I love Rachel’s writing style. She has the ability to draw me in and give me a history lesson through the telling of her stories. This book is based on fact and I loved reading about the two sisters who helped to get Jews out of countries being occupied by the Nazis. It was great to read the author's notes at the end of the book detailing what parts were factual.
I felt the fear as the sisters boarded trains and had to pass inspections by the SS, smuggling out valuables to aid families in their attempts to escape to London. The pain and suffering of those trying to escape is palpable, as is the feeling of hopelessness, at not being able to do enough to get more people out. These young women were so brave and pushed themselves to get as many people out of Germany as they could, at great risk to themselves and without wanting any thanks in return. I devoured this book - it's another 5-star read by Rachel and I look forward to her next release!

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author, Rachel Wesson, for an advance digital copy for review. All opinions are my own and are unbiased.

"A Song of Courage" by Rachel Wessen is a powerful novel based on the true story of two sisters who risked their lives to save countless others during the buildup to WWII. Connie and Dottie’s journey from music enthusiasts to heroines is inspiring and heart-wrenching.

Their daring missions to secretly transport valuables and ensure safe escapes for Jewish families showcase their remarkable bravery and deep bond. I was particularly moved by their reunion with the people they saved 20 years later. A fascinating and emotional read!

A Song of Courage is expected to be published July 4, 2024

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC.

Two opera loving sisters Constance and Dorothea (Dottie) have saved every penny to travel from London to New York to hear their favourite opera singer Elana Bernardi sing on Broadway. This starts a travelling journey around the continent whenever and wherever an opera is being performed.
Hitler and his Nazi Party are gaining power in Europe but this doesn’t stop the sisters and they continue to travel and soon become involved in helping Jewish families escape Germany with the aid of their good friend Stephen, who works for the British Embassy and is based in Germany . The sisters become smugglers of money and jewellery from Jewish families in Germany so the assets can then be used to gain visas on the basis they have bank accounts and funds to resettle in England. The work is dangerous but the young women won’t stop and before long they have their mother and good friends assisting them.
This is a story based on the true life events of two remarkable young women. It is a story of their bravery, courage and a belief in the doing the right thing. A truly inspiring read !!

I enjoyed this story which centers on sisters during WWII who fight to save others. This is based on a true story and is well-written and heart wrenching and heart warming.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Wesson writes a romanticized, fictionalized story based on the true events of two sisters (Ida and Louise Cook) who bravely use their love of opera as a cover to help Jews escape the Nazi’s by transporting their valuables to England to establish bank accounts needed to immigrate. I found the storyline interesting, but the characters came across as insipid at best and saccharine at worst. The cadence of the writing, especially at the beginning, is flat and at times distracting. I wanted to love this book, but I think maybe my expectations, based on the numerous excellent WWII books I have read, are too high.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this book.

I was so enchanted by this story that I immediately googled the sisters in the book- it was based on a true story which was remarkable as I’d never heard of the main protagonists. In fact the author has changed their names and obviously the book is “based” on their lives during World War 2 and just before so I couldn’t find information on Connie and Dottie until I learned therein real names, This is not a biography but a fictionalalised story of their lives.
These two brave sisters, are living in 1930s England. They love Opera and save all their money over 2 years to make trips to view their favourite opera stars, even travelling to New York, having never been abroad before.
Dottie is a romantic novelist and Connie works in a government office.
When they visit Germany and meet up with their childhood friend Stephen, a diplomat, they discover that terrible things are happening to many Jewish people and they resolve to help by smuggling jewels and possessions out of the country so they can be used in England to finance the refugees’ emigration. The Nazis have made it impossible for Jewish people to take their possessions out of Germany and without money they cannot leave or get a visa.
These two amazing women risked their lives to help and never gave up even when they were in danger of being caught by the regime. They continued to help Jewish friends to escape right until war broke out and rescued at least 30 people
They have been honoured in the same way as Nicholas Winton who organised the Kindertransport but their names are not well known. I had to look up their real identities - Ida and Louise Cook- Ida was indeed an author and wrote for Mills and Boon as Mary Burchell using her money to finance refugees.
What an amazing story- this book does what a good novel should- it brings interesting information to the reader’s attention and really makes them think. It was also an exciting and page turning story.
For me this is a five star read and I urge you to read it to learn more about these very special women who selflessly risked their lives.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

An incredible, powerful story of two ordinary, brave women, doing an extrodianary thing. They couldn’t do nothing, they had to save as many lives of strangers as they possibly could, putting their own life in danger. A Song of Courage is based on a true story. An inspirational, heartfelt novel with an unbreakable family connection and the power of human spirit.

