It was a bookclub book that I forgot about so I read it very quickly. I did enjoy it. Very interesting and true story. I felt I would like to know Sven. Very cool guy- how he traversed across Norway during the war and how he got himself out of very sticky situations.
What an amazing story! My husband and I have long been interested in the history of the Norwegian Resistance during WWII. We picked up this book at Norway’s Resistance Museum in Oslo in November, 2018. The book has been our shelves, unread, until now. Sven Somme was an educator and zoologist in Norway during the Nazi occupation. He and so many other average citizens of the country conducted creative and secret underground espionage for Britain while also doing everything they could to preserve their Fatherland’s natural resources. This book is the story of Somme’s capture and escape from the Nazis. It is his own account of his trek to freedom in Sweden. Do not be deterred by the introductory chapter written by his daughter, Ellie Somme. Her writing is not as smooth or clear.
3.5 to 4 stars idk. I enjoyed the book and learned how one Norwegian man taught in a fisheries school, alongside making an illegal newspaper (with war facts not Nazi propaganda) and eventually was caught but then made his escape to Sweden. Written in a very matter of fact, journal-like, conversational style.
This is a great book!! It's a true depiction of Occupied Norway!! It's also a geography lesson of Norway! It's a time in history that should not be forgotten!! I had a hard time putting this book down!
I received this book from a friend who knows I adore Norway. To be honest, I did not fancy the fact that this novel takes place during the Nazi-occupied period but it was a far cry from being what I expected. The protagonist's escapade takes you deep into the mountains famed for their glory. The intensity that transpires at every vallon lets you feel how frele freedom can be. Published sixty years after her father's epic journey, Ellie Somme captured the true essence of courage by the Norwegian resistance movement. A must for all readers of true-life stories.