A Parachute In The Lime Tree by Annemarie Neary

Synopsis

It's April 1941. German bombers are in the air, about to attack Belfast. Oskar is a Luftwaffe conscript whose sweetheart, Elsa, was forced to flee Berlin for Ireland two years before. War-weary, he longs for escape. In remote Dunkerin, Kitty awakes to find a parachute trapped in one of the lime trees. When she discovers Oskar, injured and foraging for food in her kitchen, he becomes a rare and exciting secret. But Ireland during the Emergency is an uneasy place, and word of the parachute soon spreads. Meanwhile, Elsa is haunted by the plight of the parents she left behind. With the threat of Nazi invasion, she feels far from secure. A chance encounter with Elsa, and Charlie, a young medical student, finds himself falling in love. Oskar, Kitty, Elsa, Charlie. Their lives intertwine in a climate of war, exile, and ever-uncertain neutrality.

 
About this author

Annemarie’s short fiction has won awards in the UK, Ireland and the US. A Parachute in the Lime Tree is her first novel. You can find Annemarie on her website:
http://www.annemarieneary.co.uk
You can find Parachute on its Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/AParachuteInT... Irish-born, Annemarie was educated at Trinity College and King’s Inns, Dublin and the Courtauld Institute, London. She used to be a lawyer, but now she prefers just making it up. She lives in London with her husband and sons.

My Thoughts

A wartime love story that takes place mostly in Ireland at the beginning of WWII. A love affair that starts in Berlin between neighbors, Elsa and Oskar but war gets in the way and Oskar is conscripted  into the Luftwaffe. Elsa eventually ends up separated from her parents and sent by Kindertransport and relocated to Ireland for her safekeeping. Oskar is disillusioned by the war and just wants to find Elsa after he finds out she is gone from her home.

Other characters include Kitty, a young Irish woman who lives with her mother but is looking for excitement in her life. She finds a parachute hanging from a lime tree and is not quite sure what to make of it but she does know that there is someone who was at one time attached to that parachute. Oskar has jumped out of the plane hoping to land in Ireland so he can continue to locate Elsa. Charlie is a a young medical student who meets Elsa and falls in love with her. As war continues around all four of these young people, they never know what may happen day to day. 

A Parachute in the Lime Tree is a wonderful, poignant story, written in such a way that the reader can feel the emotions that abound between all the characters involved. A well researched tale of love, war, exile in uncertain times. I highly recommend it. 

I received a copy of the book from the author for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.