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.

#ASongofCourage #NetGalley #stormpublishing

I like stories based on true events as I think it gives the story something extra. This historical fiction is about the two opera-loving Cook sisters at the beginning of WWII. The character development was great and I enjoyed the journey of the sisters saving Jews. Their bravery and courage were inspiring. The scene settings were nice, loved the travelling and how they planned everything. The only couple of things that bothered me a bit were that some parts were repetitive and some parts were really unbelievable which was a shame, especially something that obvious; there is just no way you could stand up again nazis without repercussions. Besides that, I truly liked this book. If you like historical fiction, especially WWII, give this one a go
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

I love historical fiction and this one was no exception. A fab read and will read more from this author

Rachel Wesson never fails to deliver! Another heartfelt book about two sisters who love Opera and use that to their advantage to help Jewish people escape to Britain before the start of the Second World War. A touching tribute to those who stood firm and selflessly helped strangers.

Do whatever lies within your possibilities to help others who are in danger.

An amazing story about two British sisters in the years before WWII which help out a high number of Jewish people in Germany and Austria. A story of a way to use your interests or hobby to help others. How their love for opera changed the life of so many people in need. This story gives you the moment of reflection how you can help others in need.

The context of the story is amazing, but the pace of the story doesnt get up to speed. Too many loose parts of the story, makes it sometimes difficult to understands what happened in between chapters. So therefore just 3*

With thanks to NetGalley to provide me a copy of this book.

Rounded up from 2,5 stars
This is a work of fiction, however it`s based on a real story and real people. It`s about two sisters Connie and Dottie (Ida and Louise Cook in real life), who are passionate about the opera. They followed their passion around Europe, once they even traveled to the US, which back in the time was not easy. As they travel in the twenties and thirties to Germany and Austria they witness the changes in politics and its impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. The rise of Nazis and their grip on power means nothing positive to the Jews, which many of the sisters befriended. As they realize what is happening, they want to help. Their friend, Stephen, who works for the British embassy in Berlin asks them to help the Jews by smuggling out of the country valuables such as cash and jewelry. This would be used to open bank accounts for people in danger and make it easier for them to apply for visas and leave Germany or Austria.
The story itself is interesting and solid. The problem is that this book could have been great, but it isn`t. First of all the writing. It`s pretentious. I just couldn`t stand the language and the dialogues. Everybody is so sweetly polite, so fake. I can´t tell you how many times I rolled my eyes.
"Dottie was the quieter one, but she had pure steel running through her veins at times. She was also the selfless one." - no comment, only another cringe.
"In that moment, Connie and Dottie exchanged a meaningful glance, confirming their shared determination to continue their work. Connie knew her sister understood the risks, just as she did, but they would persist in helping those they could for as long as they were able or needed." - more trivial banal.
The sisters are also not heroic, as the author was trying to portray them, but naive:
"Connie was dancing with a member of the Abwehr. The German secret service.' Dottie paled before looking behind her. `Oh, no. Does he know about our work?` Ǹo, of course not. How could he? Im̀ just being paranoid.`But Connie knew she wasn`t. She hadn´t told him her name or what part of London she lived in. Someone at the party could have told him the former, but the latter wasn´t public knowledge." So just to make it clear: two sisters travel a lot between London and Germany and Austria, are seen with Jewes, are seen with a worker of the British embassy and not only nothing happens, but also they are convinced that nobody suspects anything! These three are literally walking red flags! Maybe not the Abwher, but the Gestapo surely would have watched them very closely!

Please remember this is a work of fiction.
If you`re interested in stories from WW2 please read what the survivors have written or read books written by historians. Don´t take historical fiction for granted, because it`s fiction! Fiction means entertainment. Nothing about WW2 was funny. People died. Remember that.

