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.