I really liked this book. I have read other books by this author so I know I like her writing style. Marnie, Corrine, Willem and Gus were great characters. I did take a little longer than usual to get into this book, but once I did, I sped through it. It always amazes me what all these people had the foresight and bravery to do the things they did for their countries.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

Using their piano skills as radio operators during WWII is an ingenious way to pass messages through skilled keyboardists. With 2 radio operators, one in Amsterdam and one in London, the exploration of their skilled work is a fascinating look at these brave people. Recommended reading.

"Marnie Fern, erstwhile wallflower and follower of the flow, has made a decision. Possibly one she might regret, but after tonight, it’s clear to her there’s little choice. Not when the dead tell her that the only way forward is to live for the living."


Raise a hand if you were one of those who thought that this book would be about a woman who played the piano during WWII. 🤡

Just me? Perfect!
Maybe this is a sign that I really need to start reading blurbs in order to avoid misunderstandings in the future. 😅

On a more serious note, this was a pleasing read for a regular WWII historical aficionado. Mandy Robotham always delivers a grasping novel where all characters have strong backside stories.

In this one, we saw how two women had their paths crossed in a hopeless time. Each one offered a hand to help the others in need, and although there is not much a person can do when the world is at war, they proved that compassion and resilience will win the game.

To be honest, I've read better books written by Mandy R. Here in this one, I struggled mostly with the 3rd person POV. I know that I often mention this, but it really didn't give justice regarding my closure with the two women in this book. Some things were a bit rushed, others were too long and descriptive and somehow the magic was gone.

Real feel: 3.5 stars

Many thanks to the publisher, who provided the digital ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Who knew radio operators during WWII were known as pianists? I certainly didn't.

The story is told from the perspectives of the two pianists ... Marnie in London and Connie in Amsterdam. Marnie and Connie are exceptionally strong characters and the author transported me into their worlds amongst the bombs of the blitz and the invasion of the Nazi's where trust can be a dangerous thing.

With oodles of tension, the fear palpable and the bravery and courage of those working against the Nazi war machine excellently portrayed, the War Pianist is a gripping story and whilst this is a work of fiction, it felt authentic and was totally riveting.

Many thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The War Pianist.

I thought the war pianist was about something Else lol. But I really enjoyed this book, people risking their own lives, to fight the nazis. I liked the Main characters, how they grew. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Mandy Robotham offers an engaging account of the struggles against the Nazi occupying forces in occupied Europe. Her characters allow glimpses into the moments of terror encountered by those waging this enduring struggle through the long years of World War Two. Some readers are likely to feel that the author takes a few liberties with history and certainly requires one or two suspensions of disbelief in terms of the experiences of the lead character, as well as betraying a lack of understanding of the day to day experiences of those living through the early 1940s. However, these minor quibbles do not get in the way of the enjoyment of a well-told yarn.

1940 London-Marnie Fern works for the British Broadcasting House. Her gran dad Gilbert Coop is a tailor and they are very close. Every night as Luftwaffe drop bombs things become dismal. One day her Granddad is killed when she goes to visit him at his tailor shop. In the shop Marnie discovers radio set and realizes he has been working with the Dutch resistance.

In Amsterdam Corrie Bakker works as a radio operative while running a bookshop. When she does not hear from her contact. She is unaware that Marnie has taken over for her Grandad. Marnie’s grandad taught her Morse code, so she is able to step in to take over his work.
Both ladies are working for the resistance with incredible risk. The nickname for radio operators is Pianists”.

Another well-written and griping novel by Robotham. She is an auto-buy for me. Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins and author Robotham for this advanced copy. Due out Feb 16th, 2023.

When Marnie's beloved grandfather dies in the London Blitz, she is presented with a difficult choice when a handsome stranger gives her an offer she can't turn down. In Amsterdam the resitance is tring to defy the brutal occupation from their Nazi neighbour.
This is my second Mandy Robotham book. I really enjoyed The Resistance Girl, and was thrilled when asked if I wanted to read this. It not an understatement to say I truly enjoyed this story too.
The War Pianist hits all the marks of a good, well-rounded story, rich in details and almost impossible to put down. I loved reading about to me as I had little knowledge of the Occupation of the Netherlands.
I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for my copy. I was under no obligation to write a review.

