A part of history that I have never read or heard about, just an awful time for Poland. Hana, Zuzi, and Orla are such amazing women with Magda guiding them through life. The three sisters did amazing things throughout their lives. Their brother Jakob also was a fighter, his heroic deeds during this awful time in history.

I was immediately drawn into this story, the character and scene development was so great. I enjoyed this entire book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced copy. This is my honest review.

Enjoyed it, but not my favorite. "The Midwife of Auschwitz" (Book 1) was probably my favorite in the Women of War Series. I still need to read book 2. You do not need to read the previous books to enjoy the current one. This book centers around the Dąbrowska family. I'm not sure how the sisters were able to travel all over the city so safely? They would be off helping the resistance all day and return home without any problems. Traveling through the sewers had to be awful on so many levels. Babcia Kamilla was the most lively character, between throwing bombs and giving her granddaughters advice on men. She definitely didn't shy away from any subject. At times the story felt slow and a bit boring. I enjoyed seeing a continuation of Ana Kaminski's story through her husband and son.

Definitely recommend the book. I mostly enjoyed the story, writing style and characters. I liked how the book alternated Hana, Orla and Zuzi. The Armia Krajowa (AK) put up a great fight, but no one else showed up to help the uprising. (Stalin) I had no idea the devastation that Poland faced during WWII. Many of the cities were completely destroyed. I don't know how anyone survived. Then to survive the Nazis and have the Russians move in to take control. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is an action packed, busy book, and one which keeps you eagerly anticipating the next chapter. Its written brilliantly, and having read Anna's previous books, I would expect nothing less.
This is an amazing book, heart wrenching in parts, but definitely one to read!

I didn't realise how let down the people of Warsaw were in the Summer of 1944. What a powerful and troubling story. Really strong female characters and a story of hope and then the loss of hope.

Anna Stuart’s The Resistance Sisters offers a compelling and heartfelt exploration of resilience and love amidst the harrowing backdrop of Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II. This novel is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of familial bonds in the face of unimaginable adversity.

The Dabrowska family, central to the narrative, embodies a profound sense of unity and determination as they navigate the trials of wartime life. Each sister in the family is portrayed with distinct, vibrant qualities—ranging from hope to spunkiness—bringing depth and dynamism to the story. Their individual strengths and collective endurance provide a captivating lens through which the reader can engage with the historical and emotional realities of the period.

Stuart’s depiction of the Polish Resistance is both educational and evocative. Through her characters, readers gain insight into the complexities of resistance efforts and the personal sacrifices made by those who fought against the oppressors. The author’s meticulous attention to historical detail enriches the narrative, making it an enlightening read about a pivotal chapter in history.

As with many novels set during WWII, The Resistance Sisters tugs at the heartstrings, particularly because the historical context provides a constant reminder of the peril and tragedy that lie ahead. The emotional investment in the characters is intense, and the desire for a hopeful resolution is palpable. Stuart does deliver moments of respite and resolution, though the degree of "happily ever after" can feel somewhat incongruous with the gravity of the historical setting. This blend of hope and harsh reality might strike some readers as too optimistic given the dark times depicted.

Overall, The Resistance Sisters is a poignant and insightful read that successfully brings to light the stories of bravery and sacrifice during a dark period in history. It’s an important contribution to WWII literature, reminding us of the enduring human capacity for courage and love. I rate this book 4 stars, as the somewhat idealistic resolution felt slightly out of sync with the otherwise somber tone of the era.

Thank you to NetGalley and Anna Stuart for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A superb book set in 1944 Poland, tells of a set of women who try to save and help the war effort.. Full of emotion and sometimes heart wrenching.
But it keeps your turning pages. Really enjoyed a different view of what these ladies did for their country and families.

Overall I found The Resistance Sisters to be …. Average. I thought the setting was fascinating - I don’t think I’ve ever read a book on the Warsaw Uprising. But I felt like the story really dragged, like not much was happening. It took me over a month to read this because I just couldn’t get into it.

I really liked Orla’s story of nursing and falling for a German fellow. How sweet it was to see Bronisław, one of Esther’s sons from The Midwife of Auschwitz!

Hannah’s story of passing notes across the city was wonderful too! I thought she was sweet, and I felt her heartache and fear so deeply.

Zuzi’s story should have been enthralling, but it was so boring. I mean come on, lady bombers?? Girl yes! But no. It was deeply boring. I ended up skimming most of her chapters because there just wasn’t much there.

Not my favorite of the Women of War series of standalones, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Mostly I just liked seeing characters from the Midwife books popping up.

A gripping World War Two novel following three Polish sisters who are each playing their part in the Polish resistance looking to recapture Warsaw.

The story is told from each of the three sisters points of view. You get an insight into their characters, the reasons they chose their roles, how they are each feeling and how close they are as a family.

Great for any historical fiction lover.

Interesting story behind a period of history I’m not too familiar with. I enjoyed reading about these women, their relationships and the courage to get through this period.

The Resistance Sisters by Anna Stuart

Anna Stuart is always a must-read author for me. Her writing impressed me by how she carefully sculptured all her characters. It's surprising the story and characters are kind of connected between her books. It's a pleasure to read the series or even as a stand alone.

The Resistance Sisters is a story about how the three sisters Hana, Zuzi, and Orla worked together to fight against the Nazi desperately during WW2. The story was too emotional and heart-broken. It was not easy to read if you were not ready. The author did a perfect job to bring you in the story by her writing.

This deserves a five stars rating and I highly recommend to you all.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Aug 19, 2024

Every time I start a new Anna Stuart book, I prepare myself for the intense emotions that go along with it. This time was no different. The Resistance Sisters is about the heartbreaking experience the people of Warsaw went through during WW2. It's also a story of hope—that one day they will be free and they will be their own people.

The sisters in this book, Hana, Zuzi, and Orla, along with their mother, brother, and grandmother, were all written so well. This is one of my favourite things about Anna Stuart's writing: her characters. They are always written with so much care and depth; even characters who don't have a main role are so carefully written. I also love her inclusion of characters from other books in her books, even if only in a small way. For example, in this book, the son of Ana from The Midwife of Auschwitz has a prominent role in the book.

This book is full of absolutely heartbreaking moments followed by some lighter moments of joy. I loved that she was able to showcase that even through what they went through, they were still able to find some joy in some things, even as hard as it was.

My favourite character in this book, I think, was Babcia Kamilla, the girl's grandmother. She had been through so much in her life, and she always powered through as strongly as she could. She was also very feisty and quite funny at times too. Especially her little talk with Zuzi when they were trapped together.

If you haven't read Anna Stuart's books yet, I highly recommend you do! She has so many incredible stories she shares of the amazing women during the war. I always learn something new when I read her books. I haven't read a book of hers that I haven't loved yet!

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Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Resistance Sisters” by Anna Stuart. This story follows three sisters in Poland during WWII. After the Nazis murder their father, the sisters join the Resistance to avenge his death and set their country free.
I loved these sisters! They were devoted to their family and country. I did not know anything about the Warsaw Uprising so it was good to learn about another part of history. This is a wonderful book that I couldn’t put down.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheResistanceSister #AnnaStuart #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInPoland #BooksSetDuringWWII

Hana, Zuzi and Orla loose their beloved father when he is murdered by the Nazis. And then when she lost her fiancé she knew that her life would never be the same. But as she and her sisters watch her beloved town be slowly taken over by the Nazis, she knows that she is the only one that can keep her family safe. Hana and her two younger sisters join the resistance each having their own mission. Zuzi is part of a secret female combat unit and Orla is a nurse in an underground hospital. Hana risks her life in the war ravaged streets to save her family. But as the war rages on more and more lives are taken and the devastation is unbearable. Hana and her sisters are running out of time to save those they love.

