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Lana's War
From the author of the “fast-paced, heartbreaking, and hopeful” (Kristin Harmel, author of The Room on Rue Amélie) The Light After the War, a riveting and heartfelt story of a young woman recruited to be a spy for the resistance on the French Riviera during World War II.
Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano.
A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband.
Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead.
With Anita Abriel’s “heartfelt and memorable” (Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Lana’s War is a sweeping and suspenseful tale of survival and second chances during some of the darkest days of history.
Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano.
A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband.
Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead.
With Anita Abriel’s “heartfelt and memorable” (Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Lana’s War is a sweeping and suspenseful tale of survival and second chances during some of the darkest days of history.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2021
268 people are currently reading
5215 people want to read
About the author
Anita Abriel
6 books452 followersAnita Abriel was born in Sydney, Australia. She received a BA in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College. She lives in California with her family and is the author of The Light After the War which was inspired by her mother’s story of survival during WWII.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
November 29, 2020
4 stars for a story of love, romance and danger in WWII France. The book opens with Lana Hartmann witnessing the murder of her husband Frederic by a Gestapo officer for hiding a Jewish orphan. Lana decides to join the resistance and moves to Nice. What happens to her makes for an exciting story where she outwits Gestapo officers and helps Jewish people escape.
One quote, describing Nice; "Lana opened the French doors and stepped onto the balcony. The sea was perfectly calm, and the sky was the color of topaz. Below her, the the hills were dotted with villas featuring manicured lawns and swimming pools.
Thank You Atria Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
One quote, describing Nice; "Lana opened the French doors and stepped onto the balcony. The sea was perfectly calm, and the sky was the color of topaz. Below her, the the hills were dotted with villas featuring manicured lawns and swimming pools.
Thank You Atria Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
October 2, 2020
3.5 stars
Paris, 1943. Lana Hartmann loses her husband and unborn child. When asked to join the French Resistance, she accepts the offer. She lost her child, but she’ll help other children to live. She leaves Paris behind and heads to Nice to join forces with a Swiss spy named Guy.
What interested me into this story was the French Resistance in the south. It brings some interesting facts, but the romance spoils it. It also brings exciting descriptions of the Riviera and what makes it unique, for example the perfumeries.
The setting and premise are interesting. The plot moves swiftly. But the narrative could be more polished. Lana gulps a lot. She is naïve at times. She doesn’t necessarily come across as a strong character.
I enjoy well-developed characters who reveal their thoughts and feelings, but Lana constantly analysis everything. And because of that, when she expresses her feelings they fall flat. I didn’t feel her pain. When something is being said to her and she thinks it over, it creates unnecessary repetition. Some bickering between Lana and Guy was a bit too much.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Paris, 1943. Lana Hartmann loses her husband and unborn child. When asked to join the French Resistance, she accepts the offer. She lost her child, but she’ll help other children to live. She leaves Paris behind and heads to Nice to join forces with a Swiss spy named Guy.
What interested me into this story was the French Resistance in the south. It brings some interesting facts, but the romance spoils it. It also brings exciting descriptions of the Riviera and what makes it unique, for example the perfumeries.
The setting and premise are interesting. The plot moves swiftly. But the narrative could be more polished. Lana gulps a lot. She is naïve at times. She doesn’t necessarily come across as a strong character.
I enjoy well-developed characters who reveal their thoughts and feelings, but Lana constantly analysis everything. And because of that, when she expresses her feelings they fall flat. I didn’t feel her pain. When something is being said to her and she thinks it over, it creates unnecessary repetition. Some bickering between Lana and Guy was a bit too much.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2020
Paris 1943: Lana Hartmann is on her way to see her husband Fredric to tell him some very good news, when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she's horrified to see Gestapo officer Alois Brunner shoot him dead for giving a Jewish girl piano lessons and she flees the scene.
Lana’s devastated she doesn’t know what to do, she’s in complete shock for a couple of months and once she finally drags herself out of bed she passes her time by helping at the convent. Lana’s approached to join the resistance they want her to move to the French Riviera to be a spy, her mother Tatiana is a Russian countess and Lana has the perfect background to mix with the other Russian aristocrats already living there. They want her to mingle with the white Russians, attend glitzy parties, and go to the casino; hopefully drunken German soldiers might mention things in front of a pretty woman and let their guard down.
Lana's worried what people will think of her living with Guy Pascal a Swiss industrialist so soon after her husbands death; despite it only being a cover story, they assure her during such times these things are over looked by high society and she’s far too young to be single for long. The plan is for her gather information under the Nazi’s noses about upcoming raids, Jewish people are being sent to a camp at Drancy and the couple also help Jewish people escape. Lana is kind, thoughtful and despite numerous warnings from Guy that she needs to be extremely careful, she can’t save everyone and she still takes risks. Lana can’t turn away and ignore someone who needs help and especially a recently orphaned young Jewish girl.
Set in the beautiful French Rivera Lana’s War is a story about revenge, Lana has a very strong conscience, and she wants France to be free from Nazi rule and her husband death has made her very determined to achieve this. She wants to help save as many Jewish people as she can, she also wants justice for her husbands Fredric’s death and hopefully Alois Brunner will get what he deserves. I really enjoyed Lana's War, I highly recommend reading this book and especially if you like WW II historical fiction and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Lana’s devastated she doesn’t know what to do, she’s in complete shock for a couple of months and once she finally drags herself out of bed she passes her time by helping at the convent. Lana’s approached to join the resistance they want her to move to the French Riviera to be a spy, her mother Tatiana is a Russian countess and Lana has the perfect background to mix with the other Russian aristocrats already living there. They want her to mingle with the white Russians, attend glitzy parties, and go to the casino; hopefully drunken German soldiers might mention things in front of a pretty woman and let their guard down.
Lana's worried what people will think of her living with Guy Pascal a Swiss industrialist so soon after her husbands death; despite it only being a cover story, they assure her during such times these things are over looked by high society and she’s far too young to be single for long. The plan is for her gather information under the Nazi’s noses about upcoming raids, Jewish people are being sent to a camp at Drancy and the couple also help Jewish people escape. Lana is kind, thoughtful and despite numerous warnings from Guy that she needs to be extremely careful, she can’t save everyone and she still takes risks. Lana can’t turn away and ignore someone who needs help and especially a recently orphaned young Jewish girl.
Set in the beautiful French Rivera Lana’s War is a story about revenge, Lana has a very strong conscience, and she wants France to be free from Nazi rule and her husband death has made her very determined to achieve this. She wants to help save as many Jewish people as she can, she also wants justice for her husbands Fredric’s death and hopefully Alois Brunner will get what he deserves. I really enjoyed Lana's War, I highly recommend reading this book and especially if you like WW II historical fiction and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
December 10, 2020
It was Paris 1943 when Lana Antanova had joyous news for her husband. But when she saw him executed brutally by a Nazi, she thought her world would end. The subsequent loss of her unborn child devastated Lana – how would she cope? But cope she did. After some time with her mother and step father, Lana left for the French Riviera where she was determined to be a part of the French Resistance and help to save the Jewish people who were being persecuted by the Nazis.
Joining forces with Guy Pascal, a Swiss national, they lived together in Guy’s villa in Cap Ferrat. Her cover story as Guy’s mistress, a party girl who would befriend the Germans, gave her chills, but she was determined to avenge her husband and baby, and all the Jews who had already been murdered. As the days and weeks flowed by, tension, terror and bravery kept them going. When Lana befriended a twelve-year-old Jewish girl and her mother, more danger threatened. What would happen as the Nazis became more brazen and more Jews needed to escape?
