Reviewed by Emma Crowley
1944, Germany. Louise struggles down from the cattle car, stumbling on the platform as guards shout harsh threats to keep moving. Blinking at the rows of terrified women, hope drains from her heart as her sister’s warnings ring in her ears…
Seven months earlier, Paris. Louise Beaufoy ushers the American airforcemen down to her basement, heart racing and ears pricked. Will this group finally be the one that gets her caught? Smuggling allied soldiers out of occupied Paris is the only way she can find to repay the men who’ve done so much for her country—no matter how furious her sister Marie is at the risk she’s taken with their lives…
Paris is filled with vengeful German spies and Marie pleads for her to stop. But then Louise’s gaze meets the beautiful blue eyes of handsome William… As the time she must hide the men increases, Louise can’t resist getting to know him, sharing stories of their lives over candlelight, fingers brushing and her heart unfurling. The thought of letting him go becomes more heart-breaking with every passing day, even as she knows her deepening feelings are dangerous…
But when Louise is presented with a terrible decision that will plunge both her and William’s lives into jeopardy, will she be ruled by her heart or her head? And will her choice keep the love of her life safe, even as it leads her to the darkest place she’s ever faced—or will they both suffer for the sake of one last mission…?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of The Girl Who Saved Them to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
I remember writing my review for S.E. Rutledge’s debut, A Promise to my Sister and stating that it was a very impressive first book. The same can be said for this new story, The Girl Who Saved Them. Despite what I thought was a bit of a slow start, the plot soon picked up pace and I was completely enthralled. The writing is tight with no filler-in chapters or events and I felt every character, scene and event that occurred was all essential to the overall plot. The two sisters that feature in this story are strong, brave and courageous but these qualities are tested in both of the women and manifest themselves in different ways. Over the course of the book their vulnerable sides are revealed and it was brilliant to see this emerge as it provided such a well rounded picture of the sisters. At some points I favoured one sister over the other but then something would occur and my opinion would change but by the end I was equally invested in both and their actions throughout. They were willing to accept that they did have faults and this made me value and appreciate them both equally.
1939 and war is declared on Germany. Louise and her sister Marie are left to care for Andre, their brother Fernand’s son as himself and their father go away to fight. News of the pair during the war is scarce and the two sisters cling to hope that they will survive. By 1941 Paris where the family reside is under German rule. Curfews are in place and the cost of living has soared with little to no food available. Marie is no longer teaching in a school but offers private lessons at home. She has stepped up and become the leader/mother of the house. Her sister Marie resented the fact that she took on this role. No one can no longer speak freely in their beloved city and when out one must always watch over their shoulders, especially the two sisters as they become involved in resistance work for the Comet Line. The Comet Line is engaged in all sorts of resistant work. The sisters agree to hide downed soldiers before they can be moved on to other safe houses and eventually to Spain where they can return to Britain. It’s a dangerous task that Louise has taken on board but she always tries to do right by others and this is often at her own expense. But she will have to learn to stop doing this and realise that everything she does no matter how big or small is helping the war effort.
I thought Louise felt immense guilt that her relationship was so strained with Marie and that she couldn’t seem to break down her barriers. It was a turmoil that wrestled inside her for the majority of the book. She placed her life and that of her family’s on the line by harbouring downed soldiers but once she was involved she could hardly back out of it that easily despite the dangers it brought. The noose seemed to tighten around her as Marie left the city and Louise was left to try and keep the soldiers an secret. Everyday she walked a thin line but one soldier in particular, the American William, became a support to her in the absence of her father and brother. I liked the subtlety of the development of their friendship into something more and that it didn’t dominate Louise’s story but came to the fore with appropriate timing. When things deteriorate and Louise finds herself captured by the Gestapo things take a harrowing turn for her and again the descriptions were realistic but hard to read at times.
Marie and Louise despite being sisters have a very strained relationship ever since the death of their mother. Marie has never hidden her disapproval of the Resistance work that Louise has gotten the family involved in. Initially and I would say for a good half of the book I found her to be very stubborn and bitter and full of anger and resentment. The many reasons for this were explored very well and the details revealed at a nice pace. She is stubborn and persistent in her actions and this is highlighted when she gives up her job delivering mail and therefore her resistance work for the Comet Line comes to an end also. I thought she was doing an invaluable job but given the worsening situation at home due to little or no money to try and get what little food was available she perhaps thought she was better off volunteering for the forced labour programme as she could send money back to Louise and Andre to help keep them and the soldiers they were hiding going. Yes, this shows she was thinking of their future needs but if she had known what awaited her in Germany at the labour camp, I am sure she wouldn’t have gone so willingly. But on the other hand if she hadn’t gone the plot regarding herself and Radomir would never have occurred which was an excellent strand to the whole story. Marie was the one character who did a complete 360 from the beginning to the end of the book. She was expertly developed and by the end I felt the adjectives I used to describe her up above were no longer necessary and it takes a lot for this to occur. She was a fantastic character whose chapters I looked forward to with every turn of the page.
The relationship between Marie and Radomir was so unusual given that she was French and he was Russian and during the war one wouldn’t have dreamed that a union like theirs could develop especially the circumstances under which they met. But it felt so real and that he was her protector, guide and saviour. He was like a bear of a man who despite all he had been through during the war still retained kindness, compassion and warmth. Marie gave her all to him and it took an awful lot for her to do this. She let down her walls and exposed her softer more vulnerable side. There was just something about their pairing and the way it was written. I became completely invested in them and wanted them to succeed and get out of the horrific situation they found themselves in. Maybe it was destiny that Marie decided to go and work in the camp. Was it in her path all along to endure such suffering and hard labour because the reward for this was to meet Radomir? I felt every bit of the love that developed between them and I knew that Radomir would do anything for Marie and the same could be said for her. Not in a long time has a couple had such a deep impact on me. Marie made Radomir whole again. He realised that he was still a man who wanted to live despite all he hd experienced and seen during the war. No matter how powerful the evilness in the world is, kindness and love will fight to endure and Marie and Radomir are prime examples of this.
The Girl Who Saved Them is a stunning read. So carefully plotted, devised and executed. Yes, at times some of the scenes are harrowing and create awful images in your mind but all the details needed to be present and not spared to ensure the reader comprehended what the sisters went through on their journeys that took them in different directions in the last year of the war. This is a story of hope, survival, family bonds, love, defiance, resistance and persistence and it has be one of my reading highlights of the year despite it only the beginning of the second month of 2025. S.E. Rutledge has written incredible story that packs a punch with emotional and traumatic subjects tackled very well and with sensitivity when needed. The characters really get inside your head and you find yourself rooting desperately for a happy out come for everyone involved but are sad too that to try and reach that point they endure such suffering, hostility, torture and separation from those they love the most. Fans of historical fiction will love this brilliant read as it’s a prime example of a book in the genre done to perfection. Hopefully but maybe it’s me being greedy the author will have another book published before the end of the year as she is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine.
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