Review - All the Lights Above Us - 5 stars

 

In All the Lights Above Us by M. B. Henry we get a glimpse into what it must have been like and may still be like for women trying to exist in the world.  As a male reader, I was struck by the personal character of the stories that were shared. I felt I got to know the “real” people of the time although mo
st of these were really mostly composites.

The author notes in her Author’s Note section that “When creating a work of fiction, I find the best place to start is with the truth.” It appears to this reader that is exactly what she did.  One of her main characters is Mildred Gillars, aka Axis Sally, is a real person and Henry notes that scenes are taken from real life. 

The other women that we follow in the story Emilia, Adelaide, Theda, and Flora are mostly fictional, but their stories are set in real times and could have been true for women of the day.  These are people who live in Germany (Mildred and Emilia), France (Adelaide and Flora), and England (Theda).  These are people who are doing propaganda disguised as “art”; office work; being a mother; working in the Resistance; and serving in the hospital treating the wounded after D-Day.

As the reader takes it all in, it must have been horrific to have existed in these times regardless of being in Germany, France, or England.  The stories are sometimes funny but more often heart-wrenching and full of pathos, but in all cases believable.

The author has done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of war; not in the actual battles but the backstories of the people living with the aftermath of them. War and its horrors become real to the reader and at least makes this reader determined that no one should have to live this way again.

Definitely a great read and highly recommended to those interested not in warfare but the human stories surrounding it.