looking forward to reading this because the description sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the story. I blame this on Eva/Evelyn/Evie/Hilda. The woman with a dozen names and a very convoluted history. The book was confusing with all the flashbacks. I usually love flashbacks, but this jumped from the present(2016) to 1980s, 1940s, 1950s and was never in chronological order. Eva's life just didn't seem believable. She had every imaginable thing happen to her. I hated the dementia game she was playing. I didn't find it funny, but rather annoying. I was waiting for them to put her in some time of special place due to all her "acting." So much happened to Eva over the years, but would have liked to read more about it. Everything felt glossed over. What exactly happened to her husband? She doesn't really know the missions that he was sent on but takes revenge for his death. There was just too much going on and never loved any of the characters. Does Pat even love her aunt? She seems bothered that she inherits a house full of valuables and loads of land.

I found parts of the story interesting. I enjoyed reading about Eva in the past rather than when she was in the nursing home.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Evelyn Taylor-Clarke is in her 90's, she falls at home and breaks her hip.
Mrs T-C is recovering and living at Forest Lawns Care Home.
Her only relative is her niece Pat, she's helping her Aunt by looking after the families crumbling manor house called Kingsley and sorting through generations of the families clutter. I believe she's really helping her Aunt as a way of keeping track of what and how much she will inherit when Evelyn passes away? Pat discovers some old photographs in a biscuit tin, blood stained clothes and guns stashed in a couple of suitcase?
Evelyn is a war widow, her husband Hugh died during WW II, she has no children and lives alone.
Pat asks her Aunt about the things she has found, Evelyn is old, senile and can't remember a thing?
WPC Thomas interviews the old lady about the old military weapons and soon discovers it's not going to be easy!
This is all an act, Evelyn might be over 90 but she's pretending to be a dippy old lady who's more interested in what biscuit she is having with her cup of tea than answering questions about her past, what happened during WW II and the contents of the old suitcases.
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The book is about Evelyn's experiences during WW II, lost love, secrets, betrayal, danger and most of all revenge. I did enjoy reading about Evelyn's antics at the nursing home, her relationship with her personal care assistant Mary and how she had her niece Pat totally confused.

I wish the story included more information about Evelyn's relationship with her husband Hugh, WW II and her time spent working at The Forbidden Village. I didn't like how the timeline of the story jumped around so much, Evelyn writing endless letters to her dead husband and why rape had to be included in the story?

My Name Is Eva is very different to other WW II Historical Fiction books I have read and I gave it 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Goldring for giving me the opportunity to read her first book.
I will be sharing my review on Goodreads, Twitter and Barnes & Noble.

Before I start, I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a free copy of My Name is Eva in exchange for an honest review.

In all honesty, I didn’t like this novel for several reasons. The greatest problem with it is the structure of the story, or more precisely, the lack of it. The story jumps from 2016 to 1940s, then 1980s, 2016 again, 1950s, 1980s again, etc. This made the story less captivating and there was no mystery as to what would happen. Now, I generally don’t mind flashbacks when they’re done properly. I think that the story would have been much more interesting if the flashbacks were in the chronological order.

Another issue is the fact that Goldring spent too many pages on describing Evelyn’s days at Forest Lawns Care Home. These parts are uneventful and annoyingly repetitive. On the other hand, events that took place during and in the aftermath of WWII are not developed enough.

However, there are some things that I liked. First, I think that the idea is really good. There are not so many stories that revolve around the brutalities that happened after the war. Also, I like that Eva is more of an anti-heroine than a true hero. After all, she’s not much better than the people she hates so much.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

She had many names. Evelyn Taylor-Clarke. Mrs. T-C to the caring home staff. Aunt Evelyn to her niece Pat, and Eva during her years of service during World War II. All of these names represent various sides to Evelyn that she manages to hide from many, during various stages of her life.

Presently, her niece Pat is helping her clear her home, as Evelyn is now in her nineties and, after breaking a hip, is unlikely to ever live there again. Pat is continually bringing different items to her aunt because she has many questions. Some the things include a photo of a little girl from 1951, a cache of weapons and odd clothing.

It is the weapons found that drastically change things for Evelyn. Pat is soon often accompanied by a detective at the Care Home. He has many questions about the things that were found, and even about a man who when missing years previously. However, as far as Pat, the staff and now the detective are concerned, Evelyn is all but senile, and her memory is unreliable.

Evelyn has a secret. Actually she has many, many secrets. For starters, her mind is as sharp as a tack, and she is simply play-acting. Furthermore, the story is told in varying timelines and readers are clued in to Evelyn's duplicitous nature and some of the activities she was engaged in during and after the war.

