Historical Fiction

The Storm We Made

The Storm We Made

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  • Create Date：2024-01-05 07:22:22
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Vanessa Chan
  • ISBN：1797166263
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Summary

A spellbinding， sweeping novel about a Malayan mother who becomes an unlikely spy for the invading Japanese forces during WWII--and the shocking consequences that rain upon her community and family。 Malaya， 1945。 Cecily Alcantara's family is in terrible her fifteen-year-old son， Abel， has disappeared， and her youngest daughter， Jasmin， is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations。 Her eldest daughter Jujube， who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers， becomes angrier by the day。 Cecily knows two that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth。 A decade prior， Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya。 A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage， pursuing dreams of an "Asia for Asians。" Instead， Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese。 Ten years later as the war reaches its apex， her actions have caught up with her。 Now her family is on the brink of destruction--and she will do anything to save them。 Spanning years of pain and triumph， told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters， The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors， and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake。

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Reviews

Hazel Elizabeth ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I learned about the history of British and Japanese colonization of Malaysia， that part was interesting。 The whole narrative about the spy/handler was less interesting bc it was obvious from the get what would happen， the romance/affair felt cliche。 The siblings’ perspectives were written better。 The relationship between Jujube and the elder Japanese man felt so authentic and raw。 That was my favorite storyline in the book。 Cecily and Lina was a close second but that too felt cliche。

Maria ，

A fascinating look at life in Malaya during the occupation by the Japanese in WWII。 I found the setting interesting and the depiction of life in a war-torn country to be accurate and terrifying。 While that was enough to whet my appetite， there was very little of this。 It was more of a character study on how vanity and the need for power makes for terrible people; I didn’t like a single character （except for maybe the teahouse customer who befriends the older sister）。 This novel had such promise A fascinating look at life in Malaya during the occupation by the Japanese in WWII。 I found the setting interesting and the depiction of life in a war-torn country to be accurate and terrifying。 While that was enough to whet my appetite， there was very little of this。 It was more of a character study on how vanity and the need for power makes for terrible people; I didn’t like a single character （except for maybe the teahouse customer who befriends the older sister）。 This novel had such promise but it was bogged down by Cecily’s yearning for something she can’t have and making others suffer because of it。I received a copy from #NetGalley and #MarysueRucciBooks for an honest review。 。。。more

Heather ，

I was really impressed with this novel and almost couldn't believe it was a debut。 The characters are richly drawn and nuanced， and the focus on four separate characters in the same family， all experiencing the war in different ways， really gives the reader a feel for just how destructive and devastating this part of history was for the people of Malaysia。 Trigger warnings are everywhere in this book， there is SO much difficult and depressing content， but it's worth the pain if you can get throu I was really impressed with this novel and almost couldn't believe it was a debut。 The characters are richly drawn and nuanced， and the focus on four separate characters in the same family， all experiencing the war in different ways， really gives the reader a feel for just how destructive and devastating this part of history was for the people of Malaysia。 Trigger warnings are everywhere in this book， there is SO much difficult and depressing content， but it's worth the pain if you can get through it。 At its core is a historical story that I haven't seen yet in fiction， with a family that you just want to root for， despite some awful decision making and heart-wrenching outcomes。 。。。more

Edie453 ，

This is a 2。5 for me based on the brutal scenes。 I don't like this for my entertainment。There's 2 time periods and many characters。 The author does a good job with the flow。 I was never confused。 It didn't jump around too much。The story takes place in Malaysia late 1930's and then 1945。 A woman who aspires to do interesting things becomes a wife and mother， is terribly bored and wants more。 She loathes the British in her country and turns to spying to aid the Japanese。 Things do not turn out wel This is a 2。5 for me based on the brutal scenes。 I don't like this for my entertainment。There's 2 time periods and many characters。 The author does a good job with the flow。 I was never confused。 It didn't jump around too much。The story takes place in Malaysia late 1930's and then 1945。 A woman who aspires to do interesting things becomes a wife and mother， is terribly bored and wants more。 She loathes the British in her country and turns to spying to aid the Japanese。 Things do not turn out well for her or her family。Early in the story she makes a comment that all people are good and bad。 This is proven throughout the book。 。。。more

