I enjoy the premise of the novel. The idea behind the story is interesting and has potential for a great novel. However, it lacks in voice and character development. Writing in third person made the characters distant—especially the mother daughter relationship. I also felt the sections where French was included didn’t always flow. It was overall hard to get into and lacking in style. #NetGalley #GoodreadsFirstReads #FirstReads

Small Acts of Defiance depicts the tale of Lucie and her mother Yvonne as they navigate life in WW2 Paris. Lucie yearns to make a difference, help her small family survive, and show she is just as Parisian as any other girl in the city. Though it is a bit of a slow build, the story is told beautifully and the characters are rich and complex.

I really enjoyed this. It also felt very timely today - I feel like we are repeating all of humanity’s worst mistakes.

With Small Acts of Defiance, we meet Lucie and her mother Yvonne in Australia after a tragedy claims the life of her father. Shortly thereafter they return to France, the land of Yvonne's birth and move in with her brother Gerard, right before the invasion of France by German forces.

This book was clearly well researched and drawn from history, but the writing was lacking and I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. WWII historical fiction is done so often, and it was not a new perspective or story, and unfortunately I do not think it will stand out from other books about the time period.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, William Morrow & Company, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Small Acts of Defiance
by Michelle Wright
Pub Date: July 19, 2022
William Morrow and Company
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
* Historical Fiction
Michelle's debut novel, Small Acts of Defiance, is the fruit of her deep love for Paris - her home for 11 years - as well as her decades of passion for the French language, culture, and history.
The historical descriptions of an occupied France/Paris were informative and accurately researched and we were given a good glimpse of what life was like and the lengths to which people would go to in order to survive whether it was denouncing their next-door neighbor, selling your body or profiteering from other peoples property. However, it did become a little boring and predictable.
I will not be purchasing this for our library.
3 stars

The descriptive setting makes the reader feel a part of the story. The characters weren't as developed as I'd have liked, though this was an enjoyable, emotional read overall, though it was a bit repetitive at times..

This well researched novel set in Paris during WWII is beautifully written to capture the emotions of a young lady caught up in the horrors of war. Lucie and her mother Yvonne move from Australia back to France after surviving a fire that destroyed their home. Yvonne, having lost her husband in the fire turns to her brother, Gerard for help. Living with Gerard proves to be awkward as Lucie feels the need to help her Jewish friends. This historical novel will hold reader's attention as the daily life of living in Paris during war is portrayed. I loved Lucie painting her little portraits and leaving them for others to find. I would have liked to have known more about E'mile. I felt Aline's story needed a more satisfying conclusion.