What a tangled web she wove! Young or old, Evelyn set out a path. During the war she had an objective. She never, ever lost sight of it and carried out her plans with exact precision. This book was equally startling and compelling. Kudos to Suzanne Goldring for writing such an impressive debut novel.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

My name is Eva is about a lady in a nursing home in her 90's with a lot of secrets concerning her time in the service during WWII and after. This book kept me reading and. Wanting to know what happened. However, that being said, I didn't feel connected to Eva at some parts like I thought I should. Overall, it was an okay book, I enjoyed the mystery, and I would read this author again.


I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I was given a free copy of this book by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
It was an interesting concept with an elderly lady pretending to not remember things to keep previous secrets hidden. I really liked that although it was about WWII it was set in Europe in the aftermath of the war. We really get a different perspective of that time compared to other books. Although I wish that was expounded on, and we learned more about that tough period of trying to find homes for all these huge numbers of displaced peoples! I think it would have been pertinent to today still. I only rated it three stars because I started to not care about Eva as much at the end. I didn't really understand some of the choices she made. Overall an entertaining read, but lacked something for me to make it higher than three stars.
#MyNameIsEva #NetGalley

My Name is Eva by Suzan Goldring

Eva, (Evelyn) is in her nineties and has been in the nursing home for some time. She has many secrets. Her niece Pat is trying to settle her estate and clean the house from years of things pilling up. Eva’s husband was killed at a young age. This set off all the events in Eva life. I think this act somehow caused Eva to have a lot of hate and she wanted revenge. Colonial Stephen Robinson consumed her for most of her life with her hate for him. I love following her life from a young woman to an old lady. Romance, Secrets, rape, murder. This story has it all. I loved it from beginning to end. The author has done a fantastic job of telling the story of a young woman’s life, all the things that she had to endure and her ending up in a nursing home with so many secrets, all because of a promise made.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advance reader’s copy of My Name is Eva. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a way to start out this dark historic fiction book! Took me a few to figure out what's going on,didn't know if I would finish the book,but I did and enjoyed it! It was different about her life turning the war! Received from Net Gallery. Will look for more books from this author. Loved the cover of the book! You must read tho find out how it ends!! You will like it!!

I was drawn to this book initially by the beautiful artwork on the cover which immediately let me know that this was a historical novel with a focus on World War 2. There was also a statement on the cover “You can pay a terrible price for keeping a promise” which had an air of mystery to it that set me to wondering what it would all be about. I have read many books that deal with the history of the times, but this one is quite unique and different from most in how it unfolds. I felt held in suspense as I was reading through it with more clues coming as time went on and I read the book in very short order whenever I could grab some time. For those who like puzzles, the author drops clues throughout the book and it is very important that you read to the very last page beyond the author’s notes. She certainly caught me by surprise!

As the story begins, we meet Mrs. Evelyn Taylor Clarke aka Evie, Eva and Hilda (short for Hildegarde). The setting is a retirement home where she has been living for some time. She is in her 90’s and after a fall it was made clear to her that she could no longer live on her own at her beloved Kingsley Manor. The reader quickly learns that in spite of her age, Eva (I will use that name throughout to avoid confusion) has not lost any of her mental capacity and is in fact more likely to remember things and be able to manipulate those around her than many who are much younger than her including her only niece Pat. Neither Eva nor Pat have ever had very much use for each other but as Eva’s only living relative the job has fallen on her shoulders to empty out her aunt’s house. I can identify with how difficult this must have been having had to do the same with my mother’s home after she had lived in it for over fifty years.

Eva was at one time married to her love Hugh who was involved in the military in some never clearly defined way though one is led to suspect he was serving in some undercover capacity. Sadly, he died in service to his country but though he is gone, Eva continues to write to him sharing her thoughts and feelings which the reader becomes privy to as the novel progresses. When Eva learns that he was likely sent unawares on a suicide mission, she promises that the man responsible will be held to pay.

The story skips back and forth through the years, and not always in a consecutive fashion, but as a reader I felt that the information in the flashbacks came out in a timely way.

Based on her desire for revenge, Eva makes choices that will guide her entire life, preventing her from ever moving on to form any other romantic attachments. As readers we get to see this slowly unfold. It leads her into danger and there are some scenes that include violence and rape which may be triggering for some readers. One thing that becomes very clear is that Eva is a master manipulator who is controlling all those around her without their having any awareness of it.

