Full Circle

Rating:
Summary: A Great Story of Triumph Over Hardship!
Review: A wonderful continuation of the lives of Eva and Zoe, two endearing characters first introduced in "Out of Darkness" and "You Must Remember This." Now "married" for 5 years, these two brave women, whose lives have been touched by tragedy, rely on their love for each other and their friends as they settle into their new home. Amidst plans to "expand" their family, Eva is given an opportunity to accompany the Immigration Minister on an European trip - which will include Greece and Germany.

How will Zoe feel returning home to memories of a family lost? How will Eva react to returning to her "step-father's" land of birth? Will Zoe be strong enough to help Eva through what nightmares may return? Will Eva's maternal grandfather - who abandoned his own pregnant daughter - be able to accept the grandchild he didn't want to know? Will Eva want a relationship with the man who abandoned his own daughter and grandchild? What will happen when he runs smack into "Hurricane Zoe"! And just who is the mysterious "old woman" Eva welcomes back into her life?

Travel with the writer as you are taken further into the lives of these two remarkable women. You will find yourself crying with them during their sad times and laughing with them through the happy times. It's a journey you will NOT regret!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Story of Triumph Over Hardship!
Review: A wonderful continuation of the lives of Eva and Zoe, two endearing characters first introduced in "Out of Darkness" and "You Must Remember This." Now "married" for 5 years, these two brave women, whose lives have been touched by tragedy, rely on their love for each other and their friends as they settle into their new home. Amidst plans to "expand" their family, Eva is given an opportunity to accompany the Immigration Minister on an European trip - which will include Greece and Germany.

How will Zoe feel returning home to memories of a family lost? How will Eva react to returning to her "step-father's" land of birth? Will Zoe be strong enough to help Eva through what nightmares may return? Will Eva's maternal grandfather - who abandoned his own pregnant daughter - be able to accept the grandchild he didn't want to know? Will Eva want a relationship with the man who abandoned his own daughter and grandchild? What will happen when he runs smack into "Hurricane Zoe"! And just who is the mysterious "old woman" Eva welcomes back into her life?

Travel with the writer as you are taken further into the lives of these two remarkable women. You will find yourself crying with them during their sad times and laughing with them through the happy times. It's a journey you will NOT regret!

Rating:
Summary: Getting better
Review: This is the third installment in the series that Brooks is writing about Eva and Zoe. So far, she has three or four more planned after this one. The series started when Eva and Zoe met during World War II in Greece. Zoe worked for the Greek resistance and Eva, who was supposed to be the enemy daughter of a Nazi officer, turned out to be helping the resistance. The women fall in love and find themselves transplanted in Australia after the war. This book picks up the story about five years after the war when they are building their careers and planning for the future. This is probably best described as a transition novel. It wraps up some of the unanswered questions from the previous books and sets the groundwork for the ones to come. Brooks' writing is getting tighter and better as she tells her story. No one book in the series stands out as a masterpiece, but together they weave a story that you are drawn into. By the time you get to Full Circle, you feel you know Eva and Zoe well and you want to know how they're going to work things out. Part of the interest in the story is that it is set (now) in the 1950s when it was certainly even more difficult to be gay or lesbian. One suspects Brooks makes their families and friends just a little too accepting of their relationship, but its good to see them struggle against and overcome the odds. Unlike the books that were actually written in the 1950s, you see two women who are happy with their situation and not constantly suicidal. There are a lot of flashback scenes in this one to keep you up with the story development, but you'll enjoy it more if you've actually read the previous books. A big plus for this book is that Brooks is getting much better at writing romantic scenes.