Lana’s War by Aussie author Anita Abriel is another brilliant historical novel. I enjoyed the author’s debut novel, The Light After the War, and this one didn’t disappoint. The bravery of the Resistance is well known; through Lana’s eyes, it shows another aspect of their courage and dedication in foiling the evil of the German Nazis. I found the characters well written and easy to like (apart from the Germans of course) and particularly liked Odette. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Joining forces with Guy Pascal, a Swiss national, they lived together in Guy’s villa in Cap Ferrat. Her cover story as Guy’s mistress, a party girl who would befriend the Germans, gave her chills, but she was determined to avenge her husband and baby, and all the Jews who had already been murdered. As the days and weeks flowed by, tension, terror and bravery kept them going. When Lana befriended a twelve-year-old Jewish girl and her mother, more danger threatened. What would happen as the Nazis became more brazen and more Jews needed to escape?
Lana’s War by Aussie author Anita Abriel is another brilliant historical novel. I enjoyed the author’s debut novel, The Light After the War, and this one didn’t disappoint. The bravery of the Resistance is well known; through Lana’s eyes, it shows another aspect of their courage and dedication in foiling the evil of the German Nazis. I found the characters well written and easy to like (apart from the Germans of course) and particularly liked Odette. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2021
This is a rather simplistic and tepid look at the Resistance movement on the French Riviera in 1943.
Lana is the product of Russian nobility parents. Her mother fled to France when her husband was killed and Lana has grown up in France where she is attending University and married to a French music teacher.
Lana witnesses her husband’s murder by a Gestapo officer and she suffers a miscarriage.
A few months later she is enticed to join the Resistance movement on the French Riviera where she will live with a rich Swiss business man who is helping to get Jews across the border.
The best part is Lana saw the man who killed her husband and knows that he now operates on the Riviera.
It’s a terrific premise for an exciting tale of espionage and suspense. None of which is present on these pages.
It is unrealistic in so many ways with little depth to the characters or the actual Resistance operations.
No surprise there is a romance to keep the reader interested if you are so inclined.
As superficial as this book turned out to be I had a good time reading it.
Lana is the product of Russian nobility parents. Her mother fled to France when her husband was killed and Lana has grown up in France where she is attending University and married to a French music teacher.
Lana witnesses her husband’s murder by a Gestapo officer and she suffers a miscarriage.
A few months later she is enticed to join the Resistance movement on the French Riviera where she will live with a rich Swiss business man who is helping to get Jews across the border.
The best part is Lana saw the man who killed her husband and knows that he now operates on the Riviera.
It’s a terrific premise for an exciting tale of espionage and suspense. None of which is present on these pages.
It is unrealistic in so many ways with little depth to the characters or the actual Resistance operations.
No surprise there is a romance to keep the reader interested if you are so inclined.
As superficial as this book turned out to be I had a good time reading it.
December 29, 2020
This gorgeous cover is perfectly suited to this story of a displaced Russian countess who works for the Resistance on the French Riviera. I breezed through this new release quite quickly and really liked Lana, Guy, and many of the other characters. Lana experiences great tragedy and puts herself in extreme peril to save Jewish children from being sent to concentration camps. The French Riviera really comes to life and seems like the effects of the war were delayed there in comparison to Paris. The ending is a nice surprise. What I found hard to believe is the choices Lana made regarding her relationship with Guy just a few months after she lost Frederic. It seemed like a different person was making the decisions to share a bed and hotel room openly for real rather than as a cover, especially with Odette staying with them.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2021
Lana lost everything the night the Gestapo shot her husband because he was hiding a Jewish child in his piano, and she also lost her unborn child because of the shock.
Did she really lose everything? She didn't lose her desire to help save other Jewish families and especially children.
She had to avenge her husband's death, and an opportunity arose. Lana was approached by the French Resistance to help out at the Riviera.
She was apprehensive because she would have to pretend she and a stranger were lovers as they did their work. Lana didn't have too much to do at first, but in order to not look suspicious and to get some information, she and Guy did attend lavish parties that the SS soldiers attended.
The information Lana received about what they were going to do to exterminate the Jewish community including children made her ill, but she had to attend the parties and find information so they could save as many lives as possible.
We follow Lana and Guy as they save lives and learn of raids the Gestapo had planned.
You will feel their anxiety and fear and marvel at their expertise as they carry out missions to save lives.
I honestly didn't know that the Germans and upper class carried on as if a war were not going on.
Lana, Guy, and Pierre were likable, authentic characters.
LANA'S WAR is very well written, well-researched, flows nicely, and pulls you in with Ms. Abril's writing style and story line. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Did she really lose everything? She didn't lose her desire to help save other Jewish families and especially children.
She had to avenge her husband's death, and an opportunity arose. Lana was approached by the French Resistance to help out at the Riviera.
She was apprehensive because she would have to pretend she and a stranger were lovers as they did their work. Lana didn't have too much to do at first, but in order to not look suspicious and to get some information, she and Guy did attend lavish parties that the SS soldiers attended.
The information Lana received about what they were going to do to exterminate the Jewish community including children made her ill, but she had to attend the parties and find information so they could save as many lives as possible.
We follow Lana and Guy as they save lives and learn of raids the Gestapo had planned.
You will feel their anxiety and fear and marvel at their expertise as they carry out missions to save lives.
I honestly didn't know that the Germans and upper class carried on as if a war were not going on.
Lana, Guy, and Pierre were likable, authentic characters.
LANA'S WAR is very well written, well-researched, flows nicely, and pulls you in with Ms. Abril's writing style and story line. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2021
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Lana's War by Anita Abriel. (2020).
Paris, 1943: Lana is rushing to tell her husband she is pregnant when she witnesses his murder by a Gestapo officer for hiding a Jewish girl in a piano. Overcome with grief, Lana suffers a miscarriage. A few months later Lana is approached to join the Resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, she has the perfect background to infiltrate the community which includes the Nazi officer who killed her husband. Her cover story makes her the mistress of a wealthy Swiss playboy, Guy. Together they are an effective team but Lana doesn't count on becoming attached to a young Jewish girl or falling in love with Guy...
This historical WWII fiction novel was a great read that I really enjoyed. Lana is a young woman who experiences unimaginable heartache in the first chapter when she not only witnesses her husband's murder, but also suffers a miscarriage. She later uses this pain to give her strength when she is approached to join the Resistance. Her cover story pairs her with Guy, who has his own hidden heartache. I'm going to respectfully point out that yes, their backstories are on the dramatic side, but it honestly works really well in this book and gives both characters a plausible reason to be willing to put their lives on the line to save the lives of the Jewish. This storyline has a compelling mixture of suspense and historical fiction, with a side of romance, and it makes for engaging reading.
I have no doubt that those readers who enjoy wartime historical fiction would really appreciate this novel.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Lana's War by Anita Abriel. (2020).
Paris, 1943: Lana is rushing to tell her husband she is pregnant when she witnesses his murder by a Gestapo officer for hiding a Jewish girl in a piano. Overcome with grief, Lana suffers a miscarriage. A few months later Lana is approached to join the Resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, she has the perfect background to infiltrate the community which includes the Nazi officer who killed her husband. Her cover story makes her the mistress of a wealthy Swiss playboy, Guy. Together they are an effective team but Lana doesn't count on becoming attached to a young Jewish girl or falling in love with Guy...
