My Name is Eva: An absolutely gripping and emotional historical novel

Suzanne Goldring

Sep 2019 · Bookouture

About this ebook

You can pay a terrible price for keeping a promise…

Evelyn Taylor-Clarke sits in her chair at Forest Lawns Care Home in the heart of the English countryside, surrounded by residents with minds not as sharp as hers. It would be easy to dismiss Evelyn as a muddled old woman, but her lipstick is applied perfectly, and her buttons done up correctly. Because Evelyn is a woman with secrets and Evelyn remembers everything. She can never forget the promise she made to the love of her life, to discover the truth about the mission that led to his death, no matter what it cost her…

When Evelyn’s niece Pat opens an old biscuit tin to find a photo of a small girl with a red ball entitled ‘Liese, 1951’ and a passport in another name, she has some questions for her aunt. And Evelyn is transported back to a place in Germany known as ‘The Forbidden Village,’ where a  woman who called herself Eva went where no one else dared, amongst shivering prisoners, to find the man who gambled with her husband’s life…

A gripping, haunting and compelling read about love, courage and betrayal set in the war-battered landscape of Germany. Fans of The Letter, The Alice Network and The Nightingale will be hooked.

Readers are hooked on My Name is Eva:

‘Could not put this book down, and heaven help anyone that tried to disturb my reading !!…I absolutely loved this book !…I laughed, I cried, I cheered , I sympathized all because of Evelyn…I could so picture the setting and as Evelyn sets out to fool everyone, I thought you go girl !!...I don't want to say anything else but what a fantastic read… I can't recommend this book enough !!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘What a magnificent read! Eva is amazing. One of the best characters in a book EVER! What a fantastic, beautiful, heart-wrenching tale, incredibly told. I absolutely loved every single page. I sat for the last 20% of the book in tears, sad but happy tears. An absolutely beautiful book.’ Kim the Bookworm, 5 stars

‘A poignant and evocative story of love, betrayal and bravery that kept me page turning and completely engrossed from start to finish. Loved it and would definitely recommend.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

 ‘A phenomenal story of courage, love, murder and all the atrocities that go with war. Eva is an extraordinary character, strong, loyal, smart, funny, loving, and brave.A phenomenal read!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘This may be my new favorite book!!!! I absolutely love the premise of the heroine faking dementia in her retirement home to cover up her knowledge of (and possible involvement in) questionable activities centering around WWII events. The tempo of this novel was perfect--kept me wondering until the very last page!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Absolutely loved this book and its riveting plot!... The author has successfully penned a debut novel that I would highly recommend without any hesitation. An excellent debut novel from Suzanne Goldring and I look forward to reading more of her work. Historical fiction is my favourite genre to read and this book was every bit as good as some of the well-known WW2-themed titles published in recent years.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly recommended.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Everything about this book is amazing. I love the main character Eva, the way the author integrates the past with the present, and the emotional plot that kept me hooked from the beginning to the end. I’ve read over 30 historical fiction novels in the past year and this one is definitely in my top 10.’ Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars

‘My Name is Eva is laugh out loud funny, sad in parts and had me glued to the pages… Wham!... I did not see “that” coming. Oh, the secrets Evelyn has!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘This book is haunting and moving and told in a way that had me engaged in the story from the start. Recommended!’ The Princess and the Pen, 5 stars

‘This book had me hooked from the start....and because my grandparents are currently in assisted-living facilities, Evelyn's time in her assisted-living resonated with my heart. I loved her sassy, snarky personality and being privileged to see the inner workings of her mind. And I loved the love letters between she and her husband during WWII. I am excited to read all of Goldring's works! This is the first book of hers I've read, and it won't be the last!’ The Book Distiller, 5 stars

‘This novel had me hooked from the very first page! I always enjoy delving into historical fiction novels and My Name is Eva is the perfect example of why! This riveting book time hops between the 1940’s, 1980’s and present day (2016) to tell the tale of Evelyn Taylor-Clarke’s life. Suzanne Goldring does a fantastic job with the pacing of this novel, I sometimes find historical fictions can get a little dry, but there wasn’t any parts that I felt lagged—love that! The storyline was incredibly moving and depth filled! Evelyn is a character that will definitely stay with me!’ Steph and Chris’s Book Review, 5 stars 

Ratings and reviews

There seems to be such a slew of WW2 books out there at the moment, and while I think it's so important to keep the memories alive, and ensure we never forget, some of these novels can be quite samey. Not so much this one. This is an alternate timeline novel, and I am not always appreciative of this tool if it causes confusion for my tiny little brain. However, for me at least, the author has done a wonderful job here, you are never in doubt which era you are dealing with, and quickly come to realise why her use of the time flip is important to the storyline. Evelyn is an intriguing character, though at first I couldn't understand her little "games", as the story progresses it all starts to make sense. There are some major twists in this tale, including one that I seriously didn't see coming and which really quite shocked me, and another I kind of guessed at but still didn't really expect. All along I could not work out how it would end, and the way it did was certainly not on my radar! I found the authors writing style very enjoyable to read, very clear, and the narrative flowed really well even with the split timelines. At first the characters of the old and new Eva/Evelyn seem very different but as the book progresses she starts to blend into one. I can't say I was particularly fond of her, but I understood to a degree why she became the person she did, and her motivations, if not her actions. There was for me a bit of a lull about 70% of the way through but it didn't last too long and other than that, this book kept me interested, and I will definitely look out for more from this author. My reviews are my opinions and thoughts on my reading experience, not book reports, so if you want to know more details about the storyline, please read the blurb, or the long reviews that break down the storyline. I hate spoilers myself so aim to make my reviews spoiler free zones as much as possible. I received an eArc from the publisher via Netgalley, but this review is entirely unbiased and the words are my own.

Absolutely loved this book. Flipping back and forth at certain points made me crazy. I wanted to read it all. I'm glad that the many story points were completed. Nothing worse than starting something and not knowing how it ends. I felt the full gambit of emotions. Sadness. Anger. Gladness. Wonder. Love. Wished she could have had something of her own at the end not a niece. Ended with a bang. Keep writing.

This book was well written and a very gripping story but I found it too gruesome for me.