Genre: Historical fiction
Release date: November 10, 2026
Goodreads: 4.39
My rating: 5
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I've read my fair share of WWII historical fiction but I've never delved into a novel centred on the work of an aerial photo interpreter. I found this aspect of Bird's Eye View really fascinating. It's a role I knew very little about but Elinor Florence does a great job bringing it to life.
The story follows Rose Jolliffe, a young Canadian woman from Saskatchewan who leaves her family farm to join the war effort in England. Thanks to her knowledge of the prairie landscape, Rose proves to have a particular talent for interpreting aerial reconnaissance photographs, helping Allied Intelligence identify enemy installations, assess troop movements and locate bombing targets.
I’d never heard of RAF Medmenham so learning about the work that took place there and how the different professions collaborated (aerial interpreter, pilot photographers, mock-up builders, etc.) was quite intriguing. I also loved that there's an almost detective-like quality to Rose's work. Because she must pore over aerial photographs searching for clues and spotting suspicious details, each photograph becomes a puzzle to solve and I found these investigative moments particularly gripping.
This story also follows Rose's coming-of-age journey. She begins with an idealistic view of the war, eager to do her part, but gradually needs to grapple with its realities.
It’s a great novel that beautifully highlights some of the contributions of Canadian women and men during WWII.
I look forward to delving into more of Elinor Florence’s novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
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