Daughters of War – Book Review

Yet another historical fiction that I picked up on an impulse. And am I glad that I did that? This is my first book by Dinah Jeffries, and I am already addicted to her writing style, which is a mix of the descriptive and the narrative.

The book is set in war-torn France during WW2, with France still under German occupation. It is a tender and moving story of the Baudin sisters, Helene, the responsible one, Elise, the rebel and Florence, the dreamer. It is about their courage, resilience, and love for each other, which stays strong even amid adversity.  And although the book is set in a period of strife with horrors, fear and uncertainty, the narrative does not dwell only upon that, which is one of the things that I loved about it.

The book has an upbeat feel to it. The author makes it a point to highlight the beautiful things around, like the birds, nature, the flowers, and the sunshine, which makes the reader feel good and optimistic despite all the terrors around. It is as though the author is trying to show the silver lining to the reader, trying to tell that one must never lose sight of the good despite all the bad around.

Each of the sisters goes through their share of grief and trauma, but they manage to emerge every time. Their courage, fearlessness and tenacity are truly inspirational. They are young, they are alone, and yet they are fearless.

The book also reveals that no matter what, the past always has a way of catching up with us, but if the ties are solid, families and relationships can survive any upheaval.

 The story is tight and well-written. The thrill, the suspense, the romance and the tragedy that is inevitable in such a narrative makes the book unputdownable.

A quote from the book which makes such a lot of sense-

‘ Life is all about hard choices. We can’t all follow our Instincts or desires just because we feel like it.’

Daughters of War is the first of a series of three, and I can’t wait for the next two.

I give the book a 5/5 rating.