Book Readers: Mum's Writings

Book description:

After D-Day, her photograph appears on the most-wanted Nazi propaganda posters. Who is the girl with the red beret? She reminds him of Natasha, but no, that cannot be. Why does Rochelle step into his life when he is lead by SS soldiers to the gallows? At the risk of being found out as a French Resistance fighter, what makes her propose marriage to a condemned man?

Excerpt:

It was well past midnight when I left. From time to time, an Allied plane would stick its nose in-between the moonlit clouds. Then, in a quick turn, it would rise again, allowing itself to be swallowed into a dark recess. Its engine would drone on for a while, until it would be drowned out by enemy fire. German Oerlikons—large, rapid-fire projectile weapons—would blast one round of shells after another at the night sky.

Despite the noise, the place seemed as if everyone was asleep. Not a soul stirred, inside or out. I tried to convince myself that no one had noticed me, no one had seen me coming out of the building. I stopped for a breath under the monumental portico, then went down the stairs and across the grounds.

I walked fast. At the sight of the shadows I cast, shadows that flared around me with each and every explosion, I felt jumpy. Not before reaching the bank of the Orne River did I regain the sense of feeling safe.

Here, signs of the earlier battle, the battle over control of the Bénouville Bridge, were everywhere. For the enemy, they spelled defeat. Above me, a blown up German tank, outlined as a porous silhouette against the horizon, blocked the road. Behind it were more military vehicles—some melted, some charred—and more mangled tanks, one pressed onto the other.

To the left of me a distant boat, loaded with German infantry, labored to turn around. It floated aslant over the water, with a stern that must have been hit.

And to the right, an Allied guard could be seen up there. From time to time he paced back and forth, his helmet bobbing over the black mass of the bridge.

Below him, one of the Royal Engineers was still working, late into the night, perhaps to dismantle an explosive charge that had been attached under the bridge by the enemy. After all, taking the overpass intact served a critical purpose: to limit the effectiveness of a German counterattack.

I had to make a decision, which up to now I had managed to avoid. Should I turn right and go up to the bridge to join our forces, as I had originally planned? Or else—as Madame Vion had suggested to me last evening—should I cross the river, somehow, and forge my way to the other side, the side that was held in Nazi hands?

Author Bio:

Uvi Poznansky is a bestselling, award-winning author, poet and artist. “I paint with my pen,” she says, “and write with my paintbrush.” Her romance boxed set, A Touch of Passion, is the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.

Education and work:

Uvi earned her B. A. in Architecture and Town Planning from the Technion in Haifa, Israel and practiced with an innovative Architectural firm, taking a major part in the large-scale project, called Home for the Soldier.

Having moved to Troy, N.Y. with her husband and two children, Uvi received a Fellowship grant and a Teaching Assistantship from the Architecture department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. There, she guided teams in a variety of design projects and earned her M.A. in Architecture. Then, taking a sharp turn in her education, she earned her M.S. degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

She worked first as an architect, and later as a software engineer, software team leader, software manager and a software consultant (with an emphasis on user interface for medical instruments devices.) All the while, she wrote and painted constantly, and exhibited in Israel and California. In addition, she taught art appreciation classes. Her versatile body of work includes bronze and ceramic sculptures, oil and watercolor paintings, charcoal, pen and pencil drawings, and mixed media.

Books and Genres:

Her two series won great acclaim. Still Life with Memories is a family saga series with touches of romance. It includes Apart From Love, My Own Voice, The White Piano, The Music of Us, and Dancing with Air. The David Chronicles is a historical fiction series. It includes Rise to Power, A Peek at Bathsheba, and The Edge of Revolt.

Her poetry book, Home, is in tribute to her father. Her collection of dark tales, Twisted, and her Historical Fiction book, A Favorite Son, are both new age, biblically inspired books. In addition, Uvi wrote and illustrated two children books, Jess and Wiggle and Now I Am Paper. For each one of these books, she created an animation video (find them on YouTube and on her Goodreads page.)

Latest review:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping suspense during a life and death struggle for survival

By Richard L. Weatherlyon August 23, 2017

Format: Kindle Edition| Verified Purchase

Uvi Poznansky raises the stakes in a high stakes story, filled with uncertainty, drama and suspense. After landing on a Normandy beach during D-Day, Lenny finds himself separated from his unit. He is puzzled by a letter Natasha left with him. As far as Lenny knows, Natasha is on a ship bound for America but she reveals an awareness that he will be landing in France and knows of the invasion in advance.

Later Lenny approaches a hospital. He’s looking for a place to hide from the Nazis. There he sees an attractive girl wearing a red beret who he learns goes by Rochelle. Everything about her reminds him of Natasha.

Events coalesce to bring Lenny and Rochelle who it turns out is Natasha together. She has parachuted behind the lines in France to assist The Resistance. Eventually Lenny and Natasha are captured by Nazis. The pair will have to use their wits, wiles and a bit of good fortune to survive as a shadowy figure lurks to betray who they are.

Fortunately, the Nazi commander develops a strong attraction for Rochelle. Rochelle works to buy time to delay an appointment with the executioner.

This book is a nail biter and one I found hard to put down. For me, this is Uvi Poznansky’s best novel to date.

Marriage before Death: WWII Spy Thriller (Still Life with Memories Book 5)

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