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    The Secret of Raven Point
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    The Secret of Raven Point
    Unavailable
    The Secret of Raven Point
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Secret of Raven Point

    Written by Jennifer Vanderbes

    Narrated by Susie Berneis

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    1943: When seventeen-year-old Juliet Dufresne receives a cryptic letter from her enlisted older brother pleading for help, and then finds out he’s been reported missing overseas, she lies about her age and volunteers as an army nurse to find him. Juliet is thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, where she is increasingly consumed by the plight of her patients. One in particular, Christopher Barnaby, a deserter awaiting court martial, may hold the answer to her brother’s fate - but the trauma of war has left him unable to speak. Juliet works with psychiatrist Henry Willard to heal Barnaby before the authorities take him away. Juliet and Willard are forced to plumb the moral nuances of a so-called just war, and to face the dangers of their own deepening connection.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateFeb 4, 2014
    ISBN9781629234205
    Unavailable
    The Secret of Raven Point
    Author

    Jennifer Vanderbes

    Jennifer Vanderbes is the author of the novels The Secret of Raven Point, Easter Island, and Strangers at the Feast, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a New York Public Library Cullman Fellowship. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Granta and has been translated into sixteen languages. She lives in New York City. Visit her website at JenniferVanderbes.com.

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    Reviews for The Secret of Raven Point

    4/5

    7 ratings9 reviews

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    • 4/5
      In general, I hate depressing, dark, and gory books. This book was definitely all three! Unlike in Somewhere in France, there is no glossing over the gruesome bits of war nurse’s job. At least half of the characters we’re introduced to are seriously injured or dead by the end of the book. I had a hard time giving this book four stars, because I didn’t finish with feeling happy about the book. I finished feeling depressed by the horrors of war. So the question is, what made this book so good anyway?

      I think the answer is this: the story felt real. In so many books and movies, a character is introduced who you just know you’re being made to like so that you’ll be sad when they’re killed off. It’s frustrating to me because the author could have written anything they wanted and they chose to mess with my emotions by writing something sad. In The Secret of Raven Point, I felt as though we were getting a glimpse of real events. It was never obvious which characters weren’t going to make it. The author didn’t oversell the grief and violence either. They happen and Juliet moves on because she has to, taking the reader with her. As a result, I felt that the author did a great job portraying the unfairness and unpredictability of war. The unpredictability also meant there was always hope, just as in real life. And that is what I loved about this book. It was poignant, heartbreaking, and gritty, but most of all it felt very real.