Sara ，

This was both powerful and beautifully written。 Chan illustrated the effects of colonization on her own home country of Malaysia during the British and Japanese occupation before and during WW2。 I've read a lot about WW2 but never anything from this particular point of view and I found it to be illuminating。 The characters were very interesting to the point that the reader doesn't want to finish the book and leave them behind。 A follow-up book would be very welcome。 There are parts of this book This was both powerful and beautifully written。 Chan illustrated the effects of colonization on her own home country of Malaysia during the British and Japanese occupation before and during WW2。 I've read a lot about WW2 but never anything from this particular point of view and I found it to be illuminating。 The characters were very interesting to the point that the reader doesn't want to finish the book and leave them behind。 A follow-up book would be very welcome。 There are parts of this book that are extremely hard to read， in the sense of the brutality and pain which is inflicted。 But it is well worth forging on to the end。Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book。 It is phenomenal。 。。。more

Adena ，

I wanted to like this book much more than I did。 There’s a lot of sexual assault/sex trafficking， which is sad， but doesn’t detract from the book。 It’s just I never really cared about any character in the book。

Kenzie | kenzienoelle。reads ，

*This historical fiction set in Malaya （modern day Malaysia）， centers on the Alcantara family。 Specifically， mother Cecily and her three children， Abel， Jujube and Jasmin。 It’s the late 1930’s and into the 1945’s and Malaya has gone from British colonization to Japanese occupation as WW2 is erupting around the globe。 Then Abel goes missing…*There is much to love about this book。 From learning some history about a country I knew little about and what life might have looked like for some Malay peo *This historical fiction set in Malaya （modern day Malaysia）， centers on the Alcantara family。 Specifically， mother Cecily and her three children， Abel， Jujube and Jasmin。 It’s the late 1930’s and into the 1945’s and Malaya has gone from British colonization to Japanese occupation as WW2 is erupting around the globe。 Then Abel goes missing…*There is much to love about this book。 From learning some history about a country I knew little about and what life might have looked like for some Malay people during the years， to the propulsive writing。 The reader jumps from four different perspectives， and while that can work so well in a novel， its downfall is when some perspectives are more interesting than the others and that was the case for me with this one I kept wanting to get back to Jujube and Jasmine‘s perspectives。*I also just wanted to dig a little deeper into the characters。 So many topics and current events of the time were touched on， such as comfort women or the murderous work camps men were sent to but that’s just it… they were only touched on and I wanted more。 I think this book is maybe more plot focused and I wanted more character depth？ Don’t get me wrong， this book is still incredibly heartbreaking and painful and insightful and I didn’t want to put it down and still definitely recommend if you want a WW2 story that isn’t Eurocentric！ Thank you， @marysuerucci for this gifted ARC！ Pub date: out now！！ 。。。more

Debbie Shoulders ，

A glimpse into the WWII era， Chan sets her story in Malaysia， a country terrorized by the Japanese Army。 The Alcantara family can trace their roots to Portuguese settlers living as part of the melting pot of cultures in the colonized area。 Cecily， mother to three and wife of a bureaucrat， intrigued by Japanese General Fuijwara， posing as a British citizen， is easily persuaded to do things that later consume her with fear。 Plotlines encompass the summer before the Japanese surrender and the mid-1 A glimpse into the WWII era， Chan sets her story in Malaysia， a country terrorized by the Japanese Army。 The Alcantara family can trace their roots to Portuguese settlers living as part of the melting pot of cultures in the colonized area。 Cecily， mother to three and wife of a bureaucrat， intrigued by Japanese General Fuijwara， posing as a British citizen， is easily persuaded to do things that later consume her with fear。 Plotlines encompass the summer before the Japanese surrender and the mid-1930s。 Chan effectively uses sensory details to immerse the reader into the setting。 One sees， smells， and feels the aftermath of years of starvation and authoritative governing。 She exposes some of the atrocities committed to the Malaysians through this one family。 The most compelling part of the book is that no character is a hero or even merits more than a passing sense of empathy。 They are morally ambiguous and centered on survival。 。。。more

