Friday 13 April 2018

GREAT WORLD WAR 2 ROMANCE

Ike and Kay: A Novel


 I was asked to review by Nudge readers.

This is a historical novel and based on fact, Ike and Kay are Dwight Eisenhower-who became 34th President of the united States and Kay Summersby- who joined the British Mechanised Transport Corps (MTC). She had driven an ambulance during the Blitz of 1940 and 41. When the United States joined the allies in December 1941, she was one of many MTC drivers assigned as chauffeurs to high-ranking American military officers.  Eisenhower at that time was Major General and Kay was assigned as his driver the following May.

 The author writes about this love affair - whether this was full blown sexual relationship one may never know -reading  her  autobiography, Past Forgetting: My Love Affair with Dwight D. Eisenhower dated 1975 just a year before she died of cancer there was no mention of a sexual relationship - but one could argue she may have been protecting "Ike" the author admits to the fact that no one knows the extent of this relationship and we may never know. What would we have done in this unpredictable time being place with people we would never have come across in peace time. Life was precarious Kay had witnessed this in the horrific Blitz. She proved her worth in becoming "Ike" secretary. She would have been privy to confidential war information and she would have been his confident.  

 The author has spent a great deal of time researching this period of history and readers will gain a great deal from the historical side as well as the romance. Whether they did or did not this was a different time. It is beautifully written and crafted.

I was aware of Kay Summersby and had read a little of her a long time ago, but this book has given me thought to read about both “Ike” and Kay.

Recommended read and can see this up in the top ten this summer- published March 2018.






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