THE WARSAW SISTERS Automatically I'm in 1939 Warsaw with Antonina and Helena. I felt every cry. I heard every sound of war. I enjoyed every small triumph. Amanda Barrett easily envelops the reader in this accurate account of Warsaw Poland during World War II. On a hot summer morning, the sisters tearfully say goodbye to their papa as he goes off to defend Poland. Almost instantly the bombs tear their home and country apart and the two sisters get their first glimpse of what this war is. Just as the worst of it hits Warsaw, Marek, Antonina's Jewish love is forced into the ghetto where thousands are moved to get all the Jews into subpar living conditions. At first, Antonina can visit even though Marek's mother is not thrilled with the relationship as she feels it puts her family in more danger. It's at these times that the two take a break from war and Marek plays music for her. He was a renowned musician before the war. The two love each other but know that their circumstances are going to keep them apart. When things get worse for the Jewish population, Antonina knows it's time for her to take action. She becomes involved in a network that saves children. In the process she finds her relationship with Helena getting uncomfortable as she is forced to hide things from her. Helena has worked for a German as a secretary before the war and she continues after the bombing starts. She finds herself growing more and more attached to her boss's nephew who is fighting for Germany. One night he takes her home when she works late and Antonia sees. She jumps to conclusions and the sisters don't speak for days. Then Antonina moves out. This was a remarkably told book about the people of Warsaw Poland and how they survived these horrible times. Put into impossible positions, the sisters kept secrets from one another and sacrificed their bond for the war effort. One of the best books I've read on World War II and I've read 100s.
On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dabrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.
When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls along with the rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina turns her worry into action and becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation. But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear the sisters apart--and the cost of resistance proves greater than either ever imagined.
Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, The Warsaw Sisters is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties.
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