Book Blurb:
1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.
Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Mateo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves?
My Review: 4 stars
Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff was another compelling book inspired by the true stories of the brave souls who risked everything to save themselves and others from the death camps during WW2. Having the story take place in Belgium was a plus for me, as it was a new setting that I wasn’t familiar with.
This book is told by the three main POVs: Hannah, Lily and Micheline. This structure worked well as it was during the same time-period. Each woman was quite distinct, so I never got confused between the three. Of all the women however, I was most interested in Micheline and her role in the Sapphire Line. She could have her own book!
I really appreciated the impeccable research employed by the author. She brought many real stories to life, as well as fictionalizing some of the story to support the facts. Through works like these, we feel the pain and injustices that occurred. It made me grateful for those in history that worked as resistors against the Nazis.
