Poignant and heart wrenching. Beautifully written. A story that speaks to your heart. A wonderful read from.a master storyteller.

I've been reading the cozy mysteries from Bookouture for a while now but hadn't had a chance to try their historical fiction and they publish quite a bit of WWII fiction which you know is one of my favorite genres. It was with great expectations that I picked up The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt.

The first thing I noticed when I started this book was the feeling of deja vu. It felt like I was about to read a version of The Sound of Music. The three sisters are getting ready for a singing festival. The book is also set in Salzburg, Austria where the von Trapp family lived. In fact, Maria von Trapp has a brief cameo. The sisters singing though is just a very small piece of the story as they don't actually sing together again.

I felt like the story was a bit slow at the beginning. I had trouble getting into it but that may be because I've read several WWII stories in the past few months and I'm needing a break from it. But as I got to know the characters more, the more I needed to know how their lives turned out. The prologue haunted me as I tried to figure out who survived the war.

A few other real people had cameos in the story who I recognized like Corrie ten Boom. But it was the places that I was more familiar with like Ravensbruck (it is the concentration camp featured in Martha Hall Kelly's The Lilac Girls) where medical experiments were carried out on women prisoners.

One of the characters made a statement that struck me as appropriate for the times we are living in now: "I do not fear death," he replied quietly, "Nor should you. I fear facing my Maker and having no answer for Him as to why I did not act when I could have."

While I don't feel like this is a Christian novel so to speak, the characters are Catholics and one of the sisters is a nun. So for me personally, her religious journey gave me a lot to think about in my own faith journey.

For me, this book was so much more about the characters than it was about the plot. So if you enjoy character-driven stories where you really come to care about the characters, then this is the book for you.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, June 21 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/06/the-edelweiss-sisters-by-kate-hewitt.html

The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt was an absolute page turner for me! What a heartrending and inspirational World War II epic this was and so beautifully written, a story of family, strength and sacrifice.

Set in 1934, Salzburg Austria we have three sisters Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder who live with their parents Manfred and Hedwig, above their father’s clockmaking shop. Their ordinary lives are about to change as a Nazi invasion is imminent.

Johanna the eldest and strongest thinks her life is uninteresting and wants something more than spending her life as kitchen helper to her mother, she dreams of attending a secretarial school to gain some independence.

Birgit works in their father’s clockmaking shop alongside her father and feels invisible most of the time, she finds herself entering the world of the Resistance movement. Her father hires Franz to work in the clockmaking shop as his apprentice, he’s Jewish and is soon included as part of their family.

Lotte the youngest sister is the prettiest, most charming and musically talented. Regardless of her love of music, to her family’s surprise she leaves her music studies to join the convent.

Upon trying to get Franz safely to Switzerland two of the sisters wind up being caught, imprisoned and then later transferred to a prison camp.

The characters were skillfully executed and evolved throughout the story. My favourite part of the book was about the youngest daughter Lotte and her journey of joining the convent and of all of the sacrifices that came from that decision, it was so intriguing.

It was so inspiring to see so many courageous young women involved in the Resistance

The story also features the Von Trapp family, made famous by the Sound of Music!

A must read for all historical fiction fans, if you’ve never read historical fiction before try this one as an intro, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Publication Date June 2021

The Edelweiss Sisters had me captivated from the start. Three sisters, three unique stories and perspectives on the war, love and their own ideas of peace and sacrifice.

Having never had a behind the scenes look into the Catholic Church and the process of becoming a nun, I was enthralled by Lotte’s storyline and journey to spiritual peace amidst the chaos in Austria during WWII.

For Joanna, I understood her inner turmoil in regards to her beau and believing the best in him, although it looked more and more as if he was on the wrong side of things. My heart hurt for her as she constantly had to determine if he could really have her trust.

Birgit’s story was one of heartbreak as well. Knowing that at any moment, her love could be taken from her, she fought against the odds and the cultural norm to forge her relationship with a Jewish man. Her storyline always had me on the edge of my seat, just waiting for the Gestapo to arrive.