The Resistance Sisters, written by author Anna Stuart is an amazing story of incredible people that risked their own lives to save others. Stuart always pulls the reader into the story and makes them feel like they are walking the war torn streets. I loved this story of resilience, sacrifice and heart wrenching that moved me to tears. This gripping heart warming story had me desperate to read through to the very end, in one sitting. I was completely overwhelmed by the characters and they left me gasping for breath as they carried out the missions of the resistance. This wonderful historical fiction will definitely stay with me for a very long time. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

Books set in Poland during WWII seem to be the newest thing. I’m glad I chose this one. I’ve liked Anna’s books in the past and knew I wouldn’t be disappointed with this one. Hana, Zuzi and Orla are determined to help Poland be free of Germany. They each do their own part in the resistance. Their Babcia was my favorite character. Such a strong willed woman, she doesn’t care how old she is, she wants to do her part. And she has a frank conversations with Zuzi that had me laughing out loud while I read. This book is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

Anna Stuart is so very talented. She was able to pull so many emotions out of me. I am huge reader of WW2 books - and today being Women's Equality Day and being able to review this book made it even more special to me. The Resistance Sisters is immersive, cinematic, beautiful, emotional and thought provoking. To say that I loved this would be an understatement. Just bring tissues. It is worth it.

The Resistance Sisters is the fourth book in Anna Stuart’s Women of War series which focuses on an incredible trio of sisters, the Dabrowska’s. This book is developed from the previous books and I could see the connections emerge the further I delved into the story. Some familiar characters are featured or simply named but still this new story can easily be read as a stand-alone book. I’m not certain if this to be the last book in the series but there was an air of finality about it in the last few chapters and if this is to be the end then it was a fitting conclusion.

I loved the way the themes all interflowed throughout the books with women and their strength and tenacity in the face of adversity and untold horrors being at its centre. I will admit it took me some time to get into this book but I think that was more to do with my state of mind at the time of reading rather than any fault with the plot or the writing. But once I did settle into it I found this to be an absolutely fascinating account of the Warsaw uprising in August 1944 which was supposed to last only a day or two until support arrived from the Russians which ultimately turned into a month long struggle to survive resulting in no other option but to surrender.

The prologue set in November of 1939 is stark and hard hitting. The Dabrowska sisters, Hana, Zuzi and Orla, are forced along with their mother Magda and young brother Jacob and grandmother Kamilla to witness the execution of their father as the Germans have take over the city of Warsaw. They are getting rid of anyone with any cultural, political or intellectual influence. Their father was a baker and town councillor and they are distraught at the events that are unfolding. But he is insistent that they should not weep but continue to live, love and fight and boy that is what these remarkable women do. The story then moves to the summer of 1944. It’s been many long years of war and occupation but the underground resistance has grown and when the time is right and they are given the signal they will rise up and fight. All three young women have joined the AK army in various capacities and have remained true to the parting words from their father and it is this sentiment and advice that they will hold close to their hearts in the struggles ahead.

Each chapter is told from a different sisters viewpoint and this worked very well throughout the book. They are all completely different with different personalities, viewpoints and capabilities. Hana is the oldest and works as a liaison girl delivering underground messages between the AK army. She is secretly continuing her degree in architecture which will prove fruitful further on in the book. Her beloved fiancée Emil, a Polish fighter pilot, is away flying for the Allies and she misses him desperately and fervently hopes that he will make it through the war. Hana is brave and indomitable as are her sisters, mother and brother but when she witness’s romance blossoming for her sisters she feels left out and that love will never come calling for her again, that the worst will befall Emil. Her strength wavered with regard to this but never when it came to her work. The role she played was crucial as without her messages and important information would not have gotten through. When the signal to commence the uprising is given it is she who sets the wheels in motion and throughout that long month she puts herself in precarious situations time and time again.

