A Novel of Love and Intrigue During Wartime - an Editorial Review of "Flight to Eternity"

Book Blurb:

We tend to think of spies as being either James Bond or George Smiley: suave secret agents or orchestrators of betrayal. But what about everyday people who find themselves in the wrong place, at the wrong time, surrounded by lies, deceit and murder? In Flight to Eternity, Sally Edwards seeks to uncover the truth behind her grandfather’s role in World War II naval intelligence. She discovers more than she bargained for.

"If you like fiction that captures a time and place then you will enjoy this book." -- Jim

"A good, easy read." – Rob

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/WROVzN

Author Bio:

Welcome! I'm an indie author who recently entered the world of self publishing. "The Amethyst Affair" and "Flight to Eternity" are my first novels. Although related, they may be read in either order. I'd love your feedback.

Editorial Review:

Title: Flight to Eternity of Love and Intrigue during Wartime

Author: Paul Kirsch

Rating: 4.15

"Flight to Eternity of Love and Intrigue during Wartime" by Paul Kirsch is a historical romance and espionage thriller about a young intelligence officer who falls in love with a mysterious woman during a secret mission across the Pacific. The novel, which uses a dual timeline structure, explores themes of trust, love, and the personal costs of war.

The reader experiences the story through Sally's eyes, whose recent involvement with spies had cast her grandfather, Kekai Kahiau, in a new light. She wants to know who he’d really been and the things he’d done in his intelligence work during the WW-II era. During her visit to her parents' home in Honolulu, Sally strikes up a conversation with her mother.

"“Sally, after what the CIA put you through, perhaps it’s time you left all this spy business behind.” ​“I’m sure you’re right. But isn’t that what grandpa did, leaving behind a mystery?” ​“Perhaps, like yourself, the government swore him to secrecy.”"

The moment establishes that something traumatic happened to her, preparing the reader for a vulnerable protagonist who is recovering from past wounds and probably risking a relapse by investigating her grandfather's secret. She is driven by curiosity and is personally connected to the mystery. The mention of trauma and secrecy sets the tone for a psychologically complex journey whose present is shaped by the past, and where the truth might change how Sally sees her family, her history, and herself.

"The roads were full of German military vehicles, as Sophie had prophesied, but also plenty of people cycling. She rode with groups when she could, feeling safer in a pack. There were no checkpoints.. Although it was only twenty-four kilometers, from central Rotterdam to her apartment in Kortenbos, it took over two hours to get there. Sophie heard Anna stumbling up the stairway and raced to greet her."

Sally's discovery of Anna and Kai's love story lets her see her own trauma reflected in her grandmother. She however realizes that Anna, although traumatized by earlier events, including a bombing and a German soldier who violated her, survived, giving her hope that she can do the same. The reader wonders whether trauma will define her and whether she can trust again especially men, and if she does, whether that trust will survive.

"​“How much have you told her, Kahiau?” Kai squirmed in his chair... “She knows I’m associated with you, that’s all.” ​“I figured as much.” Kai flushed with embarrassment. “Miss Huender: I understand you work for your country’s diplomatic corps.” “Yes, that is true,” said Anna, intrigued by how things were developing. ​“Then you understand the implications of these.” He rattled the handcuffs attached to his wrist..."

In this moment happening during a layover in Wake Island, Smith, whom Kai sees as a member of the Military Postal Express Service, grills Kai following a discovery of flashlights at the beach. The reader knows that Smith, who in reality is a government courier (and handler) assigned to deliver War Plan Orange to General Douglas MacArthur in Manila, suspects that their romantic relationship may have compromised the mission. The reader senses that danger is imminent, and waits patiently to see which form it will take.

What's most outstanding about this story is how the reader uncovers and emotionally invests alongside Sally. The novel gives the reader two mysteries for the price of one, about what happened to the lovers as well as Sally. One of the pleasures of the story is how the different settings feel like characters in their own right. Their beauty is that they are not just backdrops, but they also shape the mood, story, and the characters themselves. Exploring them is like the author takes you on a world tour of emotion, each stop perfectly calibrated to make you feel exactly what the characters are feeling, whether it is the thrill of a new romance, the chill of a spy hunt, or the ache of a world falling apart.

There is something undeniable about the story's question of whether love can survive when everything else is falling apart. "Flight to Eternity of Love and Intrigue during Wartime" answers in a manner that will have readers clutching the book a little bit tighter. It is a book that asks hard questions, features a painful process of uncovering human secrets, and gives the understanding that understanding where we come from is key to knowing who we are.

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