Welcome to my tour stop! Read my review of this new release below...
The Foxhole Victory Tour: A Novel
By Amy Lynn Green
Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction, Inspirational Fiction
Paperback, Audiobook & eBook, 400 Pages
January 23, 2024 by Bethany House Publishers
Summary
Based on true World War II stories of life in the USO variety shows, worlds collide when performers from around the United States come together to tour North Africa.
Vibrant and scrappy Maggie McCleod tried not to get fired from her wartime orchestra, but her sharp tongue landed her in trouble, so an overseas adventure with the USO's camp show promises a chance at a fresh start. Wealthy and elegant Catherine Duquette signs with the USO to leave behind her restrictive life of privilege and to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the handsome pilot whose letters mysteriously stopped arriving.
The two women are joined by an eclectic group of performers--a scheming blues singer, a veteran tap dancer, and a brooding magician--but the harmony among their troupe is short-lived when their tour manager announces he will soon recommend one of them for a coveted job in the Hollywood spotlight. Each of the five members has a reason to want the contract, and they'll do whatever is necessary to claim it. As their troupe travels closer to the dangerous battlefront in Tunisia, personal crises and wartime dangers only intensify, putting not only their careers but also their lives on the line.
Praise for the Book
"Green deserves a standing ovation for her rousing story of unlikely friendships, courage over comfort, and the impactful work of USO performers during WWII. The Foxhole Victory Tour transports readers from the concert halls of Minnesota to the coasts of Casablanca to the active war zone of Tunisia. It is plot-driven without sacrificing relational drama, and its ragtag supporting cast of lovable misfits thoughtfully portrays the art and heart of live performance."— Booklist
5-STARS “I was impressed with how much Green was able to pack into the story and still keep it cohesive and natural. I ended up loving all the characters and their story arc, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Green's work.”— Debra, Goodreads
“The Foxhole Victory Tour is a wonderful story of historical fiction with great characters, vivid descriptions, and some tough truths that will make readers reflect on their choices and their priorities.”— Jordon Lynch, The Literary Library
“This story was full of emotion and captivating on every page. The setting of World War II is so real, you feel like you are with them. This is must-read. A story you won't put down and will be sad to say goodbye to after it's over.”— Elizabeth Eckmeyer, Interviews & Reviews
(Affiliate links included.)
My Review
THE FOXHOLE VICTORY TOUR is a unique story about a troupe of performers who travel through foreign countries as they entertain the US troops during WWII. The characters are diverse with accurate depictions of the time and immersive descriptions of the places these characters travel as they entertain. There are light aspects of faith, friendship, romance and danger weaved throughout as their story is told. An engaging and endearing historical.
I found both the main characters, Catherine and Maggie, to be likable narrators for this group of entertainers during WWII. Maggie tended to sabotage herself by being outspoken and breaking the rules, but it fit her background and personality. I also can easily relate to her stance on things and her sarcasm. Catherine was almost polar opposite as she was shy and more tentative growing up with very overbearing parents. They both had their own reasons for being in the group. I enjoyed seeing their characters develop over the course of their travels and how they come into their own by the end.
The story moves at a steady pace with a few mildly climatic parts weaved throughout and reads a bit like an historical recounting. With so many different personalities among these characters with different backgrounds, it took a while for them to become a cohesive group. They're tested by competition, some danger from traveling through war-torn areas, and expectations. There's some character development, which is always enjoyable. There was also some resolution to the challenges to their dreams, or at least to the choice these two women want to have in deciding their future. I found this aspect of history to be interesting, especially as it's the first book I've read about a troupe like this. The ending was sweet without being too perfectly tied up, which I appreciated.
There were a few things I would have liked to have been changed or I found a bit unexpected. I felt the two POV voices between Catherine and Maggie needed to be more developed. For much of the time it was hard to tell between the two characters until one of their names were given. I would have loved for each of their voices to be more unique and consistent with their characters. The unexpected aspect of this story that rubbed me wrong a bit was that I expected this to be an inspiring story of characters rising to the occasion to help as they could in difficult circumstances. There is definitely some of that, but all those in the troupe join for more selfish or personal reasons. This is also very apparent as they compete for a coveted position after their three-month stint in the group. There's a bit of drama and sabotage that feeds distrust of each other that I didn't really enjoy. Much of it was them being pitted against each other and them rising, or more accurately falling, to the occasion for a good part of the story.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an overall enjoyable read with endearing characters and an interesting story. It's not an aspect of WWII that is overly written about, so it's a unique perspective of the time period. Definitely recommended to historical fiction reads.
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Have you read any books with USO entertainers? What appeals to you about this story?
No comments
Post a Comment
I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.