Songs of Love and War by Santa MontefioreSongs of Love and War by Santa Montefiore

Songs of Love and War

bySanta Montefiore

Paperback | February 13, 2018

Pricing and Purchase Info

$19.58 online 
$22.00 list price save 11%
Earn 98 plum® points

Prices and offers may vary in store

Paperback
$19.58
Kobo ebook
$9.99
Quantity:

In stock online

Ships free on orders over $25

Available in stores

about

Previously published in the US as The Girl in the Castle.

The #1 international bestseller about the enduring bond between three women and the castle they will never forget.

Their lives were mapped out ahead of them. But love and war will change everything...

It’s the early 1900s and Castle Deverill stands staunchly untouched by time, hidden away in the rolling Irish hills. Within the castle walls, three friends have formed a close bond: affluent, flame-haired Kitty Deverill; Bridie Doyle, Kitty’s best friend and daughter of the castle’s cook; and Celia Deverill, Kitty’s flamboyant English cousin. They’ve grown up together, always sheltered from the conflict embroiling the rest of the country. But when Bridie learns of a secret Kitty has been keeping, their idyllic world is forever torn apart.

Later, the three women scatter to different parts of the globe. Kitty must salvage what she can before Castle Deverill and everything she has ever known is reduced to ash. Songs of Love and War is an epic generational saga about the lasting bonds of true friendship and the powerful ties we all have to the place we call home.
Title:Songs of Love and WarFormat:PaperbackDimensions:560 pages, 8.25 × 5.31 × 1.4 inPublished:February 13, 2018Publisher:Simon & Schuster UKLanguage:English

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10:1471172368

ISBN - 13:9781471172366

Reviews

Rated 5 out of 5 by from Captivated This books is so well written, it held my interest from beginning to end. It captivated me. Some books are not as enticing. If I cannot get into a book in the first couple of chapters I set it aside. Songs of Love and War held me captive right to the end., and still wanting more. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out on Sept. 4, 2018. I love these historical fictions makes one feel that they are living in the era.
Date published: 2018-08-06
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Perfect for historical fiction fans who enjoy sweeping sagas! As soon as I started reading SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR, I was hooked! While I was interested in Bridie's parts, and found Celia hilarious (I'm still laughing at one of her lines where she says, "I think I've made a terrible mistake,"), Kitty was definitely the one who absolutely sucked me in and completely wrapped me up in her story! From the first page, I loved the characters, the setting, the writing...absolutely everything! If I wasn't already totally fascinated by Ireland, this book would've sold me on it! ;) As far as characters go, Kitty was definitely my favourite! I loved her passion, her intelligence, her boldness...absolutely everything about her! I really loved her relationship with both of her grandparents, Hubert and Adeline...and I was pretty much living for any and all moments between Kitty and her love interest...who I will resist naming to avoid spoilers, but guys, I ship them so hard! I don't care if it's a doomed ship, I'm going down with it! I loved seeing the differences in Bridie's chapters compared to Kitty's, but by the end of SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR, I have to admit that I wasn't much of a Bridie fan. Her parts were well written and super fascinating, but I was desperate for more Kitty! Celia on the other hand, I grew to love more and more! Her parts were smaller, but she always made me chuckle! The characters in general were fabulous in this book though! Along with the characters, I also loved how Ireland was described! Santa Montefiore has done an absolutely beautiful job depicting Ireland. She brings it to life, and it feels as if Ireland itself is a character...and I kind of feel like even though I've never been there myself, Ireland is home after reading this. It also made my wanderlust for Ireland even worse! ;) Plot- and story-wise, I thought that SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR was extremely well written! There was so much going on from World War I to the Irish War of Independence all combined with growing up and coming of age. The interweaving plot points and storylines worked perfectly together, and I cannot wait to read the next two books because I seriously NEED to know what happens next! Overall, I thought that SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR was amazing! It may be long, but it still felt like a really quick read and I was desperate to find out what would happen next as I furiously flipped through the pages! I loved that this story was so immersive. It focused on so many things and handled them all perfectly from family to friendship to love to adolescence to war...and even politics! It was an absolute powerhouse of a story, and you can bet that I'll be eagerly waiting until I can get my hands on the next two books! I'd recommend SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR to historical fiction fans who enjoy sweeping sagas that draw you in and fully immerse you in another time!
Date published: 2018-07-31
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Beautiful and Intriguing This is the first novel in what will be a trilogy. It takes place in the early 1900's in Ireland. The story centers around the Deverill Castle, rightly or wrongly owned by the Deverill's. Kitty, the youngest of the children, and her grandmother are definitely my favorite characters. They also possess the "sight" of being able to see and converse with the ghosts held captive in the castle as a result of a curse dating back to 1662 made by Maggie O'Leary. Historical, political, familial, this book contains it all!
Date published: 2018-06-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Beautifully written! I just finished this book and found it delightful. It was very well written and kept my interest from the first page to the last. The author wrote with great attention to detail. This is book one of a trilogy and I cannot wait for book # 2 to come out.
Date published: 2018-03-13
Rated 4 out of 5 by from must read This was beautiful. I loved the historical context and the lovely writing.
Date published: 2018-02-18
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Insightful, riveting, and incredibly atmospheric! Songs of Love and War is an intriguing tale that sweeps you to Co. Cork in the early 1900s when Ireland is full of unrest and upheaval not only due to the Great War being waged on the fields of Europe but in their own countryside where the simmering anger and need for self-identity, patriotism, and independence from Anglo rule are about to come to a head. The prose is poetic and vividly described. The three main characters Kitty, Birdie, and Celia are strong and independent, and their lives are bound and entangled together by the magnificent Castle Deverill that graces the Irish hillside and in some way each calls home. And the plot is an engaging saga filled with self-discovery, familial drama, social stratification, spiritual occurrences, tragedy, heartbreak, romance, war, life, loss, and friendship. Songs of Love and War is an exquisitely written, exceptionally detailed, beautiful start to a trilogy that is sure to be a big hit with historical fiction fans and book clubs everywhere, and you can be sure that Daughters of Castle Deverill, Deverill Chronicles #2, is already on my TBR list.
Date published: 2018-02-18
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Loved this historical saga! I LOVED this book. A solid 4.5 star read. If you like historical fiction, this is historical fiction at its best. I found that in the beginning it reminded me of a Kate Morton novel - a little slow to start, lots of characters, sometimes a little difficult to keep track of everyone ... and then the story took over and simply consumed me. This is a story that encompasses civil unrest (the struggle for Irish Independence), the Great War and a decline in the British Empire. Told through alternating perspectives, with a focus on Kitty Deverill, granddaughter of Lord Deverill (Lord of Castle Deverill), we are drawn into a story of love, rebellion, secrets and lies. As the story progresses we also get more about Bridie Doyle; ladies maid, and childhood friend to Kitty, and Kitty's cousin, Celia Deverill. Bridie's story becomes more of the focus as the book continues (especially Part 3), while Celia is kept more on the sidelines. However, based on the ending of this book, I think that Celia will become more of a primary character in the future. This book reminded me of a mix of "Downton Abbey", "Upstairs/Downstairs", Gone with the Wind, and Anne of Green Gables - see what I mean about it being such a epic saga? It brings to light class differences, while also situating the reader perfectly in early 20th century Ireland. Highly recommended read for anyone who enjoys well written historical sagas. Not only are the characters engaging, the storyline is engrossing. I didn't want to put this one down.
Date published: 2018-02-13

Editorial Reviews

"An ideal summer read. Laced with secrets and forbidden liaisons, it is sure to keep you turning the pages."