DESCRIPTION:
1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.
Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them.
At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.
Then comes the Anschluss—the reunification of Austria and Germany under Nazi rule. The three sisters’ lives have become ever more separate with Lotte joining the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit’s secret involvement with the Resistance. But as Johanna realizes how mistaken she was about the level of danger, she begins to see that it may be down to her to protect the man she loves.
She knows that she can’t do it alone though. She will have to turn to the people she trusts the most: her sisters.
The three of them work together to try to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland, and they soon prove invaluable to the Resistance. But they’re risking everything. Can three women who would die for each other, also be prepared to die for what is right?
The sisters’ subsequent journey from Nazi-occupied Salzburg to the devastating concentration camps of Ravensbruck and Mauthausen will show the strength of human spirit like never before. As, out of the darkness, a tiny seed of hope flowers…
A totally heartbreaking and impossibly powerful story about love, tragedy, and the power of humanity. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and The Sound of Music.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3yUGFWM
Apple: https://apple.co/2OSaq8y
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3vMJw2x
Google: https://bit.ly/3lDNQwg
Title: The Edelweiss Sisters
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.
https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate
1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.
Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them.
At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.
Then comes the Anschluss—the reunification of Austria and Germany under Nazi rule. The three sisters’ lives have become ever more separate with Lotte joining the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit’s secret involvement with the Resistance. But as Johanna realizes how mistaken she was about the level of danger, she begins to see that it may be down to her to protect the man she loves.
She knows that she can’t do it alone though. She will have to turn to the people she trusts the most: her sisters.
The three of them work together to try to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland, and they soon prove invaluable to the Resistance. But they’re risking everything. Can three women who would die for each other, also be prepared to die for what is right?
The sisters’ subsequent journey from Nazi-occupied Salzburg to the devastating concentration camps of Ravensbruck and Mauthausen will show the strength of human spirit like never before. As, out of the darkness, a tiny seed of hope flowers…
A totally heartbreaking and impossibly powerful story about love, tragedy, and the power of humanity. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and The Sound of Music.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3yUGFWM
Apple: https://apple.co/2OSaq8y
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3vMJw2x
Google: https://bit.ly/3lDNQwg
MY THOUGHTS:
Author: Kate Hewitt
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 437
Date of Publication: June 8, 2021
My Rating: 5 Stars
This tragic yet compelling read follows three German sisters whose lives change drastically during World War II. Life ceased to be normal for any Jewish person in Salzberg, which is where Johanna, Brigit and Lotte lived. With loving parents, the sisters each played a different role. When Johanna, who often felt invisible, begins to draw close to Franz, hired by her father as an apprentice in his clockmaker's shop, she sadly relaizes how different their prospects are, as Franz is Jewish.
When the Anschluss presses closer and closer, Brigit and Lotte each take vastly different directions in their lives. Secretly, the resistance is taking place, and each of the girls take on roles to help as many Jeews as possible, despite the ultimate danger they will face if they are ever caught.
When the sisters end up in different concentration camps, they experience horrid treatment due to their strong values, despite the bonds of love they had formed before they were imprisoned. In fact, one of them fell in love with a German soldier, just as Johanna fell in love with Franz. And another took an entirely different dictiron in life. How will the sisters remain strong and surive the cruel treatment they and thousands of other individuals faced in those horrid camps? With their loving parents stilll in Salzberb, their lives changed irrecovably as hope seemed like something very far away.
This story broke my heart, bringing tears and intense sadness as I read it. The lessons in this story proved that love and courage can indeed make a person strong, so strong that surviving the worst possible treatment can indeed happen. However, what occurred along the way as we see the amazing strength each sister had and how they managed to survive the best they could was just incredible.
One thing about historical fiction that I enjoy is the setting. Reading about World War II does not bring happiness any way whatswever. However, when reading a story that took place in Austria, especially when the sisters' story had a clear connection to my favorite movie of all time, The Sound of Music, which I have seen dozens of times, gave me more knowledge about that terrible time in history and how and why many different people ended up in concentration camps. The reason for their imprisonments gave me a powerful history lesson.
I love how faith waas threaded through the pages of this powerful story making it even more compelling. Kate Hewitt is a fabulous author and this book moved me into double digits with the books I have read by her, and each and every one, including this book, proved to be wonderful and inspiring reads.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate
No comments:
Post a Comment