i read another historical fiction that has a dual timeline (one set during WWII) and a strong female protagonist. are we surprised? this is a current contender for my top book of 2025. it had twists that i didn't see coming, was extremely well written, and is so relevant to our world today (as much as i wish that weren't the case). the author based the story on her partner's mother who lived through being captured by the nazis during the warsaw uprising, was a military prisoner in a concentration camp, and was an integral part of the underground resistance group in warsaw. this is a fascinating, heartbreaking story that also manages to focus on the small moments of happiness that take place during times of tragedy. i do wish the 2010 storyline in toronto was developed a bit more, there were some conversations that i felt could have been more productive. overall i really enjoyed this and highly recommend. as the author states in the author's notes: "historical wars have repercussions that reverberate across the globe, far into the future".

cw: heavy themes

thanks to netgalley and simon & schuster canada for my advance copy of the resistance painter by kath jonathan. all opinions are my own.

The Resistance Painter tells the tale of two women separated by decades and their art.

Irena is an artist and painter and a teenager when Poland falls to Nazi Germany, determined to not go peacefully, she joins her Girl Guides troop and joins the Polish Resistance, guiding Poles through the sewers underneath Warsaw to safety. As the war progresses, the stakes get higher and everyone she loves is in danger.

Jo is Irena’s granddaughter and a sculptor in Toronto in 2010, and she is hired to sculpt a grave marker for an elderly Polish man, Stefan, who claims to have survived Poland’s occupation as a member of the Polish Resistance. When interviewing him for his sculpture, some of his stories don’t seem to add up. Jo is determined to get to the bottom of it and decode her grandmother’s wartime secrets.

Inspired by the lived experiences of the authors Mother-in-Law, this story kept me guessing until the end. This story kept me guessing until the end. I really felt Jo’s desperation to figure out how Stefan and Irena were connected and her deep love of her grandmother. Irena’s story was sad, yet she bravely defied Nazi rule and saved countless lives in the story. Well written and a strong debut!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Written in dual timelines, during WWII and Toronto in 2010. I’ve read many historical fiction novels set during WWII but not many about the Polish Resistance. The author does a great job of weaving together two timelines.

The novel tells the story of Irena both a painter and soldier in the Polish Resistance and Jo a sculptor living in Toronto in 2010. Through Jo’s work as a grave sculptor, she learns more about her grandmother's experiences in WWII.

A riveting dual timeline story of resistance, hope, and understanding. Jo is a sculptor who shares a connection with her artist grandmother Irena. In the course of her work she uncovers a history of her grandmothers experiences in the polish resistance during World War II and finds the actions in war can be heroic and horrible, but the choices are never easy.

I really enjoy reading historical fiction because I always learn so much about past events, even horrific ones, and the courage of the people who lived through these events. This story taught be many new things. Even though it was very sad, it was inspiring to read of the resilience and bravery of so many. I was not aware of how sewers were used to help so many people escape. This was such a compelling story. I thought it was very well written. I always enjoy a dual-timeline to see how people's actions in the past affect future generations. Definitely recommend to historical fiction lovers!

A WWII story of Poland and their resistance. It is another look into WWII that I haven’t read. I enjoy reading the other sides of the war. I enjoyed reading it.

The more I read about WW2 the more my heart breaks for everyone who had to live through it. This book focuses on the Polish resistance during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for my ARC.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC copy of this novel!

From the Polish resistance in WWII, to Toronto of the 2010s, art runs in this family. The novel follows both Irena, a soldier in the Polish resistance army whose plans to go to Art School are put on hold due to Nazi occupation; and Jo, her granddaughter who creates grave sculptures and whose newest client may have a connection to her grandmother.

The novel at times is both heart breaking and heartfelt. The majority is set in WWII Warsaw, and the reader is brought into the world of civilians fighting for their lives and an underground network using the sewers to escape the Nazi soldiers. The heartfelt movements feel like small moments of sunshine in the bleak landscape - such as Mati and Irena's relationship – while not diminishing the horrors and atrocities that take place. This story weaves into the future, where Jo's newest client is a supposed fighter with the Polish resistance, and plants questions in Jo's mind about her grandmothers life that she never knew about.

One of the main takeaways from this story, aside from history repeating itself (because lets be honest, todays climate anyone can see that), perhaps we should ask our families those questions about their past and experiences before it's too late.

Kudos to this new-to-me author for engaging me with unique characters (and careers) and crafting a plot (1) full of secrets to be uncovered and (2) one that left me with lots to think about!

I was as interested in the contemporary timeline as I was in the Warsaw 1939 timeline; the fact that Canada was used as a setting appealed to me. Despite reading a variety of books on the resistance to Nazi occupation, many set in Poland, I still learned more about this eye-opening slice of history. Pam Jenoff’s book alerted me to the experiences many faced in the sewers, but Kath Jonathan made it visceral.

✔️Josephine Blum’s ‘artistry’ had me reaching for Google to see if it was a ‘real’ job!
✔️The differing reactions Irena and Lotka had to living under Nazi occupation not only gave me a focus while reading but also equally pulled at my emotions.
✔️The questions raised, especially that of capitulation being the only alternative to fighting, had me thinking about this book long after finishing.
✔️The inspiration and the journey to publication was interesting
✔️I had to Google ‘Varsovians’...love it when I learn as I read! Thank you for not spoon-feeding your readers.

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.