About The Bone Church
In the surreal and paranoid underworld of wartime Prague, fugitive lovers Felix Andel and Magdalena Ruza make some dubious alliances – with a mysterious Roman Catholic cardinal, a reckless sculptor intent on making a big political statement, and a gypsy with a risky sex life. As one by one their chances for fleeing the country collapse, the two join a plot to assassinate Hitler’s nefarious Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Josef Goebbels. But the assassination attempt goes wildly wrong, propelling the lovers in separate directions.
Felix’s destiny is sealed at the Bone Church, a mystical pilgrimage site on the outskirts of Prague, while Magdalena is thrust even deeper into the bowels of a city that betrayed her and a homeland soon to be swallowed by the Soviets. As they emerge from the shadowy fog of World War II, and stagger into the foul haze of the Cold War, Felix and Magdalena must confront the past, and a dangerous, uncertain future.
Detail
Complete Title: The Bone Church
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 308
Publication Time: April 15, 2014
Publisher: Pier’s Court Press
ISBN: 061598052X
ISBN13: 9780615980522
About Victoria Dougherty
Victoria Dougherty
Victoria Dougherty is the author of The Bone Church, The Hungarian, Welcome to the Hotel Yalta, Savage Island, Breath, Of Sand and Bone and Cold. She writes fiction, drama, and essays that revolve around lovers, killers, curses, and destinies.
Her work has been published or profiled in the New York Times, USA Today, The International Herald Tribune, and elsewhere.
Earlier in her career, while living in Prague, she co-founded Black Box Theater, translating, producing, and acting in several Czech plays.
Her blog – COLD – features her short essays on faith, family, love, and writing fiction.
WordPress, the blogging platform that hosts some 70 million blogs worldwide, has singled out COLD as one of their top Recommended Blogs by writers or about writing.
Reviews The Bone Church
I received this book as a digital ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.This book is made by a double plot: the first one occurs in 1956 where there is a rescue miss…
Laura
THE UNBEARABLE HEAVINESS OF BEING’The Bone Church’ by Victoria Dougherty is a beautifully crafted piece of fiction. Set largely in and around Prague, the narrative alternates between the time of the N…
John Dolan
An unusual but rewarding book.At first glance The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty appears to be a straightforward thriller set during the dark, paranoid and vicious days of 1956 and World War 2…
Cold War Conversations Podcast
To everyone who reads this book and wants to give up, I get it. I quickly read the first 7% only to be confused and I set it aside to return, as I respect this author and the story behind how this boo…
Richard
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley This is a World War II novel without the use of a camp or a ghetto, even though two of the characters are trying to escape because they are Jewish or part Jewish. And it…
Christine
I should probably have thrown in the towel when the story stopped working for me and I was forcing myself to continue reading the book. But no, this was a netgalley book and I was going to finish it…
Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede
The Bone Church by Victoria Dougherty is a sumptuous cross-examination of the human condition and reminded this reader of the later work of Alistair MacLean. There are two story lines brilliantly inte…
Simon Okill
I won this a few months back in a giveaway- I’ve previously been quite concerned when reading historical fiction as my knowledge is a bit limited, but was thrilled when I learned this was set in a per…
Steph Campbell
“The Bone Church” by Victoria Dougherty is a gripping and atmospheric historical thriller that intelligently weaves two narratives into one another: One is set in 1956 and involves a rescue missio…