The Bone Church

The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty. Published by Piers Court

May 29, 2014 by cayocosta72 Leave a comment

In World War II Prague, jewish Magdalena Ruiz and her lover, gentile lover Felix Andel try to find a way out of the city. In their quest they trust too many people and become confidants of a promiscuous gypsy, a catholic cardinal and a sculptor, among others. Their trust in the wrong people ends in their plans for escape collapsing and they instead find themselves in a plot to take down Joseph Goebbels. The plot goes terribly wrong and the lovers are separated. Felix ending up in a church in the Czech Republic called the Bone Church because of its bizarre ornamentation using human bones. Magdalena is stranded in a city about to be overrun by the Russians. When they finally connect after the war they are caught up in a strange new world with new rules and the start of the Cold War.

Rich with historic detail, this is an exciting, bittersweet tale of love and a world on the brink of enormous change

Fantastic story of two lovers caught up in war torn Prague. The story follows how they finally find each other

Victoria Dougherty's The Bone Church is not an easy read. It hits the ground running and never lets up. Paired with decidedly heavy material and themes, the narrative is more than a little challenging, but that said, it is easily one of the best historical thrillers I've had fortune to come across.

Those who follow me know the WWII references in the description are what drew me to this piece, but it was Dougherty's application of history, how she utilized and built her fiction around it that captivated my attention. Both storylines are sculpted from verified truths making it difficult to determine where fact meets fiction. The resulting seamlessness enhances the tension within the narrative and generates such excitement that the novel is practically impossible to put down.

Dougherty's treatment of Magdalena and Felix also stood out to me. It would have been easy to paint these characters in bleakly sympathetic tones, but Dougherty didn't go that route. There is an authenticity to this couple. They are trapped and hunted, but there is a tenacious intensity in their make-up that draws admiration rather than pity. An edginess in their story that plays on the reader's emotions in a way that is both inspired and unexpected.

A deliciously dark and addicting foray into a world of mistrust, betrayal, paranoia and deceit, The Bone Church was a wholly unexpected pleasure. Yes, I had to work for it and familiarize myself with previously unknown chapters of historic detail, but when push comes to shove, I can't say I regret a moment spent with this piece.

The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty 4/5 stars

THE BONE CHURCH is my kind of historical fiction. Beautifully written with compelling characters, an intriguing, twisty plotline, and full of historical details. I love it when a book interests me enough in the subject matter to make me want to learn alllllll about what I’m reading. For example — Google “the Bone Church.” I bet the pictures you see will make you want to read this book, especially once I tell you there’s a very important part of the book set in the Bone Church.

THE BONE CHURCH seamlessly melds two timelines together, 1956 and 1943-1944. In both times, Felix and Magdalena are trying to escape Czechoslovakia, from the Germans and then from the Soviets. In 1943, Felix accidentally gets caught up in an attempt to assassinate Josef Goebbels. In 1956, he’s a Jesuit working with a corrupt cardinal to smuggle people out of Soviet controlled countries. In both times, Felix’s goal is to rescue Magdalena.

The whole time I was reading THE BONE CHURCH, I had no idea what was going to happen next. I always enjoy that, because it’s no fun to predict the end before you finish the book. The author continually surprised me with every twist and turn. She also made me feel like I was right there, hiding behind Felix’s shoulder, waiting for the next spat of gunfire. The author didn’t shy away from describing the worst of humanity and living conditions, but in a way that left you with a tiny bit of hope. Aside from feeling like I was in war torn Czechoslovakia, I also felt the paranoia of everyone involved, not knowing who to trust, and of having no choice but to trust, to put your life in someone else’s hands.

The book is gritty and dark, maybe even hard to read at times because Felix and Magdalena face overwhelming odds and incredibly dangerous situations. But along with the spark of hope that runs through the book, Felix has some angelic help. While some of the religious aspects probably went over my head, I thought everything tied together really well. I do wish the ending had more on what Felix and Magdalena face in the future, but looking back, I can’t really imagine a different ending.

Read this if you want something that manages to combine the best of LeCarre with the best of Sue Monk Kidd – a weird blending, but that’s how it felt to me. Read this if you want to be both entertained and enlightened.
Read The Bone Church if you want a good story that will linger with you for days after you’ve read it.
But definitely, read it.

A tumultuous spy thriller set in the troubled World War II era Prague. There was a lot going on in this book. Felix and Magdelena are lovers on the run. While navigating the underbelly of Prague, they get pulled into many schemes with many interesting people. An assassination attempt against Goebbels, a forged sculpture, a very resourceful gypsy and a Cardinal are just some of the elements in this book. With all of this going on, and with changing points of view and a non-linear timeline, I did get a little confused and lost at points.

