Rounded down from roughly 3.5 stars ⭐️

The White Rose Network is based on the true story of Sophie, who joins her brother and his friends in their resistance against the Nazi regime. They write and spread leaflets urging the German people to resist and sabotage. But will it be long before the authorities catch up to them?

I absolutely adore Midwoods books. Each one is based on a true story and highlights some of the incredibly brave women from WWII. I absolutely love reading their stories and learning things I never knew before. I always love strong female characters, but what I love about these books is that they are REAL strong females who continue to inspire me. Sophie’s courage and willingness to stand up for what is right really struck a chord with me. Although I didn’t love this quite as much as previous books, I still really enjoyed learning about the White Rose Network which I had no knowledge of previously.

I loved the inclusion of real excerpts from the leaflets, it added a fascinating glimpse into history. The story flicks between the past, following Sophie’s involvement with the network, and her interrogation by the Gestapo. I really enjoyed this style of writing, it felt like I could see the pieces slipping together. However, I wasn’t fond of the romance storyline between Sophie and Alexander. It seemed to detract from the important work they were doing and made both of their characters seem flawed, albeit human. It is my understanding that this romance didn’t actually happen, and for me I would have preferred it to stay that way. That being said, I did love the final message that the new generation can and will continue to resist in place of the White Rose Network. This felt incredibly moving and poignant to me.

I would recommend this author to fans of historical fiction based in WWII. I want to thank Netgalley, Bookouture and Ellie Midwood for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.