This historical WWII fiction novel was a great read that I really enjoyed. Lana is a young woman who experiences unimaginable heartache in the first chapter when she not only witnesses her husband's murder, but also suffers a miscarriage. She later uses this pain to give her strength when she is approached to join the Resistance. Her cover story pairs her with Guy, who has his own hidden heartache. I'm going to respectfully point out that yes, their backstories are on the dramatic side, but it honestly works really well in this book and gives both characters a plausible reason to be willing to put their lives on the line to save the lives of the Jewish. This storyline has a compelling mixture of suspense and historical fiction, with a side of romance, and it makes for engaging reading.
I have no doubt that those readers who enjoy wartime historical fiction would really appreciate this novel.
April 23, 2021
All the emotions are front and center here. You ask yourself how could people honestly treat other human beings the way they do with no regard for human life or dignity. It has gone on since the beginning of time and will continue this lack of respect for not only others but self as well.
A very fast paced read for me, the descriptions of the French Rivera are breathtaking.
An absolute show of a woman's strength and fortitude during a time of darkness. It was either go on or be no more.
Unexpected twists and turns in this incredibly exciting historical book kept me glued to the penned word in Lana's War . I read through it without wanting to take a break.
Pub Date 12 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
A very fast paced read for me, the descriptions of the French Rivera are breathtaking.
An absolute show of a woman's strength and fortitude during a time of darkness. It was either go on or be no more.
Unexpected twists and turns in this incredibly exciting historical book kept me glued to the penned word in Lana's War . I read through it without wanting to take a break.
Pub Date 12 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
December 27, 2020
Review to follow
Merged review:
Lana’s War by Anita Abriel was a novel set in both Paris and Nice on the French Riviera during World War II. It allowed glimpses into the world of the brave Parisians living amongst the threatening and terrorizing members of the Gestapo while they bravely tried to help innocent Jewish families and children. Anita Abriel’s vivid words more than adequately depicted the grim circumstances of Paris during this time in history and the beauty of the French Riviera that was muddled by the German occupation. The characters in Lana’s War were well developed and believable. Mix in a little romance and the result was a fast paced and tender book that included danger, hope, trust, secrets, kindness and a little espionage.
Lana Antanova was a young woman living in Paris in 1943 amongst the German occupiers. She had married Frederic, a talented musician and she was very much in love with him. They had met while she was attending University. Her dream was that someday she would have her own shop where she would sell her own fragrances and beauty items. Lana was learning how to be a chemist. Little did Lana know that her life was about to change drastically. It was an ordinary day in Paris in 1943 and Lana was so full of hope, love and happiness. She was carrying Frederic’s child and she was on her way to share the happy news with him.. Lana was headed toward the convent where Frederic was giving music lessons to some children. Amongst those children were some Jewish children that were being hidden from the Gestapo. Lana found her way around to the window where she could spy Frederic teaching. The most unimaginable vision appeared in front of her peering eyes, though. When Lana peered through the window, Frederic and the children were not the only ones she saw. Lana witnessed the brutal murder of her beloved Frederic by Gestapo member Alois Brunner. Frederic had hidden one of the young Jewish children in the piano. When it was discovered, Alois Brunner did not hesitate to pull the trigger and Lana’s love was destroyed in an instant. As she hurried to get away, numb with loss and fear, she felt sharp pains rage throughout her body. Lana had not only lost Frederic that day but she also was about to loose their unborn child. The next few weeks were a blur. Lana felt and did nothing but curl up in her bed and mourn for Frederic and their unborn child. When she finally gathered the strength to venture out she found her way to the convent. She helped by performing menial jobs. It kept her mind off the sadness that lurked within her. Then one day, one of the sisters at the convent, suggested that Lana join the resistance. Lana agreed to join with the hope that she could help save Jewish children just as Frederic had tried to do.
Lana came from a long line of Russian ancestors. Her mother, Tatiana, was a Russian Countess, making Lana one herself. It was the perfect guise to be able to mingle among the other members of the Russian aristocracy living on the French Riviera. It would help get her invited to all the lavish parties where she would be privy to all sorts of information that the elite Gestapo guests would inadvertently share with her. The only flaw in this plan was that Lana would be living with Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist, as his lover. Lana had not fully recovered from loosing Frederic. She still missed him terribly. There was no room in her heart for love. Or was there? Two people would touch Lana’s heart in very different ways, but ways she could not ignore.
Lana’s War by Anita Abriel was a book that touched on all my emotions. It was about loss, fear, friendship, love, family, survival, and the dangers that hid just beyond sight and reach.This was the first book that I read by Anita Abriel but I will attempt to read her previous book and look forward to her next book. I recommend Lana’s War very highly. It is set to be published on January 26, 2021.
Thank you to Atria Books through Netgalley for allowing me to read this digital version of Lana’s War by Anita Abriel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Merged review:
Lana’s War by Anita Abriel was a novel set in both Paris and Nice on the French Riviera during World War II. It allowed glimpses into the world of the brave Parisians living amongst the threatening and terrorizing members of the Gestapo while they bravely tried to help innocent Jewish families and children. Anita Abriel’s vivid words more than adequately depicted the grim circumstances of Paris during this time in history and the beauty of the French Riviera that was muddled by the German occupation. The characters in Lana’s War were well developed and believable. Mix in a little romance and the result was a fast paced and tender book that included danger, hope, trust, secrets, kindness and a little espionage.
Lana Antanova was a young woman living in Paris in 1943 amongst the German occupiers. She had married Frederic, a talented musician and she was very much in love with him. They had met while she was attending University. Her dream was that someday she would have her own shop where she would sell her own fragrances and beauty items. Lana was learning how to be a chemist. Little did Lana know that her life was about to change drastically. It was an ordinary day in Paris in 1943 and Lana was so full of hope, love and happiness. She was carrying Frederic’s child and she was on her way to share the happy news with him.. Lana was headed toward the convent where Frederic was giving music lessons to some children. Amongst those children were some Jewish children that were being hidden from the Gestapo. Lana found her way around to the window where she could spy Frederic teaching. The most unimaginable vision appeared in front of her peering eyes, though. When Lana peered through the window, Frederic and the children were not the only ones she saw. Lana witnessed the brutal murder of her beloved Frederic by Gestapo member Alois Brunner. Frederic had hidden one of the young Jewish children in the piano. When it was discovered, Alois Brunner did not hesitate to pull the trigger and Lana’s love was destroyed in an instant. As she hurried to get away, numb with loss and fear, she felt sharp pains rage throughout her body. Lana had not only lost Frederic that day but she also was about to loose their unborn child. The next few weeks were a blur. Lana felt and did nothing but curl up in her bed and mourn for Frederic and their unborn child. When she finally gathered the strength to venture out she found her way to the convent. She helped by performing menial jobs. It kept her mind off the sadness that lurked within her. Then one day, one of the sisters at the convent, suggested that Lana join the resistance. Lana agreed to join with the hope that she could help save Jewish children just as Frederic had tried to do.
