A richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and
resilience
On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska
send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German
invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their
beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.
When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls, along with the
rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina knows she cannot stand by and soon
becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to
shelter Jewish children. Meanwhile, Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks
of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from
occupation.
But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear them apart--and the
cost of resistance may prove greater than either ever imagined.
My Thoughts:
This was a hard and somber story to read. It tells the tale of twin sisters who have lived in Warsaw their entire lives with their Papa. Their mother died when they were young, and their father protected them as much as possible from the world. Till one day the world came to them in the form of a war. First it took their father as a soldier, even though he had already served in a previous war. Then it took their home and their beautiful city. However, it did not stop there. The war continued to take and abuse and hurt these women, everyone they loved, and was breaking their people.
Unfortunately, their fight was more than just for survival, but to keep their humanity intact as well. For years these two sisters lived in a world that was so foreign and changed then what they once used to live. As their country was overtaken by the enemy and even some of their countrymen turned against those whom they blamed everything else on.
This was a deep and heavy story that shows how ugly the world can get. Again, this was a hard story to read. The author did a really great job of pulling the reader into the sisters' grim reality, and the atmosphere of Warsaw was quite haunting.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
About the Author:
Amanda Barratt is the bestselling author of numerous historical novels and novellas, including The White Rose Resists (a 2021 Christy Award winner) and Within These Walls of Sorrow. She is passionate about illuminating oft-forgotten facets of history through a fictional narrative. Amanda lives in Michigan. Learn more at AmandaBarratt.net.
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