A Rose for the Resistance: Heroines of WWII #5

Angela K Couch

Apr 2022 · Heroines of WWII Book 5 · Barbour Publishing

About this ebook

A French Woman and German Soldier Create a Truce
 
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
 
With her father in a German POW camp and her home in Ste Mere Eglise, France, under Nazi occupation, Rosalie Barrieau will do anything to keep her younger brother safe. . .even from his desire to join the French resistance. Until she falls into the debt of a German solder—one who delivers a wounded British pilot to her door. Though not sure what to make of her German ally, Rosalie is thrust deep into the heart of the local underground. As tensions build toward the allied invasion of Normandy, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for freedom. 

Other books in the series you may also enjoy:
The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander
Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma
Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson
Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War by Mary Davis
 

Ratings and reviews

When I read novels like this, I wonder what it was like to live in one’s own country when it has been overrun by and under control of an enemy. While we can’t truly know without being there, the author has written a fabulous account based on her extensive research. This emotionally charged novel, set during WWII, has everything I would want in historical fiction. The characters invited me in from the first page. The primary characters dealt with definite spiritual challenges and demonstrated the work the Lord was doing in them. The writing is so descriptive, I could almost smell the rose garden and the rain and see the countryside and village. Experiencing the feelings of some of the characters was easy, sometimes painfully so, with the beautiful writing style. Most events occur in occupied France in 1943. We see changes the Germans made to France and the effects on the residents. We meet Rosalie, who lost her fiancé, Lucas, on the day the Germans took over the village. Her younger brother, Marcel, was going to join up with Lucas and his friend but was hit by shrapnel and barely escaped the same fate as Lucas. Franz is a German soldier who almost lost his leg in battle. His father died in the Great War before he was born when saving the life of Ernst Rintelen, now an SS major. Ernst watched over Franz and his mother ever since, making sure their needs were taken care of. Franz, still recovering from his injuries, is sent to a village in occupied France. Before he left, Ernst and his mother got married. Rintelen is not one of Franz’s favorite people, but he has been good to his mother and will take care of her. Throughout the novel, we see some of Rosalie’s treasured memories of her father. He had gone off to fight and they have not heard from him in three years. We see glimpses of her mother’s life and how she lost much of her family in the Great War, but most of her life is a secret. We also see Franz tormented by a memory from five years earlier, the death of his best friend Heinrich. Franz and Rosalie meet in the village when she purchased food rations and Franz’s superior officer damaged some of them. Later that day, he brought replacement rations plus some to their home. She wanted nothing to do with him, but finally accepted the foods with the assurance he wanted nothing in return. He realized where he had first met her and her brother a few years earlier he was impressed by her courage. They forged a fragile friendship when he brought her an injured British pilot to care for whose plane crashed nearby, and he couldn’t let the man be killed by his superiors. He smuggled supplies to help them, and over time, they began to have feelings for one another. In the meantime, Rosalie joins her brother on secret Resistance work that could cost their lives. If you like Christian novels set during WWII, this one is well worth reading, especially during this season of world events. Watching people struggle with whether the Lord is real or whether He really loves them in time of war is enlightening and encouraging. I see how very different our lives are than those in war-torn countries and can learn from Rosalie. I highly recommend this to women of all ages who appreciate well written Christian fiction set in WWII Europe with faith struggles, family challenges, and a touch of romance. From a thankful heart: I received an ARC of this book from Celebrate Lit and the publisher, and this is my honest review.

A fast paced , action packed, novel of the French Resistance during WWII. Two young siblings that worked for the resistance, a downed American pilot and a German Officer. Filled with courage, love of country, faith and a bit of romance. Rosalie's father is in a POW camp somewhere in Germany, her mother is in a depressed mood over the loss of her father and it is up to Rosalie to look after her preteen brother Marcel that is determined to get himself in trouble with the Germans while working with the French Resistance. Slowly Rosalie is drawn into helping the resistance. Franz is a German soldier that is disillusioned with the Nazi army. He helps Rosalie and Marcel and brings them a downed pilot he found wounded for them to hide named Robert. Rosalie has a bible that she found in a pile of burned books that was singed on the edges, when Marcel ran from the soldiers and hid in a barn with Rosalie. She feels this bible helped them hide from the Nazi officer that opened the door and then shut it pretending he didn't see them. Now she carries the bible on all her resistance jobs. She reads her bible and prays for all in this awful war. So many things happen in the time the war is going on and always she has faith. It is a story of what it was like for the people in France when it was occupied by the German soldiers. The cruel treatment by the Nazi's , the rationing and scarcity of food, the danger in their fight for their country against unsurpassed odds. This was a good book about the French resistance and I did enjoy reading about these brave young characters. I would recommend this book. Thanks to Angela K. Couch for writing a great story, to Barbour Publishing for publishing the book and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

5 stars, A unique perspective on WWII A ROSE FOR THE RESISTANCE (Heroines of WWII #5) by Angela K. Couch #arosefortheresistance is a unique perspective on #wwii it's mostly set in France, around Rosalie, her younger brother Marcel, and a German soldier. Marcel is determined to get into the fight against the hostile takeover by the Germans. Rosalie is constantly trying to solve his problems to keep him at home, so he'll be safe. When they are mysteriously saved by a German soldier, they don't know what to think. The man, Franz is supposed to be the enemy, he is wearing the uniform of the enemy, and he hangs out with the enemy, yet all indications point to the fact that he may be an ally. As I read this novel, I was reminded that there are good people and bad people in all walks of life. This is not a completely fictional story, there are details pulled from history, yet it is believable that situations like this could have occurred. The element that the author is determined to share is that we remember the horrors of the German takeover and learn from that and don't let it occur again. Much appreciation to #barbourpublishing #barbourbooks for the complimentary copy of #arosefortheresistance I was under no obligation to post a review. #resistance #freedomfighters #underground #dictator #spies #heroinesofwwiiseries #partofaseries #standalone #angelakcouch

About the author

To keep from freezing in the great white north, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the 2016 International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and toasty warm) by chasing after five munchkins.