Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I give this more credit and enjoyed this more than perhaps I might've expected - more than the sum of its parts, in truth. Here Keggie Carew tells the tale of her extraordinary father Tom, his colourful life as a SOE operative in WWII in France and Burma and afterwards, all counterpointed against present-day sections where she discusses the sad advance of his dementia.

Much of the historical content was interesting (some a little less so - I couldn't quite see the point of extended biographies of various other tangential members of her family) and I found the modern discussions of coping with her dad's disintegrating faculties to be sensitive, honest and compelling. Overall it was well-written and creditably illustrated the subject's interesting life for the reader.

But yes. Seeing a praising quote from Helen 'H is for Hawk' Macdonald on the cover, this did make me aware of what I slightly disliked. No matter how beautifully written and well-researched, the historical sections were a narrow and naturally biased insight in to the events at that time and place, and the modern-day bits felt cathartic and personal but also small. Would I have preferred a shorter book just about a wider range of Allied clandestine/guerilla operations, straight non-fiction? Would I have preferred a simpler sensitive book about a daughter dealing with her elderly father's mental disintegration? Maybe. But I don't begrudge the author for writing this how she did, and I did enjoy it.