Hewitt takes you on a heartbreaking, beautiful journey of three sisters just trying to survive and fight for the loves of their life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Hewitt's latest release opens in 1934 and introduces the Eder family: Manfred and Hedwig, and their three unmarried daughters, Johanna, Birgit and Lottie.

Johanna is the eldest and feels stifled helping her mother to run the household. She dreams of a more exciting life beyond the confines of her mother's kitchen. If only her mother would allow it. Eventually her mother relents and allows Johanna to take a secretarial course. Little does Johanna envisage that her office skills will take her to one of the Nazis' toughest labour camps.

Birgit is apprenticed to her father, a clockmaker, and wishes to feel useful and valued. She believes she has found her niche with the Resistance. Her relationship with Werner Haas, a young officer in the Austrian army who supports Hitler's policies, could be dangerous or a potential asset.

The youngest, Lottie, a student of music, seeks peace and tranquility in religion. She is content to leave her family and embrace life in the local abbey, but here too the war intrudes.

The home life of the Eders is happy, safe and comfortable. Events across the border in Germany, where Hitler has risen to power, threaten this peaceful existence, but reunification and war are inevitable. Soon there are German soldiers on the streets of Salzburg and tensions quickly escalate forcing the family to take sides.

The unexpected arrival of Franz Weber, a Jew, to work and live with the Eders brings another disruption to their lives. Birgit resents him for usurping her place with her father, while Johanna feels an instant attraction.

With Jews being rounded up by the Nazis, it becomes too dangerous for Franz to remain with the Eders. Plans are made for his escape using Birgit's contacts in the Resistance, but when these fail, the sisters are forced to make other arrangements that will take them into the heartland of the enemy.

I enjoyed the slow build of this novel as we get to know the family, the dreams and aspirations of the three sisters and their reactions to the changes in their lives.

Kate Hewitt does an excellent job of explaining the political situation while moving the narrative forward and she doesn't shy away from the unsavoury and distressing details of a world at war.

The Edelweiss Sisters is a tale of love, courage, sacrifice and resilience. There is plenty of adversity and heartbreak along the way for the three sisters, but the conclusion is heartwarming. This is another top novel from an outstanding author of World War II fiction.

💫 Book Review 💫
The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt

My 3rd book by the lovely Kate and one that brought me a historical fiction novel that centre’s around 3 sisters.

Told from the perspective of Brigit, Lotte and Johanna, we venture back into Austria where the family of a clockmaker is trying to find their way through war years by fighting against Nazi rule.
Johanna: the strong and helpful eldest is her mother’s right hand woman. She falls in love with her fathers apprentice who happens to be Jewish.
Brigit: the middle daughter who is headstrong and feisty but finds herself falling in love with a Austrian solider. She’ll have to choose between what she knows is right and now he blossoming love she has for Werner.
Lotte: the youngest girl of the family who receives a vocation to join the Abbey and become a nun.

All three women spoke to me in different ways. Perhaps most of all that they all had ideas of what their lives would be or who they would fall in love with.. and yet being thrown into the war meant they had a much bigger choice to make: save themselves or help others who had no life granted to them at all.

I really enjoyed this one. The fun parts of the Von Trapp family made me smile as I loved that movie. Well that and I was in the production of it in Toronto back in 1993!

Thank you to @bookouture for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.

