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The Generation War Saga #2
In Their Mother's Footsteps
In Their Mother's Footsteps is a moving saga set at the eve of the Second World War, by the author of the Breckton series, Mary Wood.
Two girls. One horrendous war. The chance to unite a family . . .
Edith and Ada run Jimmy's Hope House where they care for unmarried mothers, and where Edith, a doctor, offers free medical help to the poor of London's East End.
Both are struggling to overcome trauma from their past. For Edith there is the constant ache and yearning for her twin girls Elka and Ania, from whom she was separated in 1918. For Ada there is the threat of her sister returning . . .
As the Nazis strengthen their grip on Poland, sisters Elka and Ania are forced to make a difficult decision: travel to England to find their birth mother or stay and fight against an increasingly desperate regime?
In times of war, no choices are ever easy to make. But making the right choice could keep you alive . . .
Two girls. One horrendous war. The chance to unite a family . . .
Edith and Ada run Jimmy's Hope House where they care for unmarried mothers, and where Edith, a doctor, offers free medical help to the poor of London's East End.
Both are struggling to overcome trauma from their past. For Edith there is the constant ache and yearning for her twin girls Elka and Ania, from whom she was separated in 1918. For Ada there is the threat of her sister returning . . .
As the Nazis strengthen their grip on Poland, sisters Elka and Ania are forced to make a difficult decision: travel to England to find their birth mother or stay and fight against an increasingly desperate regime?
In times of war, no choices are ever easy to make. But making the right choice could keep you alive . . .
400 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2016
16 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 22, 2018
Edith and Ada are still good friends. It's 1939 and Jimmy's Hope House is a success. They've helped many unmarried mothers and have provided plenty of medical care for those who are too poor to pay for it. Ada has learned to live with the loss of her sons. She's happy with the kindhearted Joe, but fears her unhinged sister who's in an institution. Ada has raised her nephew and has done this with love. She's also always supported her friend, who's still missing her girls. Edith's daughters were taken from her in the First World War and she still hopes she will get the chance to meet them some day. She's tried to find them, but all of her attempts have been in vain. Will she be reunited with Elka and Ania eventually?
Elka and Ania are living in Poland. They've been raised by a Jewish family and life is becoming more dangerous for Jews every single day. The German threat is real and if the sisters don't leave everything they've ever known behind as soon as possible, they might end up paying for it with their lives. However, they also want to help protecting the Jews, they want to fight for their country and for freedom. When they find out their real mother lives in England, what will they decide? Will they leave Poland and search for her or will they stay in their hometown to protect their loved ones?
In Their Mother's Footsteps is an impressive story about tough decisions and doing what feels right. Elka and Ania are willing to make sacrifices, so they can help fighting the Germans. I admired their courage. They constantly find themselves in scary situations and often there's nobody who can protect them, which means things don't always go well for them. They are wonderful girls whose happiness is being taken from them because of the war and family secrets. Mary Wood describes their lives in an honest and poignant way that kept me glued to the pages. I was captivated by their story from beginning to end. I kept hoping they'd be reunited with their mother and I couldn't get through the story quickly enough to find out what would happen.
In Their Mother's Footsteps blew me away. I often had tears in my eyes when I read about the horrors the main characters are experiencing because of war, family drama and other dangers. Mary Wood's descriptive writing made me go through so many different emotions, which is something I absolutely loved. She's a skilled writer with a gripping style. Her stories are surprising, compelling and vivid. I enjoyed the large number of impressive layers in the story line and the beautiful way she brings people together. I highly recommend any of her books, they're all fantastic.
Elka and Ania are living in Poland. They've been raised by a Jewish family and life is becoming more dangerous for Jews every single day. The German threat is real and if the sisters don't leave everything they've ever known behind as soon as possible, they might end up paying for it with their lives. However, they also want to help protecting the Jews, they want to fight for their country and for freedom. When they find out their real mother lives in England, what will they decide? Will they leave Poland and search for her or will they stay in their hometown to protect their loved ones?
