Leader of French network spying on German military installations during WW2 was a beautiful, courageous young woman

Lynda Davis
May 21, 2019
1 Comment

When I started reading Madame Fourcade's Secret War by New York Times' bestselling author Lynne Olson, I assumed it was a novel of historical fiction—a story built around the experiences of true-life heroes of the French Resistance during World War II. To my surprise and ultimately much more rewarding to read, it turned out to be non-fiction. This book is a history lesson that is long overdue. We've read a lot of stories over the years about the bravery and heroic efforts of French citizens who risked their lives and…

My Queendom for a decent nightgown

Lynda Davis
May 17, 2019
7 Comments

Am I the only person on the planet who still wears nightgowns rather than pyjamas? It's been more than two years since I've been able to rotate some of my old nighties out and replace them with new ones. The reason for this is not because I blew the budget on purses and shoes or that I haven't really tried. I've been scouring the department stores, lingerie boutiques, the internet and everywhere short of dumpsters looking for some new replacement nightgowns. Everything, everywhere is pyjamas, pyjamas, pyjamas. Shorties. Thermals. Dorm-wear.…

If I’m ever in trouble with the law, I want Marie Henein on my case

Lynda Davis
May 14, 2019
3 Comments

Marie Henein is my kinda gal broad lawyer. She's the powerhouse who got former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi off on sexual assault charges. And, she's in the news again leading Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's defence team. He's the Canadian military bigwig who according to a Globe and Mail article by Janice Dickson on March 6, 2019, "was suspended as the military’s second-in-command on Jan. 16, 2017, and charged last year with breach of trust for allegedly leaking government secrets in an attempt to influence cabinet’s decision on a $700-million shipbuilding…

Story of Lithuanian struggle after the war is a fascinating read

Lynda Davis
May 11, 2019
0 Comments

Whever I read a book like Under Ground by Antanas Sileika I'm reminded that we won the lottery being born in Canada. The rights, freedoms and privileges that we enjoy as Canadians are shared by so few in the world. After World War II, the three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were basically abandoned by the Allies and left to be plundered by the Russians. After being pummelled both physically, morally and politically by the Germans during the war and then the Red Army, Lithuania was a country…

My past is now officially an historical site

Lynda Davis
May 6, 2019
2 Comments

You know you're old when the once-modern building where you landed your first job has been designated an historical site. On Monday, July 5th, 1965 I walked into the shiny marble lobby of the Maclean-Hunter Building at 481 University Avenue in Toronto to begin my first full-time job. Bell Canada leased space in the building and they'd hired me to start work as a clerk-typist, beginning the week after I finished high school. I was 17 years old and wore a pink and white gingham dress and new white high…

The Alice Network shines a light on women’s bravery during both wars

Lynda Davis
May 3, 2019
0 Comments

It's natural when we enjoy a book to follow up by reading another book by the same author. After reading Kate Quinn's The Huntress I couldn't wait to dig into her earlier book, The Alice Network. Quinn has a gift for being able to weave real historical events into fictional accounts with characters based on real-life individuals and composites. The story spans a period of several decades with most of the action taking place late in World War I and the years prior to and just after World War II. The plot…