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Resistance Women
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This is a historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate American—Mildred Fish Harnack—and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
After Wisconsin graduate student Mildred Fish marries brilliant German economist Arvid Harnack, she accompanies him to h ...more
After Wisconsin graduate student Mildred Fish marries brilliant German economist Arvid Harnack, she accompanies him to h ...more
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Hardcover, 608 pages
Published
May 14th 2019
by William Morrow
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This is my first experience with Chiaverini and I am impressed. From 1929 through 1946, three women look on in horror as the Nazi Party rises and comes into power. Mildred Harnack is an American intellectual married to a German and Greta Kuckhoff is a hopeful German writer formerly enrolled at the University of Wisconsin where she met the Harnacks. Their stories are factual and both are members of the Red Orchestra, a resistance cell operating in Berlin. Sara Weitz is a Jewish-German literature
...more

Just started this book and feel an eerie similarity to our current situation in the United States as the unthinkable builds in 1930's Germany. Well written if not fast paced. The slow pace of the book provides a sense of the unthinkable unfolding and reminds the reader of how glacial change can be destructive, perhaps more so than a catastrophic sudden shift. A lengthy book reflective of the topic and the period.
...more

I finally read a book by Jennifer Chiaverini! I’ve meant to for ages now, and I’m thrilled to say my first book from her was epic! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Mildred Fish is a graduate student from Wisconsin. She marries a German economist, Arvid Harnack, and moves with him to Germany. Berlin in the 1930s is swimming with intellectuals, and the newlyweds are enjoying their work and social lives.
At the same time, we all know Hitler and his Nazi party are rising in power. Mildred and Arvid decide to resist. Mi ...more
Mildred Fish is a graduate student from Wisconsin. She marries a German economist, Arvid Harnack, and moves with him to Germany. Berlin in the 1930s is swimming with intellectuals, and the newlyweds are enjoying their work and social lives.
At the same time, we all know Hitler and his Nazi party are rising in power. Mildred and Arvid decide to resist. Mi ...more

This ambitious World War II novel is vast in its historical record and scope, taking us from the beginning of Hitler's rise to power through the end of the war, focusing in detail on the sociological and historical aspects of the rise of Nazism and Hitler, and the attempts by a few brave souls to withstand and resist and finally to just survive the onslaught of the horrors the characters face that grow larger and more incomprehensible every year.
The author's grasp of the period is amazing, and s ...more
The author's grasp of the period is amazing, and s ...more

Jennifer Chiaverini's latest historical novel delves into the lives of four women- three historical and one fictional that along with their husbands and family members took a stand against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi government. A well researched, well-detailed narrative, Resistance Women takes readers from 1930's Germany all the way through the war and into 1946.
Wisconsin graduate student Mildred Fish, daughter of an American ambassor Martha Dodd, literature student Greta Kuckoff, and Jewish ...more
Wisconsin graduate student Mildred Fish, daughter of an American ambassor Martha Dodd, literature student Greta Kuckoff, and Jewish ...more

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”
--- Edmund Burke
”Some fires burned themselves out only after consuming everything within reach of the flames.”
Beginning in June of 1929, this story shares the stories of several women living in Germany during the rise of the Nazi Party, and the stories of those whose lives connected with theirs. Two of these women, Mildred Harnack and Greta Kuckhoff, were based on their real lives, living and operating as ...more
--- Edmund Burke
”Some fires burned themselves out only after consuming everything within reach of the flames.”
Beginning in June of 1929, this story shares the stories of several women living in Germany during the rise of the Nazi Party, and the stories of those whose lives connected with theirs. Two of these women, Mildred Harnack and Greta Kuckhoff, were based on their real lives, living and operating as ...more

One of the reasons why I love reading historical fiction is because it gives me a chance to learn about people, places, cultures, time periods, etc. that I may not otherwise have known about. It is also an opportunity for me to better understand aspects of history and the important role we, as human beings, play in shaping and directing the trajectory of this world in which we live.
Even though Jennifer Chiaverini’s latest historical novel Resistance Women is set in a time period that most bi ...more
Even though Jennifer Chiaverini’s latest historical novel Resistance Women is set in a time period that most bi ...more

Resistance Women takes you to a whole brilliant journey and it follows the WWI from the beginning of Hitler's rise, and the story is elaborated very intriguing with mixed emotions, a huge applause for Chiaverini for writing such a wonderful story! She really is a powerful Author to share an amazing story with all of us, and we're so happy to have her book in our May choice for our Monthly Picks so make sure to grab a copy!
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The reality of the time is so accurate and it is very professional in tha ...more
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The reality of the time is so accurate and it is very professional in tha ...more

