For fans of historical fiction, A Song of Courage is a stirring and emotional journey that will resonate deeply, especially for those who appreciate strong female heroines. Set in the turbulent decade leading up to World War II, this novel centers on two remarkable sisters, Connie and Dottie, whose bravery and compassion shine through in the face of unimaginable danger.

The story immerses readers into a Europe gradually tightening under Nazi rule. Connie and Dottie, with their shared love of opera and a deep sense of humanity, evolve into key figures in a covert network resembling an underground railroad, aiding Jews and others persecuted by the regime. Their efforts to smuggle people to safety, often at great personal risk, highlight their incredible courage and resourcefulness.

With the help of their mother, loyal family friends, and new acquaintances met through their musical connections, the sisters create a web of hope amid the encroaching darkness. This close-knit group fights not just with courage but with intelligence, forging alliances in an increasingly dangerous world.

The novel's strength lies in its portrayal of Connie and Dottie's emotional and moral growth. Their personal journey is not only one of resistance but also one of deepening sisterhood, loyalty, and the search for justice. Their story serves as an inspiring testament to the power of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The historical detail is rich, and the setting is vividly portrayed, drawing readers into the stark realities of life in Nazi-occupied Europe.

Song of Courage is a moving tribute to unsung female heroes, making it a must-read for those who love stories of bravery, resistance, and the enduring power of love and friendship. Connie and Dottie will linger in your heart long after you’ve turned the last page, reminding us all of the extraordinary capacity for goodness, even in the darkest of times.

An emotional and thought-provoking book that touched on some heavy topics. The author handled the themes with care, and the writing was both beautiful and poignant. While not a light read, it left a lasting impression.

I loved that this book was based on a true story. A great story about the true heroes during a very difficult time.

This was good. However, I did find that the story dragged quite a bit. I guess for WW2 fiction, I was expecting something with a little more action. An enjoyable read, but very slow to start.

I read a lot of books based in and around the Second World War, it was a change to read a story that was based on a completely different aspect of the war and also told from different perspectives and different countries. The book is based in the run up to the war when we start to realise what Hitler is trying to create in mainland Europe.

We are thrust into the world of two sisters who love opera and how they are pulled into the secretive world of helping Jewish families escape the clutches of the Nazi's and start a new lives in England and America.

The story is quite tense when we see the danger that the families are in and their struggles that staying in a country that does not want them can lead to and then their tenacity to leave their homes for safety in a different country.
Using their love of opera the sisters are able to travel through Austria and Germany with no real problems and can carry their plans out under the noses of the army.

A good book

This is a well written book, based on a true story. The author has taken events and has not sugar coated the content. I have just finished reading this, in the early hours of the morning, tears streaming down my face thankful for learning about 2 brave ladies. Well worth reading, highly recommended.

A beautiful story which made me cry. The sort of story that is recommend to everyone who enjoys a historical story with romance and sadness. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I love historical fiction and how this novel delves into themes of bravery and resilience. Set against a richly detailed historical backdrop, the story follows a protagonist who faces significant personal and societal challenges. Wesson's writing brings historical settings and characters to life with vivid descriptions and emotional depth.

The novel excels in character development, particularly in its portrayal of courage and perseverance amidst adversity. The plot is engaging, with a blend of historical accuracy and fictional drama that keeps the reader invested. While the pacing may feel a bit slow in parts, the book’s emotional resonance and well-crafted narrative make it a compelling read.

Always a huge fan of Rachel Wesson. I just love her story telling and how she makes you feel like you know the characters. This is another strong book that I would highly recommend!

Sister Courage

This was a wonderful read about two courageous sisters that saved so many Jewish lives and helped them to leave the dangers of Nazi Germany. Connie and Dottie love Opera. They travel all over to see the Opera and the stars.

When they hear from their friend Stephen about the horrible things the Nazi’s are doing to the Jewish people, they do not want to believe it, but soon they find it is true and they know they must do something to help.

The girls start out just smuggling small jewels and items to sell so that the Jewish families can use the money to obtain visas and leave Germany. As the horror increases, they carry out more and more dangerous assignments.

Based on a true story, these two women were courageous in the face of danger at the risk of their own lives. You will sit on the edge of your seat as they complete one assignment more dangerous than the next, just one step ahead of the Nazi’s. Only their wits and their good friend Stephen keep them from falling into enemy hands.

This is a fantastic book; you will remember it for a long time.

I received a free copy to read and my review is voluntary and in my own words.

