A Parachute in the Lime Tree

Author(s): Annemarie Neary

Location(s): Berlin, Brittany, Ireland

Genre(s): Historical, Romance

Era(s): 1938-41

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April 1941. German bombers are in the air, about to attack Belfast. Oskar is a Luftwaffe conscript whose sweetheart, Elsa, was forced to flee Berlin for Ireland two years before. War-weary, he longs for escape. In remote Dunkerin, Kitty awakes to find a parachute trapped in one of the lime trees. When she discovers Oskar, injured and foraging for food in her kitchen, he becomes a rare and exciting secret. But Ireland during the Emergency is an uneasy place, and word of the parachute soon spreads. Meanwhile, Elsa is haunted by the plight of the parents she left behind. With the threat of Nazi invasion, she feels far from secure.A chance encounter with Elsa, and Charlie, a young medical student, finds himself falling in love. Oskar, Kitty, Elsa, Charlie. Their lives intertwine in a climate of war, exile, and ever-uncertain neutrality.

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Book Reviews

Lead Review

The emphasis is on day-to-day life rather than political concerns, but readers will get a good sense of how the Irish reacted to the unease of their surroundings. The atmosphere, tense and lean, feels...

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Wonderfully Written Debut Novel

Author: Anne Cater

Annemarie Neary was born in Northern Ireland, educated at Trinity College, Dublin and now lives in London. A Parachute in the Lime Tree was published in 2012 by The History Press Ireland, and is her first novel. During World...

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Third Party Reviews of A Parachute in the Lime Tree

Extracts from third party reviews: “Neary’s work is a delightful read. She plays language like an instrument, lilting Irish brogue singing out in a way that never slips over into parody, and a personification of the place and the...

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