Publisher: 26th July 2022 by Kensington Books
Pages: 368 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, world war II
My Rating: 3.5 crowns
Synopsis:
Casting light into one of the darkest periods of World War II, acclaimed author V.S. Alexander’s powerful historical novel tells of two Jewish sisters of Polish descent who unite in a fight to save their family from the Warsaw Ghetto.
It’s not just a thousand miles that separates Hanna Majewski from her younger sister, Stefa. There is another gulf—between the traditional Jewish ways that Hanna chose to leave behind in Warsaw, and her new, independent life in London. But as autumn of 1940 draws near, Germany begins a savage aerial bombing campaign in England, killing and displacing tens of thousands. Hanna, who narrowly escapes death, is recruited as a spy in an undercover operation that sends her back to her war-torn homeland.
In Hanna’s absence, her parents, sister, and brother have been driven from their comfortable apartment into the Warsaw Ghetto. Sealed off from the rest of the city, the Ghetto becomes a prison for nearly half a million Jews, struggling to survive amid starvation, disease, and the constant threat of deportation to Treblinka. Once a pretty and level-headed teenager, Stefa is now committed to the Jewish resistance. Together, she, Hanna, and Janka, a family friend living on the Aryan side of the city, form a trio called The War Girls. Against overwhelming odds and through heartbreak they will fight to rescue their loved ones, finding courage through sisterhood to keep hope alive . .
My Thoughts
Having read and enjoyed V.S. Alexander, The Taster, I was excited to return to his writing. As he states himself, “(I) feature strong women protagonists whose lives take them on incredible journeys in settings fraught with danger and intrigue. Along the way, they learn about life, love, and themselves.”
‘You can be a War Girl, like the rest of us - someone who stands against the Nazis and fights for freedom.’
An incredible amount of research has gone into The War Girls inclusive of topics such as Judaism and the Warsaw ghetto, with spying operations during WWII - specifically, the SOE from England. It was interesting to read about the lengths many Jews went to in trying to preserve their religious and cultural values during the Nazi occupation and time spent in the Warsaw ghetto.
‘Like a caged animal clawing to escape; she coveted the power and determination to break free’
With overarching themes of family and friendships, bravery and tragedy, loss and hope readers will lose themselves in the three main characters - one life in the ghetto, one a Polish Catholic in Warsaw and one an SOE operative. Although slow at times, the details are rich and incredibly heartbreaking. If the atrocities that occurred in Poland during WWII, specifically in the ghetto, are something that interests you then this is a must read.
‘No one will know the truth, and we will be no more significant than the dust we’re made from.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
No comments:
Post a Comment