There's no doubt that there are a lot of dual point of view WWII novels out there and some of those books are average, so it brings a lot of satisfaction when you find one that stands out from the crown. The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann is one of those books. It's such a great read!
Anni Odland is doing the best that she can to keep what remains of her family together in German occuupied Norway during WWII. Her husband, Lars, is a merchant sailor. He left Norway years before, not knowing that he would not be returning home, leaving Anni to raise their young daughter Ingrid. Along with her mother in law, Guri, she also is doing what she can to resist the Germans.
One day, there is a knock at the door. Ingrid hides in her hiding spot, knowing if there is danger she needs to hide until she can run to her grandmother. However, it is not imminent danger. It is a German civilian who has come to inform Anna that her house has been requisitioned and he is going to be boarding in her house for the foreseeable future. This is going to make it difficult for her resistance activities to continue.
Whilst war brings out the best in people but it also brings out the worst. It doesn't take long for people to begin to gossip about the fact that Anni is a single woman with a German living in her house.
I mentioned that this is a dual point of view, as opposed to a dual timeline. The reason I make this distinction is that Ingrid's story starts from when she is a young girl being bullied by her schoolmates and wondering when her family is going to be reunited. We then follow Ingrid across the decades as she move to England and then tries to find out exactly what happened to her mother in the days immediately following the end of the war, facing silence and obstacles at every turn. I was very moved at several points in this book, particularly towards the end.
I do have a little familiarity with the WWII history of Norway through a couple of books, plus the movie Number 24 and some documentaries but I wouldn't call it comprehensive! In this book, there were some particular aspects that I hadn't heard of before. I found myself wondering how the government in exile expected women like Anni to manage when they made the laws.
Anna Normann is a pseudonym for two authors who write together, Natalie Normann and Anan Singh. They have been writing together in Norwegian for years, but this is their first book writing in English. I was very impressed. There were a couple of idioms that had me wondering but other than those minor moments this was a fantastic read. I would definitely be interested in reading more from these authors, either together or individually.
If you are looking for a really compelling read with a rare setting, an interesting story, fascinating history and an emotional payoff then give this book a go! I loved it and this is a 5 star read for me!
I am sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.
Rating 5/5
The Silent Resistance
Occupied Norway, 1944. Anni endures the war alone, aiding the resistance while longing for news of her sailor husband. Her daughter, Ingrid, is her joy, and Anni is determined to keep her safe. But when a German official is billeted at their home, danger escalates, and Anni faces an agonising dilemma.
London, 1952. Ingrid has been trying to understand her mother’s mysterious disappearance at the war’s end. Clinging to Anni’s promise that she would always come back for her, Ingrid sets out to discover what happened all those years ago.
Purchase Link - http://tinyurl.com/2n6sr5b6
About the Author
Anna Normann is the pseudonym of authors Anan Singh and Natalie Normann, and it all happened because of a bet. Sometime in the nineteen eighties, while watching a movie with a so-so plot, they started arguing about improving the plot and how they could write a better story than that mess. And then Anan’s wife said ‘I bet you can’t’ …
Since then, they have published seven books together in Norwegian, exploring different genres. Their first novel, set in WW2, won a competition in 1995 for ‘Norway’s best entertainment novel’.
Social Media Links – https://linktr.ee/NatalieNormann
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