Lana came from a long line of Russian ancestors. Her mother, Tatiana, was a Russian Countess, making Lana one herself. It was the perfect guise to be able to mingle among the other members of the Russian aristocracy living on the French Riviera. It would help get her invited to all the lavish parties where she would be privy to all sorts of information that the elite Gestapo guests would inadvertently share with her. The only flaw in this plan was that Lana would be living with Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist, as his lover. Lana had not fully recovered from loosing Frederic. She still missed him terribly. There was no room in her heart for love. Or was there? Two people would touch Lana’s heart in very different ways, but ways she could not ignore.
Lana’s War by Anita Abriel was a book that touched on all my emotions. It was about loss, fear, friendship, love, family, survival, and the dangers that hid just beyond sight and reach.This was the first book that I read by Anita Abriel but I will attempt to read her previous book and look forward to her next book. I recommend Lana’s War very highly. It is set to be published on January 26, 2021.
Thank you to Atria Books through Netgalley for allowing me to read this digital version of Lana’s War by Anita Abriel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 17, 2021
This is a lovely love story and while it has tragic moments is overall very hopeful. I enjoyed it as a fictional story. Where I struggled was it’s setting of WWII felt contrived and lacked genuine depth to the real life situation people lived. It felt too fake. And while 85% or more of the story is fake and you know this as the reader; I couldn’t help but feel there were real peoples stories I’d rather have known than this fictional one.
As a light read it was 4-5 stars. As historical fiction set during WWII it was maybe 2-3 stars.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
As a light read it was 4-5 stars. As historical fiction set during WWII it was maybe 2-3 stars.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
January 12, 2021
The story begins in 1943 in Paris. Lana is witness to the brutal murder of her young husband, by an SS officer, for helping to hide Jewish children. Lana is quickly recruited to join the French Resistance and she travels to the French Riviera. Being the daughter of a Russian countess allows Lana to become part of the local social scene of Russian aristocrats and German officers, which includes Alois Brunner, the man who killed her husband. She pretends to be the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss businessman. The Gestapo has vowed to rid the Riviera of all Jews and Guy is committed to savings as many people as possible now with Lana’s help.
As Lana uses her background, beauty and intelligence to get closer to the Nazis to get details of their latest plots, she makes the dangerous decision to get close to a Jewish mother and daughter who cannot leave their home for fear of being seen by the Germans.
While Lana’s War delves into the horrible and cruel activities of the Nazi’s, it is a much lighter work of Historical Fiction than many other books that take place during this period. The addition of a love story provides a nice element of romance. There is intrigue as Lana has the eye of both Brunner and Captain Von Harmon but the story moves quickly so it never gets too suspenseful. It was nice to see Lana evolve and show great strength in her missions.
There is an interesting cast of characters. Some are clearly the “good guys” and others are beyond evil. But there are some people we aren’t sure about which was effective. Many people during this period were not who they appeared to be. Some sympathized with the Nazi’s while others worked unselfishly to stop them. The author did an excellent job creating a beautiful setting for the book – the beauty that hid the ugliness around them.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and author Anita Abriel for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book in advance of its January 12, 2021 publication date.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
As Lana uses her background, beauty and intelligence to get closer to the Nazis to get details of their latest plots, she makes the dangerous decision to get close to a Jewish mother and daughter who cannot leave their home for fear of being seen by the Germans.
While Lana’s War delves into the horrible and cruel activities of the Nazi’s, it is a much lighter work of Historical Fiction than many other books that take place during this period. The addition of a love story provides a nice element of romance. There is intrigue as Lana has the eye of both Brunner and Captain Von Harmon but the story moves quickly so it never gets too suspenseful. It was nice to see Lana evolve and show great strength in her missions.
There is an interesting cast of characters. Some are clearly the “good guys” and others are beyond evil. But there are some people we aren’t sure about which was effective. Many people during this period were not who they appeared to be. Some sympathized with the Nazi’s while others worked unselfishly to stop them. The author did an excellent job creating a beautiful setting for the book – the beauty that hid the ugliness around them.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and author Anita Abriel for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book in advance of its January 12, 2021 publication date.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
January 7, 2021
⭐️⭐️= OK
Lana’s War is Anita Abriel’s second historical fiction novel set during World War II.
Discovering she is pregnant, Lana Hartmann (née Antanova) hurries through the streets of occupied Paris, anxious to share the happy news with her husband, a music teacher. She is horrified when she finds her husband being questioned by the gestapo and devastated when she witnesses his callous execution while trying to protect a young Jewish girl. Miscarrying their child that same day, Lana staves off despair by volunteering at a convent where she is offered an opportunity to join the resistance. Eager to honour her husband’s sacrifice and save Jews from the Gestapo, Lana accepts and is sent to the Riviera region of France. There Lana is asked to trade on her Russian heritage and, as Countess Lana Antanova, help Swiss resistance member, Guy Pascal, with his efforts to smuggle Jews out of the country.
I like that Abriel has chosen a setting for her novel in an area of France usually overlooked in WWII historical fiction, which tends to favour Paris or the French countryside. Nice, and its neighbours including Cannes, St. Tropez, and Monaco, are part of the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France. Just 30km from the Italian border, Nice was occupied first by the Italians, and then the Germans before being liberated in 1944.
When Lana arrives in November, 1943, she is surprised that the city seems largely unaffected by the war. Unlike in Paris, stores are open and well stocked, and the casino’s, hotels and cafe’s are well patronised, though the place is overrun with German soldiers. Abriel ties the plot of her novel in with the escalation against Jews in the area, where Lana is tasked to learn the timing of upcoming raids, giving them an opportunity to evade being sent to Drancy Internment Camp. I liked the premise which promised adventure, tension and romance, unfortunately the execution fell short for me.
I liked Lana well enough but I didn’t find her to be a particularly consistent or convincing character. While her motivation for her choice to work with resistance is strong, and she’s obviously intelligent, given her education, she doesn’t seem wise enough to be so adept at espionage. It’s also a bit of a stretch that within days of her arrival she has four men essentially in love with her. I did like the romantic attachment Lana formed, but I wasn’t keen on how it played out. Lana’s relationship with Odette, a young Jewish girl, however was lovely.
Unfortunately, despite finding the broad strokes of the the story to be engaging, I thought the prose itself was rather flat, and a touch repetitive. Though I dislike the phrase, I also thought there was far more ‘telling than showing’ and as such, tension rarely eventuated, or fizzled out.
A story of war, vengeance, courage and love, Lana’s War was a quick read, but for me, not a particularly satisfying one.
Lana’s War is Anita Abriel’s second historical fiction novel set during World War II.
Discovering she is pregnant, Lana Hartmann (née Antanova) hurries through the streets of occupied Paris, anxious to share the happy news with her husband, a music teacher. She is horrified when she finds her husband being questioned by the gestapo and devastated when she witnesses his callous execution while trying to protect a young Jewish girl. Miscarrying their child that same day, Lana staves off despair by volunteering at a convent where she is offered an opportunity to join the resistance. Eager to honour her husband’s sacrifice and save Jews from the Gestapo, Lana accepts and is sent to the Riviera region of France. There Lana is asked to trade on her Russian heritage and, as Countess Lana Antanova, help Swiss resistance member, Guy Pascal, with his efforts to smuggle Jews out of the country.
I like that Abriel has chosen a setting for her novel in an area of France usually overlooked in WWII historical fiction, which tends to favour Paris or the French countryside. Nice, and its neighbours including Cannes, St. Tropez, and Monaco, are part of the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France. Just 30km from the Italian border, Nice was occupied first by the Italians, and then the Germans before being liberated in 1944.
