Sisters Vianne and Isabelle couldn’t be more different; one married young and lives as a doting housewife in the idyllic French countryside town of Carriveau, the other moves from school to school, expelled repeatedly for her rebellious, free-spirited behaviour. But they do have some things in common: a mother who died while they were young; a father who abandoned them as little girls, broken after his return from the Great War; and the onset of World War II, which will forever change their lives in ways they could never have imagined.
Following the German invasion of their beloved France, Isabelle naively joins the French Resistance, determined to fight for her country but unaware of the true cost of her risk, while Vianne is forced to adapt to the Nazi occupation in all its brutal and terrifying reality. And though their ways of fighting back against Hitler’s invasion are in stark contrast, both sisters quickly learn that bravery is inevitable when the alternative – giving in to the murderous Nazi regime – is too awful to comprehend. A heart-wrenching story of love, loss and heroic sacrifice, this novel will open your eyes to horror of war for the women left behind, as well as the often uncelebrated female heroes who helped save lives and win the war from their homes.
