Amanda Barratt: The Warsaw Sisters

By Kelly Bridgewater

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 turns her worry into action and becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. 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 the sisters apart--and the cost of resistance proves greater than either ever imagined.

Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, The Warsaw Sisters is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties.

 

My Thoughts:

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt is a heart wrenching taste of reality. Set during the occupation of Poland in 1939 through April 1945, Barratt follows the lives of twin sisters who fight individually against the Germans. Every time I read a World War II novel; I want to fight against the horrible Nazi’s. Makes me angry all that they had gotten away with. Reminds me slightly of what Biden tried to pull with his Covid vaccines in 2022. Not legal. I understand Hitler was worse, but if Americans did not stand up, I’m afraid the same thing will happen here one day. Anyways, as for the plot, Barratt did a good job of tugging at my heart a couple of times. I cringed. I wanted to cry. I was happy. The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar features inside the Ghetto that Barratt features in her story, but this time Barratt shows what the Polish people were doing to survive and fight on the outside. While the plot was nicely handled, Barratt has a skill at crafting characters that are three dimensional with pain, hurt, love, and strength. I wanted to see the girls succeed. Also, the setting was as much a character as the people moving through the story. Barratt showed the horror and destruction caused to the city and the buildings. Overall, The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt is a wonderful, yet haunting tale of Poland during World War II. I can’t wait to own this book in my library.

I received a complimentary copy of The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:   4.5 out of 5 stars

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Most Anticipated Historical Romance for Fall 2023

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Here are my Most Anticipated Historical Romance books that will be released from now until December 31, 2023. (All covers come from Goodreads.)

The Wings of  Poppy Pendelton by Melanie Dobson

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot

Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham

A Winter by  the Sea by Julie Klassen

What about you? Any other suggestions of novels that I should read?

Favorite Books of 2020

 By Kelly Bridgewater

It is one of my favorite post of the year. I love being able to share what books that I have read this year were my favorite novels. 

I know tons of authors who do this, so I love to share these titles with you too. (All images come from Goodreads!)

Without further ado, here is my favorite novels of 2020:

To Steal A Heart by Jen Turano

Soul Raging by Ronie Kendig

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen

The Price of Valor by Susan May Warren

The Heart of a Hero by Susan May Warren

The Story Hunter by Lindsay Franklin

Storing up Trouble by Jen Turano

The White Rose Resists by Amanda Barrett

Kings Falling by Ronie Kendig

What about you? Did you read any of these books in 2020? What was some of your favorite stories of 2020? 

Joy to the World

 By Kelly Bridgewater

In Joy to the World, three popular romance authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller
Two music lovers, deeply devoted to each other, were on the brink of engagement when family circumstances drove them apart. How can they ever overcome both their obligations and their fears to find their way back into each other's arms?

"Far as the Curse Is Found" by Amanda Barratt
One winter night, a woman struggling to provide for her illegitimate child encounters a scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars on the streets of London. Can love conquer the darkness of two broken pasts?

"Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch
A Scots portrait painter finds work at a noble manor house over the holidays. He never imagined he'd fall in love with the emotionally frozen widow there. Now he wants nothing more than to thaw her heart.

 

My Thoughts:

I love the cover for Joy to the World: A Regency Christmas Collection. What a great delightful introduction to what Christmas should look like. Snow and greenery. Just the sights and smells of Christmas.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller

This novella wasn't my favorite of the three. Not because Carolyn Miller couldn't write. That is not the issue at all. Miller is a wonderful writer who really dives into the time period and brought Christmas of the old to life for the readers. I think the plot because the hero and heroine already had a past didn't strike me as something interesting. It has been done a number of times, and it was old news. I did enjoy the attention to detail that Miler gave to her stories. I have read other stories by her and enjoyed her stories.

"Far as the Curse is Found" by Amanda Barratt

I enjoyed this the most. If readers are fans of Beauty and the Beast, then this is definitely a novella up their alley. Barratt does a wonderful job at crafting a story where the heroine needs to look past the mask and look into the heart of the hero's character. I love how the hero took in a woman with her nine-month-old daughter without any question. It was a sweet romance and made me happy to see them fall in love and have a memorable Christmas.

"Wonders of His Love by Erica Vetsch

This is my second favorite story. I enjoyed who the hero, who is a painter, looks past the dull, dreary world around him and can add colors to it. I loved how the hero was there for a job, but her brought so much more to the home. The heroine transforms by the end of the novel, and I liked to see her transformation too. The romance was sweet, yet a little sappy at times too. This was a delightful way to end the book. I liked how Vetsch shows a little further in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of Joy to the World by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt, and Eric Vetsch from Kregel Publications, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Amanda Barratt: The White Rose Resists

By Kelly Bridgewater

Inspired by the incredible true story of a group of ordinary men and women who dared to stand against evil The ideal of a new Germany swept up Sophie Scholl in a maelstrom of patriotic fervor--that is, until she realized the truth behind Hitler's machinations for the fatherland. Now she and other students in Munich, the cradle of the Nazi government, have banded together to form a group to fight for the truth: the White Rose. Risking everything to print and distribute leaflets calling for Germans to rise up against the evil permeating their country, the White Rose treads a knife's edge of discovery by the gestapo.

Annalise Brandt came to the University of Munich to study art, not get involved with conspiracy. The daughter of an SS officer, she's been brought up to believe in the f�hrer's divinely appointed leadership. But the more she comes to know Sophie and her friends, the more she questions the Nazi propaganda.

Soon Annalise joins their double life--students by day, resisters by night. And as the stakes increase, they're all forced to confront the deadly consequences meted out to any who dare to oppose the Reich.

A gripping testament to courage, The White Rose Resists illuminates the sacrifice and conviction of an unlikely group of revolutionaries who refused to remain silent-no matter the cost.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have read A LOT of World War II stories. One of my two favorite genres to devour. I have read plenty of stories which show the plight and hurt of the Jewish people. I have read the plight of the soldiers who have done the hurting. But I have always wondered why no one actually stood up to the soldiers and Hitler. Anyone could see the harm he was causing to people. I heard a lot of good news about Amanda Barratt's first novel, My Dearest Dietrich, 
but I haven't read it YET. When I read the synopsis for The White Rose Resists, I knew it was the missing piece in my World War II information. I really couldn't wait to see what some Aryan college students who do to defy Hitler. Barratt's writing is a delight. The words flow easily from the page to my imagination. I love how she allowed the characters to be normal people who didn't set out to do something extraordinary; they saw an injustice and wanted to fix it. Admirable. There is some romance. There is some moments of breath catching. There is moments of sighing in relief because they didn't get caught. I can't wait to add this story to my physical shelf with all my other World War II novels. Definitely original and unpredictable. I can't wait to see what else Barratt researches and allows to come alive for readers. Something to keep an eye out for. 

I received a complimentary copy of The White Rose Resists by Amanda Barratt from Kregel Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

ECPA best-selling author Amanda Barratt fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story--a spin-off of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes romantic, historical fiction, penning stories of beauty and brokenness set against the backdrop of bygone eras not so very different from our own. She's the author of over a dozen novels and novellas, including The White Rose Resists: A Novel of the German Students Who Defied Hitler and My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Lost Love.

Amanda lives in the woods of Michigan with her fabulous family, where she can be found reading way too many books, plotting her next novel, and jotting down imaginary travel itineraries for her dream vacation to Europe.

Connect with her on Facebook and visit her online at amandabarratt.net. (Taken from Amazon.)