I have really enjoyed historic fiction novels in the past, but perhaps lately I've just read too many. While this was an incredibly well written novel, full of history and intrigue, I think I've just got a case of the historic fiction burnout. Would I read suggest this book? Yes. Is this a very talented author? Yes! It was just a case of the read at the wrong time for me, so I gave it 4 stars because I wasn't compelled to keep reading every night, but it was a good book!

Thank you to @avonbooksuk for letting me read this title - it’s one of my favourites this year so far! I really do enjoy reading a book that flits back and forth between time frames as I just find that I get more invested in the character’s lives this way - this book used this in such an awesome way and I couldn’t stop reading! I’d heard of Irena Sendler before through my favourite podcast @myfavoritemurder so it was lovely to hear more about her within the book (if you don’t know who she is, have a read, she’s amazing!) This book had everything for me, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it since. The risks that these men and women took to smuggle babies and children out of the Warsaw Ghetto ahead of their inevitable transportation to the death camps is astounding, especially considering the repercussions for themselves and their families if they were caught. I also can’t even begin to imagine the trauma the parents went through by sending their children away to safety - the ultimate sacrifice. I just loved this book, I hope you do too 💛

What I loved about this book:

1. Debut author!
2. Historical fiction - great research
3. Liked the dual timeline of the two characters and how they came together!




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

I really enjoyed this, it was incredibly emotional and i loved the journey that the two main characters went on

This is a much delayed review as when I began reading this book I was quite I'll and ended up in hospital for some significant time. I received my copy from #Netgalley and Avon publishers and was under no obligation to write a review, but the book is worthy of one and is unbiased. I read the book again as a refresher before starting and purchased my own copy.

I enjoy learning as much as I can about World War Two and about the Holocaust. As a child of the 50's, my life was shaped in many respects by the war and the more I read, the better understanding I have of the times.

The Daughters of Warsaw is told primarily through the lens of two women, modern day Lizzie and her great grandmother. Lizzie is struggling in her life due to fertility issues and it has affected her relationship with her husband. She heads for her maternal home for comfort and while there discovers some photographs that include pictures of her great grandmother. This resonated with me so much. Shortly after my Dad died, I found all my Dad's old wartime letters and photographs and all I wanted to do was find out more. Lizzie felt the same, yet her grandmother couldn't answer all the questions she had and it ultimately led Lizzie to make a trip to Poland where she met with someone who could help her search for answers.

The rest of the story was told from the past, during time of the Warsaw ghetto. I've read quite a bit about Irena Sendler and watched some movies and have also been lucky enough to visit Warsaw within the past ten years. In the novel, Lizzie's grandmother has been working as a social worker and gets recruited to act as one of Irena's helpers in saving the children of the ghetto. It is an emotional and heartbreaking job and one that always puts her life at risk. As the novel progresses and Lizzie learns more of her roots, I could not help but get emotionally involved in the story and wonder what I would have done had I faced those circumstances. I think this is one of the reasons that novels like this are important. They make us examine ourselves and perhaps alter our actions as a result.

The novel ends exactly the way that I hoped it would and it's well worth a read to get to the ending. I would recommend this novel to those interested in genealogy particularly as it relates to wartime history. You never know the surprises that you'll find!

This book was absolutely amazing! In 1942 Sofia becomes part of the resistance and helps to get Jewish children safely out of the ghetto before they are transported to death camps. She risks her own life countless times to rescue children and help out those in the Warsaw ghetto. In present day, Lizzie returns home to her parent's house after suffering multiple miscarriages. While cleaning in the attic she discovers some of her grandmother's old belongings as well as a photo of her great-grandmother. Wanting to learn more about her family's past, Lizzie starts researching and it takes her to Poland where she uncovers the amazing history of her family. This book grabbed me right from the beginning and pulled me into the story. The author has clearly done her research and it adds too much to the storyline.

I really enjoyed this read with it's alternating time periods and it's intertwining. A shock as wasn't expecting the book to have a twist. I just thought the ending was abrupt.

A very emotional read and not always an easy one due to the topics discussed in this book.

It is a dual timeline story told from two strong female characters, which I always enjoy. Please do check trigger warning for this book as topics such as infertility etc are discussed in this book.

Maria Frances definitely brought the story to life. It was definitely a reminder of all the horrors that were experienced during this time .

This novel introduces you to Zofia Szczesny living in Warsaw in 1942 and then it alternates to Lizzie Marhsall living in Seattle in the present day. It shows you that one person can make that important difference.

Definitely one for anyone who loves historical fiction.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

"Daughters of Warsaw" by Maria Frances is a captivating journey through dual timelines, weaving the heart-wrenching realities of WW2 Warsaw with the complexities of modern-day USA and Poland. Frances fearlessly confronts the horrors of the ghetto while highlighting themes of resilience, family, and love. From start to finish, the narrative grips readers with its poignant portrayal of hope amidst adversity. A powerful and compelling read that I highly recommend to anyone seeking a deeply moving historical fiction.

Heartbreakingly beautiful. These two women were a pleasure to get to know and understand. The story was beautifully done and easy to connect with.