      This review first published on Doing Dewey.
    • 5/5
      This book was more substantial than I expected. I though it would be a bit of a romance, but it was far more realistic. Juliet receives a mysterious final message from her brother before he becomes MIA in the European theater in WWII. She trains as a nurse and enlists in order to try to find him. Horrific wartime experiences ensue. It is a powerful story, with characters that seem very real and a plot that is quite believable. I particularly liked that the chaplain was a really good guy, because often the church gets to play the bad guy in fiction.SPOILERS AHEAD:My main criticism of the book may not even be warranted and can only be discussed by giving SPOILERS: At the risk of proving myself a provincial boob with no literary discernment, I have to say I am frustrated at the lack of closure with regard to the book's title. I keep saying to myself and those around me, "What IS the secret of Raven Point?" Tuck's letter sends Juliet scurrying across the sea to the midst of war to search for him and find answers to his message, and about halfway through the book the author stops mentioning it altogether. What did Tuck mean in his message about Miss Van Effing and Cher Ami? Even if Juliet is never able to find Tuck's answer, surely she formed some opinion of it herself, but there is no further discussion of it. Maybe that's the point, that life does not always have closure and that mysteries are not always solved, but it frustrated me nonetheless.END OF SPOILERS.This book kept me riveted throughout. It was fast-paced and unpredictable and gave a fascinating picture of an army nurse's life, as well as some thought-provoking information on the state of psychiatry and the army's take on mental health at that period in our history. I highly recommend this story!
    • 3/5
      The backstory: I previously loved Strangers at the Feast, so I was eager to read the latest novel by Jennifer Vanderbes.The basics: When her older brother and best friend goes off to fight in World War II, seventeen-year-old Juliet is devastated. Soon she receives a mysterious letter from him and discovers he's missing in action. Juliet lies about her age and enlists as an Army nurse, with the goal of getting as close to the front as possible so she can find answers about her brother's disappearance.My thoughts: Juliet is a character who intrigued me from the beginning, when we meet her working after school in the science lab. She's smart, driven, and young, and I was curious where life would take her. As she decided to join the war effort, it made sense:"But Juliet was growing increasingly certain of her intent to leave Charlesport; she did not want to be as Tuck had once described her--a girl who curiously opened every door but never walked through one."There's a timelessness to such girlhood dreams, and I was most curious how World War II would shape Juliet's life and choices. As the book went on, however, I became less engaged with the characters and their lives. The novel, with flashes of beautiful and poignant writing, turned into a rather ordinary war novel. Perhaps I'm reaching World War I and World War II fatigue, but The Secret of Raven Point failed to distinguish itself from other stories of smart, driven young women who head to the front.Favorite passage: "That was the arc of life, it seemed; the slow and grateful recognition of those who were, by chance or fate, simply with you."The verdict: Ultimately, I was disappointed. The Secret of Raven Point is a rather ordinary war novel. While Juliet was a fascinating character to root for, her story felt too familiar. While I appreciate that war itself isn't tied up neatly, I wanted more answers to the questions raised in this novel.
    • 5/5
      A very compelling read about WWII. Story takes place in Italy about a young front line nurse trying to find out what happened to her brother who has been reported missing in action. A shockingly realistic portrait of the war and all its atrocities. A page turner from beginning to end and at the end I wanted more. Highly recommend.
    • 2/5
      I really wanted to like this book because I read a lot of books about WWII but I didn't like the main character and I thought that there were too many loose ends that were not solved by the end of the book. I will try this author again but I just didn't like this book.
    • 5/5
      This book will break your heart because although it takes place during World War II, it doesn't matter. Everything, today, is still the same, but in many ways much worse, in the way the countries of the world try and solve their problems---this was from the point of view about how terribly and unforgivably sad it is to try and heal the war wounded, only to send them right back in again. I loved the characters. The descriptions of the wounded were way beyond painful to read/listen to. I was listening to the audio and Susie Berneis as the reader was terrific.
    • 5/5
      Take a step back in time to the early 1940s and WWII and live a coming of age story about a young girl becoming a woman. In 'The Secret of Raven Point', we follow Juliet Dufresne from a small town in South Carolina to the front line of the war in Italy. Through her journey as a nurse, she grows up much quicker than most would like, and sees things nobody ever should. These experiences allow to grow as a person and shape her into the woman she will become.I very much enjoyed reading 'The Secret of Raven Point' and at many times found it hard to put down. The WWII era has always been one of fascination for me and Jennifer Vanderbes did a wonderful job of bringing it to life. The words and descriptions made it very easy for me to play the entire store out in my head and feel as though I was right there with the characters and living their every move right along with them.I very much recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Ms. Vanderbes in the future.*I received an Advanced Reader's Edition in exchange for an honest review*
