Goodreads says, "1940. In a world newly burning with war, and in spite of her American family’s wishes, Virginia decides to stay in occupied France with her French husband. She’s sure that if they keep their heads down they’ll make it through. But as the call to resist the enemy grows around her, Virginia must decide if she's willing to risk everything to help those in need. Nineteen-year-old Violette is a crack shot with an unquenchable spirit of adventure, and she's desperate to fight the Nazis however she can. When her mother sends her to find an exiled soldier, Violette meets the man who will change her life. Then tragedy strikes, and Britain’s clandestine war organization—the Special Operations Executive—learns of Violette’s dual citizenship and adept firearm handling and starts to recruit her. But Violette is no stranger to loss and must decide whether the cost of defiance is too great a price to pay. Set across the European theater of WWII, Sisters of Night and Fog tells the story of two women whose clandestine deeds come to a staggering halt when they are brought together at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
Virginia, an American, is living a wonderful life in France. She has a gorgeous French husband, his family is amazing, and life in France is pretty much perfect and they are about to start a family. That is until their world comes crashing down. France becomes occupied by Germany in 1940 and their lives are changed forever. She hopes that if they don't attract too much attention, perhaps they will make it through unscathed. Then there's Violette, an Englishwoman, who is feisty, brave, unconventional, and fluent in French. She meets Etienne, a French soldier, and they have a fast-moving, whirlwind of a relationship that leads them to the altar to get married, but Etienne won't be around for long as the call of duty will send him to fight the Germans. Violette doesn't want to just sit back and do nothing; she desperately wants to contribute. The Special Operations Executive hears of her bravery, her ability with a firearm, and her dual citizenship, so they feel she is a perfect fit. Both Violette and Virginia find themselves helping the French Resistance and summoning a lot of courage to make it through these dark times. Erika Robuck's Sisters of Night and Fog is such a memorable and moving read about two valiant women during World War II.
I immediately liked Virginia in Sisters of Night and Fog. Her dedication to her husband, Philippe, is so admirable. Even though she is an American and could easily go back to Florida before the war really took off, she chose to stay with her husband and his family. She didn't want to part from him and I really adored their relationship. Virginia has been through a lot during the first few chapters of the novel and it broke my heart, but it also showed how women have such courage and must harness it to face the day, whether it be dealing with a tragedy or something as serious as the German occupation. Even though Virginia may not be as brave or dazzling of a character as Violette, I still enjoyed her part of the story and her quiet confidence. As the war continues and impacts the people around her, she realizes that she can't hide out anymore. She must help the resistance and I was moved by her experience especially when her path crosses with Violette.
Violette is a force of nature in Sisters of Night and Fog. She's larger than life and she reminded me a bit of Robuck's other protagonist in The Invisible Woman. They both possessed so much bravery, tenacity, and that special something. Violette is an extremely charismatic person who was often compared to Ingrid Bergman, so I suppose she used this to her advantage when working with the SOE. I really adored her story even though at times it really tugged on my heartstrings. I don't want to give too much of her story away but Violette is the embodiment of courage and her story reminds us to persevere.
I love that Robuck writes about real women from the past and brings their stories to the forefront. While this was tough to read given the current political climate in Ukraine, it was still such a moving and memorable read. Even though some parts of Sisters of Night and Fog were extremely sad, I thought that overall it was more about courage though and how we must be brave during dark times as there's always something to fight for. With that said, if you are a fan of WWII dramas, you must check out Sisters of Night and Fog; I highly recommend it.
So, are you a fan of Erika Robuck? Have you read any of her novels? Is Sisters of Night and Fog on your TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
I love the focus on courage - WWII is such a dark setting, so it's nice to have something to root for.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly my thoughts! Thanks for visiting, Angela!
Delete