cover221295-mediumFrom Goodreads: “France, 1944. Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful village, three sisters long for the end of the war.
Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening. Elise, the rebel, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost. And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is free. Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear… The first in an epic new series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller, Daughters of War is a stunning tale of sisters, secrets and bravery in the darkness of war-torn France…“

 

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My Review

Wow this was so good! This book hooked me right from the beginning and didn’t let go. It was one of those books that I couldn’t stop thinking about, and wondering what was going to happen next.

I loved everything about it, the setting, the characters, the plot. I’ve been on holiday to the Dordogne a couple of times, so I could imagine the landscape quite easily, especially when I recognised place names in the story. 

I really liked the three sisters, motherly Helene, feisty Elise and Florence the youngest and most naive sister. I enjoyed following their different stories and loved how their characters developed throughout the story, especially when secrets are revealed and they are drawn into extremely difficult situations.

I’ve read quite a few books set in World War Two, but had to stop because I found them too upsetting, especially books connected to the Holocaust. I was a bit cautious about reading this one, but I needn’t have worried as although there were some very tense moments there was only a couple of distressing scenes which were sensitively handled by the author. At times this book reminded me of Citadel by Kate Mosse, but in a good way as I love that audiobook and have listened to it twice.

This is my first book by Dinah Jefferies but will definitely not be my last, as I’ll be reading the rest of the trilogy. I need to find out what happens to the sisters! Highly recommended if you enjoy historical fiction, especially set in Europe during World War Two.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my digital copy via the NetGalley App.