This is the story of two sisters living in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
The author makes it all very real. The daily effort to stay alive physically despite rationing and destruction and the effort to stay sane despite inhumanity being perpetrated on friends, family, and neighbours. It wasn't a litany of deprivations; each fact fit nicely into a satisfying story. The author didn't tip over the edge into exaggeration for the sake of impact. Let's face it, the acts of the Nazis need no embellishment. Neither did the author paint a fake, overly rosy picture.
I enjoyed the writing style, which had just enough detail to paint a vivid picture without spending pages waxing eloquent over picturesque views. The story clips along, going back and forth between the two sisters during the same timeline. The characters are interesting, complex, and flawed. The ending was satisfying, which is something I really want in a book where I've invested emotionally in the characters and the story. In a few places I was moved to tears.
I thought this was a great read, and I was pleased that the book is longer than most. I'll definitely try to find more titles by this author.