In Their Mother's Footsteps is an impressive story about tough decisions and doing what feels right. Elka and Ania are willing to make sacrifices, so they can help fighting the Germans. I admired their courage. They constantly find themselves in scary situations and often there's nobody who can protect them, which means things don't always go well for them. They are wonderful girls whose happiness is being taken from them because of the war and family secrets. Mary Wood describes their lives in an honest and poignant way that kept me glued to the pages. I was captivated by their story from beginning to end. I kept hoping they'd be reunited with their mother and I couldn't get through the story quickly enough to find out what would happen.
In Their Mother's Footsteps blew me away. I often had tears in my eyes when I read about the horrors the main characters are experiencing because of war, family drama and other dangers. Mary Wood's descriptive writing made me go through so many different emotions, which is something I absolutely loved. She's a skilled writer with a gripping style. Her stories are surprising, compelling and vivid. I enjoyed the large number of impressive layers in the story line and the beautiful way she brings people together. I highly recommend any of her books, they're all fantastic.
December 12, 2016
Brilliant
This book is filled with emotion and empathy. It takes you to the deaths of despair and back again. It show how men and women did remarkable thinks to keep us all safe. A must read.
This book is filled with emotion and empathy. It takes you to the deaths of despair and back again. It show how men and women did remarkable thinks to keep us all safe. A must read.
February 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, it was not a "fluffy" read but a real get your teeth into read, as I read it I was intrigued, shocked, sad and happy. Well worth a read. 5*
December 31, 2016
Pro's: Page-turner WW2 historical fiction. Respectable, strong female main characters. Multi-cultural families. Linguists. Spies. Heartbreak. Romance. Action. Fighting against Nazis. Controversial topics.
Con's: Weird sex scenes. A bunch of married couples crying during sex. (I understand that maybe the author was trying to convey that it was an emotional release of repressed emotions and even joyful moments were tinged w/ sadness back then, but...it still weirded me out.) Graphic descriptions of sexual assault. Maybe other people need to read just how horrible it is to empathize with rape victims.
Conclusion: Overall good book that will keep you reading.
*If you're a sexual assault survivor, you might need to skip some parts.*
Con's: Weird sex scenes. A bunch of married couples crying during sex. (I understand that maybe the author was trying to convey that it was an emotional release of repressed emotions and even joyful moments were tinged w/ sadness back then, but...it still weirded me out.) Graphic descriptions of sexual assault. Maybe other people need to read just how horrible it is to empathize with rape victims.
Conclusion: Overall good book that will keep you reading.
*If you're a sexual assault survivor, you might need to skip some parts.*
January 26, 2017
The follow up to " All I have to give".
What a talented author Mary Wood is, the story had me gripped from the first page, and had many twists and turns, and was heartbreaking in places, I can't imagine the heartache families went through during the war.
This is my favourite book by Mary so far, maybe because I love World War 2 saga novels, and especially centred around the holocaust. Wonderful descriptive writing, I could imagine being there.
The characters are great , I especially liked Elka and Ania the twin sisters who at the time were living in Poland, and discovered at the start of the war their mother was alive, and living in England. They both face a tough decision, either to stay, or leave .
The hardship for Ania is beautifully told, and the reunion between Elka and her mum was wonderful.
I can't wait for Mary's next novel.
What a talented author Mary Wood is, the story had me gripped from the first page, and had many twists and turns, and was heartbreaking in places, I can't imagine the heartache families went through during the war.
This is my favourite book by Mary so far, maybe because I love World War 2 saga novels, and especially centred around the holocaust. Wonderful descriptive writing, I could imagine being there.
The characters are great , I especially liked Elka and Ania the twin sisters who at the time were living in Poland, and discovered at the start of the war their mother was alive, and living in England. They both face a tough decision, either to stay, or leave .
The hardship for Ania is beautifully told, and the reunion between Elka and her mum was wonderful.
I can't wait for Mary's next novel.
June 10, 2017
The most confusing, yet incredibly the saddest book I have read for a while. This book focuses on twins and the events that happened between the Germans and Polish during world war two. Mary Wood goes into quite some detail and leaves no detail out when describing just how harshly people were tortured for no reason apart from where they were born. I found it very hard to follow in the beginning because of the amount of characters chucked out straight away, but as the story went on and tragedy struck it became easier. A very eye-opening read.
December 25, 2016
What a lovely story, yes there was a lot of people who helped others in the war, and got no recognition for it, thank you to them all for given us our freedom.
October 17, 2021
Minor rant ahead.
In Their Mother’s Footsteps is a hit and miss and another miss.
The character of Ada, though lovely was annoying, her dialect frustrated the hell out of me and my mother as we had both read it. During her parts my mother just had to skip her while my reading came to a screeching halt and did not want to pick up the book for days. For a smart and educated woman she should have spoked clearer and her use of ‘eeh’ drove us both absolutely bonkers and somehow triggered my misophonia. Its probably just an accent but holy s* was it annoying.
We are still confused on Edith and the father of the twins WTF happened there. It began as such an intriguing mystery and kind of fizzled and forgotten. But when it was mentioned, it was patchy.
Ania’s husband was well aware of the torture, abuse, and rape his supposed beloved wife was enduring and did NOTHING. There was a clear escape route, and one very close by but nope. He might as well have been in the room watching Ania be gang banged by the German solders whilst drinking a cup of tea. His thoughts that she was useful where she was is bulls*, surely a very educated woman and fluent in many languages would have been useful anywhere. The fact that Gabriel begged Baruch his forgiveness after he threw the grenade f*ed us both off. Gabriel should have been begging Elka for forgiveness as she was the only person there who truly loved her and wanted for safe.
The author either went into over detail or not enough detail. We hear about the design and colour of a lounge but Jhona’s escape was merely an afterthought and brief page.
Jhonas escape was hugely glossed over and could have been a HUGE climax to the story of his plan to escape, the escape and him and his friends surviving until they had to ditch the car and two of the men were gunned down. This would have been FAR more interesting to hear instead of that stupid party on the farm and that pitiful excuse for an air raid.
Brendan was a stupid idiot and ignored all advice given by Edith. Why the hell was his love interests so important? Mum and I didn’t even think it was relevant.
Ada wasn’t really that important to the story. My mother skipped all her parts and the story made complete sense.
Laurent’s impotent wasn’t really that important to us and easily forgotten and though it probably did happen to real men, we just found it unimportant to the story in general. So much was glossed over at the end of the book but yet we have good detail of Laurent being impotent and Edith’s sexual frustration.
The rape scenes were quite graphic and true to life. Somewhere there needed to be a content warning as these scenes could be very triggering to a survivor of sexual assault.
The treatment of the Jews and the life they lived during the takeover was really the only interesting thing about the book, the concentration camp could have been a HUGE highlight but was glossed over so quickly like it wasn’t important at all. Instead we got a fluffy dance party.
So small parts of In Their Mother’s Footsteps were good such as some VERY STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS. These women were women and realistic and not glammed into anything pretty. Elka gave into her emotions on several occasions but it didn’t paralyze her, it just gave her more drive and rage to fight.
Historical accuracy and the research is a well done.
But unfortunately, the cons outweigh the good. This book could have been SO MUCH BETTER if it didn’t try and focus on so many people and kept it pinned down. I think we could have done without the focus Brendan, Ginny, Leah, maybe Laurent and Ada. What was the point of Ginny?
In Their Mother’s Footsteps is a hit and miss and another miss.
The character of Ada, though lovely was annoying, her dialect frustrated the hell out of me and my mother as we had both read it. During her parts my mother just had to skip her while my reading came to a screeching halt and did not want to pick up the book for days. For a smart and educated woman she should have spoked clearer and her use of ‘eeh’ drove us both absolutely bonkers and somehow triggered my misophonia. Its probably just an accent but holy s* was it annoying.
We are still confused on Edith and the father of the twins WTF happened there. It began as such an intriguing mystery and kind of fizzled and forgotten. But when it was mentioned, it was patchy.