A Song of Courage weaves the truth of Ida Cook and Louise Cook’s lives with fiction. In the story, sisters Connie and Dottie use their connections across the world, connections in the foreign office and their love of opera to save countless lives on the run up to World War 2. They start with smuggling money and valuables for desperate families before helping and escorting children and adults to Britain. A Song of Courage is well written and did a good job of describing the antisemitism on the lead up to WW2 in Germany and Austria. The writing occasionally feels as though information is being spoon-fed to the reader but I feel the story itself was an important one to tell and, on the whole, was done so very well.

A Song of Courage by Rachael Wesson is a beautiful and professionally written book. The book is set during wW2 and is a Historical novel. It is the story of two sisters who define all odds to save countless lives during the war. The two sisters Constance and Dorethea (or Dottie) as she is affectionately known both love opera and travel from London to New York to see their favourite opera singer Elana Bernardi sing. They travel the continent to see her preform and this is where in Germany they first start helping Jewish families as Hitler comes to power. The sisters with the help of Stephen, and many other people including friends and family back in England including their mother helped as both girls smuggle Jewellery and valuables at significant risk passed the SS. officers as they would board trains back and forth from England to Germany and Europe. Through their efforts they managed to open bank accounts in people's names and get visas spending hours trying to get the correct paperwork sorted so the Jewish people can resettle in England and families can be safe.

It was at significant risk to themselves, and both two women never wanted anything in return from anyone as these amazing lady’s risked everything for others. The book Is based on the true-life events of the heroism of the sisters. An immensely powerful and emotional book and a very inspiring read. 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.

In this fantastic, immersive, and detailed historical fiction novel, readers travel to pre-World War II Europe where opera connoisseurs Connie and Dottie Fitzwalter (who is also an author) turn their passion for music into a cover for helping German and Austrian Jews escape the growing reach of the Nazis. When their family friend and embassy official Stephen tells them about the true scale of violence and persecution against German and Austrian Jews, the two sisters smuggle jewelry, money, and valuables back to London to help them emigrate while also escorting families out of the country and arranging safe passage for children. As the risks grow and the situation in Germany and Austria becomes more dangerous, Connie and Dottie realize that the work they do threatens far more people than just themselves but could have, if successful, a far greater impact that outweighs the risks. Inspired by the real wartime work of Mary Burchell and Ida and Louise Cook, Wesson brings the dangers of the prewar period and the German persecution of the Jewish community to life in harrowing, vibrant, emotional detail. Her characters are the star of the novel, and Connie and Dottie, as unlike war heroines, are inspiring and powerful figures that prove that not all war work requires weapons, just a strong will and the desire to help others.

A Song of Courage is the story of two sisters Connie and Dottie, who with the help of family friend and diplomat Stephen work tirelessly to help families escape Germany and Austria as the Nazi’s rise to power just prior to the onset of WWII.

A love of opera serves as the cover story for the two young women who travel across dangerous borders to presumably see the latest and greatest shows, but actually come collect jewels and furs of desperate Jews who need to prove future financial stability in Britain in order to be sponsored for immigration. Connie and Dottie come across as eccentric opera lovers for years as they smuggle valuable goods out of the country, and their family friend Stephen does all that he can to arrange the paperwork required by both England the Germany to get many to safety.

What starts as a slow burn, builds as the two sisters gain more notoriety. Despite increasing danger, they returned again and again and again in hopes of helping “just one more” never letting their own fears keep them from returning. Wesson does an excellent job of making the reader feel like they are crossing the dangerous borders with Connie and Dottie, and helping us feel the plight of those they rescue. This story is one that lingers long after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and the author Rachel Wesson for the advanced copy of the book. A Song of Courage is out now! All opinions are my own.

USA Today Bestselling Author Rachel Wesson has, yet again, delivered a beautiful and powerful historical fiction piece that is sure to make a lasting mark on the genre.

The story follows sisters Connie and Dottie Fitzwalter, inspired by real-life (and previously lesser-known) heroines Ida and Louise Cook who saved many Jewish lives during the Nazi era in Germany. (Those who love this book should also read the sisters’ own memoir, The Bravest Voices).

When their love of opera inadvertently opens their eyes to the rapidly shifting political climate and its devastating consequences as the Nazis rise to power, Connie and Dottie decide to act. By smuggling jewels and possessions out of the country to financially support the families trying to escape, the sisters courageously put their own safety at risk to save as many lives as possible from certain horror and death. The story and the women in it - including those who inspired these selfless characters - is an inspiration. While the tone of the writing was at times superfluous and a tad distracting, the message holds firm. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this, as well as fans of Wesson’s existing work.

Thank you Net Galley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read and review!

