The Last Correspondent

Trigger warnings: violence, gore

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American journalist Ella Franks loses her job when the newspaper finds out she's a woman and not "Ernst Franks." She begins writing stories of the women at home in Illinois who are helping the war effort, which lands her a job in London with the Associated Press.

Photographer Danni Bradford, also an American, has been to Italy and North Africa covering World War II. Her pictures are too graphic for the papers, but she's determined to photograph the war as she sees it. Her longtime partner is a journalist named Andy, a Brit who is like a brother to her.

Andy's sister Chloe is chafing at being home alone in London and apart from her French lover. She misses the travel and excitement that her now-defunct modeling career used to afford her. Chloe decides while her brother is away to sneak into France and find him.

The three women's lives cross paths during the final days of World War II.

Ella has the naïveté of a reporter with boots on the ground for the first time, and her frustration at her editor changing her stories of strong women to fluff pieces angers her. She decides to tell stories of the war, not just women's stories. The reader follows as her exposure to the horrors of war changes her. She becomes a hardened and stronger version of herself.

Danni is hard to begin with because she has to be as a woman working in a man's world. She has made a reputation for herself as one of the best photographers following the war. She's brash and combative, but Andy's influence calms her down. Danni becomes softer as the war takes its toll on her; she begins to open up more to those she loves and sometimes lets her guard down.

Ella and Danni meet in London while working on stories of the Blitz. Several male correspondents will be going to Normandy with the troops on D-Day, but females aren't allowed. They both are determined to make it to Normandy despite not having official credentials to travel.

Chloe begins the novel even more naïve than Ella, thinking that her travels during modeling have made her more worldly. Going to France is a terrible decision, but she only realizes when it's too late to return home to Britain.

Each woman has a love interest, although not all of them are serious. While some fans of strong females see having male love interests as a detriment to the story, the way each woman handles her feelings and ways of expressing them adds to their character.

The writing is wonderful, almost to the point that you forget you're reading and are just consuming the story as fast as you can. The plot is a roller coaster ride of emotions, from triumph to fear to the pain of loss.

Highly recommended for readers of World War II fiction and those who enjoy stories with strong female characters. If any historical fiction fans are on the fence about trying WWII fiction, this book would be a good place to start.

Soraya M. Lane writes historical fiction and contemporary romance. She lives on a farm in New Zealand with her family and animals.

Publisher: Lake Union

Length: 335 pages

Release Date: November 1, 2020

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I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.