Ania’s husband was well aware of the torture, abuse, and rape his supposed beloved wife was enduring and did NOTHING. There was a clear escape route, and one very close by but nope. He might as well have been in the room watching Ania be gang banged by the German solders whilst drinking a cup of tea. His thoughts that she was useful where she was is bulls*, surely a very educated woman and fluent in many languages would have been useful anywhere. The fact that Gabriel begged Baruch his forgiveness after he threw the grenade f*ed us both off. Gabriel should have been begging Elka for forgiveness as she was the only person there who truly loved her and wanted for safe.
The author either went into over detail or not enough detail. We hear about the design and colour of a lounge but Jhona’s escape was merely an afterthought and brief page.
Jhonas escape was hugely glossed over and could have been a HUGE climax to the story of his plan to escape, the escape and him and his friends surviving until they had to ditch the car and two of the men were gunned down. This would have been FAR more interesting to hear instead of that stupid party on the farm and that pitiful excuse for an air raid.
Brendan was a stupid idiot and ignored all advice given by Edith. Why the hell was his love interests so important? Mum and I didn’t even think it was relevant.
Ada wasn’t really that important to the story. My mother skipped all her parts and the story made complete sense.
Laurent’s impotent wasn’t really that important to us and easily forgotten and though it probably did happen to real men, we just found it unimportant to the story in general. So much was glossed over at the end of the book but yet we have good detail of Laurent being impotent and Edith’s sexual frustration.
The rape scenes were quite graphic and true to life. Somewhere there needed to be a content warning as these scenes could be very triggering to a survivor of sexual assault.
The treatment of the Jews and the life they lived during the takeover was really the only interesting thing about the book, the concentration camp could have been a HUGE highlight but was glossed over so quickly like it wasn’t important at all. Instead we got a fluffy dance party.
So small parts of In Their Mother’s Footsteps were good such as some VERY STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS. These women were women and realistic and not glammed into anything pretty. Elka gave into her emotions on several occasions but it didn’t paralyze her, it just gave her more drive and rage to fight.
Historical accuracy and the research is a well done.
But unfortunately, the cons outweigh the good. This book could have been SO MUCH BETTER if it didn’t try and focus on so many people and kept it pinned down. I think we could have done without the focus Brendan, Ginny, Leah, maybe Laurent and Ada. What was the point of Ginny?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2020
An incredibly emotional story set during world war two.
It's interesting and educational as well as heartwrenching and in some parts difficult to read.
The realities of war and relationships are shown in gore and detail while still following a family saga spanning the years and nations.
I found the amount if characters confusing at first, then realised that this is a follow up to a previous book, so if I'd read that first I would have understood the background of the characters and their relationships better.
A good read but a bit too sad for me.
It's interesting and educational as well as heartwrenching and in some parts difficult to read.
The realities of war and relationships are shown in gore and detail while still following a family saga spanning the years and nations.
I found the amount if characters confusing at first, then realised that this is a follow up to a previous book, so if I'd read that first I would have understood the background of the characters and their relationships better.
A good read but a bit too sad for me.
October 25, 2021
I mean, yes, it's an Holocaust story, it's going to be heavy and sad. Things happen that people have to endure and find strength, but I think wartime would've been enough to shape some of the characters without some of the other horrible events, like the baby and the fire.
While I applaud the many points of view, I kind of got lost in the myriad characters, especially introductions of peripheral actors who then disappeared as quickly as they'd come, more often than not, to die. Like Marianne, Annie, nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles (e.g. Christian).
I understand with all the deaths the author trying to underscore the atrocities of the Holocaust and WWII, the roughly 6 million Jews and 11 million total who died, and show how people from all over Europe were affected, even if they weren't in Nazi-occupied states, like the draft age adolescents from England, but it was hard to keep track when people like Ephraim and the Polish man who loved Ania (something with an H) popped in, as though we should know who they were and their backgrounds. It felt like the opposite of an audience who knows what's coming in a horror movie, like Ania or Johna or whomever knew the character, but I'm missing all these pieces.