This is the story of radio operators and their handlers during WW 2. They were called the pianists and worked at great risk to their lives. This story is about 2 pianists, one women living in Amsterdam and the other in London. The women become friends during their short exchanges. This book is full of suspense from the first page til the very end. It is a realistic view of what happened with the resistance during the war. It is definitely a page turner. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

how wrong was i thinking this was about a pow pianist caught up in a refugee camp..when in fact its about all those brave men and women who became pianist during the war passing on morse coded messages

marnie fern finds out one night that her grandfather was a pianist passing on secret information to and from the resistance...but after a fateful night of bombing his shop is no longer and neither is he...

marnie is bereft with sorrow and finds herself trawling through the rubble and finds more than she bargains for, when she discovers the radio and signs of morse coded messages but who is he working for...

its as she is leaving with the radio that she is discovered and so begins marnies journey

i did enjoy reading this book and finding out about the pianist and their roles during the war...but for some reason the storyline didnt capture my imagination as much as i thought it would...and i wouldnt have thought traveling during the war was that easy...

Radios were one of the most vital lifelines during the dark days of WWII.
Once again, Robotham returns readers to the rhythms of war, loss, sacrifice, and the most unusual friendships.
One thing I like about this author is that she keeps dining up with fresh presentations of a field that so much has been written.
It’s a tender, compassionate story.

I enjoy delving into Historical fiction especially WW11, albeit fiction I discover something new from every one of these books. The War Pianist centres around the Dutch Resistance in both Holland and London .
The characters of Marnie, Willem and Corrie were very likeable, characters who I became very attached to. The secrets and subterfuge set amongst the blitz of London was gripping reading. It became a very tense read with the heart pounding incidents and events in Holland too. Thoroughly enjoyable read .

The blitz in London was in full swing when Marnie Fern's life was shaken badly. Her beloved grandfather was killed when a bomb levelled his shop, but in her grief she felt him beside her. Marnie discovered, on searching for anything she could save, that her grandfather was Gatsby, a clandestine radio operator for the Dutch resistance. Marnie was determined to take over his role, knowing she could do it as her nimble fingers meant she'd be a successful pianist for the cause. With Willem, her grandfather's handler in London, getting her started with the training she needed, it wasn't long before Marnie was crossing the airwaves to Daisy in Amsterdam, her own call sign Lizzie.

When Corrie Bakker disappeared, suspected to be in Nazi hands, the resistance immediately started planning for her rescue. With Willem, his good friend Gus and Marnie heading to Amsterdam to join the resistance in their search, no one knew what would happen in the days ahead. Would the Nazis prevail? Or would the Dutch resistance succeed? And did they have a spy within their group?

The War Pianist is another brilliant historical novel by Mandy Robotham which I enjoyed very much. The radio operators were called "pianists" for their nimble fingers, with the need to send morse coded messages in under a minute, so their position wasn't compromised. Filled with excellent characters - Marnie, Corrie, Felix, Willem to name but a few - I found I couldn't put this one down. I really enjoy this author's writing, and this one is no different. Highly recommended.

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

Marnie Fern is a production assistant for the BBC and doing her best to keep calm and carry on during the Blitz. After her tailor grandad is a casualty of a night of bombing she discovers a radio in his fabric cupboard. And a Dutch agent befriends her in his warden hard hat. Soon Marnie is working for the Dutch resistance as a pianist with a woman whose call sign is "Daisy" at the other end in Holland. Robotham tells the story in 3rd person with Marnie and Corrie (Daisy's real name) alternating. We get a front row seat to the survival of the Blitz in London as well as Dutch resistance work. One fascinating aspect was the refuge man had with the animals in the Amsterdam Artis Zoo. I also loved the fact that Marnie Fern works on 'The Kitchen Front' radio program. You can read more about that in Jennifer Ryan's book: "The Kitchen Front." (I'll add a link later -- search function seems to be down right now 😣. This was my first book Mandy Robotham and I will definitely be reading more. This was riveting!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This is now my fourth Mandy Robotham book and it's making me think I need to go back and read the first two so I can have 6/6.