Zuzi is the sister full of fire and grit. She is the wild child who can’t be tamed but why should she be? You need someone like this when you about to revolt against the most powerful and destructive force at the time. She is a member of the Minerki, a band of women part of a sapper unit who trained in explosives. There were so many cogs to the overall wheel that was to make up the moving parts of the uprising and I was so glad that the author showed us them all. Zuzi had a very dangerous job and I was fearful that every time she went on a mission that the worst would befall her. She was not a woman prone to giving herself over to love. She was rough and ready around the edges and was even though Jacob was just a young teenager I felt she was like him always wanting to be front and centre in the thick of things no matter how dangerous the situation was. I loved her as a character because she was strong and determined but later on she shows her vulnerability and that perhaps she can open her heart to love.

Orla is the youngest sister who would much rather there was no war and that she could marry a man and start a family. She is the most caring of the sisters and has volunteered her services as a nurse. She questions herself as to whether she can she cope with ravages of war and the results of fighting and bombing when they land on a table at the makeshift hospital. The details of some of the wounds and what has to be done were horrific but definitely needed to be included in the book and it made the story all the more impactful as did the details of all the various stages of the uprising. Orla did want to excel in her role and stay true to what her fathers last words were but she doubted herself and her capabilities of which she had many she just presented them in a different way to her sisters.

As it soon becomes clear there is a distinct lack of support from those that promised it, the situation for the situation for the AK and the Warsawians becomes dire. Here is were the author has excelled herself in taking a moment in time which is often given a mere paragraph or two in the history books and giving it the spotlight that it so rightly deserves. I felt as if I was taken on a detailed and engrossing history lesson where the sheer determination, courage, resilience and the endurance of those that tried to take back their city from the Germans was given a platform. The voices of all those people who rose up in defiance of their occupation radiate from the pages. They may be gone but they are not forgotten for the brave battle and brutal siege that they endured. Clearly, the author undertook in-depth research and wanted her readers to get the full experience of the time. Even the historical end notes where fantastic and readers should take the time to read them as they gave such an interesting account of a complex situation which in turn explain the bigger picture as to why the uprising failed and what subsequently happened. I did think the end chapter was a bit rushed. I thought things can’t wrap up like this but an excellent epilogue made up for this and here is where I really felt that this perhaps would be the last book simply because of the way the epilogue was written.

The Resistance Sisters was very different from what I had been expecting prior to reading and I mean this in a very good way. It’s a raw, powerful and impressive read. Throughout it all the love and unity of family stood out. That once you have love you can battle through anything and the community spirit of endurance and working together shone through with every turn of the page. Not once did they give up, always having a clear end goal in mind and they remained loyal and steadfast to the memory of their father carrying his wishes out until the bitter end. This was an important read that will leave a deep and lasting impact on many readers.

The Resistance Sisters by Anna Stuart is a heroic and impeccably written ode to the brave men and women of Warsaw during the Warsaw Uprising. This novel, strikingly historically accurate, and incredibly captivating by it’s well-developed characters, is a must read for World War II Historical Fiction fans!

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a member of the Dabrowska family. Each member plays an important role in the AK (Polish Underground/Resistance). The Dabrowska sisters Hannah, Zuzi, and Orla each contribute in their own ways. One is a courier, one is member of Minerki explosives unit, and Orla is a nurse. Each sister is vastly different from one another and each sister fights a battle for Warsaw and a battle in their own life.

The Resistance Sisters not only showcases the bravery of the men and women of the AK, but also shows that women played a huge role in fighting for freedom during the Warsaw Uprising. This book showcases heroism, bravery, grit, love, loss, and courage. It’s a must read, and a book that’s truly hard to put down until the very end.

The Resistance Sisters
This is my second Anna Stuart book of this. I series and it tells the story of the resistance movement in Poland during World War 2. I did not know many of the details that were contained. It is an inspiring story of 3 sisters and their fight against the Nazi regime at the end of World War 2. The characters are engaging and you will find yourself routing for them even if we know how the story ends.

