Bluebird is a great book for historical fiction afficionados, and it deals with a subject that gets second shrift in that realm (IMHO); the First World War. Better yet, the First World War from the view of Canadians, not Americans.
The book opens in modern day Canada with Cassie Simmons, a museum curator who is approached by a contractor who is renovating a home in the vicinity (which happens to be her former childhood home) and has found an interesting item hidden in the wall -- a whiskey bottle. Upon further investigation, there is an entire cache of whiskey bottles -- all labeled Bailey's Best.
The story then switches to a Belgium field hospital taking patients from the battlefields during WWI, where a field nurse; Adele Savard is working as a nurse for the Canadian soldiers. The nurses (or nursing sisters as they are referred to) are nicknamed "Bluebirds" because of the blue gowns and white caps they wear. Adele is nursing Corporal Jerry Bailey, a tunneler who has been caught in a bad explosion. They are both from the same town of Windsor, form an emotional attachment but eventually Jerry is deemed well enough to go back to work.
I'm not going to go any further with the plotline except to say that there is a lot of interesting history about the War, its aftermath, Prohibition, bootleggers and of course, happy ever afters of the best kind.
Genevieve Graham does a great job in providing the history of the time and unfolding the love story along the way. If you like historical fiction, particularly about something other than World War II or Regency romance, you'll enjoy Bluebird.

Genevieve has been able to continually capture the heartbreak, moral quandaries and resilience through adversity during some of Canada’s little known moments in history. Her writing appeals to all ages and weaves un-put-down-able tales that keep readers coming back time and time again. She is a gem and at the very top among her literary peers.

What a beautiful portrait of the brave Canadian female nurses known as the “𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚍𝚜” during the Great War and of the roaring twenties during the Prohibition.

We begin during The Great War where Adele is a nurse volunteer, a 𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚍, stationed in Belgium. There she meets tunneler Corporal Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Bailey after he is gravely injured.

It is through Jerry and his brother John that we are introduced to tunneling. I was so intrigued by this aspect of the war as I had no idea that soldiers performed these tasks underground. Graham does such a fantastic job of really bringing you into those tunnels and making you feel all the emotions those soldiers felt digging under enemy lines, knowing any slight sound could mean the end.

We then shift, and the majority of this book takes place after the war during the Prohibition.

When the Bailey brothers return home to Canada after surviving the War, they get involved in rumrunning. I was unaware of just how much went on in Windsor, Canada and love the connections to real life locations, though sadly most of these landmarks are now gone.

It was neat to see how the Bailey brothers used some of their tricks from tunneling and the war to help in their new whiskey business. And I loved the connection that was made between the two.

Graham did such a lovely job of bringing a fictional story together with well educated facts about this time period in history. And I adored the romantic story between Jerry and Adele through the war and after, and the relationship between the brothers!

The Bluebird nurses are not talked about enough when we talk about the Great War, so I love that this novel is bringing them to the forefront and can hopefully shed more light on these brave woman! I was surprised to see how these women were treated after the war, and how they were frowned upon for joining in.

I absolutely 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 this book and highly recommend picking it up!

This book is out Now, so go grab your copy!!

Thank you @netgally and @simonschusterca for the advanced copy for an honest review.

This is a story about a Canadian nurse, a “bluebird” due to the color of the uniforms, serving in Europe during WWI. Her meeting a wounded Canadian soldier overseas, and then reuniting with him back home, their shared experiences, and their deep connection make this a very heartwarming book. It is kept interesting by a dual timeline, and glimpses into the seedier and more dangerous aspects of the war and also of the rumrunning back home. This story really evoked the feeling of wartime, the roaring teens and 20s and conjured clear imagery of the scenarios and locales being encountered.

I loved this book! It really kept my interest with its informative tale about Canada‘s involvement in The Great War and the zeitgeist of the Canadian/American border during the prohibition era. If I had any disappointment at all, it would be that Cassie‘s story was not more fleshed out at the end. Perhaps there will be a sequel!

Canadian nurse Adele meets Jeremiah in a field hospital, and is surprised to learn they grew up near each other. Fast forward a few years, and Adele is working as a nurse in Windsor, dating a bootlegger, when she runs into Jerry. They immediately rekindle their friendship, which leads to more. Adele is surprised to learn that Jerry is also a bootlegger but cannot predict how that will affect the trajectory of their lives together.

Cassie is a museum curator in her hometown when a local homeowner brings in bottles of whiskey he discovered hidden in the wall of the house he recently bought. He's completely unaware of the history Cassie has with the house.

