My Review
The Warsaw Sisters is a historical novel set during World War II. Twin sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska see their father off to war, and then endure the bombing of their beloved city. Antonina's love Marek is sent to the Warsaw ghetto because he is Jewish. Both women get involved in the Resistance movement as a way of fighting back.
I wanted to read The Warsaw Sisters because I love historical fiction, and am especially interested in the World War II time period. I had never read a book set in Poland during the war, so this was particularly interesting to me.
This is a sprawling novel that spans the time period of 1939 - 1945. The author delves into historical detail to depict the war in Poland. This was a time of great brutality and cruelty (especially toward the Jewish people) and some of the descriptions are hard to read.
The author does a great job at delineating the two very different personalities of Antonina and Helena, and we see both their perspectives. Descriptions of Antonina's work to save Jewish children was especially compelling.
The historical detail and descriptions in the book are vivid and the author's writing style is fluid.
Fans of historical fiction who want to read about the years of World War II in Poland will find The Warsaw Sisters of interest.
Book Synopsis
A richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and resilience
On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.
When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls, along with the rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina knows she cannot stand by and soon becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Meanwhile, Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation.
But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear them apart--and the cost of resistance may prove greater than either ever imagined.
Author Bio
Amanda Barratt is the bestselling author of numerous historical novels and novellas, including The White Rose Resists (a 2021 Christy Award winner) and Within These Walls of Sorrow. She is passionate about illuminating oft-forgotten facets of history through a fictional narrative. Amanda lives in Michigan. Learn more at AmandaBarratt.net.