Most of all, however, this book is about the human condition and what people do in order to survive. Throughout Felix and Magdelena's journeys there is intense suffering, but also endurance of their spirit. Victoria Dougherty has a knack for making the reader feel the intensity of the moments that the characters were in. The actual Bone Church was the reason I was interested in this book, here is a great quotes from Felix's character about the church:
“Legend has it that if you enter the Church of Bones with malevolence in your heart, you will remain there with the dead forever,”

I do wish that the Bone Church was a more prominent setting within the book, but what does happen there sets the tone for the novel. With heavier themes and a few different plot lines, this may be a more challenging read, but a rewarding one.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

So, Bone Church. First, I have to say that yes, I liked this book. But I also have to say that I had so many questions at the beginning of the story that I was lost for a big chunk of the book. I am however, happy I stuck with it. It was a fantastic journey but one that requires patience.

The beginning of the story gave me goosebumps. "Friend" was terrifying to me because my overworked imagination kept coming up with different reasons for him.

Felix and Magdalena were a mixture of hope, despair, optimism and finally a sad reality. Their love story was very beautiful but by no means perfect. I loved how the author interwove the different elements in the story. There was Felix and Magdalena. They gave a big heart and soul to the story. The Infant of Prague was also a key figure in the story. The author was able to include it's significance and at the same time introduce the history of the Czech Republic/ Czechoslovakia. The uneasy feeling that began in the story carried all the way through. The author kept me constantly guessing and wondering what would happen. The reality of the Bone Church and how it symbolically provides a full circle moment for the story and the characters, was brilliant.

I've had the honor of traveling to Prague and can attest to the history of this beautiful city and the feeling surrounding it. The uneasy of the Cold War and the uncertainty of the time. Ultimately, I was happy and satisfied with The Bone Church and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys history and reading a book that is like a puzzle. Slowly the pieces come together and the final production is worth it!

I really enjoyed reading this book and there was never a dull moment. There’s assassination attempts, gunshots and lot of other stuff going on. We get to see in what conditions people lived and hide during the war and under the Soviets.

Chapters jump between the years and at times it was really confusing and some of the religion stuff went over my head. The whole The Infant of Prague and some of the more religious things went over my head but good thing that there wasn’t that much about that. Also I hate when books end like this! It hints what happens to the characters but doesn’t really tell anything. I want to know how it will end!

But this was really enjoyable read that read very fast wanting to know what happens next.

A fascinating combination of historical exploration of real places and time-periods in history, and the fictional tale of two young people, THE BONE CHURCH, opens with the story of two fugitive lovers, whose lives are impacted by the natural death of her mother (in difficult circumstances), and the murder of his father (and their protector) by the Nazi's.

Weaving the Nazi invasion of Prague and the Cold War in Czechoslovakia into the lives of these two people provides a stark reminder of the length of impact that wars have had on that part of the world. The idea that the same two people who fled the Nazi's are still being impacted in the mid-1950's was chilling, although that is tempered by the lengths to which people who are willing to help will go. And a well judged sense of humour.

The style of storytelling is particularly interesting in THE BONE CHURCH. Whilst the main thrust is sparse, matter-of-fact and so all the more chilling, much of the atmospherics, and environment comes across as sumptuous and utterly at odds with events. Using that sparse style, the author is able to look at those events, in particular the impact of the invasion and the subsequent war on Jewish and Gypsy populations, in a clinical and precise manner, whilst weaving them into a complex plot. The way that the action ebbs and flows and shifts and spins was realistic, in particular the way that the impetus for both good and bad is often in the hands of the people who surround Felix and Magdalena. Because of that, try as they might, their path forward is twisted and frequently muddied by others. As you'd expect in that sort of scenario, everything cannot always be drawn to a tidy conclusion and the reader is left to imagine, to wonder and to ponder. An unsettling experience when the paranoia of the time is so stark.

A very assured debut, THE BONE CHURCH is a really good thriller. It is also a character study, an exploration of the human psyche, with a touch of history and a strong sense of place as well.

I am between a rock and a hard place here. Part of me want's to give this book a 5* rating. It is absolutely worth the read. But it is dark. Taxing and it will not be for everyone. For one thing. The book deals with mainly two characters living and dying in Prague under Nazi rule. So for one thing, this is not an easy subject matter.
For another, the author did a brilliant job in giving this book that Eastern European flavour. I loved this but I think some might find this too far out of their comfort zone. Lets hope I am wrong.

Nobody will ever describe this book as a fast, easy read. There is no full in this. It is a good book but not a fluffy feel good one sitting read.
Which means. If you like historical fiction. Likes to be challenged and likes to move out of your comfort zone, chances are you will love this book. If not, I would advise you handle with care.

Why my rating? Rather simple really. I could not read this book in one go. The dark setting, plot, undertone everything got me to need to put it aside at times. My 5* ratings is reserved for those books I cannot bare to put aside. And in this is my conundrum. I know I could not get the story out of my head but I also could not stick with it for more than an hour at a time. So honestly the book should get 4.5 stars but Ill stick to my 4 stars.

WaAR