    • 4/5
      This is a powerful book, hands down. It’s an emotional journey through loss, the horrors of war, and a young woman growing up in very trying circumstances.I liked that the author wasn’t afraid to explore the truly gruesome and gory of war. The reader gets plunked down right in the middle of the action and experiences the same pain and loss that Juliet and the others do. The emotions this book brings up are incredible. I was alternately angry at the hopeless situation faced by some, tearful at the tragedy of so many young people lost so quickly, and peacefully cheerful at the quiet moments the characters found now and then. I liked the characters, too, especially Juliet. She grows throughout the book in a very realistic way, from internally focused teenager to a world-weary adult. I grew to like her as an individual and as a vehicle through which the story is told. I liked all the secondary characters, as well, even Brilling. They’re all realistically portrayed and feel three-dimensional, like they’d step right off the page.I’ve never read a fictionalized account of the American nurses, their co-workers, and their patients during WWII. It gives me new respect for all involved, seeing and at least in this author’s hands, experiencing, all the horrors and tragedies in evidence. I also was very interested in seeing battle fatigue explored in a WWII context. I’ve only ever read it in a WWI context. It was fascinating to see how it was dealt with thirty years after that first Great War and to see how many of the same misconceptions were still in use.The one issue I have is a minor one. One aspect of the book, Tuck’s last letter, was never fully explored. It’s mentioned multiple times throughout the book, moving the story forward and keeping the letter’s existence in the forefront of reader’s minds. Yet, it’s never fully, explicitly explained why Tuck wrote what he did. Given the material covered in the book, I can make an educated guess, which I guess isn’t that horrible. But a bit more explanation directly would have been nice.At the end of the day, though, that’s a very inconsequential quibble. The characters are vivid, the story was intriguing, and the author’s not afraid to go where few have before in the emotions and horrific material portrayed. I was kept spellbound by this book and definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a different perspective on WWII.
    • 4/5
      The book essentially begins in 1941. The Japanese have just bombed Pearl Harbor and a wave of nationalism sweeps the United States. In a place called Charlesport, South Carolina, like in other cities, large and small, families gather round their radios listening to the news. Eligible men and women begin to come to the defense of their country, enlisting in the armed forces. Close friends and siblings, Juliette and Tucker Dufresne are in High School. She is shy, ashamed of a birthmark on her face. He is older, a high school senior and a football star. Tucker confides in his sister that he wishes to enlist and serve his country. This family is rather proud of his intentions, as others all over the country are proud of their sons and daughters, fathers and brothers, sisters and aunts. They have not yet witnessed the horrors to come and only experience the passion of their patriotism. Jules and Tuck have a special secret code that they use when they need brotherly/sisterly aid or protection, like simply making up an excuse to their parents for the unexplained absence, of one of them, etc. The sibling in need sends a note saying they are with the fictional Mrs. Fan, as a signal. When Tuck turns 18, and enlists. Jules writes everyday. Soon his letters home begin to dwindle. Finally, the family receives a letter stating that he is missing in action. They hold out hope that he will be found but are all too aware, by now, of the possibility that he will not return. Although Tuck had written Jules a letter a month before he went missing, it did not arrive until after they were notified. In his letter, he wrote that he was with Mrs. Fan, so she knew he needed help, but she had no idea how to find him, and wasn’t even sure if he was still alive.When Jules graduated from nursing school in 1944, she was not yet 18, but because of the letter from her brother, she decided to alter her birth certificate and enlist. She wanted to try and find him; she hoped he was still alive. She went through the training and was shipped out to Europe. She requested the front so she could search for Tuck or at least find someone who knew what had happened to him. Young and immature, unprepared for what faced her, she was buoyed by her idealism.This is a wonderful story about a brother and sister's devotion, about family loyalty, about nationalism and also about the tribulations of war which makes all the glory pale in the face of its unexpected tragic consequences. War does not bring out the best in anyone. The author has captured, equally well, both the allure and the devastation of war. She has entered the minds of the injured soldier, the frightened in the foxholes who never envisioned what it meant to be shot at, to step on a mine, or to shoot the enemy. She shines a bright light on the bravery of the medical staff, selfless in their efforts to save their own. She has drawn a clear picture of the cruelty shown to soldiers who were “different”, in a time when homophobia was not a dirty word. She has really drawn a reasoned picture of the cruelty and futility of war coupled with its tragic, useless cost of life and limb. I listened to this audio book using a new library app, called Hoopla. Unfortunately, there was no way to adjust the speed of the reader and that was often very distracting. It was the equivalent of watching water boil, and it took quite some time to get used to her pace.