Review: The Crimson Thread

Title: The Crimson Thread

Author: Kate Forsyth

Publisher: 5th July 2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 350 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, world war II 

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

In Crete during World War II, Alenka, a young woman who fights with the resistance against the brutal Nazi occupation, finds herself caught between her traitor of a brother and the man she loves, an undercover agent working for the Allies.

May 1941. German paratroopers launch a blitzkrieg from the air against Crete. They are met with fierce defiance, the Greeks fighting back with daggers, pitchforks, and kitchen knives. During the bloody eleven-day battle, Alenka, a young Greek woman, saves the lives of two Australian soldiers.

Jack and Teddy are childhood friends who joined up together to see the world. Both men fall in love with Alenka. They are forced to retreat with the tattered remains of the Allied forces over the towering White Mountains. Both are among the seven thousand Allied soldiers left behind in the desperate evacuation from Crete's storm-lashed southern coast. Alenka hides Jack and Teddy at great risk to herself. Her brother Axel is a Nazi sympathiser and collaborator and spies on her movements.

As Crete suffers under the Nazi jackboot, Alenka is drawn into an intense triangle of conflicting emotions with Jack and Teddy. Their friendship suffers under the strain of months of hiding and their rivalry for her love. Together, they join the resistance and fight to free the island, but all three will find themselves tested to their limits. Alenka must choose whom to trust and whom to love and, in the end, whom to save.

My Thoughts

A new book by Kate Forsyth, as one of Australia’s best storytellers, is always cause for celebration. You know without doubt that you are in for a rich historical tale that will fully immerse you back in time. 

‘Hitler’s winged devils are leaping from the sky onto our soil. They think us an island of weak old fools. We shall show them!’

Kate’s, The Crimson Thread, is so multilayered and so much more than a simple World War II story. Set in Crete, it details the time of the Nazi occupation and the terrible impact that ensued on the local people, their resistance and the support given by a few remaining allied forces. On the one level, it is full to the brim of information from this horrific occupation and those who stood up for the greater good. A good solid wartime saga.

“War is not an adventure, my boy,” she had said. “It hurts you somewhere deep down, and the wound never heals.”

Kate does, however, take this to the next level through her rich and vibrant multidimensional storytelling. Firstly the cast of characters are wonderful (though I couldn't stand Teddy from the outset - but I think that was the point) and you cannot help but feel each and every tragedy that befell them. The romance is true and honest. Secondly is the Cretan culture - traditions, music and food - this particular aspect I found most entertaining and interesting. Finally, Kate’s great love of fairy tales/myths comes shining through - how could it not from the home of Zeus! With all the Greek retellings I have read of late, it felt like going home in many ways. To read of Ariadne and the story of the Minotaur amongst the temple ruins was a definite highlight. Kate cleverly weaves  it all together into a sublime retelling with a new cast of characters - heroes and villains.

‘The people of Crete had three great passions: love of country, love of freedom, love of life. The Nazis had brought subjugation, enslavement, death. Alenka was determined to fight them’

Overall, this is sure to be another success to Kate’s impeccable list of books. The faultless way she weaves history, culture and mythology to provide a tale of tragedy with real heroes offering resistance makes this a highly recommended read for lovers of this genre. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.