Daughters of War written by Dinah Jefferies, publisher HarperCollins, is available NOW in ebook, audiobook and paperback format.
Book Blurb
France, 1944. Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful
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 bravery comes at a cost, and soon the sisters’ lives become even more
perilous as they fight for what is right. And secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel
everything they hold most dear…
The first in an epic new series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller, Daughters of War is a stunning tale
of sisters, secrets and bravery in the darkness of war-torn France…
To buy links
The paperback is available from all good book retailers including Waterstones, WH Smith, Foyles and independent bookstores. It is also available online at amazon, wordery, bookshop.org, hive.
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/daughters-of-war-9780008427023/9780008427023
https://www.waterstones.com/book/daughters-of-war/dinah-jefferies/9780008427023
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes.
I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Dinah Jefferies latest novel: Daughters of War. Daughter’s of War is the first book in a new historical trilogy from the author.
What I love about Dinah Jefferies work is that she evokes plenty of atmosphere in her stories and this was portrayed beautifully and sensitively with Daughters of War. In this latest historical novel we are in a small village in France occupied by the Nazi, it’s 1944 and the Germans are wreaking havoc across France but the hearts and minds of the French are not forgotten as the Resistance builds up momentum.
We follow the story of three young women who have been left in the family’s holiday home in France whilst their mother remained in England. The sisters; Helene a nurse working with the local doctor, Elise using her work in the cafe to cover up her resistance work and Florence the youngest. They are all very different in personality, Helene feels a great responsibility since their mother left and worries about her younger sisters. Elise is strong-willed, brave and a little impetuous. Florence is a gentle, almost whimsical young woman loving nature, gardening, cooking and puts her trust in all.
When Florence trusts an unknown young man who appears distressed, malnourished she inadvertently brings trouble to their door and when another unexpected visitor turns up the sisters’ lives are put at risk. It’s a small village, everyone knows each other, secrets are hard to hide during this turbulent time and doubts begin to cross people’s minds. As the occupation of France rages on and the Allies prepare to make a strategic move the girls lives and those near them are put in danger.
Dinah Jefferies has written a captivating historical novel that puts you right near the end of what we know as WWII. Life is so different to post war when the countryside was beautiful, idyllic and an escape for all but there was no escape during this terrible conflict.. At times the storyline was raw and brutally honest and was hard to read about the cruelty of war. There were also times of an inner strength within the girls and the community that felt inspirational. The author blended fact with fiction with ease and grace and made me aware of an event in France I hadn’t hear about. As war rages on the beauty of love doesn’t disappear and this brings light to dark times.
I have to admit there is a scene with one particular character that took me by surprise as I felt it was quite out of place with their personality but I’m hoping this will all fit in to the storyline in later books.
When I reached the end of the novel it left me longing to read the next instalment. So many unanswered questions to a story that I feel is just the beginning for these three young women.
Atmospheric, captivating and emotive.
About the Author
Dinah Jefferies began her career with The Separation, followed by the number 1
Sunday Times and Richard and Judy bestseller, The Tea-Planter’s Wife. Born in
Malaysia, she moved to England at the age of nine. As a teenager she missed the
heat of Malaysia, which left her with a kind of restlessness that led to quite an
unusual life. She studied fashion design, went to live in Tuscany where she
worked as an au-pair for an Italian countess, and there was even a time when
Dinah lived with a rock band in a ‘hippie’ commune in Suffolk.
In 1985, the death of her fourteen-year-old son changed everything and she now
draws on the experience of loss in her writing. She started writing novels in her
sixties and sets her books abroad, aiming to infuse love, loss and danger with the
extremely seductive beauty of her locations. Dinah and her husband spent five wonderful years living in a small 16th Century village in the Sierra de Aracena in Northern Andalusia, she’s now lives close to her family in Gloucestershire. She is published in
29 languages and over 30 countries.
Twitter: @DinahJefferies
Website: https://www.dinahjefferies.com/
kraftireader 
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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