Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Warsaw Sisters through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂
Good and evil are part of what it means to live life isn’t it? In war we often see more of the nasty side of what people can be. Amanda Barratt takes the time to show us the courage of two young women, living in Poland, during WW2. Walk into the wartime lives on Helena and Antonina. Marvel at their determination and survival skills as they manage the Nazi occupation of Poland.
The Basic Details for The Warsaw Sisters
Title: The Warsaw Sisters
Author: Amanda Barratt
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 384
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: Christian fiction, Contemporary Christian fiction, World War ll historical fiction, 20th century historical fiction, Christian historical fiction,
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback
The Author
Amanda Barratt says on her website “I’m passionate about illuminating oft-forgotten facets of history”. And in The Warsaw Sisters I saw snippets of history brought to life I didn’t previously know about. Ms. Barratt is a Christian author who has written several books. She often writes about WW2 as she’s fascinated by the contrast between good and evil.
The Warsaw Sisters
Takes in the lives of Helena and Antonina. Sisters in Poland trying to survive the Nazi invasion of WW2. Through them we get to see how some of the Polish fought back against the invasion. How they fought for their people and for the Jewish who lived among them. The question we have is, will their fight against the evil of the Nazi regime drive them apart?
My Thoughts
I very much appreciated that each time the voice changed, or a date changed, we were clearly informed by section headings. The font was easy on the eyes and made reading comfortable. The story, though delineated by days/voices, was indeed a story and not a recitation of facts.
The fact that the speaker varies between the two sisters means, that for me at least, this novel would not work as an audiobook. BUT others might be better able at discerning the difference while listening.
The added historical notes at the close of The Warsaw Sisters are informative, showing how the story was derived from the research that Ms. Barratt did. Very interesting and helpful.
I’m not going to tell you that The Warsaw Sisters is a happy read. There’s lots of sadness throughout. We see Germans doing some very nasty things and we see Polish turning a blind eye to atrocities. War is a horrible thing, and wars that include genocide are particularly nasty. It spans the time of 1939-1945.
But I’m also not going to tell there is no hope or joy. Joy in helping those who most need it. Courage of people choosing to fight instead of giving up like sheep. Bravery in choosing to do hard things. Intelligence in learning new and necessary skills. Wonder at the birth of a child. The hope of the city of Warsaw rebuilt.
So it’s just like Ms. Barratt says ” In times of some of the greatest evil and inhumanity our world has ever known, there emerged glimmers of courage, resilience, and sacrifice. The juxtaposition of those fragments of light against the darkness is extraordinarily powerful and inspires me as I write.” She fulfilled her own mandate don’t you think? That balance between good and bad clearly seen in the lives of these women and the army they fight against.
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