Book Review: A Mother’s War by Helen Parusel

I am so pleased to be welcoming Helen Parusel to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, 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…

*****

Laila has watched her hometown of Narvik in Norway fall under German occupation. As the locals adjust to the new rules, Laila meets Josef, a German solider. He seems different to the others, but she’s determined not to get close to him. Instead, she wants to do what she can for the resistance.

However, she is pulled to Josef and soon they are in love but with what consequences?

This novel. Wow.

I knew this book was going to tackle some hard themes and I feel this is done well. The subject matter is an aspect of the war I knew nothing about and it’s heart-breaking.

Laila is a character that grows from a naive teenager to a strong, resilient woman who wants to be with her baby.

The supporting characters are a mix where some are likeable and others not so much.

The author does well to show many aspects of the war. For example, how Josef is a man who is a long way from home and doesn’t agree with why he is there or what his country is starting to stand for.

I was so engrossed in this novel, I pretty much read it in one sitting. I wanted to know the fate of these characters.

This debut is a compelling, hard hitting, emotional rollercoaster of a book. Despite having finished it, I’m still thinking about it. If you’re a fan of historical fiction or looking for a book that really gets you thinking, this book is perfect.

About Helen Parusel–

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.

Say hi on Twitter. 

A Mother’s War was released by Boldwood Books on 17th May 2023. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.