Fabulously engrossing audiobook with courageous characters fighting Nazi oppression in World War 2 Norway. I enjoyed the author’s work and the narrator did I good job too. Solid 5/5 and my thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for allowing me to listen and provide a review.

Truly wonderful story . The narration added a whole new level to this captivating story .
If your looking for a fantastic story which will completely whisk you into another world with great narration then this is the one for you

What would you do to save a child?
As most of you know I’ve read a million WW11 books. And I thought I had no more tears for this terrible war but this novel showed up on my radar.
Its about Norway and what the Nazi we’re doing over there. I. Had. No. Idea!
I chose to listen to this book on audio and loved Antonia Beamish as the narrator. She was perfect.
I was swept into this and thought it was well done. The author did a really great job and at 78% I couldn’t stop listening.
The writing made me care. It was emotional but in a good way. A lot of these WW11 books make me sad but this did not. I’m so glad I listened to this and highly recommend it if you love historical fiction. Please put this on your TBR list.
Thanks HarperCollins Audio via NetGalley.

During the nazi occupation of Norway in WWII Rumi Oristad finds an injured parachutist which leads to further involvement with the resistance. You are taken through all the emotions as you hear about the bravery and risks they take to save people's lives. This is excellent historical fiction with great characterisation and super narration in this fascinating and enjoyable story. Thank you to the author, Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rumi and Jens are in the Resistance in Norway during World war two. This is the story of life in occupied Norway, from the Lebensborn house, to secret radio hideouts, to smuggling people to safety. Warm characters trying to save each other and their country

See the war through her eyes…

I expected a good war fiction novel, with the unique perspective the blurb offered - and that’s exactly what I read. It was horrifying to learn about the baby farms during ww2 (something I hadn’t come across before) and how the Norway fisherwomen and men contributed to the resistance and fought back against German occupation. It was fascinating to see the war through Rumi’s eyes and how it devastated her and her family. Where she got the energy and will to fight back amazes me. It sounded like an incredibly difficult time and Mandy really captures the period and struggles her characters went through. I’d recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, especially ww2 war fiction told through an interesting perspective I hadn’t come across before. Huge thanks to the author, Mandy Robotham, and publisher, HarperCollins, for this advance review copy. Views my own. 4*

Historical Fiction is a genre that I very much enjoy and when I find a book about a time, place or event that I know little or nothing about, I am pleased. The Resistance Girl is set in Norway during WWII, dealing with the efforts of the resistance as well as Hitler's plans for the Norwegian people. Rumi Orlstad lives in a small Norwegian town of Bergen and her widowed father Peder is a fisherman. Peder is involved with the Shetland Bus, a network that smuggles information, agents, weapons and supplies back and forth across North Sea and while looking out for German patrols. Rumi knows exactly how dangerous it is, her fiancée Magnus was lost at sea two months ago and he was on the way to the Shetland Islands and she vowed that she would not get involved, but when two agents were dropped into Norway during a snow storm, Rumi is the only one available to try and find them. She locates them but they were in danger due to freezing, so she takes Jensen Parkes to her neighbor Marjit Sabo to help treat the freezing SOE. Jen’s is half Norwegian, he should be able to blend in with the town’s residents and not be caught by the Germans as he works with the resistance. Anya Lindvig is Rumi’s best friend, she’s working at a hotel in Stavanger when she’s assaulted by a German soldier while on a date. Anya is placed in a home for unwed mothers in Hop, and she discovers it’s a Lebensborn, one of Germany’s secret Aryan Maternity Homes. The Germans admire the Norwegian's hardiness and their Aryan appearance, blond hair and blue eyes, so they want to use them to produce babies for the Third Reich and childless German couples. Rumi is determined to help Anya escape Hop house, for her friend to be safe and keep her newborn baby.

The Resistance Girl is very well written and researched story. I enjoyed reading about the close relationships in the story as well as learning about life in Norway during this time. The main characters all had stories and reasons to get involved with the resistance and I couldn't help but become invested in their stories. The courage they portrayed was uplifting, although the situations were heartbreaking. The relationship between Rumi and Marjit gives the reader a peak into a normal life before the war with evenings together sharing a drink and knitting using traditional Norwegian patterns. Jens, who grew up in England to a Norwegian mother, risked his life to work with the resistance and spy networks. It was interesting to read about his service that included transmitting messages to England, taking part in acts of sabotage, and hiding in different safe houses to stay one step ahead of the Germans. I found the parts about Anya and the Lebensborn very interesting yet shocking as well. I knew they had this program in Germany with unwed mothers, but did not know about the plans Hitler had to produce a stronger generation. Mandy Robotham's descriptive writing brought this time to life and had me sitting on the edge of my seat at times. This was a well plotted story that builds to a tense conclusion and ends with peace in 1945. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Antonia Beamish. She does a nice job with the narration and helped to immerse me into this time and place. There are some slower parts in the middle of the story, but overall, a great listen.