When Lana arrives in November, 1943, she is surprised that the city seems largely unaffected by the war. Unlike in Paris, stores are open and well stocked, and the casino’s, hotels and cafe’s are well patronised, though the place is overrun with German soldiers. Abriel ties the plot of her novel in with the escalation against Jews in the area, where Lana is tasked to learn the timing of upcoming raids, giving them an opportunity to evade being sent to Drancy Internment Camp. I liked the premise which promised adventure, tension and romance, unfortunately the execution fell short for me.
I liked Lana well enough but I didn’t find her to be a particularly consistent or convincing character. While her motivation for her choice to work with resistance is strong, and she’s obviously intelligent, given her education, she doesn’t seem wise enough to be so adept at espionage. It’s also a bit of a stretch that within days of her arrival she has four men essentially in love with her. I did like the romantic attachment Lana formed, but I wasn’t keen on how it played out. Lana’s relationship with Odette, a young Jewish girl, however was lovely.
Unfortunately, despite finding the broad strokes of the the story to be engaging, I thought the prose itself was rather flat, and a touch repetitive. Though I dislike the phrase, I also thought there was far more ‘telling than showing’ and as such, tension rarely eventuated, or fizzled out.
A story of war, vengeance, courage and love, Lana’s War was a quick read, but for me, not a particularly satisfying one.
January 10, 2021
This story is really a romance in a WWII historical setting. Lana's husband is killed for protecting young Jewish music students at a convent in Paris, causing Lana to miscarry her baby that same day. In her grief and wanting revenge, she accepts a mission to work for the Resistance in Nice, where she will pretend to be carrying on an affair with a wealthy Swiss banker, Guy, while gathering information. The setting and lifestyle depicted are fabulous but I thought the story was fairly lightweight and the ending rather implausible. What woman would accept that explanation??
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via netGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. Thanks for the opportunity.
I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via netGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. Thanks for the opportunity.
October 30, 2020
I wanted to love this one, I did. I hoped it would fill that fraught, courageous, emotionally tragic void I leave ajar for stories that take place during historical war times. I thought it could end up being reminiscent of Kristin Hannah's work by delving deep into themes of loss, and horror; by exploring the intricacies of forbidden love, of human compassion, of hope and resiliency during WWII.
Unfortunately, this book ended up falling short for me in a couple respects.
The premise itself was meaty enough: what with a Paris/French Riviera setting, an undercover resistance plot, and a heroine who not only witnesses her husband's murder by the Gestapo but miscarries their child before throwing herself straight into danger months later with a man named Guy, a Swiss industrialist and resistance fighter, with a mysterious past of his own. Together, the two work to foil the Nazi's raids. Helping as many Jews as possible avoid the camps and escape to freedom.
All of the elements were there. Potential was ripe for the plucking. The broad overarching strokes of the story held merit, I will say that; however, it was the implementation of them that failed to captivate me.
As characters, Lana and Guy were basic. One-dimensional. Even though they both suffered losses throughout the war, fettering a string of similarity between them, I had trouble investing in their tragedies. I couldn't feel the breadth of them. The soul-crushing expanse. Perhaps it was a result of too much telling and not enough showing, but the anguish and despair I expected to feel as their personal histories were revealed didn't hit its mark. It fell flat.
The same can be said for their romance. Not only did it progress quickly, without much depth or development, but it was weak. Predictable. Lacking the emotional turmoil or turbulence that you'd anticipate between two people who are thrust in the middle of a duplicitous, perilous, war-torn reality.
This wasn't a bad book by any means. Just a little deficient in certain areas for my taste. It prevented me from being as engaged with the characters, with their story, as I'd hoped to be.
Thank you to Atria Books, Isabel DaSilva, and NetGalley for the ARC!
BOOK BLOG
Unfortunately, this book ended up falling short for me in a couple respects.
The premise itself was meaty enough: what with a Paris/French Riviera setting, an undercover resistance plot, and a heroine who not only witnesses her husband's murder by the Gestapo but miscarries their child before throwing herself straight into danger months later with a man named Guy, a Swiss industrialist and resistance fighter, with a mysterious past of his own. Together, the two work to foil the Nazi's raids. Helping as many Jews as possible avoid the camps and escape to freedom.
All of the elements were there. Potential was ripe for the plucking. The broad overarching strokes of the story held merit, I will say that; however, it was the implementation of them that failed to captivate me.
As characters, Lana and Guy were basic. One-dimensional. Even though they both suffered losses throughout the war, fettering a string of similarity between them, I had trouble investing in their tragedies. I couldn't feel the breadth of them. The soul-crushing expanse. Perhaps it was a result of too much telling and not enough showing, but the anguish and despair I expected to feel as their personal histories were revealed didn't hit its mark. It fell flat.
The same can be said for their romance. Not only did it progress quickly, without much depth or development, but it was weak. Predictable. Lacking the emotional turmoil or turbulence that you'd anticipate between two people who are thrust in the middle of a duplicitous, perilous, war-torn reality.
This wasn't a bad book by any means. Just a little deficient in certain areas for my taste. It prevented me from being as engaged with the characters, with their story, as I'd hoped to be.
Thank you to Atria Books, Isabel DaSilva, and NetGalley for the ARC!
BOOK BLOG
January 13, 2021
A World War II romance with tragic overtones (or maybe a tragedy with romantic overtones) set during the German occupation of Paris with the plot moving to the Riviera.
Unfortunately I just wasn’t connecting.
An Atria Books ARC via NetGalley
Unfortunately I just wasn’t connecting.
An Atria Books ARC via NetGalley
May 4, 2021
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4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for inviting me to read Lana's War and for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A review will be up on my blog on May 4, 2021 at 10 am CST on Honey Roselea Reads for you guys to check out!
My review on Lana's War will be accessible using this link from May 4, 2021 at 10 am CST and onward.
For now, here is a preview to what the review will look like:
❀❀❀❀
Months after losing her husband and her unborn child, Lana Antanova teams up with Guy Pascal in Nice, in order to help save Jewish families from being taken, helping them escape to have better lives. Lana's War is a powerful story of love, friendship, and discovery of people that you least expect it. This book captures your attention unexpectedly but in the best way possible.
I gave Lana's War 4.5 stars, loving the way it told such a powerful story of World War II and losing family to the war, but, bouncing back and finding... [ continue reading ]
June 13, 2023
This was so good and it was actually better than I expected it to be. The historical fiction with a side plot of romance was pretty much perfect. I admire Lana's bravery so much.
