The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt Review

 Good Morning Bookish Lovelies :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I can't believe it's already the first week of December! It feels like fall literally just happened, and suddenly Christmas is going to be upon us in a few weeks.

I love this time of year that celebrates the most amazing gift any of us could ever have received, and I pray you're all taking time to reflect on the true meaning for the season.

Usually at this time of year, I prefer to share reviews of heartwarming Christmas themed reads, and that's what I will be doing again this year for the most part.

However, I'm stepping away from that today to share my review of a recently released Christian historical fiction title from a new to me author.

I hope you'll all keep reading down below for today's full review.

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Publisher as Part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: November 7th, 2023

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction/World War Two Fiction

Synopsis:

On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska 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.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Amanda Barratt was a new to me author when I chose to pick up this title. However, I've long been a fan of reading World War Two fiction, and I was intrigued by this one being about the Nazi occupation of Poland, as I'm pretty sure I've never read a title with this setting before. 

I want to preface this review by saying that I was beyond impressed with the amount of research the author put into this title. I learned so many fact and facets about history that I had no idea about prior to picking up The Warsaw Sisters, and many passages throughout this story will stick with me long after I finished it. In our modern day society, it's more important than ever that these stories from the past don't go missing, and I'm thankful for authors like Amanda Barratt who are working hard to make sure that doesn't happen.

That being said, this one didn't end up being quite what I was hoping for. While the historical components are spot on, I at many times throughout the story felt like I was reading a historical textbook, rather than a fictionalized story. The writing style made the story hard to follow, and I didn't find myself able to personally engage with either of the characters. There's a lot of information poured out onto the reader, and without an engaging storyline to pull the reader in, it was hard to truly get invested in this one.

I'm glad I took a chance on it, but it wasn't what I was expecting, and it isn't a title I'd foresee myself reading again. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to learn about the horrors Poland faced during such a dark time in the world's history, but I didn't enjoy the story itself that much, and as such, I don't think this is a title I'd find myself heavily recommending.

If you enjoy World War Two fiction that focuses more on the history than the story itself, then this just might be the title for you.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! I pray you all have a great rest of your day, and that your week is off to a wonderful start :)