I had never heard this story before and enjoyed reading about it. The characters were unique. Some hard parts due to real life events but overall very well done.

The War We Won Apart by Nahlah Ayed is the superbly fascinating true story of the requirements to become part of the Special Operations Executive in World War II. Two people in particular are the focus, British Sonia and Canadian Guy, who both went through rigorous mental and physical training including sabotage, parachuting and reconnaissance to determine whether they had the mettle to cope in all sorts of potential scenarios. Not only did they "pass" but they married soon after and weeks later were separated by war.

What riveted me most was the bravery and fearlessness of people who were eager to do their part in the war and the lengths they had to go through to become part of the SOE. Details such as surprise night visits to gauge reactions of the operatives and disassembling and reassembling various firearms in the dark had me utterly enthralled. Talk about adventurous and courageous! I like that the author includes quotes from instructors and others involved. The writing is very readable and gripping and enabled me to visualize what was going on, both in personal lives as well as the war.

If you are keen to learn about a completely different WWII perspective, don't miss this thoroughly-researched book.

My sincere thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing book.

is is a lovely story about two agents of the French Resistance who worked for SOE and had a long and happy marriage afterwards. Guy became a leader of the resistance in France, greatly admired by his men, working to prepare France for D-Day. Sonia was a very young and unhealthy teenager, yet she became a courier for a group in the French Resistance, involved in sabotage and other important operations. After the war, Sonia went from ‘mixing explosives to mixing baby formula,’ while Guy became an Army commander.

They had rather a tenuous romance, which was also interesting. However, the first part of the book is definitely the most exciting part, although I liked reading about their lives after the war and their reunions with their friends in the resistance.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A story that takes you through the trauma and trials of living and fighting in WWII. Love and hardships. Know that you may want to understand a little about WWII but you will learn from this book also. I was fortunate to have just finished WWII history class in college. Fantastic writing.