This book is loosely based on the lives of Ida and Louise Cook. Two sisters who rescued many Jewish people during WWII in a most unusual way. Although it is fiction, one gets a good idea of what these women went through. The author has done excellent research and throughout the story introduces actual historical figures. The settings and events feel authentic. Finding out what these women did is not only interesting but also truly amazing. It’s not a short book and I loved being able to get back to it, night after night. The author does a very good job of setting the scene, but then goes into tremendous detail. ”Mr. Siegal held his wife’s chair, seating her first before taking his own seat. The waiter did the same for Connie and Dottie.” It’s really a case of personal preference and I prefer less tell and more show. Fortunately, it’s not so outrageous that it was starting to bother me, but it is the reason for the 4 stars. Any history lover, will enjoy finding out more about these two women.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

First of all, congratulations on a spectacular cover and title! I’m influenced greatly by a cover and this one had me requesting the book before I even looked at the author or synopsis!

Secondly, the world needs this book right now. It’s so timely. We need more people like the unsung heroines of this novel - Constance ‘Connie’ Fitzwalter and Dorothea ‘Dottie’ Fitzwater. The Fitzwater sisters were inspired by two real-life sisters, Ida and Louise Cook, whose extraordinary courage saved dozens during a dark time in our history. Many, myself included, sit back after reading/watching the news and wonder why someone isn’t doing something. Here’s our answer. Approximately 30 people were saved due to these women’s efforts…that’s 30 more people than if they’d sat in an opera house at home and complained! Imagine if even 20% of the readers were moved with compassion to DO SOMETHING about our current turmoil in the world.

Who would have thought that the sisters’ passion for music, opera in particular, would lead them to Nazi Germany and into a world filled with danger and intrigue? Under the guise of high-society music enthusiasts, the girls use their concert-going experience to smuggle money and people across the border and into safety in England. I’ll admit to feeling as if a little ‘bravado’ had rubbed off on me as I turned the last page.

I loved these spunky sisters who refused to take no for an answer and how they became a light in the darkness and saved so many. I enjoyed going down a research rabbit hole on Google, checking out the English Schindler, Mr. Foley, and the sisters’ connections to the beginning of the Romantic Novelists Association.

I was gifted this copy by Storm Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Fair warning...this is not one of those books you can read a couple of chapters when you have a few minutes and then return to your normal schedule. Find a few hours, a quiet spot, and a box of tissues so you can read without stopping. The sisters in this novel, Connie & Dottie Fitzwalter, are based on real-life unsung heroes, Ida & Louise Cook. They were ordinary, unmarried, 30-something, British women who decided they couldn't sit back and do nothing once they became aware of the nightmare faced by Jews in Germany and Austria. They were middle-class, not wealthy or aristocratic, opera fanatics who traveled around Europe to see performances of their favorite operas. (I think they were like rock & roll groupies...maybe Deadheads, but classier.) The opera world was fairly small and the sisters became personal friends with famous singers and conductors who were contacts for those who needed to escape the Nazi regime from 1934-1939. They made countless trips to Germany and Austria until war was declared.

I can't think of a more timely book to read right now. Many of us feel overwhelmed by what we are witnessing and the problems feel immense. This story will inspire you because it illustrates that although we may not be able to help everyone, we can help someone. As Ida Cook said, "You never know what you can do until you refuse to take no for an answer." I believe that women are especially suited to help those in need. We are problem solvers, multi-taskers, and stubborn when motivated. Above all, we are empathetic and compassionate. The Talmud says, "If you save a life, you save the world." Reading this incredibly moving, well-written book will get you super-charged to do something because our world is in crisis once again. I loved this one.