Saying this is a memorable book is an understatement
beyond measure. Learning of happenings from the perspective of the French was
something I had not read in the same vein as in this great book. Two sisters, quite different but yet the
same, both in their endurance and completely separate accomplishments to
something vitally important, that being the French resistance and saving Jewish
children during WWII. It has adventure, danger, war related violence, redemption,
and held my attention from the first page. This work of fiction is based on
factual events and people. This review
may not do it true justice but of the 25+ books I have read this year, this is
my favorite.
The youngest daughter wanted to do something important in
the war effort, had the heart of a warrior patriot, and minimized the thought of
taking risks. She certainly did make a difference, experienced the rush of
excitement, saved lives and was tortured in the process. The oldest daughter
had a gentle soul and personally experienced a horror but to save her children
and to live until her husband might return from the war, she endured. She may
have killed one man and should have killed another. In times of war one cannot say
what one would do or not do or what one may be capable of doing.
They had the same father but could not understand the
distant man he had become after the death of their mother. The choices that
each of the sisters made is directly tied to the neglect of a man who did what
he thought best at the time. He gave them up and placed them in a home to be
cared for by strangers until they “aged out”, were kicked out of school (many
times), or married which left the younger sister truly alone. Please do not think too ill of him since he
was participating in the war effort as well and needed to protect his daughters
in the process. He loved his daughters in the best way he could and literally
sacrificed himself in the process.
The changes that death, all manors of death, created was
paramount to the three of them. It
created and fed what was needed to allow them to endure the horrors and ravages
that come with war and the necessary risk of life to save many, many lives of
military airmen (British, USA, etc.) and then there were the innocent children.
Yes, bad things do happen to good people, some by the
choices that needed to be made and some by circumstances over which one has
little or no control. Through it all I
found the strongest thread of love, not the mushy kind, but that being the sacrifice
of self for the life of others. That is “the” ultimate love which is extremely well
written by an accomplished, much favored author.
The movie rights have been sold, thankfully for the
non-readers and those of us who will make a point to see it. I will be breaking
my own rule since it will bear the dreaded “R” rating which is appropriate for
the violence, etc. and to maintain the integrity of this book based on actual
events and real people. I will for sure
be making every effort to see this film.
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