The Warsaw Sisters ~ Review

The Warsaw Sisters

A Novel of WWII Poland

By Amanda Barratt

This book opens as war has come to Poland's borders with Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska sending off their father to serve as a soldier against the German threat of invasion. But mere hours later hour war has come to Warsaw, soon they face two enemies as German and Russian forces surround the nation. In a day their childhood has passed into adulthood with its new trials and challenges.

But Antonia and Helena are not about to let their country fall without a fight. But both decide to take action in their own way. Unfortunately the paths they both choose require them to keep secrets from one another, and these secrets threaten the bond between them.

This is the first book I have read by the author, Amanda Barratt and I have to recommend it. The writing style is engaging. This is a book of sacrifice and loss set between 1939-1945. This is an emotionally moving read as Antonia and Helena make their way in a world in turmoil. But doing the right thing isn't easy, especially when faced with certain death if their efforts are discovered. 

While this was a good and well-researched book, I couldn't find myself connecting personally with any of the characters. But the story still offered moments that spoke to me. The book opened slowly as the setting and characters took form, but once it got into the main portion of the story it had an easier flow and I was able to get more fully into the story. For those who enjoy WW2 fiction I highly recommend this book.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

In WWII Poland, two sisters fight against the darkness engulfing their homeland, one by entering a daring network of women sheltering Jewish children and the other by joining the ranks of Poland's secret army. As Warsaw buckles under German oppression, they must rely on the courage that calls the ordinary to resist.

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 turns her worry into action and becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. 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 the sisters apart--and the cost of resistance proves greater than either ever imagined.

Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, The Warsaw Sisters is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties.