My Mother's War is written by Eva Taylor. After her mother’s death, Eva Taylor discovered an astounding collection of documents, photos and letters from her time as a resistance fighter in Nazi-occupied Holland. Using the letters, she reconstructed her mother's experience in the underground resistance movement and then as a prisoner in the Amersfoort, Ravensbruck and Mauthausen concentration camps.
The author did such an amazing job in recreating the history. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. I love hearing about women that joined Nazi resistance. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

Eva Taylor masterfully writes the story of her mother's life as a resistance fighter during the Nazi occupation of Holland. The story is weaved together through a series of documents, photos, and letters that were discovered after Eva's mother's death. Remarkable mixed with sad.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book as much as one can when reading about the atrocities that people suffered during the war. I even learned things I never knew before about how the Germans covered things up and what strategies people used to survive. I am thankful that these letters were shared about Sabine’s journey and the strength and resilience that she had

While I don't think this book was the most well written many will still find the content devastating and interesting. As a retelling of someone's life the writing comes off very dry. I believe the author could have added a little more emotion to the text, but the events that are depicted are harrowing enough on their own. A heart wrenching read but well worth it.


I received this book as a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story of Sabine Zuur a resistance fighter during WW2 who was captured and survived three concentration camps.

My Mother's War shows many sides of the war that I've never read before. This is the first time I read the story of Holland during those terrible times. This was all new to me, even the concentration camps, I'd never heard of them, the conditions they were living in and how they were treated were so inhumane. Amersfoort, Ravensbruck, and Mauthausen are among the worst concentration camps I've ever read about.

Sabine Zuur, a very courageous woman who endured terrible things not to mention the psychological damage is just so sad to see how terrible and awful humans can be. it shows once again the level of ignorance of the people, between the Nazis, the Red Army, the SS, and the Gestapo they didn't have an ounce of intelligence, kindness, and empathy, I bet those words were also burnt and erased from the books.

in 1940 Sabine's country was invaded by the Germans, many left Holland in time but many didn't make it. Taro, Sabine's fiancé was shot and killed. others stayed behind losing their homes, their belongings everything they had. they couldn't trust anyone anymore everything was so unfair.

in My Mother's War, Eva Taylor shares the story of her mother, after finding several documents and photos that show the terrible situations she went through, a story Eva never heard before. In My Mother's war, the author also shares the love letters of Taro Sabine's first love, and Gerard her second love making this story even more heartbreaking but full of hope.

Gebel, a German criminal completely enamored by Sabine, tries to seduce her by correspondence, sharing his lies and favors in order to gain her trust and love. in the last few months of the War Gebel was able to help Sabine and a few others, we really don't get to know what he did exactly to be able to help them even though Sabine didn't have any desire for him, she was always cordial and respectful also putting her into a wall feeling often suffocated, nervous and fearful that he will do something irrational to hurt her and her family.

There're many things I could write about My Mothers war but without giving too much away it is heartbreaking but at the same time shows the strength, the love the resistance of sabine and many others who were determined to not let this evil machine destroy their life, their homes but most importantly their families their unity.

I cried so much with Sabine's story, it shocked me to learn more of the atrocities they endure such as the story of Dimitri Karbyshev the soviet general and his soldiers who were left for hours naked in the freezing cold and slowly froze to death, or the chaos the author describes while left in such small spaces with no were to seat or to breath, no light or food, the way she describes people going crazy and insane is just heartbreaking.

Sabine, you are a heroine with angel wings together with Taro, Gerard, Dr. Krediet, Broer, Jan, and many more heroes who did so much.

Overall this is a story that needs to be read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Hanover Square Press for the advanced copy of My Mother's War in exchange for my honest review.

This is a daughter's tribute to her mother, Sabine Zuur. During WWII, Sabine fought in the Dutch resistance. Once captured, she spent two tears in three different concentration camps. Her strength of will, convictions, and determination led to her survival.

As a story, this book was a bit lacking. It wasn't written from Sabine's point of view, but as a retelling of Sabine's story by her daughter through letters and documents. This turned it into a recitation of facts rather than a readable book. I do appreciate the author's attempts to document her mother's life, I believe more resistance stories should be preserved and told. Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.

Imagine growing up with a mother who was prone to mood swings, depression, and nightmares. A mother who also had an “aura” about her and attracted attention and assistance of others. Her daughter, Eva Taylor, is the author of My Mother's War: The Incredible True Story of How a Resistance Fighter Survived Three Concentration Camps, in which she chronicles her mother’s journey from Holland to Nazi internment camps during World War II.

Imagine being arrested as a young career woman for political crimes and imprisoned, not seeing family or friends, perhaps not ever again. Sabine Zuur was raised in The Hague and along with several friends, joined the Resistance as a “spy”. It’s not clear what exactly her role was; perhaps she was a courier. When she was arrested, the officers were interested in her list of contacts, which she deftly hid in her sofa as they were taking her away. She was interrogated. It didn’t matter that she was female; she was severely beaten numerous times. The prison conditions were crowded and inhumane, but they were nothing compared to some of the camps. According to the letters and other documents her daughter reviewed after Sabine’s death, her mother spent more than two years in three concentration camps. Her correspondence and notes from others details the overcrowded, filthy conditions at Ravensbrück Camp, where “medical experiments” were conducted, medical treatment was poor or lacking, and prisoners were forced to perform hard labor. Nutrition was poor, and living conditions were unbearable. Somehow, in this camp, and in the two subsequent camps, Sabine survived the cruelty, abuse, and eventual extermination that befell millions of other prisoners.

In addition, she was labeled Nacht und Nobel (night and fog) - invisible, non-existent because she was a political prisoner. Her mother and friends were not permitted to know her whereabouts. She simply “disappeared.” Interestingly, while in Mauthausen Camp, Sabine was befriended by a German prisoner, Franz Josef Gebele, who claimed to love her and want her for his wife. He arranged for have food and clothing sent to her, and he sent a letter to her mother. The author goes into some detail about this relationship, which apparently put Sabine between a rock and a hard place, for she did not have the same feelings for Franz as he claimed to have for her. Yet, although he himself was a prisoner, he seemed to have some pull with the authorities to get her released.

For those who hope for details of Sabine’s experiences as a spy, you may be disappointed. I found it understandable, however. I cannot imagine a spy keeping records that might be discovered, putting the entire network at risk. It also seems that Sabine spoke little of her experiences after her release. Her daughter’s record is very factual, although she recognizes how her mother must have felt to go through all these horrific events, to witness so much death and suffering and lose many loved ones. She herself expresses regret that she never knew that woman well. As a reader, I felt both detached at times but also abhorred at the cruelty of one group of humans toward others. What an overwhelming task to sort through all of those letters and clippings to learn her mother’s story! I admire Ms. Taylor’s courage and perseverance!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and to Hanover Square Press for the ARC of My Mother's War: The Incredible True Story of How a Resistance Fighter Survived Three Concentration . Camps. My opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Bravely and beautifully told. Incredible story. Harrowing. Well written and engaging. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read My Mother's War by Eve Taylor. Although this book doesn't read as easy as come of the WWII books I have read, I still enjoyed learning about what it takes to surviive. So many people today don't even want to admit what happened during this war. Reading this book will definitely change their minds. The true story of Sabine Zuur, as told by her daighters from letters, This book in told in a straight forward way wiithout a lot of emotions. It's a definite book for WWII lovers who want to learn more aboiut life during that time.

Eva Taylor’s mother was a member of the Dutch Resistance during Nazi occupation, and had the misfortune of being arrested for her work. While Sabine did not discuss much of her time in custody or in the three concentration camps during the war, she left her children annotated letters and other documents from that period of her life. Combined with information from other survivors and interviews conducted with Sabine by other authors, Taylor has reconstructed much of her mother’s life during the war.

