Whenever I am looking at books for potential review, one of the first things I check out is the author. Is it someone I have read before? Seen around the bogging world? Maybe it’s someone I had on my TBR or it could be a new author that sounds interesting. In this case, Amy Lynn Green is a new to me author. I didn’t recognize any of her books nor had I heard any buzz for her, but sometimes that in of itself is a draw! Sometimes I want the authors that fly under the radar since buzz doesn’t always mean ‘must read’. That’s how I felt about this one, I wanted a new to my author so I could enjoy the book without pretense.
Besides being a new to me author, the other draw for this book was the setting. So many WWII books are set in England or France but this book is set in North Africa and instantly I felt compelled to read it! The WWII historical fiction market can be so saturated and it’s hard to distinguish a story and make it stand out, but changing the location is one such way and in this case I was all about it. The description and setting sold me on this book and since it was one of my first historical fiction novels of the year, I had high expectations.
Early reviewers raved about this book, and many reviewers read other books by Green. I agree with many of the reviews, this was a stunning book in many regards and while I haven’t read anything by this author before, I can see why other reviews loved her books so much! She has a great storytelling style and she pays attention to historical details. I would certainly be open to reading other books by her in the future!
Summary
In World War II, worlds collide when performers across the United States unite to tour North Africa in a USO variety show.
Vibrant and scrappy Maggie McCleod tried not to get fired from her wartime orchestra, but she can’t keep from speaking her mind, so an overseas adventure with the USO’s camp show seems like the perfect fresh start. Wealthy and elegant Catherine Duquette signs with the USO to leave behind her restrictive life of privilege and to find out what happened to the handsome pilot whose letters mysteriously stopped arriving.
The two women are joined by an eclectic group of performers–a scheming blues singer, a veteran tap dancer, and a brooding magician–but the harmony among their troupe is shattered when their tour manager announces he will soon recommend one of them for a new job in the Hollywood spotlight. Each of the five members has a reason to want the contract, and they’ll do whatever is necessary to get it. As their troupe travels closer to combat in Tunisia, personal crises and wartime dangers only intensify, until not only their careers but also their lives are on the line. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
Prior to reading this book, I was aware that during WWII a lot of performers traveled to the frontlines to provide entertainment to troops. Clearly to boost moral among the troops, but I didn’t fully understand how entertainment and the things that performers did worked and how much of am impact it made for the troops. Of course this book is historical fiction but the author clearly did research on the performances and the region to create an accurate depiction. I really enjoyed learning about the variety shows and the performers. The characters weren’t rich and famous Hollywood entertainers, but rather regular people who came together to make this variety show for the troops and I thought that was special in of itself since I know that many of the performers who helped boost troop moral were famous, having these characters be more every day people I thought made the story a lot more special.
For me personally, my favorite character was Catherine. I could relate to her desire to prove herself to her family and just her general upbringing. The other characters were all well drawn and developed with their own unique backstory, but for me it was Catherine that I connected with the most. I loved that this book bad multiple characters for readers to connect with in unique ways. Some might like Catherine, while others enjoyed Maggie more or perhaps the other characters in the variety show. I think it will give readers unique perspectives and different characters to explore and enjoy.
Overall this book ticks all the boxes for me. Strong unique characters, a stunning setting, historical fiction with details, a unique and exotic backdrop, and with a lot of emotion and heart. This was a wonderfully written book and I loved taking my time to enjoy and process everything. Green really included a lot of great historical details about the location, show and war within this book and her research and attention to detail shows. Bethany House always puts out wonderful historical fiction and this book was no different! If you are looking for a book that transports you to a unique location (read taking a book vacation!) and provides a meaningful story with well written characters then look no further, this book is a must read! So far for 2024 is off to a wonderful book start!
Book Info and Rating
Format 396 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 23, 2024 by Bethany House Publishers
ISBN 9781493445189 (ISBN10: 1493445189)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Bethany House in partnership with Austen Prose Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 5 stars
Genre: historical fiction
PRAISE FOR THE FOXHOLE VICTORY TOUR
- “Green deserves a standing ovation for her rousing story of unlikely friendships, courage over comfort, and the impactful work of USO performers during WWII. The Foxhole Victory Tour transports readers from the concert halls of Minnesota to the coasts of Casablanca to the active war zone of Tunisia. It is plot-driven without sacrificing relational drama, and its ragtag supporting cast of lovable misfits thoughtfully portrays the art and heart of live performance.”— Booklist
- 5-STARS “I was impressed with how much Green was able to pack into the story and still keep it cohesive and natural. I ended up loving all the characters and their story arc, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Green’s work.”— Debra, Goodreads
- “The Foxhole Victory Tour is a wonderful story of historical fiction with great characters, vivid descriptions, and some tough truths that will make readers reflect on their choices and their priorities.”— Jordon Lynch, The Literary Library
- “This story was full of emotion and captivating on every page. The setting of World War II is so real, you feel like you are with them. This is must-read. A story you won’t put down and will be sad to say goodbye to after it’s over.”— Elizabeth Eckmeyer, Interviews & Reviews
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS
AUTHOR BIO
Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel. She and her husband live in Minnesota, where she teaches virtual classes on marketing at writer’s conferences, engages with book clubs, and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys.
The Lit Bitch 