Ambitious young reporters Josie and Laurent arrive in Prague in 1968 to cover a revolution unfolding behind the Iron Curtain. It’s the story of a lifetime. A dream come true.
A dream that’s about to become a nightmare.
Soviet tanks thunder into the city, changing everything. Josie receives a cryptic message from a shrouded stranger on a mist-covered bridge, and soon she and Laurent are propelled onto a collision course with nefarious villains and unstoppable forces, as they rush to uncover a shadowy conspiracy before the city falls.
Strawberry Fields drops you into an adventure you can’t put down, complete with secrets, spies, and — at the heart of it all — the power of rock and roll.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Joyce’s plot takes off from the start, centered on a pair of foreign journalists who are caught up in a brutal revolution in Prague. The action is suspenseful and dramatic, but well-balanced by character development.
Prose: Joyce crafts a nuanced, multilayered setting that brings history to life and vibrates with authenticity. The prose calls forth the freedom dreams of the late 1960s, when political machinations and pop culture often collided in a cacophony of mistrust and passion for change.
Originality: Joyce heightens the action in this thriller through the novel’s vivid setting, richly drawn characters, and a forceful historical context.
Character/Execution: Nineteen-year-old Josie, a Canadian citizen living in Prague and desperate to make it as a journalist, is a solid, intriguing lead, and French journalist Laurent holds his own, as the two work together to break a story that has increasingly dangerous repercussions for both of them—and the country as a whole.
Date Submitted: April 03, 2024
"Breathless chases, cryptic clues, a heroine with grit, and a little romance ... A bang-up job of keeping the pages turning and vividly rendering the sights of Prague"
-Melissa Joulwan, Strong Sense of Place podcast
