Barbour Books is publishing a series called Heroines of World War II, and each book stands alone in its story, there is no overlap with characters or plot lines. I have read all but one of the Heroines series and I have loved every single one of them. I liked this offering by Lauralee Bliss, but I didn't love it as much as the others. It is a worthwhile read and very enjoyable, but I didn't find the tension I was expecting from the book. Is that something wrong with the book? Not necessarily. It just didn't quite meet my expectations.
Helen lives in Noord Amsterdam but has been given the opportunity to go to college in central Amsterdam. She is wanting to become a teacher. While running errands for her mother, she meets Erik and his little brother, Hans, on their way to a boat race with other children. Erik is drawn to Helen's kind and gentle spirit and seeks out opportunities to see her.
After Helen finishes her schooling, she gets a job at the creche next door to the college. When the Germans begin their racial cleansing in the Netherlands, Helen and Erik take three of the children and goes north to a dairy farm where they take refuge. Erik hires on as a laborer on the farm, learning to make cheese and milk cows. When a German soldier takes interest in Helen, Erik and Helen have to move quickly to protect the children. The night they are to leave, they marry and then flee toward Belgium. Once in Belgium, Erik takes on the same role as farm laborer.
This is a sweet story that does explain some historical events and historical figures are included in the plot lines in the book to flesh out the story. It is an easy read and entertaining, so four stars. It's worth the time and still gives a broad picture of what World War II was about.
Barbour Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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