Synopsis:
Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Kristin Harmel, and Pam Jenoff, this new historical fiction novel from an acclaimed author is based on true WWII stories of life in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Occupation and the women who served the Allies as agents and spies. Casting light into one of the darkest periods of World War II, this powerful book tells of two Jewish sisters– one imprisoned in Poland and the other who joins the Special Operations Executive in a daring attempt to free her family from the Nazis.
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 . . .
Rating: 4-stars
Review:
The War Girls by V.S. Alexander immediately transports you back into the lives of those who had lived during World War II. It was heartbreaking. So many died without knowing they would be killed. Others were so injured they did not know they were being shot. Still, many thought they were safe in their homes until bombs killed them. This book is engaging. I loved digging into the various lives presented in the book. However, the novel was supposed to focus more on the lives of the War Girls yet, it did not. That is my only reason that this book did not get the full five-star review. Otherwise, it is well-written. It is like traveling back to the time everything happened. An insider’s eyes to the past, The War Girls is a tear jerking read. I love reading about glimpses into the lives of those fighting the war or those being targeted by it. This tale showed all of that and more.
Urban Book Reviews 