Thank you Net Galley, Anna Stuart and Bookouture for the opportunity to preview this novel and the opinions expressed are my own. The book is now available.

The Resistance Sisters is an emotional and heart wrenching read. I was intrigued by the amount of historical research that had gone into this book and I was inspired to research more upon completion of the book. The Dabrowski family is such an endearing group of individuals. I truly enjoyed every character’s storyline and how different they all were.

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I’ll hold my hands up and admit, rather shamefully, that I knew absolutely nothing about the Warsaw Uprising – the extraordinary bravery and tenacity of ordinary people as they fought on against the occupying enemy while awaiting the assistance that never arrived. By combining the fictional story of the Dabrowska sisters with a meticulously researched account of those dark days, the author has created a stunning story of courage and resilience that vividly brought the history to life and moved me really deeply.

The book’s prologue is particularly shocking – the three sisters (Hana, Suzi and Orla), together with their mother and young brother Jacob, are forced to watch the public hanging of their father at the hands of the Nazis. He was found guilty of treason – part of a well-orchestrated plan to eradicate the opposition of individuals formerly in a position of influence. He urges them, immediately before his death, to continue the fight – and they do, each in their different way. Hana becomes a courier, risking her life daily by carrying key communications to the scattered cells of the resistance movement, hidden inside loaves of bread baked by her mother; Zuzi joins an all-female resistance unit, her speciality being the setting of explosive charges; Orla becomes a nurse, never feeling that what she does is enough, but continuing to work underground under appalling conditions when the hospital is lost. Even young Jacob joins the effort, believing himself well protected by his grandfather’s old helmet – to the great consternation of his family, but growing up fast.

It becomes the story of the experience of a city under occupation – the challenges of living under continuous daytime bombardment, the hand to mouth existence, the many setbacks and sacrifices, the small victories, and the hope the people continue to harbour even when it becomes plain that the help they desperately need might not be on its way. There was never a point when the citizens of Warsaw simply accepted the inevitable – they fought back with the most extraordinary organisation, defying the oppressive regime of the occupying forces, moving through the cellars beneath the bombed homes then through the sewers beneath, hitting back and recapturing key buildings within the city. The sisters’ fictional stories are woven into the realities of daily life – in a way that’s particularly emotionally engaging, everything seen through the sisters’ eyes and their lived experience. There’s real warmth in their family relationships, their friendships, even time and space to introduce some welcome romance – and that makes the whole story feel even closer to home, and far more personally affecting.

As always, the author’s afterword sets the story’s context – but that’s after having felt part of the story, feeling the same intense anger as the citizens of Warsaw did while watching the allied liberation of Paris and waiting for the help that never came. There’s a stark divide between expectation and reality, as the air drops of essential supplies become increasingly perfunctory, and the Russian advance – always seen as their salvation – stalls within hearing distance. These exceptionally courageous people really were abandoned to their fate, their liberation apparently never part of anyone’s plans – and the sheer injustice of it all frequently moved me to tears.

But I must try and separate the historical fact from the strength and power of the author’s writing, that makes the reader feel so very much part of the story – I was at that barricade with Zuzi and her grandmother feeling the same intense joy (however temporary and fragile their victory), holding down wounded patients with Orla before the next amputation (pouring fine wine on the wounds in the absence of any alternative), raising the flag on the Prudential tower after the fiercest of battles, wading through the deepening sewage with the sisters to recapture the plans for a rebuilt post-war Warsaw. She really is the most wonderful storyteller – and the well-researched detail, authenticity and raw emotional content of her writing makes this wonderful book, filled with love, a really fitting tribute to lives and experiences of those brave people. The whole experience of reading this book will stay in my memory for some time to come – I’d recommend it very highly.

(Review also copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)