I am familiar with April Smith and her Ana Grey F.B.I. thrillers, and they are excellent. A Star for Mrs. Blake is quite the departure from her series, but I think it is her finest book.
Cora Blake is a widow from a tiny island in Maine who loses her son during World War I. At sixteen, he lied about his age and joined the army, like a lot of young men did back then. Sadly, he gave his life for his country, and Mrs. Blake became a Gold Star Mother, joining the ranks of thousands of other mothers who also lost their sons to war.
The United States government inquires whether she wants his remains returned or buried where he died, and she chooses the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. A few years later, Congress passes legislation to fund the transportation of the Gold Star Mothers to their sons’ graves in Europe, and Mrs. Blake receives an invitation. Several thousand Gold Star Mothers made the journey, and this beautifully written novel is about this little known slice of history set during the Depression.
Smith makes it personal by creating a small group of women and telling their stories. They travel first class with an army officer as chaperone, and a nurse, both of whom have interesting back stories. The group also includes a Boston society woman, heir to a railroad fortune, poor Jewish and Irish immigrants, and a woman who, they are warned, is a recent release from an insane asylum. This group quickly becomes a rather dysfunctional family, helping each other, fighting with each other, but at heart always knowing that they share a terrible loss.
Part history lesson, part travelogue, but fully wonderful, Smith says she’s been wanting to write this story for twenty-five years, and I’m really glad she finally got her way. Despite the seriousness of the subject, there is some humor and the book never becomes maudlin. The characters move the story along, and it is a fast read. Book groups especially will love this. If you liked The Postmistress by Sarah Blake or Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull, you will probably like this one too – and if you haven’t read either of those, do yourself a favor and add them to your to-be-read list.
I had never heard of Gold Star Mothers group, but they are still active. Loss is, of course, no longer limited to just sons; those who have lost daughters are also eligible. For more information on Gold Star Mothers, please visit www.goldstarmoms.com
02/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
A STAR FOR MRS. BLAKE by April Smith. Knopf (January 14, 2014). ISBN 978-0307958846. 352p.
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