When the Germans overrun Brussels during the First World War, Gabrielle is infuriated to see her newfound happiness shattered. It isn't long before she is faced with an impossible choice. Three decades later, shy and bookish Julienne moves to Brussels with her widowed father at the height of the Nazi occupation and is horrified to witness the city's callous treatment of Jews.
In this dual timeline novel inspired by the life of Belgian spy Gabrielle Petit, two very different young women must discover their inner strength to become the heroes their city needs. And when loyalties are tested and decades-old secrets are revealed, their legacies will become entwined forever.
I have been putting off this review for a few days because I am trying to find the right way to write this without crying, and the truth is, I don't think there is one. This book affected me in a way that I honestly, never expected, and putting those emotions into words feel almost as overwhelming as experiencing the story itself.
I am not someone who reaches for historical fiction, if I'm honest, in a bookshop, I don't think I ever had. My comfort zone has always been horror, thrillers, that type of genre. Stories rooted straight from history were never really my first choice. However, when I received this book as book mail from the author last year, something about it stood out. After reading the blurb and the reviews on Amazon/GoodReads, I knew I could never leave it unread. Whilst I had learned about the World Wars in school and college and was fascinated by them, as a busy mother I used to want to read purely fiction based. Yet. I am incredibly grateful that I picked this up, as it's completley changed my view on this type of genre. The beauty of this book is undeniable. Not just in the story itself, but in the way it was written. The writing style is elegant and immersive, the narrative voice is strong and consistent, and the dual timeline structure is handled with remarkable care. I didn't expect to become so deeply intertwined with this story, yet before I even realised it, I was emotionally invested in the characters and their fates. Gaby, one of the main characters was portrayed with raw truth, respectfully and faithfully portrayed. The author captured her strength, kindness, boldness and resilience so perfectly that she feels fully alive on the page. She is everything you want in a main character, and discovering that she really did exist in our history makes it even more powerful and humbling.
The dual timeline is an interesting concept, it's one of the strongest elements of the novel and feels refreshingly original for a book of this genre. We follow Gaby during the First World War and Julienne three decades later, living through the height of the Nazi occupation. Despite the different time periods, the parallels between their experiences are striking, and the way their stories echo each other adds incredible emotional weight. Through both protagonists the book explores very difficult and often painful themes, yet it does so with honesty and sensitivity. Nothing feels exaggerated or exploitative. Instead, every hardship is presented truthfully and with deep respect for those who lived through it. This novel does not shy away from the reality of war. It shows the true hardships faced by ordinary civilians, fear, loss, uncertainty and impossible moral dilemmas, whilst living under enemy rule. We read what survival really felt like, not just in physical endurance, but in inner strength, quiet defiance, and the courage to resist injustice even when the risks are life-altering. The characters are repeatedly forced to choose between safety and what they know is morally right, and the cost of those choices is conveyed with devastating clarity. Betrayal, loss and profound emotional trauma are not glossed over, yet they are also never written carelessly. Instead, it asks difficult questions about what people are willing to sacrifice for freedom, for loved ones, and for others who may never know their names.
Aside from all of this, the presence of love is moving. It's romantic and familial relationships also persist despite the chaos and danger surrounding the characters. Love is shown both as a vulnerability and a source of immense strength, it really portrays how easy we have things now in terms of communicating, yet they could only correspond by letters back then. The relationships in the book add emotional depth to the story and remind the reader of what else is at stake beyond just surviving. One note I wanted to point out was how the narrative moves back and forth between time periods, the connection between past and future is always clear. The novel beautifully demonstrates how history shapes what comes after it, emphasising remembrance and courage. It makes the reader reflect on how the sacrifices of the past ripple forward, influencing lives long after the war had ended. By the time I finished the book it really made me question what truly matters in life, especially when compared to those who risked everything, every single day.
It's abundantly clear that the author knows what she is writing about. The level of historical detail and accuracy is impressive. (Yes, I was googling to fact check, during! Ha!) The balance between fiction and non-fiction is handled with incredible skill.
If I am being completely honest, I did struggle slightly with the first few pages, mainly because I wasn't sure what to expect and because of my own hesitation toward historical fiction. However, that uncertainty disappeared quickly. Within a few chapters, I was invested, unable to put the book down. I was emotionally invested in a way I never anticipated. I never expected to be so profoundly affected by a novel outside my usual genre, but this book proved me wrong in the most beautiful way. This is not just a story you read and move on from, it stays with you, and if I'm honest. I don't think I'll ever forget it.
Here are two of my favourite quotes from the book:
"An aura of goodness, true kindness emanated from him. And his eyes, whenever she allowed herself a glance at them, whispered promises that she felt he wanted to make. Promises he wanted to keep."
"No matter how hungry she had been during the past five years, Gabrielle refused to sell it. Yes, Mama had loved her, and she must remember that someone once did."
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