This was the fourth book in my string of World War II books, and it did not disappoint. The glimpses of Sabine’s day-to-day life in the camps and prisons sets this work apart from other biographies. Taylor had limited documentation and information to work from, but she dives deeply into what she has and the research conducted by others to flesh out this defining period of her mother’s life.

I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Sabine Zuur was a young Dutch resistance worker who was arrested in 1943 and spent the rest of the war in prisons and concentration camps. Her story is reconstructed by her daughter from letters that survived the war and interviews published in other books so the narrative has many gaps. Little information is given about her activities as a resistance worker or what caused her arrest, and the bulk of the book details her experiences after she was arrested with many horrific descriptions of life in the camps. The author never spoke directly with her mother about her wartime experiences so much is missing.

This is a book for the serious scholar, not the casual reader.

Based on letters and things found by the author after her mother's death brings forth this story of survival. Sabine's story of Dutch resistance and being in three camps during WWII is meaningful but disconnected.

After her mother’s death, Taylor discovered she had quite the story during WWII. Her mother had belonged to the Dutch resistance and been incarcerated in 3 different camps.
She stitched together the pieces of the story by including the ms y letters she found in the boxes.
Stories like this never cease to amaze me and I’m glad Taylor shared her mother’s valiant story with the world, although it came at a very high price emotionally, physically, and mentally to her mother.

A true account of the authors mothers experience in WWII, so much more interesting than fictional accounts. Only criticism due to large number of rather creepy letters from the German inmate, but it did give a feel to what it must be like with your very life changing in the balance

I would never want to disparage a book about any person who lived through WWII in a concentration camp. Sabine Zuur was a hero who paid a high price for her contribution to the Dutch resistance. Her daughter, the author, Eva, has also spent her life dealing with the after-effects
It is a story worth reading but the production level; is sub-par. It really needs a better editor.

Sabine, a Dutch woman, was involved in the local resistance after Germany invaded her country. She was captured, imprisoned, and survived, despite spending time in both local prisons and three concentration camps; she wore the red triangle as a political prisoner. Her daughter pieced together much of her story after finding a box of documents, and it is an amazing story. An intense and horrifying story, it is an essential book for anyone interested in the history of World War II. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this advance copy.

Eva Taylor's My Mother's War is a competently written book that unfortunately does not hit the right emotional notes for the subject matter.

The book describes her mother's trials and tribulations during World War II as a Dutch resistance fighter and concentration camp survivor. The description of the book promises a harrowing tale of danger and near death experiences. However, Taylor's writing style is very straight forward and often devoid of emotion. Her choice to rely heavily on her mother's documents disconnects from the great story of World War II and often feels incomplete. Also, people are very often introduced and before we learn much about them, their ultimate fates are stated with little fanfare. From reading other books on the subject, there is much more information which could have been mined to strengthen this story.

(I was provided this book as an advance copy through Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. My full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 3/22/2022.)

As a daughter piecing together the youth of her mother who wouldn't discuss her experiences as part of the Dutch Resistance and life in multiple jails and concentration camps during World War II, Taylor presents a well-written narrative using the letters left to her after her mother's death.

I appreciated that the writing style was very straight forward and did not include embellishment. Her approach conveyed the stark, stripped-down reality of her mother's experience.

My Mother's War by Eva Taylor is a stunning story of humanity's nature to survive in the most unsurvivable conditions. I was both mesmerized and horrified to read such a compelling story of survival. My heart broke for Sabine while reading about everything that she and her mother went through just in order to keep in contact with one another throughout the war. Sabine was such an incredibly strong and courageous woman. I honestly would not mind reading more about her if it was possible. I have always been interested in WWII. Before I decided to become a history major, I was reading book after book about the war. I have to admit, I'm a little addicted to the subject. Despite all of the history books, biographies, and memoirs of Holocaust survivors I have read, this book stood out to me. The letters were such a fascinating read and gave the story a tremendous amount of depth to Sabine's life in Ravensbruck. This book gave such an incredible impact, that I would recommend it to anybody to read. Especially, if they are WWII buffs like me! I give this book a five out of five stars.