This is the first in a trilogy. It starts just as the second world war is ending and follows three sisters living in France.
Hélène, the eldest, is holding the family together. She works as a nurse to the village Doctor.
Elise, is involved with the Resistance and is a bit of a rebel.
Florence, just wants life to go back to what it was.
Then they find themselves caught up in helping the Allies. This puts them in danger especially when secrets from the pasts surface.
Looking forward to the next one to find out what happens to them.

A Second World War novel that immerses itself in the overriding fears and horrors of that period whilst also focussing very much on the three sisters at the centre of the story.
Jefferies successfully portrays many of the emotions and dreams of the young women but punctuates it with the historical atrocities of their situation.
Definitely a thrilling balance of historical war-time action with direct and personal emotional involvement.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, I got to 40% of it, but I was simply not drawn in. I am a sucker for historical fictions, but Daughters of War was nothing new, there was nothing that made me want carry on reading.
Said so, the writing is easy to follow and well structured; it was just the story that didn't draw me in.

I have read all of Dinah Jefferies books and loved them all ,so I was delighted to be given this new book, the first in a trilogy, how exciting .Set in 1944 in occupied France ,it tells the story of the repercussions of German Occupation and the French Resistance .To live in those times must have been so difficult and frightening and this book is so atmospheric and the characters brilliant ,I almost felt I was there with them frightened and scared .Three sisters live in the Dordogne village of Sainte Cecile ,their Father is dead and their Mother has gone to England so they are very supportive of one another and close .The story is full of secrets ,love and loss and bravery .The horrors of war are hard to forget and some incidents change the lives of the sisters forever .I loved the ending and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy. Many thanks to the Publisher ,he Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Following the lives of 3 sisters in war torn France. It was a nice storyline and well researched but the writing style really wasn’t for me I’m afraid.

What a fantastic read this book was.
The story follows three sisters Helene, Florence and Elise during the Second World War in France.
The imagery was so vivid I felt I was living through the war with them. This book had me enthralled throughout and found myself thinking about the sisters even when I wasn’t reading! A sign of a truly great story.
This is a real page turner with so many things happening you just need to find the outcomes and cheering the girls on.
I’m so looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advanced copy. It was an absolute pleasure.

The first book in a new historical saga which doesn’t disappoint. Set in France, 1944, the story centres around three sisters who can’t wait for the war to be over. As they each try to avoid the Nazis a secret, which rocks their own family, emerges. I was engrossed in this book from the start. The descriptive elements of the story were so real that it was like being transported in both space and time. I can’t wait to read the next book. A definite recommendation.

France, 1944 & deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful village, three sisters long for the end of the war. Hélène, the eldest & a nurse is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening. Elise, the rebel who runs a cafe, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost. Florence, the dreamer who loves to cook & is the gardener in the family, just yearns for a world where France is free. Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear
The first in a trilogy & I can’t wait to read the other two books. A very well written book that had me gripped from the start & held me enthralled until the last page in the early hours of the morning. Wonderful characters & moving story took me on a plethora of emotions. I can’t recommend this book highly enough, I absolutely loved it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I began this book thinking it might follow the usual pattern for this genre,however I was very pleased to find that it was very different & very well written. The story is set in France, during the latter part of the Second World war. Tensions are high, loyalties strained.
I found the descriptions of the main characters, their feelings and stresses to be well described, as were the locations. I felt that the history if the time, along with the various fractions in occupied France to be well researched. I was hooked and can't wait for the next instalment to come out.
An excellent read, highly recommended.

Set in the Dordogne during World War Two, the story centres around three sisters who are all longing for the war to be over. If you love historical fiction, then this is a must - and the best part is its the first in a series and I will definitely be reading the rest of the books!

Firstly, I loved the main characters. They were developed beautifully throughout the book, individually and as a family unit. Each sister is completely different which brings interesting challenges to their lives as they learn to live together under the dangers of German occupation and French resistance. Hélène, the eldest, is a stand-in mother figure who must learn to trust in her sisters and herself. Elise, the middle, is the rebellious one and is eager to help the French Resistance no matter what. Florence, the youngest, is the dreamer and seemingly the most fragile, yet she must develop an inner strength.

Secondly, Jeffries really does justice to the difficulties and horrors of living in war-torn France. She does not shy away from depicting the ruthlessness of the Germans who were occupying France at this time and there are tragedies and dangers throughout the book which helps bring a realism to the storyline. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful French countryside, this is a compelling yet dark read filled with courage, bravery, love, loss and ultimately the power of friendship and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC - all opinions are my own.

Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful village, three sisters long for the end of the war. Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening. Elise, the rebel, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost. And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is free. Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear.

I was eager to get started with this read and was very excited by the prospect of this being a series from Jefferies. For the most part, I was not disappointed. I will say early on I am really looking forward to the series continuing so that is good. My negative point is this read is way too long. Not just a little bit too long, but vastly. This was really disappointing and meant the plot lost oomph along the way and became lacklustre and quite dull. Do not get me wrong, there is a lot going on throughout the read but it gets lost amongst all of the detail. If some of this had been removed, then it would have been a much stronger read.

On the positive side, I loved the setting of the Dordogne, it provided a beautiful backdrop to set war against. I always enjoy historical fiction reads and getting transported back to the time and events. This was no different and Jefferies really evokes the sense of war torn France.

The main positive for this read and for the series going forward, are the characters. Jefferies has created a strong and likeable main cast of female characters. All of them have very different personalities and bring something to the plot. It was a complete joy getting to know all of them and seeing how they slot into the plot. Jefferies definitely uses this book to set up the future reads and I am really excited about the possibilities of what is to come.

'Daughters of War' is a sweeping historical read with fantastic central characters whom I came to love and cannot wait to be reunited with. If only this had been shorter then it would have been a truly terrific read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

A beautifully written book, well researched. Definitely recommend. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

This was a great read. Felt disappointed when I turned the page and realised it was the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Another enjoyable book from Dinah Jefferies. It concerns three sisters and all that befall them during the occupation of France during the 2nd World war. Well researched and easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy of this book.

Enjoyable fictional book, that looks into the adventures of three sister who live in France during the war. Their mother left them and moved to England after their father died. The sisters are unique in their own way. The older sister always felt like she was not loved as much as her sister's by her mother. Her younger sisters had a lot of respect for her.

This is the first in an atmospheric and character driven WW2 historical trilogy set in war torn France in the latter years of the war, focusing on the repercussions of the German occupation and their French collaborators on 3 sisters and the Dordogne village of Sainte-Cecile. It is 1944, and the Baudin sisters have lost their father, Charles, and their mother, Claudette, has left for England. The sisters are close and supportive, each of them with distinctly different personalities. The eldest Helene has taken on the maternal mantle of responsibility, and looking after her sisters, she is a nurse, working for a local doctor, Hugo Marchand. Elise is more headstrong, working at the cafe, determined to do all that she can to help the resistance, and the youngest, Florence is more of a dreamer and homebody, looking after the home, cooking, growing vegetables and taking care of the livestock, so critical with the impact of rationing.

The German occupation is ruthless, unforgiving, violent and brutal, doing all they can to squash any opposition, as we see the death and destruction, the horrors and repercussions of the war on the sisters and others in Sainte-Cecile, and the inevitable tragedies and heartbreak. Each of the sisters are to face different challenges, there are family secrets, and all the dangers of resisting the Nazis. Jefferies provides rich descriptions of the location and intricate details of what life was like in this turbulent period of history making this a dark, intense and compelling read, a family drama, of intrigue, love, loss, grief, friendship, courage, and the fight for survival.

This is a wonderfully complex historical read, engaging and the sisters are a wonderful characters in which to understand the devastating impact of war. I look forward to reading the next in the series. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

You really need to read this. First in a new series about three sisters who live in France and who have to survive war time and abandonment. So much rich detail and you can tell you in the hands of a master storyteller.

Wow, this is a captivating read. It tells of bravery, courage, heartbreak and love. Three sisters Helene, Elise and Florence left behind when their mother returns to England and their father has died. They live in the old family house where they uncover some secrets from the past.

The thing I really liked about this book was that there was always something happening so the book just flowed. A worthy read.

The first and only book I have read by Dinah Jeffries Was the tea planters wife. I was really taken with the book so wanted to read more of her . This book didn't disappoints and I loved it.

I couldn't make my mind up about this book, the setting and characters were good and descriptive. The story is told featuring three sisters in a small Dordogne village during WW2 but it just didn't feel terribly authentic given the deprivations and difficulties endured by the French population during the war. There are beautiful descriptions of the area and the characters are well depicted but also brutal, harsh scenarios which do ground the era a little more. The three sisters seem to flit between helping the Resistance, the allies or even the Germans which seemed slightly at odds. Interspersed amongst clandestine moments we suddenly get details of making an omelette. However, it does make a good read and being the first of a series will I'm sure be a good family saga.