Many thanks to my partners @parkrowbooks @htpbooks and @tlctours for the #gifted copy.  

 

Jenoff pulled me in to the terror of Nazi rule in those first scenes.  A downed pilot in peril.  A pregnant young woman forced to watch her fiancé beaten to death by Nazis. 

 

From there the story settles into slower rhythm through the entwined stories of Micheline (the head of a resistance line), Lily (a complacent Jewish Belgian), and Hannah (Lily’s cousin and active resistor).  

 

The premise of this one is strong and based on a little-known piece of history:  A daring rescue of prisoners bound for Auschwitz.  {I’m eager to learn more about this part of history.} 

 

And while Jenoff’s fictional account of this rescue was the most fascinating part of the story for me, it felt like more of an afterthought than the spotlight. Perhaps this storyline reaches too broadly, attempting to include too many other aspects of WW2?  In such, the buildup to the main event felt slow and a bit muddled.  

 

I do love bold, female heroines though.  And Jenoff is one of the most prolific at showcasing the impact women made in those harrowing times.  This story is worth the read for that point alone.