This book has had some buzz around it, and I think I caught it on sale on Amazon for my Kindle a few months back. Finally got around to reading it, and I can honestly say it lived up to the hype! This will definitely make my top reads of the year list. I had no idea what it was about when I started reading it. When I realized it was a historical novel about World War II in France, I was thinking I wouldn’t really enjoy it, being that I’m not a huge history buff. But the main characters, sisters Isabelle and Vianne, drew me in.

The situation in Nazi-occupied France was horrifying. The sisters try to navigate – and survive – the various challenges posed by the war. For instance, a Nazi soldier moves in to Vianne’s house against their will. Isabelle becomes a member of the resistance, smugging Allied soldiers out of France across the mountains and into freedom. Throughout the war, they see, and are subjected to, unspeakable things. It breaks my heart to realize that these things actually happened.

It’s not always a fun read, but it’s definitely worth picking up.