Dennis J. Turner

An interesting book, but since I had previously read several books about how some of the religious orders helped during WW II, I was not as struck by it as others may be. I found the constant footnoting very annoying, and wondered what the original text must have been. I believe I would have been happier with an epistolary book, even if not a novel. Most WW II books I read are non-fiction and I much prefer that to a novel when dealing with this kind of subject matter. I enjoyed learning more about the day-to-day world of Belgium during the war and some of its politics, which I had not known a great deal about previously. In a historical context, I believe any reader needs to read this book with a bit of suspicion given the many additions by the author. I believe that his recitation of the daily lives of the nuns themselves was probably more accurate, though their wartime lives might not fully have been known and may have been enlarged upon heavily by the author. All-in-all a worthy read.… (mais)

What Did You Do in the War Sister? Dennis Turner.2020. The author, a lawyer, and a teacher at a Catholic law school, met Sister Kim Dalgarn, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who mentioned she’d found a letters and other documents that had been hidden for over 70 years. These items had been written by the Sisters of her order during the Nazi occupation of Belgium and Italy. Turner is persuaded to take the material and compile it into a book. He ends up making it a novel based on this material, and it is fascinating—a personal look at the war in Belgium. In an afterwards the author explains how he researched the book and speaks highly of the numerous people who helped him. He goes on a too much about his atheism and his dislike of the current Church and the current president which takes away from the heroic actions of these brave sisters… (mais)

Another interesting story, based on true events that happened during WWII! This novel is told through the eyes of a nun, Sister Christina and is based off of diaries, letters and documents that were kept that talked about all the things the nuns did to help refugees and aid resistance groups. Each story I read, is another testament to the real heroes.

The nuns were used to help aid, in that they were able to hide refugees and obtain things needed in plain sight. No one was going to questions a woman in a habit. They used their dress to help conceal things, exchange messages and protect those who were needing help. It is amazing the different obstacles they always seemed to have a plan to overcome.

Although there were times that the Nazi's did some and demand to search their place or whatever buildings they occupied, they had such a good routine that nothing or no one was ever found out. Often they held both Nazi's and American's in the same room, and none were the wiser that refugees were also there right in front of their eyes.

This novel is written partially history book, which I enjoyed in that he really laid the facts out of what was happening when, and then also historical fictions through Sister Christina. It was a different type of read, but I think he fit the pieces together well, in that it kept my attention and I feel I learned about other bombings and attacks I had not yet learned about.

Thank you to the author, Dennis J Tuner for letting me read his novel - I think you did them justice with your story! And thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the invite! I enjoyed this one, and never even thought of what the nuns would have done during the war. Another new piece of history I learned about!… (mais)