Changes

|title=Survivor

|author=Lesley Pearse

|reviewer=Tanja Jennings

|publisher=Penguin

|date=July 2014

|website=http://www.lesleypearse.com/

|video=BlgK-xsDeCo

|summary=Real, raw and evocative adventurous wartime saga if a little unbelievable in some respects.

}}

Lesley Pearse is an author who demands compulsive reading as her strong female protagonists suffer and survive by overcoming overwhelming odds. She has a talent for drawing you into her novels as she crafts her characters’ amazing, at times horrific, and continually perilous journeys. There is a strong sense of place about her books which are meticulously researched and rich with period detail and propel readers on a dizzying odyssey through history. She is frank about the problems and pain that ill-judged sexual acts can cause but balances this with the joy and pure passion that is inherent in true love. Her characters are not perfect stereotypes. They are often flawed and must find an inner strength to grow and develop as loyal and caring human beings.

The action moves from picturesque Russell in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand to London and later Devon, Southampton and France. Pearse clearly loves these locations as her writing makes the reader feel they are there amidst the scenery and the emotions of the characters. Although ''Survivor'' can be read as a stand-alone, it is better to start with Belle’s story. Well rounded characters whom readers can place an emotional investment in, reappear in ''Survivor'' to great impact. It is also a transition from World War One to World Two and a reflection of the changes in society from the early twentieth century (1910) to the 1940s. Belle grows up in poverty and fear while Mari comes of age in complacent comfort. Will this affect their characters or can love and goodness triumph in the end? Read the trilogy to uncover the secrets of these women’s lives and how they cope in times of adversity. Having read every single one of Lesley Pearse's novels, this didn't have the WOW factor for me as I found I had to suspend my disbelief in some places because I felt the plot was at times slightly too far-fetched and I couldn't connect with Mari at first. According to Pearse this is deliberate. She does not want you to initially warm to Mariette because she wants to portray a difficult, selfish, rebellious teenager so that Mari's character can develop. In this she succeeds but for me it made Mariette's sudden change of heart and selflessness less believable somehow. It was too sudden. For this reason, I am giving the book four stars.

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