I love historical fiction books that feature real historical figures and tells their story through fictional characters. Rachel Wesson did a wonderful job of doing so in this novel. World War II is one of my favorite periods to read about, and I definitely rank this book among the best I’ve read. I will be recommending it to others like me.

Wesson's storytelling is poignant and gripping. She masterfully portrays the tension and fear that Connie and Dottie face as they confront border guards, patrols, and Gestapo agents. The stakes are high, and the danger palpable, yet the unbreakable bond between the sisters and their unwavering determination shines through every page.

A Song of Courage is a riveting novel that beautifully captures the essence of bravery, compassion, and resilience. Inspired by the true story of Mary Burchell/Ida Cook and her sister Louise, Wesson brings to life the extraordinary acts of two ordinary women who risked everything to save countless lives on the eve of World War II.

Wow, what a read. Full of emotion, excitement and sadness. Based on the Fitzwalter sisters Constance and Dorothea, known to friends as Connie and Dottie, on first meeting you would think they were just quiet living sisters, how wrong! They had never of steel. I was worrying on their behalf as I read about how they got involved in rescuing so many from the clutches of the Nazis and yes , death.
Family friend Stephen Armstrong began by telling them both about how badly the Jewish people were being treated in Germany. Connie and Stephen devised a plan that may cover them safely into the Nazi’s nest using their love for Opera. This brings them into contact with wonderful characters, Clemenc and Vioica Krause, who himself deals with the Nazi’s, Jacob Levy, Sarah Liberman and Hedwig Berger.
While reading this fascinating story, I kept having to remind myself that it was true.. I found the part of Samuel’s leaving quite sad, especially for Isaac.
Well worth a read.

This book told of the horrors of the Nazi’s before the outbreak of WW2, the persecution and terrorising of the Jews and other ‘undesirable’ according to Hitlers bullies. It also told the story of the people who worked tirelessly to help those people, to enable as many as possible to reach a safe place and freedom and for that storyline and telling I give it five stars, but sadly it was let down by the disjointed writing where one minute you are following the girls into awful danger and the next it’s all ok and they’re hime again, safe and nothing happened. I’m glad I read it and, although it is heart breaking and so sad, I felt it was good that the story is still being told so those poor people are never forgotten, but I won’t be hurrying to read another book by this author.

historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-fiction, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, holocaust, WW2, romance-writer, families, family-dynamics, sisters, bravery, British, rescue, opera, travel, smuggling, danger, mob-mentality, Austria, Germany, NYC*****

The story of the bravery of these women (and others) is not unfamiliar to me thanks to a book published in 2022 (The Opera Sisters) and another from 2021. I think this was an excellent enhancement of facts to make their story more real and personal. Besides delving into their lives it brings to life the escalating atrocities from 1930-1939 in Austria and Germany. They thought they were ordinary spinsters (one a novel writer and the other a civil servant) living with their mum and having a deep love for opera, but they saved a lot of people at great risk to their own lives. Exceptional!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

I received an advance copy of this book for my opinion. I did not receive any compensation so this review.

The story of Connie and Dottie is truly inspiring. Rachel Wesson truly did an amazing job portraying this true story of two sisters. Connie and Dottie did the impossible. This portrayal of their story had me coming back for more. It was truly inspirational and awe-inspiring.

So many stories are written of heroic people who risked their own lives to save people during WWII. Rachel Wesson has done a great job in A Song of Courage. At times the reading was difficult due to the true history of the war and the Holocaust. However, the epilogue made this book even better.

Releases July4th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Usually WW2 Historical Fiction books are 5 stars for me, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me. The writing and plot felt extremely choppy. There were so many scenes/chapters that were totally irrelevant to the story. I wish there had been more focus on the events going on in Austria in the lead up to the war (1934-1938)- because I haven't read many books about the events leading up to 1939 - rather than so many unnecessary chapters of what Connie and Dottie were doing in London. The book was so slow moving and repetitive. Additionally, I found it so unbelievable that Connie could openly insult/verbally attack a Nazi officer/Gestapo multiple times with literally zero consequence happening??? Like in what world lmao.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!