By Kristin Hannah
I'm a big fan of WW2 stories (my dad served as a Navy pilot in the war), and this well-written novel probably offers the best insight of any into the reality of life in occupied France. Two sisters struggle on the French homefront as Nazi soldiers take over their town and even billet in their home. Vianne tries to maintain a normal home life for her young daughter as she teaches school in the village and awaits letters from her soldier husband. Her younger sister Isabelle joins the resistance, accepting a dangerous assignment of leading downed pilots to escape across the mountains into Spain (I have read that her character is based on an actual person, Andree de Jongh, but have not seen the documentation on that). This story refers to the constant food shortages, the blackout curtains that shrouded each house at night, and the constant fear - especially for a family housing a German soldier - really gives a sense of the horrors of war, off the battlefield. Like most of their compatriots, neither sister lost hope, and each serves as an inspiring example of how to live through hard times.
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