Look to the East by Maureen Lang Review

Goodreads: At the dawn of the First World War, the French provincial village of Briecourt is isolated from the battles, but the century-old feud between the Toussaints and the de Colvilles still rages in the streets. When the German army sweeps in to occupy the town, families on both sides of the feud must work together to protect stragglers caught behind enemy lines. Julitte Toussaint may have been adopted from a faraway island, but she feels the scorn of the de Colvilles as much as anyone born a Toussaint. So when she falls in love with one of the stragglers—a wealthy and handsome Belgian entrepreneur—she knows she’s playing with fire. Charles Lassone hides in the cellar of the Briecourt church, safe from the Germans for the moment. But if he’s discovered, it will bring danger to the entire village and could cost Charles his life. First in a three-book series.

My take: My favorite genre is historical fiction with emphasis on WWII. One of the dangers of reading about war, of course, is being bombarded with soldier-talk which usually includes content I'd rather not use or hear, including a lot of "f" words. Lang uses her colorful language to articulate the story and dialogue without having to pepper the reader with other colorful language I would rather not read without changing the tone of the truth that war is ugly and people do not act the way they would during times of peace.

The feuding families was a small distraction to me. I much preferred to read about the occupation, hiding the soldiers and the treatment of soldiers and townspeople alike. I am always enlightened when I read about heroes in war who do the humane thing, risking life and limb for a stranger. In this  book, the Christlike deeds go both directions.

Interesting story. Well written.