I don’t even know where to begin with this book I have so much I want to say but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. I fell in love with the characters instantly. The contrast between Simone and Hava is expressed at every turn but in reality the young ladies rely on each other for so much including love and friendship. This story is beautifully written and at times it was immersive. I could imagine every detail and felt I was there at times. It brought a tear to my eye and a smile to my face but I was still saddened by the reality of the historical accuracy of the events which took place. As much as I loved the ending, I wished it wasn’t the end as I wanted to read on. I will definitely by buying more books by this author because it was beautiful.

Inspired by a true story, this tale takes on the horrors of WWII without flinching. Simone Lyon is the daughter of a decorated Belgium General from WWI; Hava Daniels is the daughter of a Polish Jew. They are great friends and innocent 18 year old s with crushes on popular film stars. Then Germany invades Belgium, and they literally have to run for their lives.. Interspersed with historical facts, which I found interesting and relevant, this story is well worth time reading.

A Heart-felt story of a Belgian woman, Simone, who is the daughter of a Belgian general, her best friend, Hava, who is a Jew, at the time of the Nazi occupation. The girls try to escape Belgium, but the bus they are travelling on is stopped by an SS patrol, and Hava is taken off. Simone gets to southern France, after spending some time there she returns to Brussels for the rest of the war. Simone tries to trace Hava and her family but is unable to until the war is over. This is a story of friendship amongst war and persecution.

I have to admit I had very high expectations for this book as it seemed to have ticked all the boxes. It had a beautiful cover which drew me towards the book and I have a soft spot for WW2 books, especially those based on true stories. I have read many (probably too many) WW2 books but never one based in Belgium (although I have come across many many based in Holland so not that far away). The story talks about the friendship between a Simone whose father is a Belgian national hero and Hava who comes from a devout Jewish family or at least that is what the book tells us. Whilst the characters have been written quite well, Simone seemed annoyingly naive for a 18 year old of that era. We follow their attempts to escape from Belgium but I think the whole story is more about their friendship than the surrounding events. There were some parts of the story that I found difficult to believe to be true (travelled so much with no money, the kiss bit, etc.) I also did not feel very emotionally attached to the characters. Overall, a great idea but I think it had much more potential.

Personally I think this would be an excellent book for students in secondary schools to read for History and /or PSHE. The book looks at how two very different girls became friends in Belgium just before the start of World War 2. Simone has grown up without a mother, has a national hero for a father and attends a convent school. Her friend Hava has grown up in a devout Jewish family and is full of creativity. Alongside the story of what happened as the Nazi’s arrived in Belgium, we find out how the two girls enjoyed becoming friends so close they were like sisters. I enjoyed this story despite the heartbreak. The message readers should take from the book is that we mustn’t ever let this happen again. As a world we need to show more kindness and compassion to our fellow human beings, irrespective of their race, religion and culture.