Member Reviews
World War II, sadness, a little romance, secrets, fighting, underground. I personally like reading historical fiction, however, this one was so sad that I just couldn't love it. I realize that that's how WWII was, but I guess it's not something I'd normally choose to read in a fiction book.
Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
If you are looking for a book that takes you into the heart of Warsaw, Poland during the occupation of the German's of WW2--and you want to see the nitty gritty, uncomfortable truths of what life was like in that city for the average citizen and the Jew--this is a book for you.
If you want to see women tormented by the war and what they each have gone through wrestle with the question of where is God in the midst of this horror--this is a book for you.
You get to feel the terror of discovery with Antonia as she participates in the helping of the smuggling of Jewish children out of the ghetto. You will be side by side with Helena as she watches her friends die under her hands because she can't save them from the bomb blast or bullets.
In fact, the journey these two women go on as their paths diverge allows them to each reach their moment of "why God" and discovery of God's endless love and grace and mercy even in the midst of war and terror.
I also liked that the story included real characters like Irena Sendler who helps smuggle children out of the Jewish Ghetto--credited with 2500 children rescued.
Now--at first because of the journey each sister had to make--I was unsure if this truly was a Christian fiction selection. But finally they had their aha moment.
"For thou art with me." How coudl He be? How could we be anything but alone ina world where men slaughtered children in a courtyard, a world that held a place like Treblinka, a world devoid of hope? Perhpas He regarded our suffering adn deemed it justice for our sins. But how coudl He find justice in this and be anything but cruel? If justice He sought, then why hadn't the woman who besseched Him so fervently been spared instead of me? For my sins were plain. In my eyes, and surely in His."
Antonia struggled so much with what she saw and experienced. And she wrestled with this.
"You are not forsaken in His sight. Even in this. you must pray to Him to help you believe it is so". I had never forgotten the priest who had given me those words. In the months in Germany, I had clung to them....He is with us. There could be no greater hope. NO matter what this earth held, no matter how we were shaken and shattered, He alone endured.
Helena too finally understood.
And how many of us deal with the same things? I'm sure their thoughts rival our own when we see all the suffering in this world. But we can take heart from the same words.
4 Stars.
*I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Oh my goodness . . . this book! Amanda Barratt's masterful storytelling and research skills are on full display in this stunning read. I loved The Warsaw Sisters! It's not necessarily an easy read . . . so much heartbreak woven through its pages. But there are glimpses of hope, too. This is the kind of story that stays with you. The reader in me couldn't stop reading and the writer in me is just plain in awe. And that ending . . . just beautiful. Come for the history, stay for the compelling and unputdownable story. I loved it, and I so, soooo highly recommend it!
The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barrett
There seems so many books of this genre out these days , but don't waste your time reading the others as this has to be the best one of the year by far !
It follows the German invasion of Warsaw and how it effects it's residents , but in the main two sisters Antonina and Helena.
Both sisters do their bit in different ways which often are putting themselves in great peril but both show great spirit and endurance as many were forced to do so.
A fantastic read.
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. I have read countless novels based in/around WWII and this is among the top. The glimpse into Warsaw during occupation is something I (embarrassingly) knew little about and is what made the entire novel all the more fascinating, and heartbreaking. Some of the passages in this book are some of the most moving passages I've encountered. I'm not someone who highlights, clips or takes notes while reading, but multiple times I found myself highlighting sections to revisit. As for the characters, somehow even with the myriad of people we met along the way, I was able to connect to all of them and mourn their losses or hope they would return later in the book. I wish I had more words to convey how much I adored this novel. I didn't want their story to end!
Amazing storytelling, compelling, heartbreaking, and hopeful, this story is about the fight for Poland's freedom during World War II, and the many forms that fight for freedom took. War is hell, and the reader encounters the brutal horrors of occupation and the extensive repression of the Polish people, most especially the Jewish people.
"To live without hope of freedom is not to live at all. "
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for the art with me. For thou art with me, how could He be here?"
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I frequently dig into the history more after I finish the story. Author Amanda Barrett is an amazingly gifted storyteller. Her meticulous research places the reader right in Warsaw during the war, the experiences her characters have are drawn from real people and events. I cannot recommend her stories enough. In The Warsaw Sisters, I felt like I was there, and felt all the emotions from the beautiful dedication to the last page.
I am looking forward to an upcoming family trip to Poland, and Warsaw is on our travel agenda. This story gripped me from the start, and I now have a much better understanding of both Warsaw Uprisings. The Ghetto Uprising (April 19, 1943, where Jewish fighters fought the Germans for 28 days), and the Warsaw Uprising by the Polish resistance fighters in the Home Army, (where a staggering number of soldiers fought and died for an independent Poland for 63 days between Aug 1-Oct 2, 1944).
I could not put this story down. The horrors and the heroism are on full display in The Warsaw Sisters. Those willing to help the Jewish people, and those organizing the fight for freedom risked everything.
Don't miss the all the details in the Historical Notes at the end of the book. The quote by Irena Sendler is from there.
Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker, and her colleagues are credited for saving up to 2500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. She is mentioned in the story by her nom de guerre Jolanta. Her quote embodies the reason many fought. “I was taught by my father that when someone is drowning you give them your hand. I simply tried to extend my hand to the Jewish people.”
I highly recommend The Warsaw Sisters.
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own. I cannot wait for my own copy to have its place on my keeper bookshelf.