Feb 28, 2020
DJ Sakata
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
war,
historical-fiction
Favorite Quotes:
Darling, you must never become accustomed to the extraordinary and the outrageous. If you do, little by little you’ll learn to accept anything.
Scapegoating Jews – or Communists, Poles, women, immigrants – was the refuge of the lazy, envious, and unimaginative. It made the world an ugly hostile place to live in and did nothing to solve any actual problems. She would rather be solitary than count bigots as her friends.
I used to think the rise of the Nazis was about politics. I don ...more
Darling, you must never become accustomed to the extraordinary and the outrageous. If you do, little by little you’ll learn to accept anything.
Scapegoating Jews – or Communists, Poles, women, immigrants – was the refuge of the lazy, envious, and unimaginative. It made the world an ugly hostile place to live in and did nothing to solve any actual problems. She would rather be solitary than count bigots as her friends.
I used to think the rise of the Nazis was about politics. I don ...more

Although this book is shown as a work of fiction, it is also noted that the events portrayed in this book are based on historical facts.
Jennifer Chiaverini does it again, that being that she has written an extraordinary story in "Resistance Women". She never disappoints.
Told in varying viewpoints, the story revolves around American Mildred Fish Harnack, and the friends who support her - and each other - through an extremely harrowing time in history when nothing, and no one, is safe, especially ...more
Jennifer Chiaverini does it again, that being that she has written an extraordinary story in "Resistance Women". She never disappoints.
Told in varying viewpoints, the story revolves around American Mildred Fish Harnack, and the friends who support her - and each other - through an extremely harrowing time in history when nothing, and no one, is safe, especially ...more

May 28, 2019
Cathy
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
digital-library-books,
historical-fiction
Another historical fiction novel about WWII. I’m sorry, but this was a struggle from about 20% in until the end. The author seemed to lose touch with her characters and only slightly used them to give a TON of facts about the war in Berlin. So glad I finished but really wish I had never bothered to read it.
One additional note. I did marvel over the similarities in what Hitler said/did in his rise to power and what Trump says and does. It’s frightening, almost as if they were following the same h ...more
One additional note. I did marvel over the similarities in what Hitler said/did in his rise to power and what Trump says and does. It’s frightening, almost as if they were following the same h ...more

I'll be honest: I almost put this one off indefinitely after realizing I had about 5-6 World War II historical fiction novels sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read. I'm not sure why every author seems to have released one this year, but my shelf is FULL of them. It was hard to decide which one to read first, and reading too many of them close together would just confuse them in my head. I don't remember how I ended up choosing this one to come first, but I'm glad I was able to fit it in.
Resist ...more
Resist ...more

Going into this book I thought I knew what to expect, but not in this detail, and not when I felt that I needed to get out of there and leave. When I think about those that stay and then what happened, I thought about staying in my own home, it’s mine why should I leave, and that mentality could get them killed.
Through the author we get to walk on the streets of Berlin during this horrific time, and we put faces to those who can see what is happening and do what they can to help thwart this evil ...more
Through the author we get to walk on the streets of Berlin during this horrific time, and we put faces to those who can see what is happening and do what they can to help thwart this evil ...more

Apr 12, 2019
Amy Bullis
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
advanced-copies
One of the best books I’ve read; I could not put it down for the first 400 pages. My reading pace slowed as I neared the end because I’d fallen in love with the characters, and I didn’t want their stories to end as I knew they would. This excellent work needs to be on everyone’s “to read” list.

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. Thank you to William Morrow. The story is about the brave women in the resistance during the second world war. Some of the characters are the actual women who tried to fight the injustice being done to the oppressed during the war. Really well written and well researched. One of the best books I've read about the second world war.
...more

Mar 21, 2020
Joy D
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
wwii,
library-audio,
espionage,
relationships,
2020-top-50,
favorites,
europe,
library,
friendship
Historical fiction that portrays the gradual rise of fascism in Germany prior to World War II, starting in 1929 and ending in 1946, from the perspective of the courageous women of Die Rote Kapelle (the Red Orchestra), one of the resistance groups that actively opposed the Nazis.
The novel follows four women, three of whom are real people. Mildred Fish Harnack is an American who meets her husband, Arvid, during her college studies in Wisconsin. She follows Arvid to his homeland in Germany and bec ...more
The novel follows four women, three of whom are real people. Mildred Fish Harnack is an American who meets her husband, Arvid, during her college studies in Wisconsin. She follows Arvid to his homeland in Germany and bec ...more

