November 15, 2021

Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies

Genre/Categories/Setting: WW11 Historical Fiction, France, Sisters, Family Drama

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley #HarperCollins @HarperCollins360 @Harper360  for a complimentary eARC of #DaughtersOfWar upon my request. All opinions are my own.

In 1944, three sisters live together in an old cottage as they wait out the war. Their father died and their mother is living in England. The oldest, Helene, works as a nurse for a local doctor and takes responsibility for her younger sisters. The middle sister, Elise, operates a small cafe in the village and is committed to working with the Reisistance despite the danger. The youngest sister, Florence, prepares the meals, works in the garden, and is artistic. As the war comes to their doorstep, the sisters take more risks as they fight to survive in their own ways.

My Thoughts:

Characters: From the first page, Daughters of War is an engaging and pageturning story of bravery and sibling relationships. Each sister participates in the war effort in her own way and makes choices and experiences events that effect the others. The story is told from alternating points of view, and I appreciate their distinct personalities and characterizations. From responsible and cautious to fiesty and impulsive to innocent and sensitive, each sister is likable and is a significant part of the story. They face loss, deal with danger, and hope for an end to the war. Because of their differences, the sisters have some tensions, but in the end they support each other and value their relationships.

Plot: Even though this story is character-driven, it also moves along at a nice pace with several harrowing events to survive and obstacles to overcome. I appreciate a well balanced, character-driven, and plot-driven story! Daughters of War is more eventful and dramatic than I first anticipated!

The Writing: The characters are well-drawn and the author uses vivid details to help us feel like we’re in the midst of the action and facing the same circumstances. The lovely French countryside, the village life, their daily routines and interactions, and the realities of war are richly described.

Recommended: I recommend Daughters of War (#1 in a Trilogy) for fans of fast-paced and well-written WW11 historical fiction, for readers who love a story of siblings and complicated family drama, and for book clubs. Although the story has a satisfactory ending some details hint at what could be next in the trilogy. I’m definitely here for book two!

Content Considerations: war atrocities, suicide, rape, sexual assault, gun violence, loss, and heartbreak

My Rating: 4 Stars

Daughters of War Information Here

Meet the Author, Dinah Jefferies

Dinah was born in Malaysia and moved to England at the age of nine.

As a teenager she missed the heat of Malaysia, which left her with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an unusual life. She went to live in Tuscany where she worked as an au-pair for an Italian countess, and there was even a time when Dinah lived with a rock band in a ‘hippie’ commune in Suffolk.

In 1985, the death of her fourteen year old son changed everything and she now draws on the experience of loss in her writing. She sets her books abroad and aims to infuse the love and loss with the extremely seductive beauty of the East.

Her latest book, The Tuscan Contessa, marks a new departure for Dinah as it’s her first set in Europe.

Although Dinah and her husband spent five wonderful years living in a small 16th Century village in the Sierra de Aracena in Northern Andalusia, she’s happy to say they now live close to her family in Gloucestershire along with two crazy Maine Coon cats.

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QOTD:

Is Daughters of War on your TBR?

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