*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.
Title: A Mother's War
Author: Helen Parusel
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★
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…
A Mother’s War is the debut historical fiction work from author
Helen Parusel. It is a forbidden romance set against the backdrop of
Nazi-occupied Norway and focusing on the experiences of Norwegian women within
the Nazi Lebensborn homes.
Helen Parusel has a wonderfully engaging writing style which truly
made the setting of northern Norway truly come alive on the page. I was completely
enthralled by the story and read it in a single sitting over the course of an
evening. The
narrative is well-paced and full of action, from vivid descriptions of the Nazi
invasion of Norway to the experiences of women in the Lebensborn homes to the work
of the resistance in helping people escape out of Nazi-occupied territory.
The story was clearly impeccably researched, particularly
surrounding the history of the Lebensborn program which is a dark and little-known aspect of
Second World War history that I’m glad is being covered within historical
fiction.
Laila is a wonderful protagonist with such depth to her
character. Her strength and courageous nature was fantastically written and it was
so easy to become completely emotionally invested in her story. Seeing her
completely ostracised by her family and community was heartbreaking but a painful
reality for many women in Nazi-occupied countries. Josef was another
fantastically written character and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship
develop over the course of the story.
Overall, A Mother’s War is a standout debut historical
fiction novel and I look forward to seeing what Helen Parusel brings to the
literary world next. I did find myself craving more when the book finished so
would welcome the opportunity to return to Laila and Josef’s story again in a
possible sequel.
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