Flore Balthazar wrote and illustrated this graphic novel about the occupation of Belgium by the Nazis during World War II. It covers the lives of an ordinary family with five children living in a small town. The story is told through the diaries of oldest daughter Marcelle, a young teenager. What is striking is how life has to go on, even when horrific events occur. Early on, the father is drafted and spends over two years as a prisoner of war while his wife and children carry on back home, dealing with the problems of occupation like rationing and curfews as well as the normal problems of a large family. The children still have to go to school; Marcelle and her older brother have to keep their grades up so they can continue with their education. As the war progresses, there are witnessed atrocities, Allied bombings, and deaths.

A subplot concerns a young French teacher who joins the resistance. In the classroom she urges her students to follow the rules of the occupation and not to antagonize the soldiers. Her advice is meant to keep her pupils safe. She overcomes her own fears to act as a currier to pass messages to her comrades, distribute an underground newspaper, and hide downed Allied pilots.

The stories are poignant and the illustrations beautifully drawn. An afterword reveals the true identities of the characters and their lives after the end of the war.

The Wolves of La Louviere is a good capsule history of the atrocities of war and what an ordinary family had to endure in order to survive.

WOW. This was beautiful. I honestly do not know where to even begin. The artwork and color pallet was amazing. The story was realistic and filled with passion and emotion. I loved the changing of the fonts between letters, journals, and dialogue. But you know what really hit this home for me? The end of this graphic novel has a full story of what really happened in Belgium. And it was just the historical context and old photographs that topped this off perfectly. I love history as it is, especially Europe in WWII but this was still beautiful in every aspect. I am so glad I picked up this ARC. Anyone who is a fan of WWII history will find themselves falling in love this this raw and human story.

I found this an interesting piece. I liked the imagery, especially that of the wolves, but I found the story itself difficult. The experiences of the family were illuminating, but they weren't cohesive and didn't feel like a complete story. The most interesting character was Marguerite, but again she is not part of the family and the tenuous association left me confused. Even there though, there were scenes that served no purpose, such as the night she spent with the pilot, her subsequent pregnancy, and immediate abortion. Interesting,

At the end of the day, I'd have difficulty recommending this book. It has some noteworthy ideas, but as a narrative I think it falls a little short.

My thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a review copy of this one.

This is a World-War-II themed graphic novel which is based on a true story (which I only realised later) of the author’s own family, and the diary of young Marcelle Balthazar who is fifteen at the time Poland is conquered and the war begins. In the book we see side-by-side, two storylines, one of the Balthazar family which comprises M. and Mme. Balthazar and their five children of whom Marcelle is the oldest, all studying at school, and M. Balthazar’s mother. When war begins, M. Balthazar is drafted, and Mme Balthazar must look after the family, and along with the other women in her town, take over the jobs that the men are no longer there to do. Alongside moves the storyline of Margurite Clauwaerts (also based on a real life character), school teacher to one of younger Balthazar children, who tells her students to be polite to the occupiers to avoid trouble, but herself is a resistance fighter, helping their men hide, and carrying what they need including ammunitions. While Marcelle’s storyline examines the themes that people living life amidst war must face, that of Margurite is of the dangers that the resistance had to face, and what befell them when they were caught.

This book doesn’t proceed in a continuous narrative, but as a bunch of connected incidents in the wartime, proceeding chronologically but in different time periods from the war’s start to when the town is freed by the Tommies. Many themes are explored, including the actual experiences of people in the war—not ones who were consciously part of the resistance but ones who had to lead daily lives, to look after their children and families in an atmosphere when the ‘enemy’ was in-charge, when rations and supplies were few, where families are forced to be apart, and when dangers were ever present. The Balthazar family is attempting to lead as normal a life as they can, the children continuing with school when they can, doing their daily chores, all the time wondering when their father will be back. The Balthazar children aren’t part of the resistance but they make small forms of protest wearing patriotic symbols and sometimes outsmarting the Germans. Marcelle’s account touches upon these issues and upon issues of gender equality (women having to take up all the work during war but having to go back to just being women after), voting rights (which came for women in Belgium much after England), and about how there were humans and demons (for want of better word) alike on both sides of the equation. One of the most powerful scenes in the book for me was that showing how the captives were no better than their captors when it came to their treatment of the ‘enemy’—something Marcelle rightly questions. Margurite’s story too touches one deeply. On a lighter note, I loved the Tintin and Quick and Flupke references in the book, especially that one character was reading King Ottokar’s Sceptre which is one of my favourite Tintin books. There is a bit (though very little) of adult content (which didn’t feel absolutely necessary for the storyline) and some violence, so this is not a book for younger readers. The wolf art/analogy alongside the humans was effective in making the point the author was trying to, though humans I think are far worse than any of the animal kind. This was certainly an impactful read, which I liked very much, though ‘like’ again is not a word one would use for this theme.

This was honestly so boring. It disappointed me, because it sounded really interesting. All the words in it seemed forced or out of place. Author needs to work on flow.

Excellent graphic novel. It is touching, hopeful, sad and everything inbetween. And most of all, it feels real.

A lot of the little things went straight to my heart, and brought a smile on my face. The mentioning of the "Quick and Flupke" comics being one of them. I also appreciated the multilingual aspect of the story, yes, the bulk of it was translated into English, but still enough French, German and Russian remained.

This story touched me more than I can convey here, being Belgian and having family history very similar to this story:

I received a copy through Netgalley.

This just didn't make a whole lot of sense. It would jump from one scene to another without there being a connection or reason for why that was happening. I also found the italic font to be very difficult to read.

Review The Wolves of La Louviere*
3.5 starts

The Wolves of La Louviere is a graphic novel which tackles several heavy themes all unfolding during the wretchedness of WWII. It discusses courage, sabotage, equality between the sexes, ethics, patriotism, and humanity. (Not all Germans are Nazi's)

I enjoyed the characters, although sometimes had difficulty telling them apart. It soon became apparent that the story focuses around two female characters. That of Marcelle and Marguerite. I enjoyed the outtakes from Marcelle's diary, and the glimpse into the resistance that was show in Marguerite's storyline.

The addition of photographs and particulars on the real families the novel was fashioned after was a nice touch.

*Sincerest thanks to NetGallery for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy reading books dealing with WWII, if enjoy is really even the right word. It's a period of history that I'm very drawn to, and try to learn as much as I can about, because it's such an important part of history. I don't know that there is any other period in history that has had such an impact on the world as this one has, and I hope that stories of the war continue to be published, so that people can continue to be educated and learn so that we never have to go through something like this again.

This story featured a different part of the war that I hadn't known about. I have read civilian stories, but I haven't read any that take place in Belgium. I was drawn to that fact, especially since I have recently been to Belgium, though not the city where this story took place. I really enjoyed the artwork, and the story itself, though it got slightly confusing in a couple of parts where it jumped back and forth between characters. I was glad for the afterward in the back, where it talked about the real people who this story was about, and I loved the photographs as well. And though I did enjoy the artwork, I almost would have liked this to be written as an actual novel so I could learn more of the story, since there were parts of the war I didn't know about. Even so, I still really liked this and did enjoy the medium the author chose.

“The Wolves of La Louvière” by Flore Balthazar captivated me with its compelling treatment of such a serious topic in a graphic novel format.

The story begins in Belgium, 1940. The German army is spreading across Europe, and tiny Belgium is conquered in just 18 days. During four long years of Nazi occupation, the villagers of La Louvière try to survive. Their world is poignantly captured in teenage character Marcelle’s journal. A unique account of WWII based on one family’s true experience. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 18 Jul 2018

Thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#WolvesOfLaLouvière #NetGalley

A beautifully done account of life during Occupied France. Wasn't always the easiest to keep track of characters and the action at times as things jumped around occasionally, but all the same, this was a fantastic look at what life was like under the Germans. The wolves metaphor for the Germans and the ongoing state of the war was just perfect and I liked having the one family at the centre of the action, interwoven with the stories of a few others. The art was just stunning too.

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley

The author’s note for this graphic novel says that it is a fictional story based on true facts and that some people are real, some note, some names have been changed. The note is hardly needed for the story, for if you know anything about civilian life in the second World War, this story does have the ring of truth.
The story follows a teen aged girl, Marcelle, her family as well as a young teacher, Marguerite, who becomes a subversive in the fight against the Nazis. It is though the trials and tribulations of the family, whose father is missing and who suffer though air raids and shortages, as well as the more active resistance of Marguerite who disturbs a rebellion paper that the cost of being occupied comes home.
Additionally, the story challenges the role of women in Belgian just before the War and during the war. Marcelle and Yvette’s treatment in the family is quite different that of their brothers, in particular with regards to education. Marguerite, too, confronts not only Nazis but misogyny. So, the story presents not only the war, but the change that accelerated or came because of the war.
It is a very powerful story.

This is a totally stunning graphic novel, set in a terrible period of our history. It revolves around a small town and how it survived the 2nd world war. There are some unflinching truths about collaboration and the retribution after the war. We see how lives are changed by the conflict and by wanting to help in anyway that you can. This is a brilliant introduction for older teens because of some of the subject matter. Altogether it is a sophisticated and well told story, with illustrations which draw you in to the lives of the characters. It is highly recommended for 14+.

After numerous attempts I was finally able to download this book. I was impressed by some of it. There has obviously been a lot of thought and research put into this book. I just think that some stories told in comic form are not for me. I like comics just not this one. I can understand though why some people will like it and if it teaches people about that part of history then it is achieving its goal. So for some people this will be a good read.

An interesting read, concentrating as it does on civilians with some small link to the Resistance in wartime Nazi-occupied Belgium. I did wonder if there were not too many narrative forms – the panels and texts we get, the diary entries, the chapter-heading talk of metaphorical wolves, samples of radio news, and so on – but on the whole the piece held together just enough. It is a little too bitty, though, to be fully satisfying – however much the author protests in prologue to have changed fiction for the benefit of story, he has still kept quite a lot of the fragmentary veracity of those days, and as a result you don't perhaps get the clearest narrative you could have sought. Still, the artwork, a kind of ligne clair but with added grit, and a lot of grey, is definitely appropriate. Three and a half stars – this wasn't the most entertaining read, but it certainly brought to life an aspect of war neglected by thousands of other books.

This graphic novel is based on a real war and real people, as the author imagines happened all through the eyes of a real girls diary.

The story is set in Belgium previously, during and afterwards World War II, the novel follows the life of the Balthazar family which shows us that although Belgium has been invaded and is occupied by Nazis life continues, school is still there as well as work.

The wolves represent the nazis, and they take an important part just after the Allied forces start bombing towns. And by that we can have a look at the people’s reactions to everything that is happening.

I wish we could have seen more of the teacher’s story, it had so much potential and in my point of view it was wasted.

Sometimes I found that the narration of the story was difficult to follow. I often found myself not knowing who was who. What totally gained my heart are the illustrations, they are so detailed and the color palette is beautiful.

This is an excellent graphic novel about a Belgian family who live through the Second World War and the Nazi occupation of Belgium. The Wolves of La Louviere is based on a true story about a family of five children who live through the war. It shows how their day to day life changes and how they adapt to the deprivations of war while still trying to maintain family life. The story also portrays the lives of other people in the small town and this includes both Nazi sympathisers and the Belgian resistance. We get to see how a local school teacher becomes involved in the resistance and how eventually she pays for this with her life. This part of the book is also based on a true story.

As the war progresses the family go through their own sufferings and yet they still managed to have times of joy. The father who joined the Belgian Army is eventually imprisoned in Germany and this is a strain on the family but there are also joyful times when the widowed grandmother gets married again. The story also shows the impact of the war on women and the changes this brings, as women find that they all have to work and do jobs that they may they probably wouldn't have if not for the lack of men. The end of the story ends with women being able to vote and story manages to explore these gender issues without losing the main focus on the occupation. We get to understand how the war brought in all other social changes.

I enjoyed reading this. I thought that it was an excellent portrayal of life under Nazi occupation. At the same time it also portrays the humanity of both the invaders and the liberators, and the impact of the war on all sides. It shows the impact of the war on young people growing into adulthood, and how their lives changed from having plenty before the war to having very little during the war and having to grow their own food and do without.

The eldest daughter also goes through a time of questioning because she has to question her faith in the light of the ravages of war she sees. She also has to question her lack of freedom as a woman and how this could curtail her opportunities after the war.

For me I think the best thing about the story is that it is based on a true story and there are pictures and a commentary at the end. I haven't read many stories that focus on the lives of people under Nazi occupation. I thought the artwork was really good and the story was very interesting.

I think this is definitely one for anybody to read because it is rich storytelling.

Copy provided By Europe comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the story of a family living in Belgium during the second World War. It's the tory of the struggles they had to face during these terrible and difficult times. I liked the illustrations and a lot of the themes that were dealt with. Sometimes the story was a bit slow and I felt like some scenes weren't really able to capture my attention. I mostly appreciated the teacher's storyline.

This is an interesting story in that it depicts the struggles and battles faced by women during the war. However, I found the telling of the story disjointed and difficult to follow. I often found myself not knowing who was who and there is very little transition between the scenes.

I found myself skimming it towards the end as I'd lost track of what was going on. Some parts of the story are very powerful and I feel like it has potential but as it is, it is not for me.

This is a fictionalized account of a real war, or rather it is a graphic novel based on a real war, and real people, as the cartoonist imagines it happened, based on a real girls diary.

Set in Belgium, just before, and just after World War II, this story follows the every day lives of the Balthazar family. Despite the war, despite everything going on around them, when Belgium is invaded, and occupied by Nazis, life goes on. The children go to school. People work. And people spy and resist.

The wolves, of course, are the nazis, but they are in the background, of the day to day lives, up until the Allied forces bomb the heck out of the town they are living in. It is an intersting look at how the citizens continued, or tried to continue on.

The drawings are detailed, and very strong.
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-849" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-12.05.36-AM.png" alt="wolves" />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-850" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-12.05.02-AM.png" alt="wolves" />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-851" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-12.04.50-AM.png" alt="wolves" />

It was another look into what people had to go through, and try to live a normal life in war time.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.