Books & Java

Along the Infinite Sea

by Beatriz William

 

Synopsis:

Each of the three Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but in the autumn of 1966, Pepper Schuyler's problems are in a class of their own. When Pepper fixes up a beautiful and rare vintage Mercedes and sells it at auction, she thinks she's finally found a way to take care of herself and the baby she carries, the result of an affair with a married, legendary politician.

But the car's new owner turns out to have secrets of her own, and as the glamorous and mysterious Annabelle Dommerich takes pregnant Pepper under her wing, the startling provenance of this car comes to light: a Nazi husband, a Jewish lover, a flight from Europe, and a love so profound it transcends decades. As the many threads of Annabelle's life from World War II stretch out to entangle Pepper in 1960s America, and the father of her unborn baby tracks her down to a remote town in coastal Georgia, the two women must come together to face down the shadows of their complicated pasts.

Indomitable heroines, a dazzling world of secrets, champagne at the Paris Ritz, and a sweeping love story for the ages, in New York Times bestselling author Beatriz William's final book about the Schuyler sisters.

My Review:

I was anticipating reading this 3rd installment in the life of the most vivid of the Schuyler sisters - Pepper. Along the Infinite Sea did not disappoint. Fantastic dialog that truly captured the time (60's and 30's) and the personalities of the characters. Of course, my favorite being Pepper. She is well ahead of her time in her sassy demeanor and her independent voice. B. Williams connects the story perfectly and even ties in One Hundred Summers (which I loved!!!).  I read a lot WWII historical fiction and there is always an element of politics and ethics in most of the books I read. As I think there should be. I mean, how do you avoid talking about the horrific events of the time. But, B. Williams is brilliant in keeping the politics very much in the backdrop and focusing on the characters as real people. The Germans aren't vilified but the actions of the Nazis are portrayed in the horrific tone that marked their existence. As in all of the Schuyler sister stories, it's hard to give a synopsis of the story without revealing spoilers so I opt to refrain from a summary of the story. However, I can assure any reader that this is (in my opinion) the best of all the stories and it is a thoroughly satisfying read.