Also, a couple people introduced, like the pharmacist mensch and Leah's brother, I'd like to know if they survived the war. And then some of the characters, even ones who survived, they kind of went from fairly prominent to fizzling out, like Brendan, or the relationship between Edith and Laurent. I think it was just too many people taken on for one story. My last major gripe, I suppose, is the grenade thing with the resistance and how weak I found the reasoning for why they threw the grenades, when Elka later said it was unnecessary. The traitor and the ambush, that makes sense, but the action on our resistance's part, not so much, liability or no.
While I applaud the many points of view, I kind of got lost in the myriad characters, especially introductions of peripheral actors who then disappeared as quickly as they'd come, more often than not, to die. Like Marianne, Annie, nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles (e.g. Christian).
I understand with all the deaths the author trying to underscore the atrocities of the Holocaust and WWII, the roughly 6 million Jews and 11 million total who died, and show how people from all over Europe were affected, even if they weren't in Nazi-occupied states, like the draft age adolescents from England, but it was hard to keep track when people like Ephraim and the Polish man who loved Ania (something with an H) popped in, as though we should know who they were and their backgrounds. It felt like the opposite of an audience who knows what's coming in a horror movie, like Ania or Johna or whomever knew the character, but I'm missing all these pieces.
Also, a couple people introduced, like the pharmacist mensch and Leah's brother, I'd like to know if they survived the war. And then some of the characters, even ones who survived, they kind of went from fairly prominent to fizzling out, like Brendan, or the relationship between Edith and Laurent. I think it was just too many people taken on for one story. My last major gripe, I suppose, is the grenade thing with the resistance and how weak I found the reasoning for why they threw the grenades, when Elka later said it was unnecessary. The traitor and the ambush, that makes sense, but the action on our resistance's part, not so much, liability or no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2025
Quite by chance I'd read 'All I Have To Give' a short time before I started on this. It was nice to read about the familiar characters and how the sequel concentrated on the two girls.
I must say this is one of the best books I've read for a long time. It was beautifully written and gripping from the start. Mary Wood obviously spent so much time on research with this and I have no idea if it is all factually correct, however, it still makes a very good story. It was powerful and emotionally charged and I would recommend this and the first one in the two part series to those who like this genre.
I must say this is one of the best books I've read for a long time. It was beautifully written and gripping from the start. Mary Wood obviously spent so much time on research with this and I have no idea if it is all factually correct, however, it still makes a very good story. It was powerful and emotionally charged and I would recommend this and the first one in the two part series to those who like this genre.
April 17, 2018
Excellent follow up to All I Have To Give, still starring a lot of the man characters from the first book, but also the next generation..... and in particular, Edith's long lost twins.
Time has marched on, it's now world war 2. Twins Elka and Ania are in Poland, being raised as jews, when their 'grandmother' tells them the truth about their birth. Elka immediately wants to travel to England to meet her real mother, Ania refuses to leave Poland. Each in their own way helps the allies war effort.
Time has marched on, it's now world war 2. Twins Elka and Ania are in Poland, being raised as jews, when their 'grandmother' tells them the truth about their birth. Elka immediately wants to travel to England to meet her real mother, Ania refuses to leave Poland. Each in their own way helps the allies war effort.
November 10, 2018
I picked up this book expecting it to be a sweet war time romance, but it was so much more and I couldn't put it down. Mary Wood doesn't hide away from the realities of War, and the story gives you some unexpected surprises that aren't always easy to read. For me, Ania was the one who stood out as she showed incredible strength, and out of everyone, I think she had one of the hardest, and most difficult, journeys. I didn't realise In Their Mother's Footsteps was a follow on from All I have To Give, but I was able to read this book as a standalone and enjoy the whole story. However, I am left with questions as to what happened to Edith and Ada before this book, so will definitely be purchasing the first book.
Mary Wood is a new author to me, but I'll certainly be reading her other books. She clearly takes the time and care needed when researching for her books, and blends what she has researched so well with the rest of the story that you're able to fully understand what her characters are experiencing. I'm so excited to have discovered Mary Wood's amazing work, and I can't recommend this book enough!
