A Fabulous Debut
A Mother’s War by Helen Parusel is a marvellous historical debut that enthralled me.
The story educates as you read. It is set in Nazi occupied Norway during World War II and concerns the Lebensborn program. This was designed to re-populate Germany with Aryan looking babies – some were born in Lebensborn homes, others were kidnapped from their parents and sent to Germany to be adopted. It was an open secret and not talked about much. After the war, some mothers and their children were shunned.
Mothers entered the program for a variety of reasons – for some it was the kudos, others had genuinely fallen in love.
We see that not all Germans were Nazis. Some were abhorrent at the persecution and the horrors that they witnessed. They did what they could to help others, from inside the Nazi war machine.
There was the Norwegian resistance. We see the courage needed to stand up and make a difference.
Love happens where it will. We witness the dilemma a character faces when she meets kindness in a young German soldier.
Children are a gift from God, whatever the circumstances of their birth.
There is the theme of forgiveness. Some withhold it and become bitter but sooner or later they will realise that enough is enough and forgiveness must be given.
All the characters were well drawn and likable. I cared for the fates of the two lead characters.
Thank you Helen Parusel for opening my eyes to a little known period in recent history. A Mother’s War is a fabulous debut and I look forward to hearing much more from this fantastic author.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
A Mother’s War
A forbidden romance in occupied Norway…
Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn’t long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef.
Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion.
But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible…
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/MothersWarsocial
Author Bio –
I am from London but now live in Hamburg, Germany with my husband and daughter. I gave English lessons to retired Germans for twenty years and became intrigued by many of their wartime stories. My mother comes from Linz, Austria and I spent my summer holidays there for years which inspired my next novel. I have always loved reading and writing, and now finally have the time to devote to writing.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenParusel
