Resistance

it took me about 50 pages to get into this, but once i did, i really enjoyed the next 150 pages or so. there are some excellent turns of phrase and quality writing here. the story, though, for me, focused on probably the least interesting aspect of what was happening. i wanted to hear more about the resistance, about the village, about the cells, about the people. (most especially about why people so actively resist when the repercussions are so extreme, and can affect so many people; what motivates people to stand up and do the right thing when it's hidden? maybe it's just when i'm reading this, but it seems like *that* should be what this book is about.) so the last bit of the book really fell away for me, as it focused on the love show more relationship, and in doing so, made for some out of character actions. (there is literally no chance that after successfully hiding people for so long that claire would risk the line and her life to go for a coffee in the village with someone she is hiding. no way.)

but this is well written and describes a time well. i often wish her books would have a different focus, but her writing is good enough to keep me coming back anyway.

a couple of examples: "He was in Belgium. He remembered now the word Belgique, the boy's voice frantic and insistent, crowded with tears; and the word in English, the woman's voice, low and soothing, pronouncing the name of her country as if the word itself were sanctuary."

"...dust caught at their trousers." show less

I love Anita Shreve novels and Resistance was no exception.
Set in a small village in Nazi-occupied Belgium life takes a drastic turn when a B-17 bomber piloted by American Theodore Aiden Brice crash-lands in a neighbouring field following a dazzlingly described dogfight in the sky. Seriously injured, he is discovered by 10 year old Jean Benoit and hidden in Claire and Henri Daussois’s secret attic room until he is well enough to be moved down the line by the resistance.
Interrogations, raids, fear, poverty, hunger, mistrust and sub-zero temperatures as well as the cruelty, inhumanity and brutality of the Gestapo create a vivid backdrop to the evolving relationships between Claire and her husband, Ted and Jean. The depth of evocative show more detail is breathtaking, the plot and character development sublime. So is much said with so few words over such a short period of time. Historical fiction at its finest. show less

An American plane is downed near a Belgian Village during World War II. Pilot Ted Brice escapes in the woods with the aid of a small boy. He's taken to the home of Henry and Claire who are members of the resistance. The plan is to hide him there until he can make an escape through France back to England. The danger for those in the village increases when one of the villagers provokes the Germans.This is a Holocaust story and a love story. Having read other books on this period, the ending is a bit predictable. There was a lot that could have been included that was omitted, and the ending seemed a bit rushed. It's a book that a lot of women will enjoy reading.

2024 Advent, Day 15:This book reads incredibly 90s. I do not mean that it takes place then, because the setting is WW2, but just the vibe. It's the same vibe I get watching Xena or Voyager or Charmed or Sharpe, where I can just tell that this was made in a specific era, regardless of when the story actually takes place. I actually made it to page 40 before I just had to check the publication (and it was indeed 1995). Other than that, the book was a bit strangely (not very well) paced, a bit cliche at times, and has several logic holes in the plot that took me out of it. I doubt the author has a clear grasp of what farm life actually entails or the consequences of simply not doing the chores for days on end, as happens several times in show more this narrative with no repercussions. Also (spoilers) I hate a surprise pregnancy

In summary: A passible romance and historical fiction except for the 90s filter that i think will definitely impact a modern reader of these genres as they navigate this narrative. 2 stars

Book donated after reading show less

An emotional masterpiece! I could not put this book down and read long into the night never wanting it to end. I felt I was Ted and Claire and Jean throughout the entire story. I still find myself walking around my house or going about my day and suddenly catching my breath and wanting to sob because I have remembered some detail of their story. A profound story of love, hate, and the human spirit.

A beautifully poetic love story between an injured pilot and a Belgian woman during WWII. Claire Daussois and her husband Henri are part of the resistance against nazis. They hide Jews in their farmhouse attic and move them along the organized network to safety.

Claire retrieves an injured American pilot from Jean's family barn, and with assistance from others in the resistance, helps heal his wounds. After 3 nazi guards are killed, many townspeople are rounded up, tortured and 10 are hung. Henri must depart the town and hide.

As Tom regains his strength he is attracted to Claire's compelling looks. Their coming together is powerfully intense and driven by gratitude on both sides, and because of the heightened danger around them. They show more never know when they could be caught.

50 years later Claire attends the re-union to honor and remember the American pilots and crew who landed in Delahaut to help the Allies.

An excellent, moving, painful and exciting read about the agonies of war, the fear and the courage. show less

Set in a Belgian village during World War II, Claire Daussois is struggling to keep her marriage alive amidst severe depletions in her Nazi-occupied village. All the happiness and joy seems to have bled out of her marriage. She and her husband have been sheltering refugees from the war - Allied pilots, fleeing Belgian soldiers and Jews are among some of the people they help.

Claire nurses the wounded, acts as interpreter and waits anxiously for the war to end. One day, when Henri, her husband is doing Resistance work, Claire discovers a downed American B-17 Bomber and a young boy turns to her for help in nursing the injured pilot. As the pilot Ted Brice recovers in Claire's attic, she awakens to the possibility of love. For twenty days, show more Claire and Ted are sheltered until the war returns with shocking suddenness leaving them with haunting memories of their time together.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was extremely sad. I give this book an A+! show less