Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini

Historical fiction is a genre that seems to have something for everyone. Some stories are based simply based in a certain time period while others are based loosely on actual events. I find that I end up learning so much from this genre and it makes me want to learn more about what actually happened in history.

Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini is a historical fiction novel that is based off the real resistance organization called the Red Orchestra. This secret group fought the against the Nazi movement in Germany. The reader follows the lives of three women who work together to try and stop the Nazi party from gaining power in Germany. When the Nazi's do become the most powerful force in Germany, the Red Orchestra tries to give that power back to the people. The novel's main protagonist is Mildred Fish, an American women who marries a German and moves to his country. As an American, Mildred is able to get information to the American Embassy and get new information back to the Red Orchestra. Another women, Greta Kuckoff is a German women who gathers intelligence in whatever ways she can as a citizen of Nazi Germany. The last women in this trio is Sara Weitz, a Jewish university student who faces incredible obstacles as she gathers information for the group and also tries to find a way of escape for her family. The author uses these women's lives to fully demonstrate how Nazi Germany gained power and how they were able to keep that said power.

I enjoyed this novel immensely and each chapter was very interesting. It is a rather long novel, my edition was 608 pages, so be prepared to read the same book for a while. In my opinion, it is worth every second as it is not only an captivating read, but also an educational read. The author did their research and did a great job making a fictional piece accurate. This is a great book for any person who wants to understand what it was like for those living in Nazi Germany who disagreed with the ruling power.

~Abigail C.