Mary Wood is a new author to me, but I'll certainly be reading her other books. She clearly takes the time and care needed when researching for her books, and blends what she has researched so well with the rest of the story that you're able to fully understand what her characters are experiencing. I'm so excited to have discovered Mary Wood's amazing work, and I can't recommend this book enough!
March 23, 2024
Gosh, this wasn't the book I expected. Not a fluffy mother and daughter war story. The title does not give any indication to the stories of twins, trying to be reunited with their mother, but recruited by the British government and employed in intelligence and espionage. It tells of the utter atrocities seen in Poland , France and Austria, the horror of war throughout Europe, and the courage of ordinary people in the fight for freedom. This is not light reading, but it kept me longing for the safety of Elka and Ania.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2024
The author has clearly done background research, so the setting is completely believable. What is NOT believable is how every character in the book adds an adjective before every other person's name when they are thinking about them. Her beloved husband. Her brave sister. Her poor sister-in-law. I could only just finish the story for all the gushing and adjective porridge.
October 15, 2017
this was a very interesting read.I found some parts hard to read due to the graphic content which showed the brutality of war.it was a fast moving story with lots of characters.at times I had to stop and think to remind myself who was who.wld recommend this book.
November 12, 2017
a harrowing and heartbreaking but insightful story.
February 20, 2018
A strong storyline, however the language was quite stilted which made it hard to get into.
August 10, 2020
Very sad read. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so emotional, especially in the epilogue.
December 17, 2020
Despite what I said about the previous book in this series, I'd bought the two together & so went straight on to this one, and it was much better that the first
October 22, 2021
Absolutely fantastic book, honestly a little more brutal than I am use to reading but I am almost grateful for that as it reminded me to never forget the atrocities of World War 2.
January 8, 2025
The sequel to All I Have To Give bring the whole story to a brilliant end
Loved it. One to read over again
Loved it. One to read over again
January 23, 2017
Really good book about life around and in the war. The twins fine their true family but will they be reunited as war begins and so many lives are changed forever.
Excellent read and with history of what life was like for people fighting behind the lines in the secret service .
Excellent read and with history of what life was like for people fighting behind the lines in the secret service .
April 19, 2017
Kindle book
Mary you have, once again brought these characters to life reading this book I felt I was there it was pure perfection well done x
Mary you have, once again brought these characters to life reading this book I felt I was there it was pure perfection well done x
April 22, 2017
This book is in part based loosely on the life of Christine Granville (spy name), the first female of the newly formed British Intelligence in WW2 SEO (Special Operations Executive) real name of Krystyna Skarbek who was probably the first version of the James Bond type of spy. Her story alone, would be an exciting one to read.
“In Their Mother’s Footsteps” is well written and a beautiful read. There are many complex issues of relationships that encompass the extended families and friends in this book during the period of the Great War and WW2 and of the terrible loss and destruction they find themselves having to deal with. The book depicts the true strength of the British and how remarkable they were in this terrible time of darkness.
The book recounts a little of the terrible treatment dealt to Jews by Hitler and his soldiers for which those in their older years will be well aware of. For younger readers the horror of the treatment of Jews, those from enemy countries and many others that simply got in the way of the Nazis may seem a little surreal but a personal investigation still today to many European countries would assist to enlighten them of these events.
“In Their Mother’s Footsteps” is well written and a beautiful read. There are many complex issues of relationships that encompass the extended families and friends in this book during the period of the Great War and WW2 and of the terrible loss and destruction they find themselves having to deal with. The book depicts the true strength of the British and how remarkable they were in this terrible time of darkness.
The book recounts a little of the terrible treatment dealt to Jews by Hitler and his soldiers for which those in their older years will be well aware of. For younger readers the horror of the treatment of Jews, those from enemy countries and many others that simply got in the way of the Nazis may seem a little surreal but a personal investigation still today to many European countries would assist to enlighten them of these events.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews