Paris, 1940: Sisters Justine and Ève Beaufort are close, Justine dreams of being a fashion designer and Ève is waiting to be accepted to study scienceParis, 1940: Sisters Justine and Ève Beaufort are close, Justine dreams of being a fashion designer and Ève is waiting to be accepted to study science at Sorbonne University.
Like all Parisians they were devastated when the Germans invaded France, their mother is busy knitting socks for the young men who fought for France and are now prisoners of war. One day Ève is in the garden when she hears a car door slam, she thinks nothing of it until a German officer arrives and his name is Major Saxe-Mullenheim, he’s seizing art and valuables and young women for himself.
Ève and Justine have no idea that on this day both of their lives will change, after a devastating attack, Justine and Ève find themselves separated from each other and on opposite sides of the war.
While one sister fights to survive, the other joins the resistance, and the story is about the price women pay during a war, not only do they lose their country, freedom and used as pawns, many French women became unwilling mistresses of German officers and were constantly threatened and abused.
Sister at War by Jina Bacarr focuses on two young French women, it highlights the power invaders have over them, thousands of women were sexually assaulted, and the French police didn't do anything.
French citizens considered these women to be traitors, which was really unfair, and as if they had a choice. It's not an easy topic to read about, very confronting and upsetting, Ms. Bacarr gives a voice to the countless women who are abused during a war, and I'm keen to read the next book in the series, Sisters of The Resistance and I hope the two sisters are reunited, understand what each has endured and get revenge.
Four stars from me and a really difficult novel to read and it looks the how women are targeted during war, how helpless and ashamed they feel and it's not their fault....more
Paris, 1942: It’s been two years since Major Saxe-Mullenheim arrived at Maison Blue and changed the lives of the Daisy Sisters Justine and Ève BeauforParis, 1942: It’s been two years since Major Saxe-Mullenheim arrived at Maison Blue and changed the lives of the Daisy Sisters Justine and Ève Beaufort and attacked Justine and kidnapped her.
Justine is now his unwilling mistress and doing her best to protect her baby daughter and working as a double agent. Ève is fighting with the French resistance, blowing up trains and printing and distributing flyers. Unfortunately French women are still being threatened and their families by the Germans, abused, sexually assaulted and murdered.
An unlikely truce has been formed between the sisters, and they're both waiting for the right time to take back control, get revenge on the Germans and justice for Justine.
To do this Justine has to stop hating herself, thinking that what happened to her was somehow her fault and change her mind set and it’s not easy to do. Justine worries about her daughter being taken to Germany and given to another family to raise and Ève moves around a lot, trying to stay one step ahead of informants and the Gestapo.
I received a copy of Sisters of the Resistance from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an unbiased review. The narrative continues on from the first book Sister at War, Jina Bacarr doesn't stop stressing in the plot how women who have been assaulted and violated need to overcome shame and fear and it’s hard to do and with the culprits still prowling the streets of France and they worry about it happening again, how strong and brave they are and eventually they fought and won the battle.
I felt the second book by Ms. Bacarr really explained what life was like in Paris during the Second World War, shortages of food and basic necessities, the tension and uncertainty, fear and suffering, and women were forced to do things to survive, face being either being tortured by the Gestapo or sent to a camp and it makes you think what you would do if you found yourself in the same situation?
I highly recommend both books in The Wartime Paris Sisters Series however you must be prepared to read about sexual assault during war and unfortunately it’s still happening, and the Sisters of the Resistance is due to be released on the 29th of September 2024 and four stars from me....more
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