A Slender Thread: A Novel of World War II (Breaking Point Series Book 3)

The story of Malta during World War II is often overlooked in retellings of the war, but its persistence was a vital part of the Allies’ success. A British-owned island off the coast of Italy, Malta was sought after by both sides as the key to victory in southern Europe.

This novel follows Johnnie and Eleanor Shaux, a couple who have thus far avoided being torn apart by the war. Their love, however, will be tested alongside Malta’s resolve as Italian and German forces batter the island, blockading it at sea and bombarding it from the sky. Both the war and the young couple’s future will hang by a slender thread.

Rhodes has clearly done his research, and at times it shows just a little too much. While I learned a great deal about the military minutiae of the war, hearing about the specific sorts of planes took away from the action. On the whole, though, it was a beautiful book. I loved how Rhodes delved into the inner thoughts and lives of his characters, and at the risk of spoiling the ending, I found it the perfect mixture of heartbreak and hope.