This one follows two war pianists, aka radio operators, one in London and the other in Amsterdam, and it was pretty cool.

My dad was a radio operator when he was doing military service and I could also be a radio operator in the future with my degree, so books like these tickle my brain in a specific way. With that said, this one isn't my fav by the author, but it was still good.

The War Pianist made me cry early on, when Marnie lost her grandfather and whenever she remembered him after. There was one specific moment, where she felt his presence when she was about to start broadcasting that really touched me.

Other than that, not a lot happened, and the book is kind of slow paced. Most of the excitement is near the end, and the end itself wasn't totally satisfactory, even though it was a happy one.

I felt like the characters just woke up and were ready to take on anything and anyone...and then the book ended. So I do wish it was longer.

I'm still excited for whatever Mandy Robotham puts out next. As for this one, it's a 3.5ish.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#TheWarPianist by #MandyRobotham

⏩synopsis

There are some authors that just deliver and deliver and this is one of them.

I was very excited to get my hands on an early copy of Mandy’s latest offering and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint.

It has everything you would want from a historical fiction read along with a good dose of education (for me anyway - I had no idea about pianists role during the war) and this is what I love - keeping history alive.

I found it a very interesting read with a lot of heart - who couldn’t love main character Marnie; she carried the narrative very well, was relatable and evoked all the right emotions that are needed for such a read. The 2nd half definitely picks up the pace and then it’s a race to the end with it all at stake. I found it satisfying read, airing on a little bit too nicey nicey at times but overall definitely a recommend read!

With thanks to @avonboand @netgalley for sending us a copy of this one!

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

What is a pianist during war time? What is the instrument used? Marnie a produce at the BBC in London during the Blitz Is about to find out. During one horrifying night of relentless bombing Marnie fines her beloved grandfather’s home/business is destroyed and he is dead. Like so many in London during this time, loved one vanish nightly. While a kind worker try’s to comfort her, she discovered that her grandfather wea delivering coded messages for the Dutch resistance. His deft fingers quickly delivered important messages in Morris Code. Hence the nickname the “pianist “. With his death Whilhem recruits her to take his place. Marine is thrown into a world of danger she never expected. Requiring, nerves of steel, secrecy and incredible courage. When Whilhem’s resistance partner in Amsterdam is arrested and with his sister missing he has no choice but to return to home. . When he suddenly disappears from London, Marnie and his compatriot Gus go to Amsterdam to fine him. That’s when the reality of the horror of war changes her life for ever. The author does an excellent job placing the reader into the chaos. The hiding, passing of information, the running and never knowing when ur last moment on earth will come. I’m quickly becoming a huge fan of this author’ s writing. Very edgy, realistic writing. Thanks to Netgally and Avon/Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book for a honest review.

The War Pianist is a book that captures your attention from the first to the last page.

Mandy Robotham is a master storyteller and in The War Pianist she brings you the story of Marnie and Corrie both who are radio transmitters or a war painist.

Marnie is in London who takes over for her late grandfather and Corrie is in Amsterdam during 1940.

Both are masters at their trade and both put their lives on the line as to be caught would mean torture and certain death.

The story is fast paced and I cheered for the girls, cried with girls and worried for their safety.

The tension mounts with every page and I could not put the book down as I held my breath at times.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK , Avon for a mesmerizing read.

Thank you once again for the privilege of reviewing an ARC of reading one of your books. The War Pianist held my interest from the very beginning. Best of all, I once again learned something new about resistance fighters during WWII.

This was a book full of espionage, heartache and camaraderie during the London Blitz and the Nazi presence in Holland. The author painted vivid pictures of the landscape as well as the indomitable spirit of the human will during horrendous attacks by the German bombers.

I definitely will seek out additional titles by the author, Mandy Robotham! Thank you for enriching my knowledge base of WWII.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m a fan of historical fiction, especially if it’s about WW2 and this book did not disappoint.