Lana's war follows Lana of course, who witnesses her husband Frederic being murdered by a Gestapo officer during World War II. Before this she had rushed to tell him that she was pregnant with their first child. Devastated by her husband's murder, Lana loses their unborn child. During the next few months she spends most at the time at the convent where Frederic taught music to children, including Jewish children despite the fact that he wasn't allowed to do so. However one day through Sister Theresa, one of the nuns at the convent Lana meets Henri who is a member of the French resistance. He knows what happened to Frederic and he offers Lana a job in the resistance. Lana is at first hesitant about accepting it but she wants to get revenge on the Nazis for what they did to her husband and especially on Alois Brunner, the man who killed him. So she does take Henri's offer and joins the resistance. As part of her role in it she has to live with Guy Pascal, who is a Swiss playboy and businessman that she has never met. Guy lives on the Riveria, so Lana moves there and she soon meets him. She is annoyed at first that he forgot to pick her up but he soon apologises and over the next few weeks she gets to know Guy while also learning what being a member of the resistence entails. She has to get close to Nazi officers, to find out when the raids on Jews living on the Riveria are occurring so Guy can warn them and help them escape, and this includes getting close to the one that killed her husband despite her disgust at the crimes against innocent Jews that they are committing. During this time Lana also meets a Jewish family, Sylvie and her 12 year old daughter Odette who are struggling to survive. Lana knows that it is dangerous to help them but she instantly forms an emotional bond with Odette and becomes friends with her mother Sylvie. At at the same time as all of this she is also becoming closer to Guy and they begin falling in love. I really enjoyed this book. I found the resistance part of it absolutely fascinating and I was really gripped by it. I literally had no idea where the story was going and whether everyone would survive. I also loved the romance between Lana and Guy, which made the stakes even higher than they already were. Also Odette was so cute and what she had been through was heart-breaking. She just wanted to live a normal life and she had already been so much. Anyway I've been getting into books about female spies in World War II even though I haven't read many of them and I absolutely highly recommend this one.
Lana's war follows Lana of course, who witnesses her husband Frederic being murdered by a Gestapo officer during World War II. Before this she had rushed to tell him that she was pregnant with their first child. Devastated by her husband's murder, Lana loses their unborn child. During the next few months she spends most at the time at the convent where Frederic taught music to children, including Jewish children despite the fact that he wasn't allowed to do so. However one day through Sister Theresa, one of the nuns at the convent Lana meets Henri who is a member of the French resistance. He knows what happened to Frederic and he offers Lana a job in the resistance. Lana is at first hesitant about accepting it but she wants to get revenge on the Nazis for what they did to her husband and especially on Alois Brunner, the man who killed him. So she does take Henri's offer and joins the resistance. As part of her role in it she has to live with Guy Pascal, who is a Swiss playboy and businessman that she has never met. Guy lives on the Riveria, so Lana moves there and she soon meets him. She is annoyed at first that he forgot to pick her up but he soon apologises and over the next few weeks she gets to know Guy while also learning what being a member of the resistence entails. She has to get close to Nazi officers, to find out when the raids on Jews living on the Riveria are occurring so Guy can warn them and help them escape, and this includes getting close to the one that killed her husband despite her disgust at the crimes against innocent Jews that they are committing. During this time Lana also meets a Jewish family, Sylvie and her 12 year old daughter Odette who are struggling to survive. Lana knows that it is dangerous to help them but she instantly forms an emotional bond with Odette and becomes friends with her mother Sylvie. At at the same time as all of this she is also becoming closer to Guy and they begin falling in love. I really enjoyed this book. I found the resistance part of it absolutely fascinating and I was really gripped by it. I literally had no idea where the story was going and whether everyone would survive. I also loved the romance between Lana and Guy, which made the stakes even higher than they already were. Also Odette was so cute and what she had been through was heart-breaking. She just wanted to live a normal life and she had already been so much. Anyway I've been getting into books about female spies in World War II even though I haven't read many of them and I absolutely highly recommend this one.
March 9, 2021
📚 Hello Book Friends! When I read historical novels, I become totally engrossed in the story and the characters’ feelings. LANA’S WAR by Anita Abriel was an emotional novel with a beautiful ending. I was taken by the character of Lana. She faced adversity with such courage. Her desire to save Jewish children resonates throughout the book and it makes you cheer for her all the way. This is a fantastic read and I recommend it to WWII historical book lovers.
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April 10, 2022
Decent WWII novel. Likable heroine, beautiful descriptions of the topography that make one wish they could visit. More Women's Fiction than Literary or deeply-researched Historical Fiction. Recommended for those who enjoy historical settings and lively female leads.
January 9, 2021
I was excited to read Lana's War because of the French Riviera (one of my favorite places), and it has Russian emigres as characters. I thought it was a unique setting for a WW2 novel. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. The writing style was bland and superficial. I didn't connect to any of the characters or care about them. It was an easy and quick read, but it didn't have an emotional impact you would expect from a WW2 book. This genre is very saturated, so it's hard to find a unique story. I was hoping Lana's War would be it, but, alas, it was not!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
December 23, 2020
Lana is a young newlywed living in France during the war. She is hurrying to her husband's school to tell him that she is pregnant but instead witnesses him being shot by a German while he was trying to protect a Jewish child. In her grief she decides to join the resistance and try to save as many people as she can.
This book captivated right from the beginning. There weren't a lot of characters so the book moved along quickly for me. I liked Lana but at times I really wanted to slap her. She is paired with a man, Guy, and given a mission in the Rivera but she seems to fight him every step of the way. She was reckless and impulsive and sometimes I thought she didn't realize the gravity of the things she did and how much she put others in danger. Her mission was to infiltrate the White Russians that were Nazi sympathizers and try to find out their plans for getting rid of the Jews. Guy tells her to be careful with Natalia, Charles and Giselle but instead she argues with him that they are nice people and he's got it all wrong. At times I found the book repetitious. The fact that Lana had lost her baby and how much she loved her husband seemed to be mentioned every couple of pages.
The setting of the Riviera and Monaco with all the wealth and glitter was very well depicted. I really enjoyed the story and will recommend it to friends.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book.
This book captivated right from the beginning. There weren't a lot of characters so the book moved along quickly for me. I liked Lana but at times I really wanted to slap her. She is paired with a man, Guy, and given a mission in the Rivera but she seems to fight him every step of the way. She was reckless and impulsive and sometimes I thought she didn't realize the gravity of the things she did and how much she put others in danger. Her mission was to infiltrate the White Russians that were Nazi sympathizers and try to find out their plans for getting rid of the Jews. Guy tells her to be careful with Natalia, Charles and Giselle but instead she argues with him that they are nice people and he's got it all wrong. At times I found the book repetitious. The fact that Lana had lost her baby and how much she loved her husband seemed to be mentioned every couple of pages.
The setting of the Riviera and Monaco with all the wealth and glitter was very well depicted. I really enjoyed the story and will recommend it to friends.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book.
August 13, 2021
Lana’s War has a great premise: Lana, a young Russian emigre in Nazi-occupied Paris, is recruited to join the French Resistance after witnessing her husband being murdered by a member of the Gestapo after he tries to protect a Jewish child from being taken from the school at which he teaches. Lana goes undercover in the French Riviera as the lover of wealthy Swiss businessman Guy Pascal, with the goal of infiltrating the social circles in which the Nazi officers move in order to find out information to protect Jewish citizens from raids. None of the WW2 novels I’ve read have dealt with the Riviera, and its villas, casinos, and grand hotels turn out to be a great backdrop for an espionage tale. One of the story’s most compelling (if repetitive) philosophical concerns lies in the contrast between the luxury of Lana’s surroundings and the atrocities she knows are happening around her.
Plotwise, the novel moves rapidly. Abriel spends no time letting Lana get comfortable upon her arrival in Cap Ferrat, ushering her and her allies from one tense situation to another, so the story never lags. At times, though, the pace works against her, since she tends to resolve conflicts very quickly, often summarizing their conclusion in a paragraph or two, which undermines a lot of the drama and tension. While there is definitely some Inglourious Basterds-style uneasiness as Lana flirts with German officers—especially the one who killed her husband—all of the action (aside from Lana’s husband’s death) takes place offscreen. And though Abriel plants the seeds of mistrust in every interaction Lana has with other people, none of the major characters in her life turn out to be duplicitous, which feels like a missed opportunity. It’s almost as though Abriel came to like all her characters so much that she couldn’t bear to have any of them (except the Nazis) do bad things. The effect is that this is a spy novel whose stakes never feel as high as they should.
Part of the problem is that Abriel’s interest in the espionage seems to flag as soon as the romance between Lana and Guy begins, which puts a lot of pressure on their relationship to carry the novel. Unfortunately, because Abriel spends so little time developing characters and relationships, Lana and Guy are flat and seem to lack even a minimum amount of the chemistry one would expect from two people who suddenly decide they are in love with each other, and their relationship, which is supposed to be the heart of the novel’s final two thirds, feels sentimental rather than authentic (unlike, say, Lana’s relationship with Odette).
Abriel’s style is also a limitation. The prose is not what I would call smooth or elegant; Lana seems to have a stockpile of three total bodily reactions (gasps, gulps, and blushes), and the dialogue often feels stilted. Abriel also does the classic pop-fic thing where she presents a scene and then, rather than trusting her reader to figure out the significance of what has happened, immediately explains the significance in the protagonist’s interior monologue. It would be like watching that exquisite scene in Inglourious Basterds where Shosanna and Hans Landa are eating strudel in the café and then a voiceover comes on and is like “Shosanna felt extremely uncomfortable because the man sitting across from her killed her family. How could she sit here, laughing and eating strudel, while thoughts of their bodies riddled with bullets flashed through her head.” What's the deal, Anita: are you afraid that I’ve forgotten he killed her family, or are you worried that I might not be able to figure out why that encounter could be unpleasant? And do you really need to explain for the eighth time what will happen if Odette gets caught?
Despite all the above things, the plot is interesting enough, and, for the most part, it’s a decent book. The ending, though, completely derails it. It’s awful; the resolution of Lana and Guy’s story is trite and illogical—apparently, Guy doesn’t know how to use a telephone—and Abriel sends off all the rest of her characters with neat little summaries of the major events that have occurred in their lives over the decade since the war ended. Here, too, the sentimentalism is strong; everybody is living their dream life, the streets are paved with rose petals, and someone has probably invented a 0-calorie croissant with all the flavour of the original. The Hallmarkian vibes are too much for this mildly-jaded soul to bear. This review ended up being more negative than I intended; this is a completely innocuous, occasionally engaging novel. However, I can't say that my life is measurably better for having read it. It did make me want to eat tomatoes in olive oil and wash it down with some wine, though. Unless you're really into intersections of historical fiction and conventional romance tropes, I'd go read, I dunno, All the Light We Cannot See or Schindler's Ark, instead.
December 24, 2020
I haven’t read as much WW2 historical fiction as I would normally do this year, so I was excited to get into this one during the holidays. It’s a quick read, very fast-paced, and for the most part holds up. If you like historical fiction that has a heavy side of romance, then you will probably enjoy Lana’s War.
Lana Antanova’s mother fled Russia during the Revolution and brought her daughter up in Paris. Lana marries her love Frederic at the beginning of WW2, but after witnessing his murder at the hands of the Gestapo, and then losing her unborn child, she decides to join the French Resistance. Posing as a Russian countess looking for some fun on the French Riviera, she works as a spy with the intent on saving as many Jewish families from being deported as she can.
I enjoyed the whole French Riviera jetset theme, where life continues to go on despite the atrocities that are happening right in front of them, where everyone plays a role (or two), and you never know who you can trust or not. But I wanted more depth, and felt like everything was just too rushed for my liking. Lana and Guy both felt one-sided, and I couldn’t find myself connecting to either of them. The only character I liked was Pierre, the cab driver/Resistance hero. I personally felt like there was so much focus on the romance side (which wasn’t completely plausible to me), that the actual bones of the plot (WW2, Resistance, spies etc etc) fell to the wayside and wasn’t developed as much as it should have been. There are a few areas that aren’t 100% correct based on the timeline, but I grew up in France and studied WW2 inside and out so I know I’m a bit too nitpicky!
If you are looking for a quick romance to read with a bit of a WW2 setting, this will suit your tastes. Lana’s War wasn’t really my cup of tea (although it was well written, in a dreamy tone that suited the story well).
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lana Antanova’s mother fled Russia during the Revolution and brought her daughter up in Paris. Lana marries her love Frederic at the beginning of WW2, but after witnessing his murder at the hands of the Gestapo, and then losing her unborn child, she decides to join the French Resistance. Posing as a Russian countess looking for some fun on the French Riviera, she works as a spy with the intent on saving as many Jewish families from being deported as she can.
I enjoyed the whole French Riviera jetset theme, where life continues to go on despite the atrocities that are happening right in front of them, where everyone plays a role (or two), and you never know who you can trust or not. But I wanted more depth, and felt like everything was just too rushed for my liking. Lana and Guy both felt one-sided, and I couldn’t find myself connecting to either of them. The only character I liked was Pierre, the cab driver/Resistance hero. I personally felt like there was so much focus on the romance side (which wasn’t completely plausible to me), that the actual bones of the plot (WW2, Resistance, spies etc etc) fell to the wayside and wasn’t developed as much as it should have been. There are a few areas that aren’t 100% correct based on the timeline, but I grew up in France and studied WW2 inside and out so I know I’m a bit too nitpicky!
If you are looking for a quick romance to read with a bit of a WW2 setting, this will suit your tastes. Lana’s War wasn’t really my cup of tea (although it was well written, in a dreamy tone that suited the story well).
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2020
If you’re looking for a lighter WWII fiction, Lana’s War is the book for you. It’s an engaging, fast paced book that will cleanse the palate for those who need a break from the extremes that can be found in this genre.
Lana Antanova is a grieving young, widow having witnessed her husband being killed by the Gestapo for hiding Jewish children in a convent. Her desire to help the children does not go unnoticed by one of the sisters in the convent. She is recommended to the resistance and after some soul searching decided to take them up on their offer.
She relocates to the Riviera which has a large community of Russian immigrants with the intention of running elbows with important people and gaining valuable information to pass on to the resistance and potentially saving dozens of lives. She flirts with German officers and helps to save many Jewish citizens. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her Resistance partner or a young Jewish child who lost both of her parents. Constantly living in fear, Lana puts on a brave face because if she can save the children, the future generation, she’ll be able to make her husband proud and avenge his death.
This novel has a great cast of characters. The authors doesn’t dive too deep into their backstories but just enough that you can read between the lines and understand each character and their place in the story and the war. Their strength, determination, bravery and compassion is very apparent from page one.
If you need a break from the intense and emotional aspects of WWII but are like me and cant tear yourself away from the genre....this a great reprieve. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuester and Anita Abriel for the early peek at this novel. I enjoyed getting to know Lana and greatly admire her fearlessness.
Lana Antanova is a grieving young, widow having witnessed her husband being killed by the Gestapo for hiding Jewish children in a convent. Her desire to help the children does not go unnoticed by one of the sisters in the convent. She is recommended to the resistance and after some soul searching decided to take them up on their offer.