Another dual timeline story, taking place during World War I and immediately thereafter and in the current day. Adele and Jerry's story is more compelling and accurate than Cassie's. Although the book is enjoyable, the endings for both stories are abrupt with a lot left out. And the portrayal of a museum curator's duties is not entirely accurate. Still, I'm a sucker for a historical romance. #Bluebird #NetGalley

Love this author and enjoyed this read although propaganda isn't my favorite i can appreciate the story the timeline and the research put into this historical fiction, my favorite part was when we found out how this story came about at the end

Genevieve Graham did not disappoint with Bluebird, what a fascinating take on Canada’s history with Prohibition in the roaring 20s. She has such a way with weaving storylines together, and I love the love story aspect between Jerry and Adele. Truly another masterpiece by the Author. Can’t wait for #11! Genevieve Graham gives the best history lessons!!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this Canadian historical fiction. It had solid WW1 depictions, the intrigue and adventure of the prohibition era, and a love story.

Enjoyed my first book by this author. I love historical fiction and this one was so well researched and informative. WWI, Bluebird (the name for Canadian nurses of this period, because of the color of their uniform), bootlegging, following the war. A dual timeline and a mystery to boot.

Sandy M’s review of Bluebird by Genevieve Graham
Historical Romance published by Simon & Schuster 5 Apr 22

It’s been ten years since I discovered Genevieve Graham. Ten years of beautifully written historical romance that began in Scotland but that eventually found their way home in her native Canada. Bluebird is her seventh novel in which she takes special points of Canadian history and weaves her stories of unforgettable characters with tragic events and gut-wrenching tidbits that she diligently researches to give her readers the best of herself.


Both Jerry and Adele are serving in World War I when Jerry is injured and sent to the station where Adele and other women nurses assist in healing soldiers the best they can, either to get them on their way home or back to the front. Then there’s those men who don’t survive, leaving a hole in the nurses’ hearts, even though they try not to let that happen so they can continue to do their duty. Adele is proud to serve in Belgium, and when Jerry and his brother John come to her station, her connection to Jerry is immediate. Once he’s healed – his injury is not life-threatening – he’s sent back to tunnel again, and the two lose touch, despite their agreeing to meet up after the war is over – and if they survive.

Both Jerry and John do survive and head home to begin life again. It’s not the celebration they’d imagined, however, when they learn their parents died during the Spanish Flu. Taking over their father’s still, they manufacture Bailey Brothers Best whisky to enter the rumrunning race that is so prevalent during Canada’s and the US’s prohibition years. Jerry keeps an eye out for Adele, since they are from the same area, but after a few years he gives up when she never materializes, making him wonder if she made it home from the war. But the day does come when he spots familiar blonde hair and the woman who has owned his heart since the day they met.

Unfortunately, their reunion is at the expense of an already evil competitor and the danger in their smuggling gets exponentially higher. But Jerry is confident they can work everything out and he and his brother continue their business, which is quite lucrative due to the quality of their whisky. However, despite their best and brilliant efforts, their competition is obsessive when it comes to running the Bailey brothers out of business.

In between the history and romance, we also meet Cassie, a museum curator who begins to dig into the Baileys’ history when bottles of their whisky are found during a renovation. We learn more about the brothers and Adele along with her as she does her research, and I enjoyed seeing the past from her point of view. I also like that her life begins to look up when she meets Matthew, the one to get her started on this journey.

Jerry and Adele are first-rate characters who draw you in and keep you reading, because you do want them to be happy. But remember, this story’s backdrop is from real historical facts, and Ms. Graham keeps you guessing about that happily ever after. Their love is deep and never dies. John, Jerry’s brother, is as loyal as they come, and their relationship is a big part of the story. I have to say I got a bit misty-eyed at the end of this book, not liking one bit the way it does end. But it answers questions brought up throughout, and I have to remember, just like I admonished you earlier in this review, that Ms. Graham is being true to the times in ending the book in this manner. It just wrenches your heart and then some.

Another superb novel from Genevieve Graham. If you haven’t read her yet, pick up any of her books to start, and I guarantee you will be hooked.

Grade: A+

Somehow, each new book by Genevieve Graham is even better than the one before. I don’t know how she does it. Not only do her books shine a light on lesser-known aspects of Canada’s history, but they also bring characters to life who genuinely feel like real people. Her latest release, Bluebird, is no different.

We first meet Adele and Jerry in Belgium during World War I. They’re brought together by the war - Adele is one of the nurses who treats Jerry after he’s injured - and they’re separated by the war too, when Jerry returns to the Front. After the war, the pair return home separately to Windsor, Ontario, unsure if the other made it through the war or if they’ll ever see each other again. Post-war life takes some getting used to, especially when Adele and Jerry realize their hometown has undergone a number of changes, and is now not only in the grip of Prohibition, it’s also a key part of the rum-running business.

Before reading Bluebird, when I thought of Prohibition, I thought of it happening in the States. It brought to mind speakeasies, flappers, and the Roaring Twenties, and that was about the extent of my knowledge. It was fascinating learning about how Windsor was a hotbed for illicit activity during that time period. People were raking in money by making and transporting alcohol, but they were also putting their lives at risk.

Graham painted a vivid picture of the time period, with characters who were easy to like and root for. I felt like I was right there in the thick of it with Jerry and Adele - the glitz and glam of parties, speakeasies, and big spending, and the other side too, with the risks they took and the danger they were in. I loved Adele and Jerry so much, and I loved the side characters too, especially Jerry's brother John. I also enjoyed the dual timeline aspect between the present day and the past, and the mystery that unraveled throughout the story.

Bluebird is packed with fantastic characters, interesting history, plenty of action, a mystery to keep you guessing, and a swoonworthy romance. As with all of Graham’s previous books, there are moments in Bluebird that are truly heartbreaking and bittersweet, but that’s life, that’s history, and as painful as it can be to read, I appreciate that she doesn’t shy away from the truth of it. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, this one is a must-read.

I was given this book for an honest review.
Cassie knew when a storm was coming because her muscles became tight. She was a museum assistant curator. She saw a man entering the room covered in dust.This man didn’t look interested in History. He was renovating an old house. He found an old artefat in the house. He was looking for an expert and that museum came up. He thought he could speak to a local Historian.

Adele was a nurse. She was on her feet for sixteen hours today and eighteen yesterday. She tended to soldiers. She was able to sleep only four hours and then get back to work.

She worked at No. 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. It was a hospital tent which could be relocated depending on the proximity of where the soldiers were fighting. She was there 3 years. In that time they had moved to a few different spots between France and Belgium. They treated men coming from the battlefields.

Bluebird was such a unique and beautiful story! I don’t think I had ever read a Canadian historical fiction before or one about rumrunning and loved learning about both. I loved that the story was told mainly by Adele and Jeremiah in the past timeline with only a few chapters told by Cassie in the present day timeline.

Adele was a bluebird or nurse serving in WW1 when she met Jeremiah, a tunneller, when he was brought to her hospital with an injury. Something drew the two of them together and they parted hoping to see each other again as they were from the same area. Three years after the war ended, they were reunited and began their lives together. In their separation, Adele became a nurse at a local doctor’s office and Jeremiah and his brother started their whisky and rum running business.

Old rivalries began increasing threatening leading to the present day mystery Cassie must solve as to why there were bottle of whisky inside the walls of her childhood home and what happened to her family that no one told her about.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, is Canadian or appreciates a glass of good whisky.

Rating 4.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley, @simonandschuster and @gengrahamauthor for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

As with all of Genevieve grahams works, this one is a fantastic learning opportunity and look into bootlegging after world war 1, while also being a beautiful love story and a completely comforting read

It is no secret that I love everything Genevieve Graham writes. (And if you didn’t know that…where have you been?) I’ve been so very excited about Bluebird since Graham first hinted at the storyline so my hopes were high for another great read. Even with sky high expectations, Graham managed to smash them and delivered a stunning historical fiction novel that I was completely riveted by. I didn’t want it to end.

Here’s the book’s description:
Present day
Cassie Simmons, a museum curator, is enthusiastic about solving mysteries from the past, and she has a personal interest in the history of the rumrunners who ferried illegal booze across the Detroit River during Prohibition. So when a cache of whisky labeled Bailey Brothers’ Best is unearthed during a local home renovation, Cassie hopes to find the answers she’s been searching for about the legendary family of bootleggers...
1918
Corporal Jeremiah Bailey of the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company is tasked with planting mines in the tunnels beneath enemy trenches. After Jerry is badly wounded in an explosion, he finds himself in a Belgium field hospital under the care of Adele Savard, one of Canada’s nursing sisters, nicknamed “Bluebirds” for their blue gowns and white caps. As Jerry recovers, he forms a strong connection with Adele, who is from a place near his hometown of Windsor, along the Detroit River. In the midst of war, she’s a welcome reminder of home, and when Jerry is sent back to the front, he can only hope that he’ll see his bluebird again.
By war’s end, both Jerry and Adele return home to Windsor, scarred by the horrors of what they endured overseas. When they cross paths one day, they have a chance to start over. But the city is in the grip of Prohibition, which brings exciting opportunities as well as new dangerous conflicts that threaten to destroy everything they have fought for.
What I, and so many others, love about Graham’s novels is that they feature Canadian history – and often the parts of our history that are lesser-known. Yes, most people know that Canadians fought in World War I and anyone who lives near the US/Canadian border knows how important Prohibition was to the Canadian towns along the water. But the specifics about the Canadian Tunnelling Company and the nursing sisters, like Adele? I can’t say I knew anything about them. (And if tunnellers sound familiar, yes, Graham was inspired by Peaky Blinders.)




