The Resistance Girl - Mandy Robotham

Author: Mandy Robotham

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction.

Rating: 3.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: This offers a perspective of WWII I’ve never seen so far – the story of the Norwegian resistance. But it becomes quite hazy in its focus and hence my final feelings are quite muted.

Story:

Norway, 1942. Twenty-five year old Rumi Orlstad is mourning the death of her fiancé Magnus, who drowned while operating the ‘Shetland Bus’ (the secret special-ops waterway link between Shetland in Scotland and German-occupied Norway.) In a bid to bolster Norway’s resistance fight against the German occupiers, Rumi and her dad become part of the underground movement who smuggle agents and fugitives across the North Sea to Scotland. One such agent is half-Norwegian Jens, who has a great role to play as the local coordinator between various resistance groups.

When Rumi’s friend Anya finds herself in a special German-run maternity camp, Rumi knows that she has to help Anya out.

The book comes in a limited third person perspective of Rumi, Jens, and one character from the maternity camp where Anya is located.

Where the book worked for me:

😍 I've read so much of WWII fiction that I honestly thought that I've read every single story possible. But this book offered a dual surprise:

👉 A WWII story from the Norwegian perspective.

👉 The story of the Reich's attempt to "manufacture" more Aryan babies using Norwegian women.

I had never heard of Norway’s part in the WWII. So it was a shocker to see that the Nazis had stationed the maximum number of troops in Norway, partly in a bid to ensure their eugenics plan thrived with the help (whether given or forced) of the blonde and blue-eyed Norwegian women. Both these aspects were very interesting to read.

😍 For a change, this resistance story portrays not just the bravery of the resistance fighters but also their insecurities and their frustrations. It made them feel not superhuman but human and vulnerable, thereby leading to a greater empathetic connection with them.

😍 The plot makes wonderful use of Norwegian locales and climate and the local culture.

😍 Some of the main characters make quite an impact. You will feel for Rumi and Jens as they go through their day-to-day lives while managing their secret ops work. Margrit, Rumi’s neighbour is going to be a strong favourite of readers.

😍 The author’s research seems impeccable.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

😑 I would have liked a greater focus on the Lebensborn camp where the pregnant Norwegian ladies were kept. The story reveals their presence but not much about what happens to them afterwards.

😑 It is very slow, especially in the first half where events seem quite repetitive. There’s a lot of time dedicated to Rumi and her anger over the death of Magnus.

😑 The secondary characters aren’t detailed out well. You barely know anything about them even until the end. They make an appearance on an “if-needs-be” basis.

😑 I didn’t expect romance to be part of the storyline. Of course, if it works for the story, I let this go. But in this book, it didn’t seem to proceed naturally from the plot and felt quite forced.

😑 The ending is too neat.

😑 The chapter titles are distracting. Each section begins with the date and the name of the character whose pov we are reading, which was more than enough. The titles weren’t necessary at all.

All in all, I did learn a lot about Norway’s struggles during the WWII and also about Hitler’s pathetic programme of the blond & blue-eyed Aryan superiority (which is quite ironic considering he himself was a brunette. Idiot!) But the writing style didn’t endear the book to me and hence it will be just a one-time read. I do recommend it but not with full gusto. Many other readers have appreciated this story a lot more, so please read their reviews too before you take a call on this work.

My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Resistance Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.