She relocates to the Riviera which has a large community of Russian immigrants with the intention of running elbows with important people and gaining valuable information to pass on to the resistance and potentially saving dozens of lives. She flirts with German officers and helps to save many Jewish citizens. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her Resistance partner or a young Jewish child who lost both of her parents. Constantly living in fear, Lana puts on a brave face because if she can save the children, the future generation, she’ll be able to make her husband proud and avenge his death.
This novel has a great cast of characters. The authors doesn’t dive too deep into their backstories but just enough that you can read between the lines and understand each character and their place in the story and the war. Their strength, determination, bravery and compassion is very apparent from page one.
If you need a break from the intense and emotional aspects of WWII but are like me and cant tear yourself away from the genre....this a great reprieve. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuester and Anita Abriel for the early peek at this novel. I enjoyed getting to know Lana and greatly admire her fearlessness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2020
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The setting: Lana Antanova [her cover--her married name is Hartmann], a young French newlywed, and daughter of a Russian Countess [another whole story] sees her husband shot before her eyes--AND--she loses her unborn child. Distressed [duh], she agrees to be a spy for the Resistance in the French Riveria seeking to help Jewish families and children [often orphaned] escape. She leaves Paris under the cover of a "mistress" for Guy Pascal who has a villa on the French Riveria. Lana is to infiltrate the Russian emigres living there as they are often in the company of German officers--because there is sympathy between the two countries.
The setting makes it totally different from the usual Holocaust novel. And the descriptions of life among the wealthy on the Riveria!
Thankfully this was not a bash over the head, extremely despressing holocaust novel. That said, there were of course Nazis, the Gestapo and horrible things.
Suspense/some mystery, danger, romance and some sweetness [particularly between Lana and Odette.}
I found this book quite an easy, fast read. I could see it as a Hallmark movie.
For me, the ending is often the clincher to a rating. This one--OY! All of a sudden it's 11 years later and.. [no spoiler from me], but a definite downturn. And--sort of neat and tidy.
The setting: Lana Antanova [her cover--her married name is Hartmann], a young French newlywed, and daughter of a Russian Countess [another whole story] sees her husband shot before her eyes--AND--she loses her unborn child. Distressed [duh], she agrees to be a spy for the Resistance in the French Riveria seeking to help Jewish families and children [often orphaned] escape. She leaves Paris under the cover of a "mistress" for Guy Pascal who has a villa on the French Riveria. Lana is to infiltrate the Russian emigres living there as they are often in the company of German officers--because there is sympathy between the two countries.
The setting makes it totally different from the usual Holocaust novel. And the descriptions of life among the wealthy on the Riveria!
Thankfully this was not a bash over the head, extremely despressing holocaust novel. That said, there were of course Nazis, the Gestapo and horrible things.
Suspense/some mystery, danger, romance and some sweetness [particularly between Lana and Odette.}
I found this book quite an easy, fast read. I could see it as a Hallmark movie.
For me, the ending is often the clincher to a rating. This one--OY! All of a sudden it's 11 years later and.. [no spoiler from me], but a definite downturn. And--sort of neat and tidy.
December 16, 2020
Set in World War II, this book takes readers away from occupied Paris, to the beautiful French Riviera. A location known for displaced “White Russians” and other wealthy individuals, the Riviera is still somewhat of a safe place for Jewish people. Unfortunately that is soon to change.
Lana, the daughter of a Russian Countess who lives in occupied Paris, has recently witnessed her husband’s shooting by a German soldier. Still grieving, Lana is introduced to someone in the Resistance by a local nun, and is soon on a train to the Riviera to work as a spy in aiding the Resistance.
As far as war hardships go, Lana has it easy, but she is still in the path of danger because she is associating with German soldiers in order to find out sensitive information. Lana has been teamed up with Guy, another resistance worker who is always nearby looking out for her safety.
I found this a bit predictable, but still interesting. The ending did surprise me but I think book clubs would find it worthy of discussion.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
Lana, the daughter of a Russian Countess who lives in occupied Paris, has recently witnessed her husband’s shooting by a German soldier. Still grieving, Lana is introduced to someone in the Resistance by a local nun, and is soon on a train to the Riviera to work as a spy in aiding the Resistance.
As far as war hardships go, Lana has it easy, but she is still in the path of danger because she is associating with German soldiers in order to find out sensitive information. Lana has been teamed up with Guy, another resistance worker who is always nearby looking out for her safety.
I found this a bit predictable, but still interesting. The ending did surprise me but I think book clubs would find it worthy of discussion.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
December 28, 2020
Horrible circumstances bring young Lana to the French Riviera, where she is now using her heritage to help the resistance. Her mother fled Russia before she was born, but she uses this to her advantage and becomes Countess Lana Antanova, and begins her work as a spy.
This is a riveting page turning read, that you will need answers from one page to the next, and not know whom you can trust.
Unfortunately, this is a fictional story, but based on what really happened during these dark times in history.
We know the outcome of the war, but this book put faces on those who give the ultimate, and more, and there are surprises, yes, all the way to the last page. I never anticipated the ending, but thinking back to those times, yes, very possible!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
This is a riveting page turning read, that you will need answers from one page to the next, and not know whom you can trust.
Unfortunately, this is a fictional story, but based on what really happened during these dark times in history.
We know the outcome of the war, but this book put faces on those who give the ultimate, and more, and there are surprises, yes, all the way to the last page. I never anticipated the ending, but thinking back to those times, yes, very possible!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
August 24, 2022
REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING A FEMALE MEMBER OF THE FRENCH RESISTANCE:
Someone you love must have been killed by the Nazis.
You must be young, thin and pretty.
Q and A:
Q: What if I am unable to follow simple rules?
A: See above
Q: What if I am a complete nitwit?
A: See above
Q: What if I get my panties in a bunch over everything?
A: Are the panties a silky size small? If yes:
See above
Q: What if I am as thick as a pre-war stew?
A: See above
Q: What if I repeatedly visit Jews I just met in spite of repeatedly being warned it could get me killed?
A: See above
Q: What if I am really really stupid?
A: See above
Q: What if I drink with Nazis in spite of being told that I need to keep my wits about me?
A: See above
Q: What if I am a complete dumbass, in fact the term "dumbass" may have been coined specifically for me?
A: See above
Someone you love must have been killed by the Nazis.
You must be young, thin and pretty.
Q and A:
Q: What if I am unable to follow simple rules?
A: See above
Q: What if I am a complete nitwit?
A: See above
Q: What if I get my panties in a bunch over everything?
A: Are the panties a silky size small? If yes:
See above
Q: What if I am as thick as a pre-war stew?
A: See above
Q: What if I repeatedly visit Jews I just met in spite of repeatedly being warned it could get me killed?
A: See above
Q: What if I am really really stupid?
A: See above
Q: What if I drink with Nazis in spite of being told that I need to keep my wits about me?
A: See above
Q: What if I am a complete dumbass, in fact the term "dumbass" may have been coined specifically for me?
A: See above
December 14, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy of this book for an honest review.
Wow...I enjoyed Anita Abriel's first book and was excited to read this. I LOVED IT!! Have read a lot of World War 2 historical fiction lately but something about Lana's story really moved me.
I would absolutely recommend this book!!
Wow...I enjoyed Anita Abriel's first book and was excited to read this. I LOVED IT!! Have read a lot of World War 2 historical fiction lately but something about Lana's story really moved me.
I would absolutely recommend this book!!
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