My Review:I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. Even when my eyes were yelling for sleep, I carried on to the end. This isn’t my usual genre, although it seems to be finding its place in my reading preferences. Helen did a fantastic job bringing alive the character of Laila, a young Norwegian woman. She lives with her family in a war torn area. The pains of war, bombings, loss, spying, town gossips, burning buildings are featured here and of course the resistance, the brave people who tried to bring peace back to the country. Joseph is a young German soldier who captures the attention of Layla, much to her parents disapproval and so she finds herself in Lebensborn. A horrific place, there’s a reality that single women went through to support the blue eyed, blond haired idealism. Laila is a strong woman and the love for a child knows no boundaries, no limits to what a mother will put herself though to survive and give her baby a chance at life. I found myself humming A letter to Elise by The Cure for some reason. I have done my best to keep spoilers out of this review, fingers crossed I succeeded. A recommended 5 star read.

A Mother’s War

A forbidden romance in occupied Norway…

Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn’t long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef.

Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion.

But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible…

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/MothersWarsocial

Author Bio –

I am from London but now live in Hamburg, Germany with my husband and daughter. I gave English lessons to retired Germans for twenty years and became intrigued by many of their wartime stories. My mother comes from Linz, Austria and I spent my summer holidays there for years which inspired my next novel. I have always loved reading and writing, and now finally have the time to devote to writing.

Social Media Links –  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenParusel