This story revolves around D-Day during WWII following the lives of five women from different walks of life. I have read numerous WWII novels, but never one about this particular battle. While I am generally a fan of multiple POVs this story was a bit hard to follow. Five POVs is a lot to keep up with because you often read four or five chapters before returning to a particular character/storyline so I thought it felt disjointed. Eventually some of the character locations overlapped and you are able to see the connections between them. My favorite character was Adelaide. She was old fashioned, but she discovered early on that she needed to move ahead with the times. My least favorite character was Flora. The book describes her as being thirty-one years old, but I almost wonder if that was a typo because her behavior is extremely immature. The way she acted as her friend lay dying was over the top selfish. This book really focuses on the inner dialogue of each character describing what is happening around them. I can tell it was well researched and many of the characters had tremendous growth during the short period of time that was covered. Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and M.B. Henry for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read All the Lights Above Us by M. B. Henry. A novel about DDay told from the different perspectives of five women. Each woman had a different position during the war. Flora is a bold curier. Emilia works for the Gestapo. Adelaide is a motherly figure who is forced to quarter German soldiers Thema lives by the port and is shocked by the ships arriving. Mildred is an American expatriate who is a radio personality promoting propaganda for the Germans. All of these women have a different story to tell about the survival of the 24 hours of D day.

Very well written with a lot of historical details. If you are a lover of Kate Quinn, you will love this book. It did take a while for me to get into this novel and to keep the characters straight. It wasn’t a simple read. It was very worth reading, however. What these five women had to go through will stay with you long after you have read the book. Adelaide has to try to get to her daughter on the coast despite the odds of doing so. Flora is part of the resistance and continues to fight against the Germans for as long as her life allows. Mildred is always trying to justify her Nazi propoganda. All these women do what they feel they need to do for survival.

This would be a great book for students to read to learn about D Day. I thought I knew something, but I learned so much more.

The publication of this book is May 2022 so look forward to it being released.

Yet another great Historical Fiction and I never tire of reading a good one. And this one didn't disappoint.

The story of D-Day and of 5 strong, courageous women fight their own battles to survive. And this is their stories. These were women from different backgrounds and places, women who had to cope in different ways to the same crisis.

This is such a well written and well researched novel with strong and relatable characters who you feel you know and who you feel empathy for. This book brings out so many emotions and makes you realise what many women dealt with in these wars and under these conditions.

This is a book I ill read again and will recommend.

I love historical fiction books that are set in WWII. The fact that this occurred over D-day was a different focus for me. The story shares the viewpoint of five women … all of whom have a very different aspect. I am awed by the research that the author did to write the book. The five women portrayed are displayed through their individual experiences … experiences that covered a myriad of emotions and situations. You will be exposed to amazing courage, atrocities, being dismissed and discouraged because they were women, fear, deception, etc. This is a well-written story that weaves a vivid description of the time period with the women who each played an amazing part. Put this book on your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

It was a very tough read for me overall. I enjoyed the detail, but the fact there are five different stories to keep track of didn't work for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read this novel in advance!

I really liked this book in a lot of ways. At first it seemed a bit disconnected - the 5 different stories. Very mild spoiler alert - 2 of the stories barely come together, and the rest do not. But more importantly, they give a diverse overview of the roles women played in WWII as D-Day approached. The strength of women is amazing! I was really glad for the author's note at the end that discussed which characters were real and which were purely fictional. I read and enjoy a lot of historical fiction of this era, and my standards are pretty high - this one was really good. One suggestion I would have for publication is to include a map. I found myself looking at google maps on my phone to see how far away some of these towns were (especially for Flora/Adelaide) but I know the borders have changed since then and it would have been nice to see. Maybe this is coming anyway!

