WW2 Historical Fiction Novel: "The Light We Left Behind" - A Gripping and Heartbreaking Tale

Susan: In many ways a fascinating story about a secret work done during WW2 of which little has been previously known about.

United Kingdom on Aug 24, 2023

Amazon Customer: We certainly enjoyed the light we’ve left behind. Very gripping story they kept us entertained right to the end. Will definitely be looking forward to more Tessa Harris stories.

United States on Jun 12, 2023

Josephine Strubel: Good read of WW11

United Kingdom on Mar 17, 2023

MISS MARY HAMILL: Ok works well

United Kingdom on Feb 10, 2023

Kindle Customer: A very interesting and unusual approach to a WW2 story. Very full and rounded stories. A Very enjoyable and thought provoking book.

United Kingdom on Jan 05, 2023

DHackney: The Light We Left Behind is a story set in WW2 that takes characters across Germany, France, and England. Filled with espionage that kept this reader up late at night to find out more. The enduring love story between main characters Maddie and Max is beautiful and compelling as they are so driven to be together. Mystery surrounds Trent Lodge where Maddie ends up working in England in 1944. She is a psychologist who must creatively manipulate German prisoners of war to give up secrets that will save thousands of lives. Her role is intense and not one she receives any credit for.

United States on Oct 17, 2022

Audrey: The Light We Left Behind had me gripped from the prologue. Right away we get a feel for Maddie and Max's rapport before we jump eight years into the future. Now separated by circumstance, they are both doing their parts for the war effort all the while wondering what's happened to the other and if promises made still stand.

After the prologue, the first quarter of the book is a little slow but gradually picks up between mysterious deaths, fake identities, and a love triangle. With such lovable characters, I found this to be an exceptionally emotional story. I particularly liked the scenes between Maddie and Hammler. His character gives an interesting perspective to the Nazi antagonist without condoning his actions. I almost wish there had been more scenes with him. The focus was mostly on Max and Maddie's relationship.

Another notable relationship is that of Maddie and Dr. Baskin along with Maddie's intuitiveness surrounding his death. This is a driving force for her part of the story and brings everything together. This book has a little bit of everything. Action, mystery, intrigue, romance, deception, miscommunication, loss, heroism, joy... It was an enjoyable...

United States on Sep 19, 2022

Luv2read: I read and loved this author’s first book, Beneath a Starless Sky, so when I saw this one came out I grabbed it and dug in right away. Set in London during WW2, this story holds an interesting theme staged at Trent Park Mansion, a once luxurious upper class mansion – now a housing for captured Nazi officers. Walls, ceilings, fixtures are bugged to record conversations, specifically leaks from loose lips that could help the Allies in the war. Into the equation of a protagonist Maddie (a psychologist), love interest Max, and a captured General, the sadistic Nazi general, are other well-cast characters that propel the dialogue and scenes along at a rapid clip. Maddie is hired on to join those working undercover at Trent to at first profile the brutal Nazi General who has designed a missel set to fire against London then to play a role as the wife of an English officer who on mission befriends the German to get him to open. As the story unfolds Maddie has suspicions that things are not as they appeared to have been reported and she takes it upon herself to investigate why. As the Trent theme plays out, the death of two people turn from innocent to suspicious and the storyline...

United States on Feb 13, 2022

Nancy in NC: The premise was interesting, but the book didn't deliver. There wad too much and too little. Even though the genre is one of my favorites, this book just didn't bring any light into my world.

United States on Jan 21, 2022

gill, Cotswolds: Right from page one, when delightful, gutsy heroine Maddie is introduced, you know that you are in for a reading treat with this engrossing World War 2 novel. The Light We Left Behind, like all Tessa’s books, has strong plotting and moves at breath-taking speed to combine high drama with a highly satisfying period romance. It’s an absorbing and original story based on true, little known WW2 events that happened at Trent Park, a former London stately home. Here captured Nazi generals unwittingly gave away secrets, due to concealed listening devices that recorded their every conversation. Tessa’s story imagines what could have happened if, alongside those secrets, there was also a young woman ready to risk her life to save a young man who she’d given her heart to in pre-war Germany.

As the plot deepens, there will be murder, subterfuge, betrayals, a race against time to save more lives, and a barrage of obstacles to overcome if pscyhologist Maddie is ever to be truly happy.

Tessa’s confident, sweeping writing style brings characters from all levels of society and their settings to life. If you enjoy Kate Atkinson, you’ll love this. Like Atkinson, Tessa’s,...

United Kingdom on Dec 06, 2021