I've been reading a few WW2 stories recently, and as a lot concentrate on the fight in Britain or France, it was very interesting to see a different perspective. Mandy Robotham has clearly been very thorough in hernm research of the area and that front of the war.

I enjoyed how the novel was a bit of a slow burner, it felt more real than an all-action secret agent type figure fighting the nazis, just low level resistance by normal people, terrified of being caught, and doing it anyway.

The main characters were very well written, but I did think some of the side characters, such as the expectant mothers that they were trying to help, lacked the same depth.

Overall a good read.

The narration om the audiobook was very good too!

Mandy Robotham is quickly becoming my go-to author for historical fiction. The way she researches her stories and brings new POVs each time is wonderful.

After <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3581298108?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">The Berlin Girl</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4095763823?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">The Girl Behind the Wall</a>, this was Mandy Robotham's third book I read and it did not disappoint.

It is 1942 Norway. Rumi Orlstad is a Resistance worker. As a course of her work, she rescues Jens Parkes, an SOE sent from Britain to collect intelligence from Norway. He is half-Norweigian and easily blends with the locals.

However, Rumi and Jens, amidst much intrigue and secrecy, discover that the Nazis are involved in more sinister activities in Norway. They want to thwart these operations but SS officer Selig is onto Jens and Selig is worse than a dog who has smelled a juicy bone.

The action does not let up till the end and I enjoyed the story. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Antonia Beamish, was flawless. I loved the book all the more due to her.

The idiocy and cruelty of the Nazis never cease to shock me. How can anyone be so inhuman?

The love story felt a bit forced. I didn't mind it much but maybe the book would have been better without the entire plot.

Marjet is a great character while Peder, Rubio, and Anya support the story well. It is, after all, the story of human resilience in the face of extreme terror.

4.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollinsUK Audio for the audio ARC.

This is an interesting historical fiction story telling of the Norwegian occupation by Germany in WWII and the Resistance movement. I had not previously been aware of the German 'Lebensborn program' and that aspect was educational for me. This is a nice enough tale of life during the war, predominantly 1942, but it didn't really live up to my expectations - I didn't especially warm to Rumi and although there were seemingly quite thrilling events covered, it all felt a little dreary - maybe it's the Narrator's intonation making it feel pretty flat, because I didn't feel any suspense or tension at all. Despite this book being a miss for me, I remain thankful to NegGallery and HarperCollins UK Audio for giving me the opportunity to read it and learn something new.

I am new to audiobooks. In the past, I found it difficult to follow the stories as my mind would drift. The resistance Girl kept me hooked and following the story. Rumi loses her fiancé in an accident at sea. Yet, when needed she continues to work to usurp the Nazi invaders. She is a quietly unassuming heroine putting her life in danger to save her country.
For me this book was ever more poignant due to the current conflict facing Ukraine. We see the daily struggles of the Ukrainian's fighting for their country.

I thoroughly recommend this audiobook.

This is a book about Rumi Orlstad and her family and friends living in Bergen, Norway during World War 2.
I think that it is really good that books as well written as this are still available to tell people how life was during the war.

Great Characters, Great Storyline, Significant Historical Interest. Fantastic!

The angle in this book was slanted to the difficulties that women faced, but it didn't forget those of the men.
The characters were original and generally strong, and definitely of great interest.
I had heard of the Shetland bus, but this book helped to put some flesh on the very flimsy skeleton that I knew of.
Full of just enough twists and turns, and well balanced sadness and happiness.
I hadn't heard of Mandy Robotham before but will be looking out for her now.

Antonia Beamish also did an excellent job as narrator, which helped to make the book sparkle for me.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Things I loved:
- The rich characters - Rumi, Marjit, Jens were all wonderful characters to read & follow their journey. They had such strength & courage!
- I’m a big fan of historical fiction & I loved the setting of this one. I didn’t really know anything at all about Norway’s history & it’s part in WW2 so found it to be well researched (that I’m aware of) & fascinating
- The story had just enough action to keep you on your toes!
- Interesting take on the secret maternity homes around Norway - honestly not something I knew or have read much about before.
- I liked this this was told during one straight timeline. Usually with novels like this there’s back & forth between past & present but it made a nice change to keep it in one timeline.

Things I struggled with:
- Occasionally I got confused with the characters & who was who but the further I got in, the easier I found it to keep up!

Overall a wonderfully absorbing historical fiction novel that was engaging & well written!

Books I’d recommend if you like this one:
💎The Dressmakers Secret - Fiona Valpy
💎The Berlin Zookeeper - Anna Stuart

I really do enjoy books by this author, she manages to find a good story about just a few people who are affected by a situation that affected millions of people, and makes it personal.
I could envisage myself sitting in the kitchen and watching the events unfolding.

How brave the resistance was in.Norway and of course the amazing SOE. These books are incredibly informative and Mandy Robotham always manages to give me a history lesson.

Great narrator who read as a good pace and delivered the story well. It really did give a new perspective of WWII.

There are a few side stories in this, one which I had to further research as I had not heard of it 'Lebensborn'. Where the Nazis find Norwegian woman to pair with to raise the birth rate of pure Aryan children/blood as a gift to the Fuhrer. So harrowing,

Thank you Netgalley and published for the ARC

"The Resistance Girl" is one of those books which manages top absorb your attention from the first introduction and succeeds to maintain the reader's attention up to the last words.

Set in 1940s, in Nazi-occupied Norway, the story follows multiple characters who are part of the Resistance movement and their contributions to to ending the war. Each character has their own distinguishing voice and you can really tell that the narrator did their best to put some personality when each of the characters was telling their own story.

The story also addresses the "Lebensborn" Nazi-initiative, but due to its sensitive nature, I won't go into details within this review, but I can highly recommend looking up the word on Wikipedia for more details.

One last thing to mention is the pace of the story. While the author was focused at the beginning more on describing the context and the characters' history, the pace of the story gradually speeds up to a speed that is worthy of telling such an amazing story.

Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#LifeLongLearning #TheResistanceGirl #NetGalley

The first book I have read or listened to by this author and if her others are anything like this one, it won't be the last.

Following the lives of a small group of people in Norway during WWII, this is a compelling story of their bravery as part of the resistance movement.

With exceptionally strong characters and a powerful story, this is an important part of history that I was not familiar with and although this is historical fiction, it does weave actual events into the story which gives it a sense of realism and shows you what lengths 'normal' people will go to to protect freedom and whilst they have a strong regard for the danger they are putting themselves and, potentially, others in, the bigger picture is far more important. A poignant read given the current events in Ukraine.

The narrator told the story with ease and kept me engaged and enthralled from beginning to end; her voice was perfect.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a great story of bravery, love and the importance of family, friends and freedom.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

The Resistance Girl is a historical fiction novel, set in Norway in the 1940s.

Before reading this book, I didn't really know much about the Nazi occupation of Norway in World War II, so this was quite an eye opener. What gripped me most was way that the horrific "Lebensborn" project was woven into this story.

The story is so engaging, well researched and thrilling - and features strong female characters and the power of hope during one of the most horrific time periods in our history.

I listened to the audiobook version (edition not available on Goodreads at the time of this review), so a few words about that. It is narrated by Antonia Beamish, who's voice and tone was a great fit for this book - it was well paced and mirrored the thrilling and beautiful moments perfectly.

Pub Date of #TheResistanceGirl is 31 Mar 2022
Thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio/Avon and #NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts rather slowly and I wasn’t fully engaged initially. However, I found the central character, Rumi, intriguing and I stuck with it. I knew very little about Norway’s part in the war and believed the majority were collaborators who supported Germany. This story has changed my view and paints a very different picture of a quietly oppressed nation, struggling to counter the Nazis and their truly horrific plans for the country.

The bravery of countless people in helping the Allies is told with sensitivity and compassion by an author whose research seems meticulous. She’s created a really strong sense of place and time and her characterisations are solid. This is a powerful and compelling tale of the lengths people will go to in support of decent ideals. I’m so pleased I didn’t judge it too early…it’s a remarkable adventure told by a gifted storyteller.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Narration well suited the book.
Yet another amazing historical novel by Mandy Robothom.
Based in Norway from 1942 till the end of the war and details the courageous work of the Norwegian people as part of the Resistance against the Nazi regime and the operating of the famous Shetland Bus sea network that helped smuggle people, weapons and vital information for the war effort.
The main storyline of a family and there close friends and their work with the SOE operatives is great, the sub story based in Hop is also riveting and shows 2 other strong and courageous heroines.
Great book and would recommend highly.