Kathy ，

This book should have been about World War 2 in Malaysia。 How the people fared， what their lives were like， how they survived。 It had a very small amount of that。 It was mostly about Cecily Alcantara being unfulfilled with her lot in life。 I didn’t like any of the characters and the book ended sadly for everyone except a secondary character。

Jacob Lewis ，

unique read- had never seen this perspective before， and oh the dramaaaa！ love me some historical fiction

booksta_lana ，

Thank you， S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book。This book was my most anticipated release in January 2024 and it did not disappoint。 The story is very raw and dark， it has some graphic scenes but the way the author used the language did not have the description， only the implication which to be honest was more than enough to understand what the main characters went through。Essentially this is a book about a family and how one person's actions could chan Thank you， S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book。This book was my most anticipated release in January 2024 and it did not disappoint。 The story is very raw and dark， it has some graphic scenes but the way the author used the language did not have the description， only the implication which to be honest was more than enough to understand what the main characters went through。Essentially this is a book about a family and how one person's actions could change the course of history。 The writing was very easy to follow and the pace was great， I loved the change in timeline and even though there are several POVs it was easy to keep them straight and separated。This book was sad and made me cry， but what an important read。PS。 Went thru low rating reviews and the privilege is screaming。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

I put this down 25% of the way through。 And I'll tell you why！ This is not how I want to start my year， with young boys being sodomized and other terrors enacted。 There's a chance I pick this back up later in the year （because other reviews are glowing！） but it is just such a hard way to start the year。 I put this down 25% of the way through。 And I'll tell you why！ This is not how I want to start my year， with young boys being sodomized and other terrors enacted。 There's a chance I pick this back up later in the year （because other reviews are glowing！） but it is just such a hard way to start the year。 。。。more

Jacqueline Badessa ，

Secrets， sacrifice， and resilience。 This captivating debut novel transports us to 1945 Malaya， where Cecily's world is thrown into chaos。 Faced with impossible choices， Cecily sets off a chain reaction of consequences that impact her family and community in ways she never could have imagined。 This powerful historical fiction novel was picked as gma bookclub January pick， and they couldn't have selected a better one。 Please pick up The Storms we made and read along with GMA this month。I was provi Secrets， sacrifice， and resilience。 This captivating debut novel transports us to 1945 Malaya， where Cecily's world is thrown into chaos。 Faced with impossible choices， Cecily sets off a chain reaction of consequences that impact her family and community in ways she never could have imagined。 This powerful historical fiction novel was picked as gma bookclub January pick， and they couldn't have selected a better one。 Please pick up The Storms we made and read along with GMA this month。I was provided an arc on behalf of the publisher。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more

Chris ，

“The Storm We Made" is an absolute gem， historical fiction at its best， immersive from first page to last。 There’s simply is no room for improvement in this literary pageturner， certain to draw passionate fans for Chan， who writes about Malaya （present-day Malaysia）， her family’s ancestral home， and the horrible years her grandparents and others lived through， 1941-1945， when the Japanese invaded the country， taking control of Malaya， a longtime British colony。 Chan notes in her introduction ho “The Storm We Made" is an absolute gem， historical fiction at its best， immersive from first page to last。 There’s simply is no room for improvement in this literary pageturner， certain to draw passionate fans for Chan， who writes about Malaya （present-day Malaysia）， her family’s ancestral home， and the horrible years her grandparents and others lived through， 1941-1945， when the Japanese invaded the country， taking control of Malaya， a longtime British colony。 Chan notes in her introduction how hesitant her grandparents were to talk about this period， how quiet they would become when she had questions for them。 Once you begin Chan’s novel it’s easy to understand her grandparents’ reticence—the Japanese were cruel， mistreating the Malaysians， who suffered mightily under inhumane conditions， food rations and the tragic loss of family and friends。 It's one such loss that twinges at our hearts when Chan begins her story in 1945。 The main character， Cecily， a complicated woman， falls victim to the very men she helped put in power， the Japanese。 Cecily， the mother of two daughters and a son， is wild with grief when her teenage son Abel fails to come home one day， a calamity that’s occurred to other boys in the small town over the past several years。 While Cecily suffers greatly， she accepts her fate knowing “…that all the things she had done would come to her， that retribution was always a day away。”With this stunning hook， Chan draws readers in， curious to know why Cecily feels the way she does。 The answers lie in Cecily’s youth and early marriage， prior to the Japanese takeover when the British upper crust hosted lavish parties， inviting Malaysians who held positions of prestige to their forays。 Among the guests were Cecily and her husband Gordon， who worked for the government， oblivious to his wife’s intel service to Fujiwara， the powerful Japanese general who defeated the British， taking over Malaysia for the Japanese。 To curb dissatisfaction with her unfulfilling marriage to Gordon， and the burden of mothering two young children， Cecily becomes a spy for Fujiwara， their relationship eventually becoming physical， a need as vital to Cecily as food and water。 Though serving the general puts her in grave danger， and threatens her loss of family， “Espionage suited Cecily。”The narrative shifts back and forward in history， chapters delineated by the date and the country occupying Malaya at the time。 Readers learn what’s happening to Cecily’s children， Abel， Jujube and to a third daughter Jasmine， born later， who has a pivotal role in the novel。 Additional characters are richly drawn but it’s Cecily who readers will ponder， a difficult woman to understand who puts her needs before her family’s， her addiction to Fujiwara costing her more than she could ever have imagined。 “The Storm We Made” bursts onto the literary scene setting a high bar for other historical fiction being released this year。 It’s a brilliant beginning for Chan， a novelist who shows expertise in creating complex characters， juggling several story arcs with aplomb， and providing an easy-to-understand overview of a place and period in that country’s history many of us might not have known about before。 。。。more

Madeline ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 never going to stop thinking about jasmin and yuki。

Megan ，

In this heart wrenching story of a Malayan family during the Japanese occupation， we have a mother who is an unlikely spy， a father who is a low-level bureaucrat under British Colonial rule， a son who disappears， a youngest daughter who must be protected from lecherous Japanese soldiers， and an angry older daughter who struggles to shore up the pieces of her family。

Jennie （goodvibes_and_happiness） ，

Thank you Simon and Schuster @bookclubfavorites for a free copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review。This book was so moving and evocative of the struggles faced by native peoples during a war。 This book covers through dual POVs the years leading up to the Japanese invasion of Malaya in 1943 and the actual years of the invasion。 I loved that it was told through multiple POVs and multiple timelines。 It really set up the story very nicely and kept me hooked the whole way through。I especial Thank you Simon and Schuster @bookclubfavorites for a free copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review。This book was so moving and evocative of the struggles faced by native peoples during a war。 This book covers through dual POVs the years leading up to the Japanese invasion of Malaya in 1943 and the actual years of the invasion。 I loved that it was told through multiple POVs and multiple timelines。 It really set up the story very nicely and kept me hooked the whole way through。I especially enjoyed Cecily’s perspective and why she did the things she did。This book is not for the faint of heart and deals with some pretty traumatic themes but given it’s about WW2 it was very necessary。 。。。more

Cecilia ，

3。5/5 stars rounded down - I wanted to like this a lot more than I did。 It was really， really good in some parts but other parts failed to grip me。 I saw other reviews saying it’s a slow read and to me it was。 It was just over 300 pages and took me a couple of weeks to finish。 I’m not a huge fan of a lot of POVs because I find myself gravitating towards one and not being as invested in the others。

Su Kim ，

Beautifully painful， uncomfortable， and devastating， yet still hopeful and full of love。 This was unputdownable for me！

Lydia Kolla ，

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eCopy to reviewThis was not a period of history that I knew much about。 Despite being upsetting and brutal The Storm We Made is well written， the characters are very believable and I was captivated by all their stories wondering how they would all play out。It is a duel timeline following Cecily as she becomes a Japanese spy and how her decision affects her family 10 years later when the Japanese have invaded Malaysia。I found the story incredibl Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eCopy to reviewThis was not a period of history that I knew much about。 Despite being upsetting and brutal The Storm We Made is well written， the characters are very believable and I was captivated by all their stories wondering how they would all play out。It is a duel timeline following Cecily as she becomes a Japanese spy and how her decision affects her family 10 years later when the Japanese have invaded Malaysia。I found the story incredibly moving and look forward to reading more by Vanessa Chan in the future 。。。more

