Cover Image: The Sailor from Casablanca

The Sailor from Casablanca

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Member Reviews

Fantastic story-line, switching between the second-world war and present day unraveling a mystery. Descriptive and atmospheric transporting you to a war-torn France and a golden Casablanca.

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An absorbing read a book full of f characters that come alive.An emotionally moving story.that drew me in and kept me reading late into the night.A book I will be highly recommending.#netgalley #hoder&stoughton.

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I expected this to be a sort of time-shift romance, judging by the cover. But it transpired to be so much more! It was a lot more in depth and interesting. I found it a little hard to follow at times, but it was worth persevering. An thought provoking read.

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A fantastic book that make you want to keep reading. Cup of coffee in one hand and this book in another, what could be better.

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Didn’t grab me immediately so I stopped. I may go back to it at a later date but there are too many books to read to justify it.

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Too many different narrators,too complicated a story. Struggled to the end,not my cup of tea. Didn't warm to any of the characters.

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A young Frenchman joins the Navy when underage, and ends up on a ship in Casablanca. The story covers two time periods - the second world war and modern-day Casablanca - and the connections between the two periods.
An enjoyable read, but not as compelling as I had hoped from reading the description - perhaps something was lost in the translation as, for me, the characters and scenes did not really come to life.

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Given the rather cartoonish and light hearted romantic cover, this is a hard hitting novel. A view of wartime but this time in Casablanca and from the view of the French which I hadn't read about before. I do love a translated novel too so to read one from the French was a joy.

The story is compelling and could be true. Someone thought dead in the war could be alive. Imagine that for a second. The dual time lines was brilliantly done and I felt torn between going back to the past and coming through to the present day to see just how the tale would unfold. It's a heartbreaking and heartwarming tale at the same time.

A novel of war with a difference and a stunning backdrop. If the novel doesn't entice you to Golden Age Casablanca (minus the war of course) I'm not sure what will.

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I expected a lighter read but was happy to see this was not the case! Very well written and absorbing, i couldn't put it down!

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So Guillaume is dead. Who is he? That's what we'll find out thru those who knew him,....family, friends, lovers, et al. When did it happen...in 1940I? How did it happen....in Casablanca on the ship Guillaume was on? There is an air of mystery surrounding this story, enough to hold your interest. It is a dual timeline story, both from WWII to a more current and contemporary time. The book will hold your interest, recommended. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A mystery as to the story of the baby born in the Casablanca military hospital in 1940. A narrative told from the perspectives of Guillaume's parents, sister, friends, lovers, son and granddaughter. A sailor in the French Navy, Guillaume has an affinity for Casablanca and the cinema.. What happened to him?

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The colourful cover and the title might suggest a light summer read, but the reader quickly realizes that here is a story that has depth, with well rounded characters. The drama ranges from the 1930s to the 21st century and is placed in the hands of various participants with different viewpoints who move us from chapter to chapter. This is history combined with contemporary fiction with an embedded element of mystery which keep us turning the pages. Guillaume, the charismatic young man who joined the navy to see the world, is at the heart of the mystery which deepens chapter by chapter. Guillaume is a well written fictional hero who we are well disposed to love and admire, but soon we are asking, with countless others, did he have feet of clay?
The Sailor from Casablanca has been a quick read - but that is because I had to keep on reading, I had to know if Guillaume was a deserter, a spy, a traitor, or just a man "that loved not wisely but too well".

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Thank you Netgalley and the publishers Hodder and Stroughton for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Sailor from Casablanca is a story that straddles between two different times; 1940 and 2005. In 1936, Guillaume, a young vibrant man joins the French Navy as a gateway to fulfil his desire to travel and experience the world despite his parents' concerns. In 1940, Hitler strikes and the whole of Europe is in a turmoil. At the same time, Guillaume and his mates are in Casablanca where their ship is berthed. The unthinkable happens when an explosion occurs and destroys the ship with almost everyone in it. At the time of this horrid event, Guillaume is on that ship. When the news of his death reaches his family in France, they are devastated and with the threat of war looming closer, this could be the worst time of their lives.

In 2005, modern day Casablanca, Loubna is a young women with a deep love for the cinema and dreams to open one of her own. In the course of working towards this goal, she stumbles into some information that sparks her curiosity towards her unknown family history. As she digs deeper, she discovers more than she could have ever imagined about her grandfather, his escapades and his questionable death.
This book is two genres in one - Historical and contemporary fiction. First, I loved the fact that the book allowed me to relate with each of the main characters directly as each chapter featured a different character. This allowed the story to be seen from several views and added more suspense to the story.
Secondly, the back story on how the second world war started was a great history lesson especially as it was told from the perspective of the French. Also, learning about the culture and people of Casablanca in the 1940s and in 2005 was a welcome addition. Since it was all new to me, I was really captivated. I might just visit Casablanca soon!
The character I empathized with the most was Helene. I felt her pain and anguish and wished things had turned out differently. The other characters though some were colorful, were either too flawed or not strong enough for my liking.
What I didn't like about this story was how it all ended without a clear conclusion. I also got tired of the characters repeatedly saying the same things over and over. It made it little bit boring at some point to read but because of the mystery behind the story, I forged on. I feel this story had a potential to be better than it turned out to be but it is what it is.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this story. The mystery around Guillaume's death was captivating and this held me bound until I was finished. Despite the unsatisfactory end, I will recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and mystery. Congratulations to the author on her debut.

You can also read my review on my blog at
https://rovingbookwormng.com/2020/05/09/book-review-the-sailor-from-casablanca-by-charline-malaval/

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