The last war is a distant happening our parents lived through and each had their memories sealed inside.
Eg- My mother was the Queen at school as the best scholar and the first to have a King at the local Gala day.

In 1944 he was asked by the men who were ready to leave on trucks to carry me (2 years) as a bet. He was a shy man and did so reluctantly and won the bet. He never came back. My mother never spoke of the war with the one exception of asking what happened to him. Uncle Jack was with him as he landed on D Day. He was cut down by machine gun fire. Annie my mother went into the kitchen and sat by the window and stared at the starry night sky

This is a review of 'Memories Last Longest' by Clarion.

A nostalgic, sweeping, and historically informative tale of romance and intrigue set against the devastation of World War II. The story follows a group of young friends from the English countryside who find themselves tossed into the tumultuous drama of wartime in Europe. Cameron is heir to his father’s small-town newspaper and is desperate to win the heart of the beautiful Molina, who happens to be his good friend Robert’s sister. Cameron and Robert are haunted by a murder that occurred in their town before the war, and as the war rages on, the mysteries surrounding the murder weigh on them and become more integral to their wartime realities.
Most of the characters are introduced simultaneously in the first chapter. Their detailed character traits seem important to begin with, but are not really returned to. Cameron comes closest to being the central protagonist, though even his story is told at a distance.
The narrative jumps back and forth between the characters’ lives and pertinent historical events. While this method of storytelling maximizes the background, occasionally the summarized history becomes too fast-paced and distracts from the stories and motivations of the characters.
Diction is continually original, with beautifully worded imagery that results in a bittersweet tone throughout:
“Old churches surrounded by pine and wildflowers dominated the quiet village cottages [and] reminded the cottage dwellers of their linked past.” Such nostalgia captures the tragic romanticism of the era.
Subtle inserts of cultural history into the narrative capture wartime realities. Hitler is shown to have been the butt of many jokes—a somewhat shocking concept now. Realistic details of wartime London are also included, such as the impracticality of blackouts to prevent air raids: “It was remarked that Hitler was winning the war on the cheap as so many people were being killed by accidents each night.”
The amount of knowledge imparted about the era is impressive. Dualities between Germany and England are touched upon, and the subtle connection between nations, wrought from their shared heritage, makes the war all the more complicated and personal. These small details may be generally forgotten, but their incorporation into the story brings the period to life, if they also end up distracting from the mystery itself.
Memories Last Longest
includes elements of history, intrigue, and romance in a narrative that delves into the complicated era of WWII and awakens strong feelings of tragedy and nostalgia.
RENATE CHILDS

Websites where 'Memories Last Longer' can be obtained.

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http://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Edward--Elizabeth-Anderson/Memories-Last-Longest/20503346

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