Melanie Caldicott ，

This is a moving， emotionally hard to read novel which describes the Malaysian history of colonialism and the events of WWII。 The themes focus on the legacy of conflict， foreign rule and the desire for national identity。 The plot centres around a family living under first British rule and then Japanese and we look at how the betrayal of Cecily， the mother， leads to a legacy of pain and loss。 The family events provide a microcosmic parallel to the macro events that are affecting the country。 The This is a moving， emotionally hard to read novel which describes the Malaysian history of colonialism and the events of WWII。 The themes focus on the legacy of conflict， foreign rule and the desire for national identity。 The plot centres around a family living under first British rule and then Japanese and we look at how the betrayal of Cecily， the mother， leads to a legacy of pain and loss。 The family events provide a microcosmic parallel to the macro events that are affecting the country。 The results of which damage the children and the family irrevocably。 I felt the ending of this novel a little rushed and it was hard at times to understand some of the choices made by the characters。 However， this was a bold novel illuminating an important history and was incredibly moving。This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book。 。。。more

Dana ，

First I must say - although I don't read it myself - there is too much information given in the blurb。 The final paragraph would have been sufficient。This story is well told - imparting historical information and combining it with interesting characters。 Cecilia is a very strong character - a woman who should know her place but who yearns to be part of the change she believes Malaysia needs。The earlier time line - she believes - is responsible for the destruction of her family ten years later。We First I must say - although I don't read it myself - there is too much information given in the blurb。 The final paragraph would have been sufficient。This story is well told - imparting historical information and combining it with interesting characters。 Cecilia is a very strong character - a woman who should know her place but who yearns to be part of the change she believes Malaysia needs。The earlier time line - she believes - is responsible for the destruction of her family ten years later。Well written， very readable。 Memorable characters。Many thanks to Netgalley/Vanessa Chan/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more

Karisa ，

Heart wrenching but beautifully told。 A look at the seldom explored and discussed WWII Japanese invasion and occupation of Malaya。 I really enjoyed the writing style in this book， narrating perspectives of a few different characters， but still very easy to follow。 This story was heartbreaking and compelling and beautifully told。

Rhyane ，

Wow。 This book is not for the faint of heart。 It’s difficult to rate a novel that is so beautifully well written， entertaining until the end， and so sorrowful while also being narrated from the perspective of characters that are so deeply flawed and， in one case， nearly awful。 What to say about a mother that makes all of the wrong choices that leads to the most detrimental consequences for her children？ One thing I loved: A fresh perspective on WW2 from Malaya （now Malaysia） that wasn’t a burden Wow。 This book is not for the faint of heart。 It’s difficult to rate a novel that is so beautifully well written， entertaining until the end， and so sorrowful while also being narrated from the perspective of characters that are so deeply flawed and， in one case， nearly awful。 What to say about a mother that makes all of the wrong choices that leads to the most detrimental consequences for her children？ One thing I loved: A fresh perspective on WW2 from Malaya （now Malaysia） that wasn’t a burden to get through while gleaning new information。 One thing I liked: How brutally honest the characters seemed to be。 They didn’t hide anything from themselves。 So much self-awareness and no desire to change for the better。 But that is the way of trauma。 It stunts you。 It was unique。 I enjoy a story where there is no “good guy。” One thing I struggled with: How terrible Cecily is。 The definition of a narcissist while also being a reliable narrator？ With many of the decisions she made， I would have done the opposite， save her friendship with Lina。 Very different from what I am used to。 Pushed my boundaries， which isn’t a bad thing。 Overall， this one was hard to read， which is good。 We all need discomfort to have perspective。 But it was also beautifully written。 I have so many conflicting thoughts。 I will keep thinking about them for weeks to come， I’m sure。 Bravo。 。。。more

Laura Radke ，

This is a truly incredible book。 I have read a lot of WW2 novels in the past， but rarely anything about the war in the Pacific。 I don't believe I have ever read a book about Malaysia， either， and I certainly have to admit that I had no concept of Malaysian history。 Told from the point of view of various characters， this is really the story of a Malaysian wife and mother who struggled with her place in society。 While married to a government employee from a good family， she just didn't feel passio This is a truly incredible book。 I have read a lot of WW2 novels in the past， but rarely anything about the war in the Pacific。 I don't believe I have ever read a book about Malaysia， either， and I certainly have to admit that I had no concept of Malaysian history。 Told from the point of view of various characters， this is really the story of a Malaysian wife and mother who struggled with her place in society。 While married to a government employee from a good family， she just didn't feel passionate about her spouse and really didn't love being a mother。 When a charismatic businessman shows up on the island and takes her into his confidence， she finds an outlet for her passions - and betrays so many people as the novel moves forward。Brutally honest in its portrayal of a woman searching for something more and the mistakes she makes， it is at turns horrifically sad and beautifully poignant。 It captures the horrors of war and the losses of those caught up in it: innocence， childhood， lives forever changed and lives lost on both sides。 I highly recommend this for anyone who has an interest in WW2 or Asian history。 Thank you to @bookclubfavorites for the ARC。 I truly enjoy being a #bookclubfavoritesambaassador！ 。。。more

Ivy Kaprow ，

Taking place in Malaysia （then Malaya） between 1935 and 1947， this book focuses on the British and Japanese occupations before， during， and after World War Two。 Cecily Alcantara is a married mother of 3。 Under the British Occupation in 1935 she has an affair with a Japanese officer and becomes a spy for him， thus helping the Japanese overthrow the British。 10 years later she realizes she made a huge mistake， but there’s no turning back the clock。 There is a lot going on in this book。 Told third Taking place in Malaysia （then Malaya） between 1935 and 1947， this book focuses on the British and Japanese occupations before， during， and after World War Two。 Cecily Alcantara is a married mother of 3。 Under the British Occupation in 1935 she has an affair with a Japanese officer and becomes a spy for him， thus helping the Japanese overthrow the British。 10 years later she realizes she made a huge mistake， but there’s no turning back the clock。 There is a lot going on in this book。 Told third person from the viewpoints of Cecily and each of her three children， this book bounces back and forth between 1935 and 1947。 It actually flows quite nicely until the last chapter。 This is a very heavy read and there were many parts that I found heartbreaking and hard to read。 While I greatly enjoyed the middle part， I found the beginning to be slow and the end to be rushed， and I felt like one character’s plot line fell to the wayside。I applaud Vanessa Chan for writing a book about this topic。 I had actually not known about this and I greatly appreciated learning about it through the eyes of the characters。 Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/MarySue Rucci Books for an advanced copy of this book。 This hit the shelves January 2nd。 。。。more

Aundria Nuncio ，

Painfully beautiful。 The ending had me in a puddle of tears。

Shelby （allthebooksalltheways） ，

Review to come。 Thank you Simon Audio and Libro FM for the gifted audiobook

Jennifer ，

This novel， told from four alternating perspectives in the same family is set in Malaya， both before and during WWII。 During the 1930s， we see the perspective of Cecily， a young mother and wife to a civil servant who is working for the British， who becomes enchanted with a Japanese man there undercover， and begins passing along secrets from her husbands’ work to him， taken in by his vision of an Asia ruled by Asians rather than Europeans。 Then in 1945， we see the perspectives of Cecily’s childre This novel， told from four alternating perspectives in the same family is set in Malaya， both before and during WWII。 During the 1930s， we see the perspective of Cecily， a young mother and wife to a civil servant who is working for the British， who becomes enchanted with a Japanese man there undercover， and begins passing along secrets from her husbands’ work to him， taken in by his vision of an Asia ruled by Asians rather than Europeans。 Then in 1945， we see the perspectives of Cecily’s children during the horrors of the Japanese occupation， which is far from what Cecily thought it would be。 I didn’t know anything about the historical background， so I definitely felt I learned a lot from this book。 It’s well-written， but it is just SO bleak and depressing at every turn which made it hard for me to love it or to recommend it unreservedly。 I would have liked a little more out of the ending as well。3。5 starsThanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC; all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Jordan Briggs ，

Heartbreaking

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Storm We Made

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Storm We Made&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Storm We Made&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0