Not only is the history presented in Graham’s novel our history but it’s so incredibly well researched. True, I don’t know what it was like to live in this time period so I can’t say for sure that Graham is 100% accurate. But, like many historical fiction authors, she outlines the research she did and mentions some of the sources she used to help craft her narrative. That, to me, shows the author put the work into determining what life was really like and was able to create a story that suited the time period. Another great thing about Graham’s work is that I never feel like a history textbook is being recited at me. The historical facts are woven into the fictional narrative so seamlessly that you can almost forget you’re reading a book set a hundred years ago.

Some people may think that the “present day” sections aren’t necessary but I’d argue that they are. There are only a few pieces of story told from Cassie’s point of view but they do help move the story along. And I think these types of stories – ones that feature characters who lived so very long ago – need something to ground the reader. The reader is in Cassie’s shoes and it helps them realize why this story, about people who died so long ago, matters now. And maybe I’m a bit precious about the present day sections because it was me and my colleagues who helped Graham determine she needed to connect with Cassie (who, yes, really exists) at the Maison François Baby House in Windsor.




It’s so hard to write a review for a book that I loved so, so, so much. Bluebird was one of those books. Genevieve Graham has written seven historical fiction novels now and this latest one? It just may have catapulted itself to the top of my favourites list. It was so well written, and full of fascinating facts and characters that feel like friends. I hope you buy a copy of this one soon and love it just as much as I did.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Read if you like: WW1/Prohibition history.
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Adele and Jerry meet in a field hospital in Belgium during the Frist World War after Jerry is injured. The two have an instant connection and learn that they are from a similar area in Canada, but Jerry recovers and goes back to the fighting. After the war, the two return to Canada and Adele becomes a nurse, and Jerry gets involved in the whisky business with his brother, John. This is interesting because prohibition just came to a thing in Canada and the US.
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There was so much I enjoyed about this book. Obviously, the romance was amazing and I loved Adele and Jerry, but I also loved all the action and adventure with their experiences during the war and the gangs during prohibition. Fun and engaging.
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CW: war, violence, death, drowning, gore, sexism, sexual harassment.

I read this as an ARC. I love Genevieve Graham’s writing so much. This is the second book I read of hers. She writes about history and creates characters to be there. Her writing makes me wish I was from Canada! It’s fascinating, she writes about topics I knew little it nothing about. This book is about a bluebird- the nickname given to the nurses from Canada in WWI. Adele meets a soldier and they have a connection. It goes back and forth to modern times with Adele’s great grand daughter who is a historian. Her name is Cassie and she has a sad story. This book was so good. I didn’t expect the plot and that was great, because I love when books are not predictable. The author is amazing at descriptions and details. She is now one of my favorite authors.

Thank you #netgalley and #simonandschuster for this #giftedcopy of Bluebird by #genevievegraham

4.5/5.0 Stars

This Historical Fiction novel takes place during WWI and post war in Windsor, Canada focusing on not only the the sacrifices of and the relationships made during war, but also the aftermath of what happens when the war is over and everyone returns home. I truly appreciated the bootlegging/Prohibition aspects of the novel. It was something I was not familiar with. When I was 18 and lived in Michigan, we used to go to Windsor because the drinking age was 18 there, and 21 in Michigan (which made all of this story a bit more real to me!😉🤣) I was invested in the story from the beginning and loved how the topic was fresh! Great characters, I just wish the modern day story would've been developed a bit more. Add to your TBR! It's another good one!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an early copy of Bluebird. I have not read historical fiction in quite awhile and I found this to be an easy atmospheric read . Loved the prohibition period and learned some things I had not known . The characters and plot were very well done. I also enjoyed the 2 timelines and the mystery of the found whiskey bottles. I would definitely recommend this book

Genevieve Graham writes a beautiful love story and pays great attention to Canadian history in Bluebird. This is an educational historical novel that transports the reader from tent hospitals during WWI to post-war prohibition with bootlegging and rum-running in Windsor Ontario and Detroit. Its speakeasies and danger to rival mobsters. The divisions and transformations in society, women's rights, and adds a great love story.