Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Paperback and ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.
Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them.
At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.
Then comes the Anschluss—the reunification of Austria and Germany under Nazi rule. The three sisters’ lives have become ever more separate with Lotte joining the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit’s secret involvement with the Resistance. But as Johanna realizes how mistaken she was about the level of danger, she begins to see that it may be down to her to protect the man she loves.
She knows that she can’t do it alone though. She will have to turn to the people she trusts the most: her sisters.
The three of them work together to try to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland, and they soon prove invaluable to the Resistance. But they’re risking everything. Can three women who would die for each other, also be prepared to die for what is right?
The sisters’ subsequent journey from Nazi-occupied Salzburg to the devastating concentration camps of Ravensbruck and Mauthausen will show the strength of human spirit like never before. As, out of the darkness, a tiny seed of hope flowers…
A totally heartbreaking and impossibly powerful story about love, tragedy, and the power of humanity. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and The Sound of Music.
My Thoughts
Kate Hewitt's latest release opens in 1934 and introduces the Eder family: Manfred and Hedwig, and their three unmarried daughters, Johanna, Birgit and Lottie.
Johanna is the eldest and feels stifled helping her mother to run the household. She dreams of a more exciting life beyond the confines of her mother's kitchen. If only her mother would allow it. Eventually her mother relents and allows Johanna to take a secretarial course. Little does Johanna envisage that her office skills will take her to one of the Nazis' toughest labour camps.
Birgit is apprenticed to her father, a clockmaker, and wishes to feel useful and valued. She believes she has found her niche with the Resistance. Her relationship with Werner Haas, a young officer in the Austrian army who supports Hitler's policies, could be dangerous or a potential asset.
The youngest, Lottie, a student of music, seeks peace and tranquility in religion. She is content to leave her family and embrace life in the local abbey, but here too the war intrudes.
The home life of the Eders is happy, safe and comfortable. Events across the border in Germany, where Hitler has risen to power, threaten this peaceful existence, but reunification and war are inevitable. Soon there are German soldiers on the streets of Salzburg and tensions quickly escalate forcing the family to take sides.
The unexpected arrival of Franz Weber, a Jew, to work and live with the Eders brings another disruption to their lives. Birgit resents him for usurping her place with her father, while Johanna feels an instant attraction.
With Jews being rounded up by the Nazis, it becomes too dangerous for Franz to remain with the Eders. Plans are made for his escape using Birgit's contacts in the Resistance, but when these fail, the sisters are forced to make other arrangements that will take them into the heartland of the enemy.
I enjoyed the slow build of this novel as we get to know the family, the dreams and aspirations of the three sisters and their reactions to the changes in their lives.
Kate Hewitt does an excellent job of explaining the political situation while moving the narrative forward and she doesn't shy away from the unsavoury and distressing details of a world at war.
The Edelweiss Sisters is a tale of love, courage, sacrifice and resilience. There is plenty of adversity and heartbreak along the way for the three sisters, but the conclusion is heartwarming. This is another top novel from an outstanding author of World War II fiction.
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