I think this book would make a wonderful choice for a book club with lots of food for discussion in terms of ethics and the difference between right and wrong. The author clearly knows how to write and made the story fascinating. When I finished reading the book one of my main thoughts was that it left me wondering just how many unique and different true stories there are for all the individuals involved or living in wartime conditions. I felt the book was very well researched and sadly, some of what happened makes it clear that to some the end always justifies the means. Each reader will have to answer that question for themselves.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advance reader’s copy of this novel My Name Is Eva which is due to be published September 11th, 2019. The above is my unbiased review.

I didn't love this book. Evelyn is a 95-year old woman who is living in a care facility. We follow her during present day, WWII and in the 80's. From the beginning we know there are secrets she is keeping and we spend the book fleshing out all the details of her crazy life of love, intrigue, murder, and revenge all while watching her play it all out according to her own devices.

I thought her "game" during the present day of duping all those around her was more annoying than enjoyable. While I admired all she did during the war, all her actions after that were somewhat deplorable and I didn't particularly like her for it.

As an FYI... there is rape, murder, and somewhat graphic torture in this book. Each scene is fairly short, but it's definitely still there!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book to review. Wish I enjoyed it more!

A good book but the author delves into some difficult subject matters. This is a darker historical fiction
It is well written and captivating but some may find it difficult to read
I really liked it

Evelyn is a woman in her nineties who is in a nursing home. While clearing out Evelyn’s house, her niece, Pat, comes across old photographs and some suitcases containing items that raise many questions. The discovery of these things takes Evelyn back to her days as a young woman working in post-war Germany and threatens to uncover secrets she’d rather keep hidden.
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This is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story of love, loss, promises, and courage. Evelyn endured more than her share of sadness in her lifetime but had the strength to match it. Some of it was humorous as Evelyn tried to keep up the appearance of an old woman who’s not all there anymore when in reality she’s sharp as a tack. You do have to pay close attention because the story jumps around several timelines. And I feel that I do need to strongly warn that one event/scene could be a trigger.
I love WW2 historical fiction and this will be an addition to those at the top of my list of recommendations.

World War II is an era that fascinates me. This is mostly why I picked up "My name is Eva". It did not feature as much of the war as I thought it would, but I wasn't too disappointed.

We follow Evelyn, who also calls herself Eva or Evie depending on the contexts, whose husband has been killed during the war. We meet her as an old woman in a retirement home, with many secrets threatened to be revealed when her niece digs a little in her property, now empty. Throughout the book, we discover who Evelyn is, the things she's done and the secrets she hides.

I felt a sense of peace reading this book. It just flows nicely, mixing letters with regular narration, so we get a glimpse of Evelyn's relationship with Hugh, her husband. I liked getting to know this little lady, who doesn't seem like much, but has done a great amount of things in her life, and uncovering her secrets, one page at a time. It made me want to see my grand parents more often and ask them about their life before kids (and I did go there afterwards !)

The reason I'm not giving it a better rating is that it was a little too uneventful for me. Don't get me wrong, there is some action, but I didn't feel too captivated by it, and it didn't make me feel anything in particular. Things happened and I just read them to get to the next part.
Another 'issue' for me was how deconstructed in time the narration was. You can go from a tale set in 2016, then 1945, then 1980, then 2016 again, then 1950, etc... I have no problems with the flashbacks, they're the entire point of the book, but I would have liked the flashbacks to follow the previous one. Like 1945, 2016, 1950,2016, 1980, and so on, instead of jumping back and forth decades.

Besides Evelyn, who was a good enough character, I couldn't feel much for the rest of the cast. They're here, but they don't convey much emotion, especially Pat, Evelyn's niece, who's a little cliché of the kid that doesn't want to be around old people too long.

I would have loved to read more about Hugh, getting to know who he was before being sent to war, how he met Evelyn, how they fell in love, and so on ! Maybe this can be another book ? I think I'd really like that !

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an e-arc !

I received this book as a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review. My Name is Eva is laugh out loud funny, sad in parts and had me glued to the pages in the beginning but I got lost somewhere a little before the middle. Fast forward to around 50% and wham! It picks up speed and i did not see “that” coming. Oh the secrets Evelyn has!!! Overall, i enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley for this book.

My Name is Eva is my first book by this author, but I will definitely keep an eye on her work in the future. This book is haunting and moving and told in a way that had me engaged in the story from the start. Recommended!

What a magnificent read! Eva is amazing. One of the best characters in a book EVER!

What a fantastic, beautiful, heart-wrenching tale, incredibly told. I absolutely loved every single page.

I sat for the last 20% of the book in tears, sad but happy tears.

An absolutely beautiful book