How do you survive when the Nazis take over your city? Natasha and Lisa Smirnova live with their happy family in Kiev, Ukraine. In 1941, the battered Red Army withdraws, and the Nazis invade. As the Nazis take over their beloved city, conditions begin to deteriorate, and the sisters must make decisions to help their family and friends survive. Will they and their family be able to make it through the war? What about the men they love?
Sisters of War was a very intriguing World War II story. First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel set in the Ukraine, so I thought it was very fascinating to read a World War II novel from that point of view. What was it like to live in the Ukraine and be taken over? It’s a far different perspective than novel set in France or Britain.
I also was intrigued by yet another perspective – that of men pressed into service by the Nazi that didn’t want to be in their ranks. Mark is a Hungarian solider that saves Natasha from an attack. They fall in love and have a forbidden romance. Fellow Ukrainians would find Natasha to be a traitor for dating a “Nazi,” but Mark does not want to be fighting with the Nazis and helps her family at every turn. The Germans do not treat the Hungarians well. It really made me think about Eastern European countries and all of those that may have been forcefully drafted by the Nazis. I had never thought about this before. I loved this forbidden romance.
I was also horrified to learn of the Babi Yar atrocity. In 1941, the Nazis marched all of the Jewish people in Kiev to the Babi Yar ravine and executed them. It was horrifying to read about. The novel didn’t detail graphic violence, but just the horror of thousands and thousands of family and friends marching down the streets towards their death. It was horrifying also that the Soviets had left Kiev without food to starve out the Nazis, but the Nazis also would trim down the population as well.
Favorite Quote:
“The only thing Natasha Smirnova knew for a fact on 19th September 1941, when Hitler entered Kiev, wa
Overall, Sisters of War was an intriguing look into World War II from the Ukrainian perspective and a wonderful novel of a family trying to make it through the most trying of times. I highly recommend this novel to all lovers of WWII historical fiction.
Book Source: Review Copy from Harper Collins as a part of
the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you! For more stops on this tour, check out this link.
About Sisters of War
Can their bond survive under the shadow of occupation?
For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The German Midwife comes this unforgettable tale of love, loss, family, and the power of hope.
Kiev, 1941: Watching the Red Army withdraw from Ukraine in the face of Hitler’s relentless advance, sisters Natasha and Lisa Smirnova realise their lives are about to change forever.
As the German army occupies their beloved city, the sisters are tested in ways they never thought possible. Lisa’s fiancé Alexei is taken by the invading army, whilst Natasha falls in love with Mark – a Hungarian soldier, enlisted against all his principles on the side of the Nazis.
But as Natasha and Lisa fight to protect the friends and family they hold dear, they must face up to the dark horrors of war and the pain of betrayal. Will they be strong enough to overcome the forces which threaten to tear their family apart?
Why readers love Sisters of War:
‘Captivating from the first page’
‘Powerful and heart wrenching’
‘A touching story, beautifully written’
‘Well-researched and fascinating’
Originally published as The Story of Us.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About Lana Kortchik
Lana Kortchik grew up in two opposite corners of the Soviet Union – the snow-white Siberian town of Tomsk and the golden-domed Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Australia with her mother. Lana and her family live on the Central Coast of NSW, where it never snows and is always summer-warm.
Lana studied IT at university and, as a student, wrote poetry in Russian that she hid from everyone. For over a decade after graduating, she worked as a computer programmer. When she returned to university to complete her history degree, her favourite lecturer encouraged her to write fiction. She hasn’t looked back, and never goes anywhere without her favourite pen because you never know when the inspiration might strike.
Lana’s short stories appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and she was the winner of the Historical Novel Society Autumn 2012 Short Fiction competition. Her first novel, Sisters of War, was acquired by HQ Digital, an imprint of Harper Collins UK, in 2018 and later became the USA Today bestseller.
Lana also writes psychological thrillers under the pen name of Lana Newton.
Find out more about Lana at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I have also not read a story set in Ukraine and the era also draws me in. It has long been archived on Netgalley so I will be keeping an eye out for this one elsewhere. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThank-you! I always love when a book is in a new part of the world for me to learn about!
DeleteI love when historical fiction is great, but also leaves you learning something along the way, too! Thank you for being on this tour. Sara @ TLC Book Tours
ReplyDeleteThat is the perfect type of historical fiction for me as well!
DeleteI hadn't really thought of the forced service either. Interesting perspective!
ReplyDeleteMe either! It's something to think about. We had an elderly gentleman in our area they were trying to extradict to Israel because he was a guard in a concentration camp for one day. It made me really think who do we hold responsible for terrible deeds in history? Especially if you are forced into service?
DeleteThis sounds like not your ordinary WWII story. Fascinating!
ReplyDelete