Strong female characters, varying perspectives, with a glimpse into the impact D-Day had on their lives. Told in alternating viewpoints, “All the Lights Above Us” by M.B. Henry was a different narrative on this time period than I have read before, an emotional read, and I would recommend to others.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me an advance copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

It's June 6, 1944, and Allied Forces have officially landed on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. While thousands of lives are shattered, bloody massacres dominate the streets, and people are searching for the ones they love, World War II has reached its ultimate tipping point. All the Lights Above Us follows the stories of five women as they navigate one of the deadliest days in modern history. There's the famous Berlin Bitch, also known as American expatriate, Mildred, who leads a cushy lifestyle in Berlin spreading propaganda over the radio. Across the English Channel is Theda, a young nursing volunteer who dreams of an independent life where she can make an impact in medicine much to the dismay of her mother and female friends. On the frontlines of France are: Flora, a member of the French Resistance; Adelaide, an elderly French woman who's forced to quarter Nazi soldiers; and Emilia, a German woman who escapes Lebensborn and works as a Nazi secretary. As D-Day ensues, each woman has only 24 hours to face their darkest fears and deepest secrets as they decide their next course of action.


Historical fiction is one of my favorite book genres, so I was jazzed to see receive a copy of All the Lights Above Us because of its setting and female perspective. While that premise is intriguing, I did not like this book. The reasons I don't like All the Lights Above Us have much less to do with the writing style and more to do with the characters and flow. In particular, while I found Flora to have an interesting story, she was an absolutely ridiculous character who threw unprovoked fits every chapter. In a similar vein, Theda was all self-pity combined with self-righteousness. And while I enjoyed the empathetic portrayals of complex characters, I certainly did not like the portrayals of Mildred and Emilia as they both were like "I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I'm doing it anyways" as it relates to being a literal member of the Nazi party (Mildred aka Axis Sally is a real person). Putting aside my personal opinions of the characters, I felt like there wasn't much, if any, crossover between the five women, so the book just came off as five separate, disjoined stories and I would've preferred there be a different type of flow (by time, each story in full as its own section, etc.). But I strongly believe M.B. Henry has a lot of talent in writing historical fiction and aligning that writing with actual history. So while I appreciate the book's plot and historical accuracy within fiction, my distaste for the characters and flow make All the Lights Above Us a no-go for me.

Thanks to the publisher, Ms. Henry and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I loved it! I like war books that centers on women. I absolutely love "Woman In Berlin" and this book focused on the stories of women during world war 2. I gave it 4/5 stars just because I find some (or maybe just 1) character unlikeable. I love how the story shifts between these women and how the "voice" changes in a way. I would love to have a physica copy of the book. I'm also loving the cover!

I really loved this book and honestly would love to add it my collection I couldn’t wait to get through it and to find out what happened . Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me this to read.

These are five different stories with the only connection being that they take place along the same time line beginning the day before D-Day. They are the voices of five different women in non combative roles but whose lives are directly impacted by the Allied invasion of Normandy and the days that follow. The main characters of each story are themselves very different from each other and not just by nationality although one is German, one English, one American and two are French. Not all of them are likeable nor praise worthy but they are each faced with challenging situations that test their strength and their will to survive so readers must make their own judgement. This is a clever way to revisit a well documented time in history allowing different perspectives to be portrayed of the familiar events as they unfold in the background.
The book seems well researched and many situations are based on real events and even include some real characters. The stories are also well written with each character developing as you get to know them and find out about their backgrounds. Each has their own set of demons with which they are wrestling and by the end of the stories there has been some resolution, mostly of them coming to terms with who they are, I think this book will appeal to a wide range of readers since the stories are compelling, there is strong character development, the wartime drama is always present and then the curious connection of a common timeline of events adding suspense and action familiar to most.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to review this book.

The book centres around the months leading up to D-Day - from the perspective of five women on different sides and of the war.

The composition of many stories told around a central event means you have to keep the narrative straight in your head, but the beauty of a good book is that they do this seamlessly, which is the case with "All the lights above us" - the impact of this means that the book flows at a great pace and the stories complement each other.

An inspirational read. Although the book is fictional, the story and characters seem life like. There is plenty of actin to make this a fast paced novel and hard to put down. You find yourself pulled into each of the four different women’s stories. A great read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well written review of D-Day and the days leading up to it from the perspective of a diverse group of women (German, collaborators with the Nazis and Allied women). Seeing those days from a 360° view made this book very engaging. The reader gets a broad view of what that time was like for many people, especially the women. This story, though fictional gave needed insight into what women of that time and those countries would have been going through. So much of the stories we hear are from the view point of the men who were on the beaches or otherwise actively involved in the liberation of Europe. This gives a different take on that time from the Allied and German point of view without excusing the Nazi atrocities. At first I was taken back by the graphic portals of the German violence and the carnage of the Normandy beaches. At the end, it was needed to tell the story in a more complete manner. The use of actual people (Nazi SS/SD and Axis Sally) along with historical events made this and educational and engaging read. I could feel with the various characters as they dealt with the few days the story takes place. These people / women were real, if not as real individuals, as composites representing many real people who lived through / and died during D-Day. A must read from herstory buffs and really anyone looking for a good fictional / non-fictional historical read.