Alrighty, can someone please tell me why it took me so long to find books by this author? So far, I love every book I read by Kate Hewitt!! There are so many WWII stories on the market and yet Kate Hewitt manages to still draw me in with her characters and story.
This one is set in Austria before and during WWII. The story follows the three sisters from when their world in Austria was still a happy world without too many worries and concerns all the way to WWII Germany with all the hardships, heartbreak, and tears. For me, the most heartbreaking story was the one of Lotte who joins the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and then makes a choice which will change her life forever and tests her faith in the most horrid way imaginable.
This book also contains a treat: you encounter Betsie ten Boom, a real person, i.e., not a fictional character. If you are familiar with WWII stories about heroic acts, you will most certainly have come across the name Corrie ten Boom. Corrie and her family, including her sister Betsie, helped Jews to escape from the Nazis in the occupied Netherlands. While the encounter between the sisters Lotte and Birgit and Betsie ten Boom is a figment of the author's imagination, this kind of encounter could definitely have occurred in real life since the Betsie in the book is very much like the real Betsie who lived during the Holocaust.
The role of Werner, Birgit's boyfriend, is a very interesting one as well. I love how this particular character evolved over time. I think he represents many Nazi followers of the time who fell for the Nazi propaganda and were thrown into a war that changed their lives forever.
​I can't wait for Kate Hewitt's next book!

Based in 1938, just before the start of the Second World War, this story introduces us to three sisters Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder. They, along with their parents live in Salzburg, Austria and are already beginning to experience the changes which are happening around them due to the Nazi rule. The three women all have their own opinions about what is happening but as time moves on, they realise they need to stick together as a family.

Told from the perspectives of Johanna, Birgit and Lotte, their story is given in alternate chapters throughout the book. It is truly an emotional read and, whilst I have read books based around this era, it was interesting to see it from the viewpoint of the people living in Austria. The three sisters were in a family singing group and known as the Edelweiss Sisters due to the sprig of Edelweiss they wore whilst on stage. I loved how the story linked to real life people, such as Maria and the Von Trapp family, and thanks to a well-known film, I could picture perfectly the Austrian singing festivals, convents and Salzburg in general as I read.

Whilst it was a heart-breaking read seeing how the Eder family, amongst others, were treated and reading about their experiences, it was also an uplifting and captivating story showing the true resilience, strength and bravery of the people who lived through these times. I was moved to tears as I read and was held enthralled throughout the book, capturing my attention right through to the last page. An historical story of love, hope and survival which will take you right into the heart of the people in occupied Austria. Would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. The following review is my own and was in no way influenced.

This was an enjoyable, if fairly predictable, read. A solid 3.5 stars. The main characters are 3 sisters who are transitioning into adult life at the rise/peak of the Third Reich. I enjoyed the perspective of Austrian nationals (instead of the usual German) as fascism raised it's head. The three sisters allowed three unique stories to be told, and while I found them all interesting (read the book in a day and a bit) I wasn't blown away by their perspectives or storylines.

All in all, if you enjoy WW2 fiction/nonfiction you won't be disappointed to have read this!

Fantastic book one that you will not put down, i was gripped from the start , the 3 sisters all have great stories to tell.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the stunning cover. Once I saw that the author was Kate Hewitt, I knew it was going to be a fantastic story. It quickly became unputdownable and a definite must read.

Hints of another war are wafting in the air, and Austrians are finding it difficult to avoid the unwanted changes around them. Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder are three Austrian sisters that work in their family owned clockmaking shop. When their father hires Franz to work in their clock shop, Johanna is immediately drawn to him. Then Johanna falls in love with Franz who is Jewish, and she soon realizes the danger it puts her family in. Lotte joins the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit is secretly involved with the Resistance. Johanna knows it’s up to her to protect Franz, and she depends on her sisters to help her. I absolutely loved the way the author incorporated, my most favorite movie, The Sound of Music, into the storyline. It was so amazing. This heart-breaking, tearful and emotional story will have you hooked from the very first page. It makes you feel like you are running through the hills of Austria. The detailed description of Austria, overwhelmingly pulls you into the story. Words cannot describe how absolutely wonderful this story was. The personal connection with each character was so unbelievably amazing. Read it with Kleenex nearby because you are sure to need it.

Thank you Kate Hewitt for such a great story, it is sure to stay with me for a long, long time. I absolutely loved it and I can’t recommend it enough!! WOW!

The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt is set in Austria and how refreshing to read of a different location compared to a lot of World War Two historical fiction often set in France or Germany. It was very interesting to see how Austrians dealt with the occupation of their country by a madman intent on eradicating a whole section of society and expanding his power and cruelty throughout Europe. The book has a tense opening prologue focusing on a woman in Salzburg in 1945. Instantly you want to know who is she? What has led her to this point of exhaustion whilst gripped with fear and terror? You sense she has reached the final stages of an important task but there are so many questions that will remain unanswered until the very end.

The story then takes us back to Salzburg in 1934 where three sisters, Birgit, Johanna and Lotte, live with their parents Hedwig and Manfred above their father’s shop where he works as a clockmaker. They have been given the nickname of the Edelweiss sisters as they compete in a singing competition which they do not win but they do meet the Von Trapp family and Maria does feature ever so slightly. Brief though it was, this was expertly woven into the story as you do forget that the infamous film was based on a real life family and she offers advice to a character when needed at a point of indecision. The three sisters are so different and varied and chapters are dedicated to each sister’s viewpoint of the war. How their experiences are varied but the amount of hurt, devastation and brutality they each go through and their dedication to fighting against so many wrongs is never underestimated.

Johanna helps her mother in the house but feels stifled and would much rather learn more useful life skills. An opportunity arises to enrol on a secretarial course but Hedwig is resistant as she believes a women’s place is in the home. Johanna is slightly hard around the edges and wishes she could find that special someone who could soften her. Love is what she seeks. When Franz arrives to work as an apprentice with her father there is an instant connection between the pair. But their fledging relationship is a challenging one as the background of Franz becomes apparent. Johanna would do anything to protect him but what price must they pay? She keeps her love for Franz secret from her parents as she believes they would not approve given that he is of a different faith. But times are changing and when people need protection and shelter simply because of their faith maybe Johanna should open her eyes more and not judge people.

Birgit works with her father in the shop and feels very put out when Franz arrives. Does her father not think she is good enough to become a clockmaker? Birgit is a much brighter character compared to Johanna. She wants to be strong and purposeful and this really comes through when she is forced to endure the harshest of circumstances later on in the story. Her willingness to keep going and her devotion were so admirable in the face of illness, starvation and brutality. But as changes begin to occur in Austrian society and the ideals of Hitler start to become known believing Jews were destroying the peoples way of life and polluting pure Germanic blood, Birgit can not stand by and let this happen. She becomes engaged in resistance activities which made me think how brave and courageous she was as both Johanna and Lotte at times seemed to shirk away from what was going on around them. Birgit is daring and not afraid to fall into the path of danger if she knows it will help others in any way, shape or form. Meeting a soldier named Werner, purely by chance when he rescues her from a potentially very tricky situation, would not have Birgit believing that she could fall in love. Werner goes against everything she believes in and it's almost like she is going over to the dark side even whilst continuing her resistance work. Can she risk everything and still find love?

Lotte was a very simple soul. She attends classes at the local music institute but really she is struggling with a calling. All she wants a simple life filled with happiness, peace and contentment. Satisfaction, belonging and tranquillity are evading her. Her life with her family, although she loves her sisters and parents and has a strong bond with them, just makes her feel restless and discontented. Lotte makes a life changing decision, she wants to join the nuns in Nonnberg Abbey in the city where the family live. She knows she may never see her family again and will live a life of solitude and prayer but deep down she knows this is her destiny. This is what she needs to fill the gaping hold inside of her that will lead her to the place of contentment she has been so long searching for. But by doing this it only serves to highlight the very different paths the three sisters are on. They are out of sync with each other rather than working in harmony but when push comes to shove maybe they will unite again in the darkest and most desperate of times.

The first half of the book set up the entire story very well and gave us a deep insight into the political situation at the time and how the lives of people changed in the run up to the beginning of the war. Also the reader was able to become very familiar with each of the three sisters and to understand how different they were and to see that what they wanted in life was so varied. Hope and faith are two strong characteristics they had and they will need these as the world descends into madness in 1939. The first half was quite slow and I was longing for something thrilling and stirring to happen. I certainly got that in the later half of the book and when starting this book I didn’t think the story would take this direction. A selfless act of bravery leads some of the characters you have come to deeply care for onto a dark path with no definitive ending in place. The descriptions of the camps, particularly Mauthausen, and the mines and factories prisoners were forced to work in were hard to read about despite having lots of books in this genre before. It gave me a new and deeper appreciation of just what people went through not so long ago and they did all this without question in order to save others. If Hitler had succeeded the consequences would not have borne thinking about.

The Edelweiss Sisters is a powerful read packed full of tension, danger and unease but the bonds of sisterhood remain firm despite all the obstacles thrown in their direction. I wasn’t prepared for the conclusion to one strand of the story and wished it could have turned out differently but I loved how Kate Hewitt connected it back to the prologue. It seemed so bittersweet after everything that had happened. This story is definitely one of the better World War Two historical fiction books that are out there at the moment and well worth a read.

I’ve read and loved other books by the author so was looking forward to reading The Edelweiss Sisters. I’ve read a lot of books set around WWII though not many set in Austria so this was familiar territory for me. I was impressed by the sense of place the author created in the book, Salzburg is brought to vivid life and I felt like I was there. I enjoyed the way the book explores the lives of the three very different sisters and the different paths their lives take as a result of the war and Nazi occupation.

I love Kate Hewitts books so when this one came out I snatched it up.

This is an emotional read about three sisters and their journey in nazi occupation Austria during world War 2.

The story is told through the three sisters POV.

This is a fast paced book that doesn't let go until its finished.

The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt spans nearly a decade from the mid-30’s until the end of WWII, telling the story of three sisters, Johanna, Birgit, and Lotte, as they navigate their lives in Salzburg in the innocent days before the Nazi occupation and then in the tumultuous ones after.

Although the sisters look similar with their blonde hair and blue eyes, they are as different as night and day. Johanna feels stuck in her life as kitchen-helper to her mother. She longs to be married and have a family, but how can she meet anyone when she’s stuck in the kitchen all the time? Birgit assists her father in his clock business but when he hires Franz as an apprentice, not acknowledging the work she does, she soon realizes that she is as invisible as she feels. Lotte is the bright, pretty, cheerful one, the one who is attentive and loves peace, but she’s not happy as the family songbird. She finds herself drawn to the calm of the nuns in the local abbey and sets out to determine if she has a vocation.

As time passes, the women are tested, compelled to decide what is right and moral and just exactly what they should do when the confronted with the atrocities brought on by the inhumane Nazi regime.

The Edelweiss Sisters was a gripping and emotional story that I picked up at every opportunity. Hewitt depicted the sisters so realistically, especially regarding their foibles, and they were so self-aware that I felt like I was reading about real people.

The fear and tension of the Nazi invasion was palpable especially compared to the pre-war scenes in which individuals believed that their lives would always be peaceful, that evil would not cross the border. Hewitt ably took us to that time of suffering, fear, and heartbreak, making us feel and realize how little time it takes to change worlds–although perhaps this we realize after the past year.

While The Edelweiss Sisters is quite different from the first Kate Hewitt novel I read, A Vicarage Wedding (see my review), the two novels have made me a Kate Hewitt fan because of strong writing, excellent characterization, and a knack for on-point detail. Keep tissues close by for this one.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Hewitt consistently writes novels that are full of heart, beautiful characters, and emotion. THE EDELWEISS SISTERS is no exception. Set in Salzburg, Austria during WWII and revolving around three sisters and their differing experiences and paths taken as the Nazis move into Austria until they have to come together to protect those they love as they endure unbelievable hardships.
With all the historical fiction I have read that taking place during WWII, this was the first set in Austria, and it was interesting to see it from another perspective, and, especially, this one, given the history. It was also fun to see the famous cameos in Salzburg.
Hewitt’s novels became must-reads for me several years ago. She develops realistic, three-dimensional characters that draw you into her well-written storylines. Her writing will both break your heart and bring you to tears, as well as fill that same heart with joy.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheEdelweissSisters #kateHewitt #bookouture

In 1938, the Eder family are happily going about their daily lives, in the Austrian town of Salzburg. Johanna, the eldest daughter helps her mother around the house, Birgit helps her father in the family clock making business, and the baby of the family, Lotte, gifted with a lovely singing voice, attends a music academy. Life is simple for the Eders, honest toil and a willingness to help anyone is their mantra, that is until the first faint rumblings of war start to appear. The arrival of Franz, a new apprentice in the clock shop, disturbs the equilibrium of the family, especially around Johanna, but with his gentle nature and quiet intelligence, Franz is soon included as part of the family. However, trouble is looming and as war clouds start to gather over Austria, the Eder family are about to be tested in ways they could never have imagined.

There is much to endure for the Eder Sisters, each of them have their own role to play and I enjoyed how the author brought together all of their individual stories, blending each one with care and compassion and fine attention to even the smallest of detail. The situation in Austria, and more particularly, in Salzburg, is imaginatively described and this tumultuous time is brought to life with a keen eye for historical detail. I loved the lighter references, early in the story, where there is a bit of an acknowledgement towards the Von Trapp family, who of course we know, from the iconic Sound of Music movie. However, there are heartbreaking scenes too, especially towards the latter part of the novel when the story takes us into the horror of the concentration camps of Ravensbrück and Mauthausen.

The Edelweiss Sisters is a heart-breaking WW2 saga which tugs away at your heartstrings whilst at the same time revealing a story of bravery, hope, faith and love, all set against a background of indescribable hatred, bigotry and war.

An emotional story full of love, hope and family ties. The three sisters are so different, yet come together to fight the common enemy. This is a fast paced read covering the whole period of the war and at times felt a little rushed. I really enjoyed the spirit of togetherness that the women shared and their strength was unquestionable. Definitely worth a read.

Three sisters, Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder lived above the clockmaker’s shop in Salzburg, Austria, where their father took much pride in his work. Birgit was helping him as an apprentice when a young man, Franz Weber, a Jew rescued from Vienna, arrived to start his apprenticeship. Johanna helped their mother in the kitchen while wishing she could have more from her life. The three sisters had been named the Edelweiss Sisters at a singing competition some years prior; their father had the edelweiss on his shop and gave the girls sprigs to wear on their clothes.

When Lotte joined the convent at Nonnberg Abbey not far from their home, she welcomed the peace and serenity it brought. Meanwhile Birgit had covertly joined the Resistance, not doing a lot to begin with but that soon changed. When the Nazis took over Austria – the Anschlus – the fear people felt magnified, especially when the brown shirts raided the shops, putting signs on shop doors ‘No Jews Allowed’, branding the Jews as scum and non-citizens. Nazis were everywhere, they received adulation from some, hatred from others.

Johanna and Franz knew their future was uncertain and when it came time for Franz to be spirited away, the three sisters worked to make that happen. Would they manage to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland? And what would their future be like with the Nazi brutality, cruelty and savagery now well known?

The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt is another brilliant historical offering which I devoured. A different angle from the usual WW2 books, it was intriguing, heartbreaking, poignant and showed the courage of many, in this case the three sisters. They were young and naïve when the Nazis arrived in their hometown – that soon changed as they found a strength they didn’t know they had. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Edelweiss Sisters
Kate Hewitt

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an emotional story set in Austria during WW2. I felt deeply for the three Edelweiss sisters and loved the story telling through each of their different personalities. While they are not Jewish they cannot sit back and watch what is happening so they help hide their father’s apprentice. This is a beautifully written story that shows how love, loss and resilience can only make you stronger.

Sending a sincere thank
you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this advanced edition of The Edelweiss Sisters for my honest review. I also love being part of the #BookOnTour #BlogTour!!