I love this area of historical fiction but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. The punctuated dialogue and peacemeal part chapters meant I struggled to get into it. Dottie and Connie seem lovely characters but their obsession with opera and unrealistically following it around the world for the first third of the book didn’t appeal.

This book had got many many excellent reviews so it may be that it just wasn’t for me this time.

Based on a true story. In this book we follow 2 sisters where they try to save austrians and german Jews.
This book started out a little bit slow for me. I felt though the sisters were heroes , they still felt very naive. The book somehow jumper in time, leaving me wanting more from the backstory. But I learnt a Great deal from it.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

I’m trying out some new writers in historical fiction at the moment and finding some real gems. This is a fascinating story based on two real life sisters whose love of opera and music meant they travelled throughout Europe at a difficult part of history. Connie and Dottie Fitzwalter are based on real-life heroines Ida and Louise Cook whose musical trips to Europe start out as satisfying their love for music but when they discover the thousands of people desperate to flee the Nazi march across Europe they resolve to help as many as they can. As more becomes known about the persecution of Jewish families they begin smuggling furs, jewellery and anything that could be turned into cash for escape. They opened bank accounts for owners of the items, meaning they had funds waiting for them in England and could apply for British visas. They petitioned trusted friends in England for places the families could stay, but who would also vouch for them with the authorities. Mainly travelling to Austria, Poland and Germany the sisters displayed a determination that was astonishing and deeply admirable. If the way wasn’t immediately clear to them, they created a path.

I loved their selflessness and wondered as I always do when I read novels like this, whether I would have shown the same courage in similar circumstances. Not knowing the story, I was keeping everything crossed for both sisters. I knew that the consequences of being caught were likely to be dire, but they were filled with that spirit common to many heroes of war and adversity; they simply felt they couldn’t not help. It meant a lot personally as my late husband’s mother was smuggled out of Poland when she was a child and came to the UK where she attended a type of boarding school until other family members arrived here after the war. The author weaves a wonderful narrative around these real life heroes and events, something very difficult to do when you hold so many people’s history in your hands. To attempt any story based around the Holocaust must be daunting because of the sheer scale and horror of the atrocities committed within the concentration camps. The author gives us a glimpse into that reality through the sisters and we are left in no doubt of the dehumanisation Jews faced. From the indignity, fear and injustice of those pre-war years as propaganda blamed them for all the ills of a society struggling after WWI to the brutality of herding people into ghettoes, then transporting them to ‘work camps’ where they were killed in their millions. As word begins to spread of atrocities we start to see the desperation of people willing to leave everything they know and risk it all to escape. I think there’s a good balance between the heroism of a few and the majority who either didn’t know what to do, were terrified or simply refused to accept what was going on under their noses. Of course there were also those who bought into the propaganda and participated in the persecution of people they once went to school with or bought their bread from. I did read about these two sisters after finishing the novel and found that they were named as two of the Righteous Among Nations. This is an honour bestowed by The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre as non- Jews who risked their own lives to save Jewish people during the Holocaust. What an incredible honour and very well deserved. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Rachel has joined the list of authors whose books I look out for when second-hand book shopping, because on the strength of this novel I’d like to read more of her work.

The book's cover was so alluring that I couldn't resist having it immediately, without even glancing at the author or synopsis. Once I began reading, it was clear this wasn't a book for casual reading; it demanded full immersion.

This book is incredibly relevant to the current era. It spotlights the unsung heroines, Constance 'Connie' Fitzwalter and Dorothea 'Dottie' Fitzwater, inspired by the real-life heroics of sisters Ida and Louise Cook. Their remarkable bravery in the face of adversity saved numerous lives, demonstrating that actions speak louder than words, as evidenced by their successful rescue of thirty people.

The sisters' passion for music, particularly opera, unexpectedly entangled them in the dangers of Nazi Germany. Masquerading as high-society music aficionados, they used their opera outings to secretly move funds and save lives, escorting people to safety in England. By the book's end, their bravery was palpable.

This book is a remarkable tale that accomplishes what great novels do best: it presents intriguing information and prompts reflection. Moreover, it's a thrilling narrative that captivates and compels the reader to turn the pages.
My thanks go to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC.

I found this historical fiction novel to be a delightful read that exceeded my expectations. As a fan of the genre, I appreciated the portrayal of real-life individuals and events. The bravery displayed in the face of injustice resonated deeply with me, and the rising tension throughout the story was masterfully executed. In a sea of World War II narratives, this book stood out with its unique perspective, particularly in the approaches taken by Constance and Dorothea. The satisfying conclusion tied the narrative together beautifully. Overall, this was a captivating and enlightening read, leaving me eager to explore more works by this author.