The Warsaw Sisters

The Warsaw Sisters of WWII Poland
By Amanda Barratt / Revell

I’ve been steeped in World War II topics in recent months. For print books, I read The Watchmaker’s Daughter (The True Story of Corrie Ten Boom) and The First Ladies. On many evenings this fall, my husband and I settled in and watched all two seasons of World on Fire on PBS. I requested The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt to review, because I wanted to keep this reading and viewing theme going along the same course. Amanda Barratt’s book is accurate and reflects a great deal of research. Her writing shines a light on the horrific experience Polish citizens experienced at the hands of German invaders. It is interesting how this author was able to craft a plot that weaves in many different points of view. Her prose is rich and detailed. It was an education to read about the Home Army Uprising and their valiant effort to defend Warsaw. The Polish citizens were heroic in their efforts. This is one reason I love to read fiction and non-fiction based on history.

The story is built around the experience of two sisters who chose different paths during the war. One chose to get involved with rescuing Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto. The other eventually becomes a soldier in the resistance movement. They fall out of regular contact and events make it seem they will stay separated. But Barratt writes a satisfying conclusion giving readers reason to hope.

My recommendation for readers thinking about picking up this book is to be patient and allow yourself a good amount of time to read this book. Read the historical note for context maybe just as you begin your reading journey. Also stop and look up some of the cultural references to help with your understanding. While I have some knowledge of Polish customs, many terms were new to me such as oplatki. Also I did not know some of the Polish musicians and poets that Barratt referenced in her novel.

I did read the book from cover to cover and I appreciate the amount of work this author put into sharing The Warsaw Sisters with her readers. The publisher, Revell supplied me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. On a final note: I seem to be unable to stop myself from picking up more WW II books. Now I’m reading Freedom Flyers: the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II by J. Todd Moye. #TheWarsawSisters!