As a veteran wife, this book was hard to get through during parts. It was so easy for me to put myself in their shoes, and experience everything they were. D-Day was a dark day for this whole nation, and I think some people forget what this country has gone through to become what it has today. It's books like these that give us a little reminder of what was sacrificed for this great nation.

My family are history buffs with a particular interest in D-Day, so I was pre-disposed to have a favourable view of this historical novel set from June 5th- June 7th , 1944. I was not disappointed.

The story is told from five different women’s perspectives: bold Flora, who lives in Caen and has worked hard to become part of the French resistance -- and who hears the secret code announcing the invasion is imminent; beautiful Emilia, also in Caen but a German secretary working for the Gestapo; motherly Adelaide who is housing German soldiers when Sainte-Mere-Eglise becomes a centre-point for the invasion; American Mildred – called ‘Axis Sally’ -- who has betrayed her country by making a career as a Nazi propaganda radio broadcaster living in Berlin; and insecure Theda who is a medical volunteer living in Portsmouth on the front line of D-Day casualty treatment. All these women have been underestimated by others – and by themselves. D-Day brings their worlds crashing down; as the narrative unfolds, we find out more about their individual backgrounds, fears, passions and mistakes.

I enjoyed the deeply empathetic portrayal of these complex women, none of whom are perfect heroines but all of whom show inner strength. In fact, I was so gripped by the women’s stories that I read the book in just two sittings. I also relished the historical research clearly put into the crafting of the novel; the fact that I have been to almost all locations mentioned in the novel – Utah Beach, Saint-Mere-Eglise, Pegasus Bridge, Caen, Berlin, Portsmouth) made it even more meaningful. The author’s notes at the end explain clearly what/who is ‘real history’, and what is fictionalised – and how all this fits into the wider historical picture of D-Day.

Recommended!

The stories in the novel were fantastic,
it made me realize how lucky I have been not to have been to war or had war on my doorstep. the story of the women was so real- I felt their pain and fears and hope for the future. Anyone who thinks that the atrocities of WWII did not happen needs to read this- I know it is "fiction" but I think the author nailed it.

All the Lights Above Us takes on WW2 historical fiction in a way I haven’t seen done before. I liked that the book covers only the roughly twenty-four hour period of D-Day when Allied forces assaulted Nazi occupied France. I also liked that the book used five characters in different places to show contrasting perspectives of what it was like that day. Because chapters used alternating characters’ perspectives, I didn’t want to put the book down and kept reading one more chapter to see progress for each of the women. However, there was very little overlap between the characters so at the end it felt like five short stories and the endings felt rushed and not completely satisfying.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for an early copy to read and review. This book is expected to be released in May 2022.

I really enjoyed reading about D-Day, and from the perspectives of women of different backgrounds and circumstances, all on that same day in history. Simply eye-opening to have a picture painted of the same infamous day in history through the eyes of women finding family, realizing who they work for, caring for soldiers and more.

While I appreciate the great deal of research and depth of study that the author put into the stories of the women in this book, I found it to be somewhat disjointed. Telling the story of D-Day from the viewpoint of women is such a unique and welcome idea, and each woman had such a unique if not somewhat gritty storyline. I found it difficult to like/relate to one or two of the characters, yet I was riveted by each storyline. In this book, you will meet a Resistance fighter, an older French widow who has had no choice but to let Nazis board in her home, an American radio star deeply embedded in the Nazi regime and spreading propaganda over the air waves, a Secretary in occupied France who works for a high ranking Nazi officer and a nurse in England just across the channel from the landing witnessing first hand the horror in the aftermath of the first wave of the invasion. If you are a fan of historical fiction you will likely enjoy this unique viewpoint of D-Day. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book.