A very interesting dual timeline historical fiction, based on a true story. Zofia, in the 1940's helping children escape the Warsaw ghetto and current day, Lizzie, who had a miscarriage and in her search to recover emotional delves into her family's past and it's secrets. Very healing for Lizzie. Well written story that held my attention through the last page.

I absolutely loved this story! I didn't want to put it down to sleep! I can't wait to read more by this author!

"the most difficult struggle of all was the one within ourselves, and that if we became accustomed to the conditions we found ourselves in, we might lose the ability to discriminate between good and evil.This painful state of being – the fear, the anguish, the uncertainty – was the price we had to pay for knowing what was good."

This book was a real tear-jerker, eh?
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The book opens up in modern day Seattle to a woman facing emotional turmoil after suffering another miscarriage. Away from her husband and in her mother's attic, she comes across a photograph that unlocks so many questions about her great-grandmother, the young girl and woman in the picture with her.
What unfolds thereafter is a poignant tale of empowering female strength, resilience, bravery, betrayal, healing, a search for the truth and overcoming the absolute terror and brutality that human beings can inflict upon each other.
I read this book in one day, I was not able to put it down despite it being such an emotional read. The author was able to successfully transport me to the streets of Warsaw- both in the past and the present.
Told from two different POVs and dual timelines, I was completely engrossed in the stories of these two women. I loved how the author tactfully works in some of Poland's culture and explains what some things are. As a reader who isn't familiar with Polish history, I really appreciated that. Some things I will definitely be researching later.
Maria was able to really capture the true atrocities that Polish Jews faced in the Ghetto on paper.
She didn't shy away from the horror and inhumanity these people had to endure, yet she did it in such a skillful way.
The countless scenes where Zofia and others were risking their lives to ensure the safety of these children, had me on the edge of my seat. I felt every ounce of anxiety, fear, grief, anger and in rare moments happiness, that these characters felt. I was that captivated.
I got goosebumps when it dawned on me that Lizzie was completing the work of her great-grandmother and reuniting two sisters separated by war and hate.
I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed this read and I highly recommend it.
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A special thanks to Netgalley, Avon Publishing and Maria Frances for my eARC of this book.
All opinions are entirely my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I love historical fiction books set during World War II and it takes a lot for me to give a five star rating. I adored this book from start to finish. I never knew about the ordinary polish people who risked their lives to help the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. This has been one of my favourite books of the year.

There is so much I don’t know about this time in history. The more novels I read the more I learn. Thanks to the author for a little more Education on what it was like back in this time for the Jewish people. A heartwarming and heartbreaking story.
Thanks for the advanced copy.

I was contacted by Avon Books Uk to read and review “Daughters of Warsaw”, to which I would like to thank, as well as to the NetGalley team. All opinions are my own.

When I first started “Daughters of Warsaw”, I was far from imagining how much I would enjoy this book. The beginning is somehow slow, which makes sense as we advance in the narrative as we need the well achieved setting to fully understand the mind of our main characters.

In this book, we meet Zofia, a young woman who helps taking young children out of the Jews ghetto in World War II, showing humanity in a time when humanity was a rare presence.

I’m not gonna lie, some events where a little bit predictable, but, overall, after the setting (which takes the first half of the book), there’s a captivating narrative where we as readers must know what happens to these characters. I don’t know how much of these are actually based in real life events, but I would like to think that even in such a dark time as this one was, someone had the courage that Zofia and Irene presented and the humanity to go beyond their comfortable life in order to help others.

I would, for sure, recommend for the historical fiction lovers out there.

This review will also be available on my Goodreads and StoryGraph accounts and, later on, on my Instagram profile @cat.literary.world

With its dual timeline, Daughters of Warsaw is a well written historical novel. As Zofia helps Irena Sendler smuggle Jewish children out of the Nazi-imposed Warsaw ghetto, she finds herself becoming more emotionally involved in the project. Current day Lizzie finds herself wanting more background on a photograph found of her great-grandmother which leads her to Warsaw. Recommended reading.

The opening of this novel takes us right to the heart of Lizzie's world in Seattle in the present day. She is a broken woman who has suffered yet another miscarriage. Unable to deal with her own world she begins to tidy a space in her Mother's attic that she can use as her space. As she searches through the stuff she begins to piece together her grandmother's story in 1940s Warsaw. Back then her Grandmother, Sophie, is a young woman working in the social work department. Through the invitation of her friend she enters the world of Irena Sendler, who has begun smuggling Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto. Soon Lizzie needs to go to Warsaw to find her Grandmother's story and to find her own story. As she pieces together the history, she finds that her Grandmother is a hero of the resistance.
If you like to read read stories which penetrate all human emotions, then this is a story for you! Once I started reading I could not put this book down. It never ceases to amaze me just what resilience that WW2 generation had. We can learn a lot from these people. I loved being part of the story, if only for a few days.
Thank you net galley and Avon publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for this honest review. Thank you to Maria Frances for bringing these characters to life.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Oh what a beautiful story this was. Alternating between present day Seattle and 1942 Warsaw, this was a gripping, powerful and wonderful story of multi-generational trauma and ultimately the most profound joy. I found it incredibly moving. Really brilliant. I had not heard of the author and will be looking out for more books by her - she's a very talented writer.