We meet Ania, a girl that is misunderstood. She thinks logically and has outbursts. She doesn’t understand emotions. She’s struggled her whole life with navigating people and social situations. She’s been marked since she was born. Desperate to find family in this ever changing world she meets a group of misfits like herself. Each member finds their role. Ania is finding her purpose, that is to seek revenge.

This dual time line novel takes place in Poland during the occupation of Germany. The novel is also dual point of view which I greatly enjoy, you can see different perspectives from vastly different people. We see the characters unfold and their backstory that adds so much depth. Each character has their story and motivation to survive. My favorite thing about Carly Schabowski’s books is the realness of the characters. As I read I was able to see the beautiful arcs and how each one pursued their path. It’s their choice;change and adapt to the circumstances or overcome. You’re left to question does each of us have a purpose?

This novel differs from her other novels but is just as powerful and impactful. We see a darker side to this story. We see what it truly means to lose everything and have no one. Some may go mad while others grow. What I love most about all of her books is the amount of research that goes into them. Best of all many stories have family ties to her life which makes them more intriguing.

The Girl With The Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski is a compelling historical novel that intrigued me from the start. It drew me in, entertained me, and left me wondering – what was real? And what was imagined?
The novel is set over two time periods – 1969 and looking backwards to the 1940’s in war-torn Poland. Two voices tell the story – an old man and a young girl. Both have been marginalised by society. They band together with others whom they acquire along life’s wartime journey.
We see the child-like faith of characters, as they believe that the wearing of red ribbons will keep them safe.
Nazi-occupied Poland was a horrific place to be. Cruelty and evil were all around. Cunning and knowledge were needed to survive.
Partisans and resistance fighters occupied dense forest, often taking the Nazis by surprise.
Folklore and legend grew up surrounding the events of World War II, even the reader is not sure if it really happened.
All the characters were well drawn and believable. Rejected by society, even as children, the reader has much sympathy for the characters.
The Girl With The Red Ribbon was a unique read and one that engrossed and intrigued me.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Grippingly unpredictable. Be prepared to put your life on hold! Taut and tense from the first page to the closing paragraphs……loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this character driven historical fiction novel. The story unfolds over a dual timeline, but is mostly set in Poland during World War II. It explores the resistance movement which was an interesting part of history. The highlight for me were our heroes- 3 outcasts- ‘mad’ Ania, disfigured Benjamin and old Gosia. I really enjoyed the character development and getting to know all three. Carly’s writing was beautiful and I’m keen to go back and read her backlist now.

I know the time authors put into writing, so I regret when I don't give a positive review, but I must be honest. I liked the cover of the book, and the idea of the story was a good 9ne. The author was good about describing the environment. Where things went down was the dialogue and characters reactions to events. Many times the author over explained the reasons rather than letting the reader put it together. Parts were not believable (like a 50+ year old man having such immature thoughts and behaviors). Some things written were redundant (repeated again the next paragraph) and dramatic in an immature way. There may be some audiences that may like the story, but it's not me. I would not recommend this book to friends.

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction and this was very different than others I have read. This focused on a group of outcasts trying to survive capture. The group included Ania-a girl who is labeled mad because she doesn’t understand emotion and social cues, Benjamin-a Jewish man with a disfigured face and likely some degree of brain injury, Wanda-a Gypsy, Gosia-a woman who escaped from a psychiatric institution, and Aleksi-a Russian POW who escaped from a concentration camp. This unlikely group survives together in the woods of Poland. Sad ending as most of these books have with interesting characters you root for.

I loved this book, it was so sad and emotional but very well written. Set in WWII Poland a young woman and two misfits works to get revenge on the Nazis over the death of her family. This was truly heartbreaking, did they succeed on their journey? Read this great historical fiction book to find out! Highly recommend.

The story is set during WWII following the lives of a group of misfits who band together for survival and revenge against the Nazis. It is a heartbreaking story so have the tissues handy. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This was very emotional with lots of feelings. I think there was a bit too much focused on the war but I mean it is the setting for this book so it is understandable. I liked the authors writing style, and the pacing of this touching story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

A sad but triumphant story of two young people trying to survive and one woman determined to get revenge for her family in WWII Poland.