A Call to Courage

Women of the Resistance #1

by Holly Green

Far from home, will she fight for freedom? 21-year-old Alix is studying in Paris, far away from Sasha, her Serbian father and Leonora, her English mother, as World War Two breaks out. Finding hope even in troubled times, romance sparks with fellow student Raoul; but she soon learns young love can be tumultuous. So, when Steve, a handsome American pilot with Serbian ancestors, enters her life, she can’t ignore her feelings toward him. And making a decision will be even harder as both men leave for war… Meanwhile, in Belgrade her father is embroiled in a plot against the Prince Regent, while her mother begins to work with the Nursing Corps in Finland. Life in Paris grows perilous under the oppressive German occupation, and Alix is faced with an impossible run for home, or stay and join the Resistance. Can she find the courage to risk her life for freedom? Meet the characters from Holly Green’s Frontline Nurses series, in this captivating new historical read set in Paris during WW2. Fans of Amanda Lees and Suzanne Kelman will love this. Praise for Holly ‘Holly Green’s research and delivery of her stories gives readers a glimpse of the reality of war .’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review ‘ Holly’s storytelling is amazing , you feel you are actually there.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Genres: Historical Fiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2023

About the author

Pen name for author: Hilary Green
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...


Holly Green writes historical sagas about love and war, and her books are inspired by the stories she heard from her parents when she was a child. Her father was a professional singer with a fine baritone voice and her mother was a dancer, but they hd to give up their professions at the outbreak of World War II.

Holly is from Liverpool and is a trained actress and teacher - her claim to fame being that she gave Daniel Craig his first acting experience!

Holly is married, and enjoys spending time with her two delightful grandchildren.

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting this to be a sequel series. When I read the back cover mentioning a Serbian father and British mother, I didn't give it much thought. Then I learned that our main female character Alix is the daughter of Leo and Sasha from the WWI series. I read it 10-15 years ago when it first came out under the Hilary Green name then it was re-release under her Holly Green name. So we catch up with Leo again. I loved that series and plan on reading it again and had I known the connection between the two I would've done it sooner. Anyway all is not great for Alix and her family. She is living in France studying at the Sorbonne. Her mother is in England having taken her daughter away from what is now Yugoslavia after Sasha tried to force his daughter into an arranged marriage. Alix meets and falls in love with an American Steve who like her has roots in Yugoslavia. Her current boyfriend is very jealous and this keeps them apart. The war begins Steve is shot down and escapes from being a POW and has to find his way back to Britainfrom behindenemy lines. Alix joins early resistance efforts, and France is taken over, Leo rejoins the FANY going to Finland with an ambulance convoy before heading back to Yugoslavia at the behest of SOE. This was an interesting read. I liked seeing how the resistance got their start. Most books just jump into already established lines, so to see how everyone came together from forgerers to how the various groups were formed was fascinating. Starting with little acts of rebellion like putting up stickers and posters and flowers by a sign announcing the death of a resistance fighters, all the way to helping POWs escape to freedom the bravery of these people is unheard of in this day and age. The book ends with a set up to the next installment which I'm excited to get to soon. I did enjoy this book unfortunately I picked it up when I was going through a spell of not being able to concentrate on anything otherwise I would've read it much quicker. I do look forward to seeing what happens to Alix Steve, Leo and Sasha in the next two books.

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of World War Two historical fiction. For the most part, each concentrates on on location, or one situation. A Call to Courage deals with many issues at the same time. It was a book that needed my complete attention in order to give the story the justice due. I was given glimpses into so many situations that I don't recall ever learning about in high school or at university. I went through so many emotions while reading the story. Most importantly I was reminded once again that through knowledge we can avoid repeating the past.

The story centers around Alix, a student in Paris before the war. Soon she will be stuck in Paris, witnessing the horrors of war. She refuses to close her eyes to the injustices. Her bravery and dedication makes for a story full of conspiracy, adventure and danger. The other main characters are connected to her through blood or friendship. A Call to Courage is a great example of how many different situations were going on at the same time.

Alix's father is a Count Sasha Malkovic, a Serbian attempting to keep Yugoslavia out of the war. His friendship with Prince Peter gives him many opportunities to help his Serbian people all of Yugoslavia. His connections will find him working with the SOE to accomplish the unthinkable. With his wife by his side he will able to accomplish much.

His wife, Leo went to England after settling Alix in Paris, against Sasha's wishes. She needed space while her husband cooled down. With war imminent, she rejoins the FANYs and soon finds herself stuck in a foreign country surrounded by Germans. Talk about a scary situation. Leo has some very nail biting times worthy of the big screen. Leo is soon involved with the SOE making for even more dangerous time by her husband's side that allowed me to learn so much.

It wasn't just Alix's family that made the story addictive. Alix had met Steve while in Paris. They were brought together through their Serbian heritage and familiarity of the language. As an American, Steve goes to England, joining the RAF. He will risk his life over and over again for a country that isn't even his. When letters to Alix no longer arrive, she is left to wonder what happened.

Little did she know that he was a POW that would soon escape from the March. I thought I knew quite a lot about the March since I have tried to absorb a lot to understand my great uncle that survived the March. Steve's story gave me a new perspective. I cannot begin to understand the fear and dedication that he possessed in order to make it back to England. I can't wait to ready the next book to see if he and Alix will meet up again. Last time, they missed each other by hours. With both of them heading to Yugoslavia, Alix is heading home to her parents while Steve's going as aa member of the SOE.

[brittanys.booktalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the eARC!

This is a 3.5 rounded up for me. I love WWII fictional works and the historical element of this book was well researched and felt like I was in the action.

My main hang ups on this book were that Alix was not my favorite as a MC it took about 40-45% to start getting going on the main purpose of the book. Alix starts out very annoying and I was super mad at her for NOT going home when she could have but, of course, hindsight is 20/20.

I actually enjoyed Alix's parents' stories more than hers. And Steve's was more interesting.

I'm a "go in blind" type reader so all I knew was this book was WWII and the cover. Calling it a Women of the Resistance book feels a bit disingenuous to Steve's ultimate story line, though he does meet a lot of women completing resistance activities.

[peter walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving book that shows the terrible hardships & pains caused by WW2 , though am pleased that the "Goodies" eventually win & look forward to reading the next novel in this series to see if Alix & Stevan meet again.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't aware it was part of a series when I started reading, but look forward to reading the rest of the books; have several questions: will Alix make it back to Yugoslavia, will she be safe there? (as there is an insinuation of an attack at end of book), will she meet Steve again, who is now coincidentally also back in Yugoslavia?