Such a powerful and exceptional story! I loved how brave the women are as they need much strength to get through the times.

A very well written historical book set during world war 2. Heartbreaking story with lovely characters. Another lovely read by Rachel Wesson.

A Moving Story About Survival and Kinship
A mother's promise is the 2nd book so please read book 1 When’s Mummy coming, or you will not know their backstory as you follow the family members from this book.
The story in A Mother's Promise, follows Trudi Beck, as Trudi takes the reader on a tragic journey after putting her children on the Kindertransport to Britain. Trudi is left alone now, grieving without her children and Trudi realises that being Jewish and the story's that start to surface about people being interned and murdered in the camps are true and she and others must join the resistance and fight back to survive if there is any chance of her going to someday be reunited with her family.
Trudy finds she is not alone, as she finds people who come from diverse backgrounds and races and some extraordinarily strong relationships are forged. There is the sense of loss and grief as the Gestapo capture torture and kill friends and family's Trudi has made in the resistance, but this only strengthens Trudis's aptitude to fight on. Trudi also finds love from a friendship formed during this time.
I have only recently discovered Rachel Wesson’s books and each one has been beautifully written. I was completely immersed in this book, and it is an incredibly touching story which is professionally written with real heart and honesty. It is a beautiful and moving story about survival and kinship. The characters came to life as the story unfolds, and I Highly recommend this touching story. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another wonderful book written by Rachel Wesson, this book follows on from ‘When’s Mummy Coming?’ And is set is WWII. It follows the story of Trudi Beck who in the previous book had sent her baby daughter and her two step sons off in the Kindertransport train to save them from being killed. Trudi then goes on to join the resistance to fight the Germans and save her fellow Jews. As a mother, this made me think about what I would do myself if I was in Trudi’s position and it’s so hard to imagine if I could be as brave as her. The whole way through, I kept wondering if Trudi will make it back to her children?

The book also followed Heinz/Harry, who is one of Trudi’s step sons and who was sent on the Kindertransport train with his baby sister and little brother. Heinz even though he didn’t like his step mother also joins a different kind of resistance group. Heinz has a lot of anger, he wants to avenge his father’s death. Will he be able to keep his rage unde control and will he finally understand the sacrifices his step mother made?

There was a lot of questions from that last book which was all answered in this second book. Like the first book, I experienced a range of different emotions.

Another wonderful book by Rachel Wesson and one I thoroughly enjoyed. This is such a powerful and emotional story of a very strong woman and what she does to survive, keep her family safe and to help others. but is it at the cost of her own life?

This is a truly heart-rending story and brings to light what people did during these horrendous wars to keep people safe and to help win the war. The main character Trudi was such a strong and courageous woman but life was never easy. I just couldn't put this book down as it was so enthralling and intense and I didn't want to loose the momentum of this well paced and well written book.

Highly recommend it and would give it all of 5 stars for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Trudi is a true hero. This story touches my heart as my own grandfather was a child transported during the war. Touching and unforgettable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.. the tense atmospheric narrative provided well researched information of the holocaust and German atrocities against the Jews.
An emotionally powerful and compelling story that demonstrates the horrors of the times.

The second book in the series & I’d recommend reading the books in order, the first being 'When's mummy coming'. Another well written emotional novel that pulled at the heart strings, there’s also tension & traumatic events. Trudi is one strong and determined lady. It took me longer to read as I read the first one before starting this. Both excellent and beautifully written. Overall I enjoyed this book although I found it a little slow in some parts.

I loved this book, it runs alongside another of Rachel’s books. I find her research and attention to detail really draws you into the story

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. Another successful story by Rachel Wesson. This follows on well to 'When's Mummy Coming?'. It follows Trudi after the children have kept on the Kindertransport. We learn more about the experiences of those who remained in Germany during the war, particularly the Jewish people. The story finishes as the War trials take place and we discover the outcomes for the main characters.
I can recommend this book, however be aware it ca be harrowing to read as it is do well written.

I loved this story. I love all of of her books that I have read. Pulls you right into the story.
It’s a hard time in life when we think about and read about war times , but she did a great job.
I could not put the book down ..

A Mother’s Promise is a great continuation from When’s Mummy Coming, although, would have it been even better if we had got to follow all the timelines at the same time? Rachel did a wonderful job writing about the hardship for the Jewish people as she told Trudi’s story of survival and sacrifices. While also following Harry’s growth of a young Jewish boy into a man. A mothers Promise has you captivated as friendships are formed, grit determination is harnessed and love concurs all.
I would like to thank Storm Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Mother’s Promise by Rachel Wesson is a heartbreaking, harrowing story of the atrocities committed during World War II by the Gestapo against the Jewish people. It is brutal, and is uncomfortable reading at times. It continues the story of Trudi Beck, her daughter Liesel, and her step sons Heinz and Tomas. As the persecution of the Jews continues, Trudi makes the heartrending decision to send the children to England and what she hopes will be safety. As the war rages around her, Trudi finds herself drawn into situations she could never have imagined, testing her loyalty and her sanity to the max. Throughout her ordeals, she never forgets her promise to the children that she will find them again. In war-torn Berlin she realises that her life is in imminent danger from the Gestapo and from some of the citizens. Knowing who to trust is practically impossible, and she is surrounded by death and destruction. Reading this wonderfully written book, I was completely immersed in its pages and totally engaged with the characters. The writing flows seamlessly, and the sense of loss and grief literally permeates the pages. There is also hope - hope that it is all rumour, hope that it will end, and hope that Trudi will get back to the children, and they can pick up their lives again. Dealing with some of the darkest times in history, I wholeheartedly recommend this powerful and moving book.

I read a lot of historical fiction, specifically WWII fiction, and this was among the top for me. Trudi’s journey, and Harry’s parallel journey, were unlike any other I’ve read before. Both played roles in WWII that were new to me. This was a fantastic read and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Because of the subject matter, it always takes me longer to read these books. I need to have a book on the side that can take my mind somewhere else for a bit.

I am sad to say I have not read the first book in this series. I think it would have given me a better insight, as some of the other reviews state. I was however able to read this as a stand alone book and connect with the characters.

Despite the horrific history, historical fiction intrigues me. This book was no different. It was well thought it and researched. I would recommend this book to others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I need to check if books are part of a series before closing them. Luckily Rachel Wesson included enough information that the reader felt a little confused at the beginning, but didn't matter because it's well written,

Great book for people who like WW2 books. Realistic reactions and emotions really made me feel emotions was I read...not sure if I liked that.

Book 2 of The Hearts at War series finds Trudi Beck struggling to keep her 3 children safe after their transport on the kinder train to England. Her son Heinz (now Harry) is imprisoned on the Isle of Man as a German and Trudi and he find themselves as part of the resistance against the Nazi regime.

Another beautiful written book from Rachel Wesson, heartbreaking and also uplifting at times, as the horrors of war brings out the best of humanity in some communities and unlikely and unbreakable friendships are formed.

In this story, the sequel to “When’s Mummy Coming”, we focus primarily on Trudi, the children’s mother/step-mother, and Harry, the eldest of the Beck children, now a young adult.

The characters are so well written and relatable. Trudi proves to be unexpectedly brave, determined and resilient and I enjoyed learning more about Ada and even began to like Chana in the end!

A twist at the end, which wasn’t entirely unexpected, but still bought a tear to my eye.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Wesson and Storm for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Mother’s Promise’ written by Rachel Wesson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The first novel in the ‘Hearts at War’ series, ‘When’s Mummy Coming?’, tells of how Frau Trudi Beck manages to free her husband Ari’s son Heinz from Dachau and send him together with his brother Tomas and her baby daughter Liesel to Britain on Kindertransport. This second novel, ‘A Mother’s Promise’, continues the story of the three children as they change their names to Harry, Tom and Lisa, but this time tells of what happens to Trudi as she struggles to survive in wartime Berlin against Nazi persecution.

I couldn’t stop reading this novel that told me about how the people of Berlin faced the hardship of having their homes taken from them whilst coping with little or no food and clothing. It’s been a pleasure to watch Harry as he grows into a well-adjusted young man but equally hard at times to read of his determination to find the man who killed his father and get retribution. This has been a wonderful novel with perfectly described characters that’s been a pleasure to read albeit with a tear in my eye at the conclusion.

This WWII novel, like Rachel's earlier books, captivated me from the first page. The second novel in the Hearts at War series, A Mother's Promise, follows Trudi Beck, whose daughter and two stepsons are characters in When's Mummy Coming? In this book, her stepson, Heinz/Harry, also appears. As he seeks retribution for the death of his father, we read about his adventures in both Britain and Germany.
Trudi takes the reader on a tragic journey after putting her kids on Kindertransport to Britain. Strong relationships are forged, there is a great deal of sacrifice and sorrow, and Trudi finds true love. Characters from book one is brought back; it was nice to tie everything together, to watch Heinz/Harry grow up, and to further examine his relationship with his stepmother Trudi. Trudi makes us ponder whether we would be willing to make the same sacrifices and risk the same perils in her shoes. Although she is a commendable character, her shortcomings help to make her more approachable.
Reading about the Holocaust is never going to be simple; I had to stop reading several times to try to understand that, although being fiction, the actions described were true and similar ones. Grab some tissues and immerse yourself in this heartbreaking story of survival, resiliency, friendship, and strength. This is an extremely emotional and thought-provoking read. It serves as a sobering reminder that even though the war was over, there was still a great deal of suffering and many people needed to be held accountable. Although I believe it may be read independently, I do suggest starting with part one.
This is my second book by Rachel Wesson and I plan on getting my hands on every single book of hers I can, I absolutely love how relatable the characters are, how you feel like you’re not just reading the story but you are a character within the story. The characters are so lovable, and the descriptions of the towns, surroundings, makes you feel like you are in the story. I can’t recommend these books enough, I kept finding myself reaching for this book long into the night when I should have been sleeping, and neglecting housework to finish this page turner.
#NetGalley #StormPublishing #HistoricalGenius