Book Review
Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies
For fans of historical fiction comes a brand new series of books by Dinah Jefferies. Set in 1944 France, Daughters of War follows three sisters who each have a very different approach to processing and surviving the war. This sweeping novel shares of love, heartbreak, secrets, and the realities of occupation. (Keep reading for my full review!)
About Daughters of War:
(From the publisher) In an old stone cottage, on the edge of a beautiful French village, three sisters long for the end of the war.
Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening.
Elise, the rebel, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost.
And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is free.
Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dear…
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Readers copy provided courtesy of Harper Collins Canada. All opinions expressed are my own.
Reader’s Thoughts
With it’s initial glowing reviews on Goodreads, I was very excited to receive my copy of this novel. However, right from the start, I struggled with this story. Being a huge fan of the genre, I found that Daughters of War lacked some of compelling prose that I was used to. While I’m sure many love this straight-forward style of writing, it just didn’t draw me in.
As the book progressed, I was able to connect a little better with the various characters. The book felt like it explored each of the sisters’ relationships with each other while still maintaining an equal amount of action. (And believe me, the three experienced quite a lot through these 500 pages!) There were some truly heartbreaking scenes and I did grow to appreciate this story more as I continued reading.
In terms of characters, one other note is that I wish that we were able to see more of Elise’s work with the resistance. This was a huge part of her character and yet she often just disappeared to “do things.”
On the plus side, I did really enjoy the setting. Jefferies manages to get across this really idyllic feeling village and countryside, and the house in which this sisters lives seems like an absolute dream!
There are a lot of other great reviews for this book so I encourage you to check them out before making a final decision for yourself. For me, while the book was okay, I probably won’t be continuing with this series.