An historical fiction with time travel mix with a love story is not what I usual love to read. The synopsis sounded interesting so I gave it a go and I was not disappointed. This story is nicely written and shifts between 1917 with Robert fighting the war and 2017 with Louisa in a psychiatric hospital trying to maintain her sanity while she travels back in time to 1917 as a VAD nurse in France and back to the future in the insanity ward. The chapters weave between the two periods as they tell the wartime love story. At first, Louise passage to and from the past is inconsistent but mid-way when her stay in the past seems permanent, the story takes off and we have hope that the love birds may reconnect….awe.
The horrors of war are excellently captured with all the gore, the fear, starvation, filth, trench foot, putrid body parts, exposure to the elements, the medical treatments, etc. These war vignettes enable us to better understand the feelings experienced. Although the story is mostly set during the horrific reality of the war it also includes details on treatment of mental illnesses today.
Time travel, each book has its own way to get to the other side of time. In “Beyond the Moon” the author has given us the illusion that just opening a door will do the trick. It did for Louisa.
Putting aside that the pacing drags in places and it takes way too long before the characters come together this fantasy said with total lack of fuss is a joy to read. What an original way to tell a story….
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
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