Extraordinary Bravery
The Girl From The Resistance by Imogen Matthews is a powerful historical novel. It is the first book in The Dutch Girls series which promises to be fabulous.
The reader enters Nazi-occupied Holland as we follow a brave young woman who refuses to sit back and do nothing. Her heart goes out to her Jewish neighbours as she is determined to make a difference.
When thrown in at the deep end we either sink or swim. The leading lady chooses to swim. She taps into a hidden strength and goes above and beyond what she felt she was capable of. She is determined to follow through on her promise to protect two young sisters after their parents were taken. She has a strong inner core.
We see extraordinary acts of bravery by ordinary people. The resistance draws many in, in order to help smuggle Jewish people or to sabotage the Nazis plans.
It is tense at times as action happens in the dead of night under the noses of the Nazis. My heart rate definitely rose.
There is love and loyalty with no thought to personal safety.
There is the theme of trust. It is best to keep silent as you never know who is listening or where their sympathies lie. I feared for the leading lady at times as I felt she was over-sharing. Her bravery was admirable though.
All the characters were well drawn, likable and realistic.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl From The Resistance and was completely caught up in the action. I was sad when the book ended. I am hoping for a continuation of the tale as I want to know what happens next.
I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Girl from the Resistance: Based on a true story, a heartbreaking and completely gripping World War 2 historical novel (The Dutch Girls Book 1)
1941, Nazi-occupied Holland. Trudi can hear the muffled sobs of two heartbroken little girls as they peer wide-eyed from their hiding place behind the bookcase. Rosy and Louisa’s parents have been dragged away by soldiers. Now Trudi is the only one who can keep them safe…
When Nazis break down the front door of eighteen-year-old Trudi’s home and seize the Jewish couple hiding in her attic, she’s devastated, and is suddenly solely responsible for their two innocent children. The whispered rumours about the resistance are her only hope. A man called Frans and his cousin Piet risk their lives every day, helping scared and abandoned Jewish children escape into the countryside. Under the cover of night she races to beg for their help.
When the girls are offered a safe house, Trudi is relieved. But with soldiers on every corner of the cobbled streets, getting there will be extremely dangerous… she must dress up in a German nurse’s uniform and convince anyone who asks that she is transporting two children to hospital.
Trudi will have to give up everything to protect Rosy and Louisa. She will have to lie to her friends and family, and learn to fire a weapon that could take someone’s life. The only consolation is Piet’s dark eyes and handsome face as he stands beside her helping to plan her next steps.
But Trudi suspects someone close to her told the Nazis about the hiding place in the attic, and they’ll stop at nothing to make sure the girls do not escape…
A heartbreaking, inspiring and uplifting tale about the sacrifices we’re prepared to make for innocent people. Fans of Mandy Robotham, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will love this unforgettable historical series based on true stories of the heroic women of the Dutch resistance.
Buy link: https://geni.us/B0CC5H575Wsocial
About Imogen Matthews
Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother’s own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.
Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.
Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon’s most-read book lists.
Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.
Imogen’s third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell – the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.
Imogen’s WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.
Learn more about Imogen’s story in this video: https://youtu.be/2YO0IWJSjj0
Author social media
Facebook: @theHiddenVillagenovel
Twitter: @ImogenMatthews3
Author email sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/imogen-matthewsJess Readett
Publicity and Social Media ManagerBookouture
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