I was hooked immediately on reading this book. Well written, researched and a good pace. I love the WW2 tale told from yet another perspective, of Norway. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc.

I LOVED this book! I love historical fiction and this was such a fast paced book! Could not put it down! Highly highly recommend

I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters... Like all of Mandy Robothams stories The Resistance Girl is well written and her research has been through. I learnt a lot about life in Norway during World War Two, the Shetland Bus network and Lebensborn.

An excellent story about the hardships, bravery and
resilience of the Norwegians during WW2
I'm amazed at how strong and brave people were for
others, not just themselves and this was really shown
throughout the story. I loved Rumi, Marit and Jens,
their characters really shone through.

Usually this author's books grab my attention from the start. I found this one hard to get into. I never knew that the Norwegian bloodline fit in with Hitler's scheme but it does make sense. Rumi and Jens both did incredible jobs for the sake of Norway.

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. Historical fiction at its best…likable characters…this is a quick read…cozy up. Y a warm fire and get lost in the past…enjoy

That was just such a good story. The war from a different perspective. The Lebensborn program is not one that’s the basis of a war story very often, if at all but it was written so well that the author, having been a midwife described some of the obvious events in detail and with such accuracy that the story was totally believable.
I loved the major characters and the narrative endeared them even more to me. Their fear, beliefs, determination and courage were palpable.
Although mostly a book of fiction, there was nothing in the story that was out of the realms of possibility for the atrocities which happened in that theatre of war.
The ending was beautifully pulled together, tinged with the realities of that time. Would totally recommend this book.

The Norwegian Resistance

Exciting , suspenseful, tragic and romantic as describes this book. Set during WWII in Norway it is a story of the Norwegian resistance. It is a story of courage and patriotism. The local resistance are working with the British SOE agents to operate a series of boats called The Shetland Bus which helps get compromised agents and other valuable people to safety out of Norway.

It is a story of Rumi and an SOE agent Jens who she rescues when his parachute hangs up in a tree. She helps Jens in the resistance. When he childhood friend Anya is held captive in a lebensborn home Jen helps Rumi rescue her.

I also loved the characters of Peder(Rumi's fisherman father), Marjit (Jen's aunt and Rumi's neighbor) and even the evil character of the Nazi Officer Selig as there has to be a villain.

I love the courage all shown in the face of danger. All the narrow escapes where I held my breath and the tragedy when there was no escape for some. I liked the brave strong woman figures of Marjit and Rumi.

It was a very good story, I couldn't stop reading, I think it was around three in the morning when I finished it. I just had to find out what happened next.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Mandy Robotham for writing a great story, to Avon Books UK for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

This was a fantastic historical fiction! Rumi and Jens are the two main characters, and I enjoyed both of their stories. I thought the author did a great job building the world around the two, making everything feel real. I found myself completely invested in what was happening! I would definitely recommend this for readers that enjoy historical fiction!

This is my 3rd book but this author and I think it’s her best to date!!

I absolutely love this era of historical fiction and what Ms Robotham does is always deliver it ina different setting and perspective.

I had no idea about the Nazi occupation of Norway or of Hitlers sinister plans on how to keep the Aryan going.

It took me a while to warm to Rubi but I loved Jens and his aunt right from the start. This was a fantastic story and one where I couldn’t guess what would happen.

I personally would have loved to have known more bout what happened to Marjit, Jens, Rubi and mother’s to be in Labensborn between the the years of 1943 and the end of the war in 1945. It ended a bit too suddenly for me in that respect.

A big thank you the the Author and NetGalley for this early copy to review.

Rumi and Jens meet on a freezing day when he is stuck in a tree by his parachute. She manages to cut him free and help him escape bring picked up by the Germans. They then begin to work together, trying to help the resistance in Norway, free it’s country from the hands of the nazi’s. This is a whole new area to read about WWII, never having read or learned anything about Norway in the war. It’s is a beautifully told story giving us a true glimpse at their lives and loves. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ARC.

The Resistance Girl is simply put historical fiction at its best.

The book is an intense and compelling read as you follow the story of a small Norwegian town of Bergen.

Jens who Rami rescues is part of the resistance and eventually Rami joins.

The courage, strength, tenacity of the towns people and the resistance is amazing.

I cheered for Jens and Rami, I laughed with them during their good times and I cried with them but most of all I admired them.

I am a fan of Mandy Robotham's ; she is a born storyteller.

Her books are captivating , I learn from them and I always hate them to end. The Resistance Girl is no exception.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books Uk, Avon for a book I could not put down.

Having recently discovered this author and having read a few of her other books I was pleased to see this new one. It’s a great book. Well researched and full of believable characters that you want to survive and succeed. I knew nothing of the war effect in Norway prior to this. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

Mandy Robotham's books are based on historical fiction, usually set during the Nazi period, except one book. This latest book, The Resistance Girl is set in Nordic region this time, in Norway about a brave and courageous girl named Rumi who fought against the Nazis and saving her friend, Anya and British fugitives and allies from the Nazis. Rumi lost her husband but she would do anything to oppose the Nazi regime.

Like all Mandy Robotham's books, her books are always centered on the female protagonists who are brave, courageous and would do anything to risk their own lives. Rumi is such person and would do anything to her country, as loyal as she is and could be labeled as one of the true heroines of WWII. The story is set in 1942 when Norway fell under the Nazi regime. For all this time, I was reading books about Nazi regime based in Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Italy so this book based in Norway during WWII is completely new to me. The author must have done tremendous research on the lifestyle in the seas near Norway. I was immediately drawn into the story as the author has done a good job of making Rumi stand out in the story.

Overall, this book will make you hook into the story and is an unputdownable emotional historical fiction that will keep you up all night--worth five stars!

A tense and gripping story centered around the little-used setting of Norway in WWII and the chilling horrors of the Lebensborn program!

I loved Rumi and Jens and the way they faced danger even when the possibility of personal loss was devastating to even think about. If there was one thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars it is the present tense-third person point of view which I found jarring and kept pulling me out of the story. It felt less intimate to me, but overall this was a cracking read that is just a little bit different from the other WWII books I've been reading lately.

Set during WWII in Norway, The Resistance Girl is an evocative fiction novel based on true events during that hideous time in world history. Though Norway saw comparatively little fighting, German Nazis did indeed occupy and infiltrate, creating fear and sorrow. The Resistance smuggled people and supplies at great risk to themselves and their families. The crucial Shetland Bus is highlighted. Many people were lost at sea. Radios were banned. Food was in short supply. Neighbour turned against neighbour. It was better not to talk at all.

Rumi Orlstad and her father are part of the Resistance in occupied Norway under the watchful eye of the Norwegian Nazi Party and leader Quisling. They risk everything to smuggle people as well as supplies. Rumi has lost her fiance to the sea and is enveloped in deep grief so she allows very few people into her sphere. Jens avoids capture and sides with Norway. Neighbour Marjit plays a substantive role in the war effort. But the story is more than that...it is about freedom, love, loss and hope in many forms. Robotham superbly describes the importance of Aryan genes and how far Nazis go to obtain them, causing unbearable heartache. She draws on her midwifery experience. Her writing is vivid and lovely with plenty of oomph. She thankfully does not gloss over the realities of war.

My favourite aspects of the book are the historical details with gorgeous lively descriptions of people and places. I love the unique perspective of lesser-known parts of WWII history in Norway. I also appreciate the mix of likeable and unlikeable characters which contributes to making the story very real.

If you are a Historical Fiction fan, this is an excellent book to add to your list. It is quite powerful and captivating. If you have not yet tried Historical Fiction, this is an excellent book to start with, as are other books by this author.

My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this unmissable book!

"The Resistance Girl" by Mandy Robotham
Release Date: 3.31.2022

In 1942, war is still waging on in Norway. Rumi Orlstand and other locals work to smuggle British agents, fugitives, and supplies across the North Sea to Scotland. When Rumi's fiance goes missing during a mission, she vows never to get involved again.

Her best friend, Anya, works at the hotel and is assaulted by a German soldier while on a date. Anya is placed in an unwed mothers home. Rumi discovers Anya has been placed in Lebensborn, one of Hummler's secret Aryan maternity camps. Rumi finds out what will happen to the baby, and Rumi must help her flee.

Wow! I felt the danger, fear, and fury throughout the novel. I then felt horrified about the idea of the baby trafficking of infants. This was well written, and the author obviously spent a lot of time researching Norway in World War II, the Shetland Bus network, and Lebensborn.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleybooks #historicalfiction #theresistancegirl #mandyrobotham #historicalfictionbooks #worldwariifiction

Many thanks to #NetGalley and "AvonBooksUK for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

There is a real poignancy to reading a book like this at a time when tweets and posts are telling me about the resistance currently taking place in Ukraine. My heart is breaking for them and it made the details in this story come alive all the more for me. The author writes in a style as if the events are happening while the reader watches. At times I tend to find this style distracting, but not this time. The book is based in Bergen Norway and various surrounding towns and places and includes information on the "Shetland Bus" which ran from the Shetland Isles in Scotland to Norway, and on Lebensborn - the German program to have children of good "Aryan" backgrounds born and given to German couples to raise. The authors experience as a midwife really shines through in the parts of the story that detail what giving birth can be like.

The last big trip that my husband and I took before Covid hit took us to Scandinavia and to Bergen, Norway. We took time to visit any museums which would give us information on the "Shetland Bus" which ran from the Shetland Isles in Scotland to Norway, and on Lebensborn - the German program to have children of good "Aryan" backgrounds born and given to German couples to raise. The authors experience as a midwife really shines through in the parts of the story that detail what giving birth can be like.

The last big trip that my husband and I took before Covid hit took us to Scandinavia and to Bergen, Norway. We took time to visit any museums which would give us information on Norway's experiences during WW2. The background details of this novel definitely agree with what we learned in our travels, and considering they were accumulated during a pandemic when she was unable to visit Bergen herself, really speak well to the authors research skills and networking. I found myself putting my Kindle down occasionally so I could go and look up specific events that she referenced and found it fascinating.

The two main characters in the book are Rumi and Jens although there are many other characters who play an important part in the story. As the novel begins, Rumi is grieving the loss of her fiance in a storm that occurs while he is on the Shetland Bus. She is sent out to the hills surrounding Bergen to look for a member of the S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive) who has failed to turn up as expected. She finds him hanging upside down from a tree entangled in his parachute. His name is Jen Parkes and he is half Norwegian and half British though his heart leans towards his Norwegian background. Different chapters help the reader to experience the events of the war through their eyes and to watch their relationship develop over the months and years of the war. I was immediately drawn into the fear, the need to be cautious about who one could speak to and who might betray them at a moment's notice. So many individuals had their own part to play in helping the resistance and the consequences were severe with German reprisals that were in the extreme. One example of this is the Telavåg tragedy where a whole village was destroyed because two members of the resistance were found there.

In a time where freedom is a word glibly spoken, Robotham shows her readers what people are willing to do to prevent real tyranny from winning. I found myself holding my breath through certain passages waiting for something awful to happen. The strength and support of family were integral to her tale. I found it very hard to put the book down until I had finished it. I would highly recommend it especially in these difficult days.

In this book, Mandy Robotham brings us closer to the hardships of Norway during WWII. Even after having read many historical books regarding this subject, I'm still in awe at the atrocities committed during that time. Thanks to the Resistance Girl, I learned about the Lebensborn program and what it entailed.

I definitely recommend reading Mandy's words regarding her research and how the book came to be.

Thanks Mandy Robotham, Avon, and NetGalley for this ARC

I love Mandy Robotham books!! I am always drawn into her stories and her characters, plus I always learn something I didn't know before about WWII.

I had no idea that there was an occupation in Norway, nor did I know about the maternity wards.

Rumi is pulled into the resistance after her fiancé's death. You, as the reader are pulled into her life in her Norwegian fishing village. I learned so much from this story and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and Mandy's easy writing style. The only thing I can I would have liked more of is more scenes around the maternity wards.

If you like WWII books, this is for you. Gives you a completely different perspective of the war from a country that is not typically in the WWII conversation.