I just finished reading this captivating and engrossing read by the one and only Jennifer Chiaverini and I am enthralled! I loved this book and read it slowly over the last few days enjoying Chiaverini’s writing and her attention to detail of 1930’s Berlin, the development of these amazing characters you will love, and building the political tension of the Nazi regime.
Newlywed and recent Wisconsin graduate Mildred Fish marries Arvid Harnack a German economist and lives with him in Berlin. The s ...more
Newlywed and recent Wisconsin graduate Mildred Fish marries Arvid Harnack a German economist and lives with him in Berlin. The s ...more

Long book gets a long review ;-)
I thought this book was very well researched and so interesting to read the detailed events of what unfolded. Not as good as Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s biography by Metaxas, because of the fictional aspect that didn’t really draw me in as much as the facts in and of themselves. Honestly, the book would have been better IMO without the fictional narrative and published as non-fiction. The author did significant and thorough research, but blending it with the fictional n ...more
I thought this book was very well researched and so interesting to read the detailed events of what unfolded. Not as good as Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s biography by Metaxas, because of the fictional aspect that didn’t really draw me in as much as the facts in and of themselves. Honestly, the book would have been better IMO without the fictional narrative and published as non-fiction. The author did significant and thorough research, but blending it with the fictional n ...more

3.5 stars
This book showed up on my desk for review a few months ago and I was absolutely in love with the cover!
It reminded me of spring and it was elegant and had a lot of visual interest. The summary also sounded like something I would love, as I especially love war time stories.
Chiaverini has written a variety of different books, with her most widely known book being Mrs Lincoln’s Dressmaker as well as a women’s fiction quilting series called, Elm Creek Quilts.
This book seemed completely out ...more
This book showed up on my desk for review a few months ago and I was absolutely in love with the cover!
It reminded me of spring and it was elegant and had a lot of visual interest. The summary also sounded like something I would love, as I especially love war time stories.
Chiaverini has written a variety of different books, with her most widely known book being Mrs Lincoln’s Dressmaker as well as a women’s fiction quilting series called, Elm Creek Quilts.
This book seemed completely out ...more

Apr 24, 2019
Jane
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
goodreads-giveaway-wins,
dnf
Thanks to Goodreads and Wm. Morrow for this ARC.
I struggled with this book until I dropped it at page 59.
I usually enjoy WWII/historical books but this one was just too heavy for me (literally and figuratively since it was 586 pages). I've read so many historical books about WWII that I felt this book was not for me.
This is my first book by this author and I've heard of her other books which are a lighter read and she's sure gone in the opposite direction and I commend her for trying something ...more
I struggled with this book until I dropped it at page 59.
I usually enjoy WWII/historical books but this one was just too heavy for me (literally and figuratively since it was 586 pages). I've read so many historical books about WWII that I felt this book was not for me.
This is my first book by this author and I've heard of her other books which are a lighter read and she's sure gone in the opposite direction and I commend her for trying something ...more

This historical fiction is heavy on the history, which is exactly as I like it. The history evolved around the many difficult situations for the Germans and emigrants inside Berlin and Germany during Ww2 who did not like the direction the country was taking under Hitler and his Nazi cohorts. Their dissension led to resistance groups and therein lies the plot of the thrilling story. There was so much to learn and plenty of inspiration to investigate further. Fact is often more intriguing than fic
...more

Resistance Women is about the true badass woman named Mildred Fish Harnack and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
My first book by Jennifer Chiaverini and I’m hooked! I love historical fiction and I was blown away by the true story of the brave women- A professor, an aspiring author, and a student- who helped commit espionage against Hitler during WWII.
While this book is a chunker, I loved the true historic events taking place, and fell in lo ...more
My first book by Jennifer Chiaverini and I’m hooked! I love historical fiction and I was blown away by the true story of the brave women- A professor, an aspiring author, and a student- who helped commit espionage against Hitler during WWII.
While this book is a chunker, I loved the true historic events taking place, and fell in lo ...more

Mar 19, 2020
Whitney
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
fiction
I feel really proud of myself for finishing this one (thank you @williammorrowbooks @bookclubgirl for the free book).
•
Resistance Women follows the lives of a group of women living in Berlin in the decade preceding WWII and beyond. I learned SO MUCH about German history and culture. Most WWII fiction focuses on the war itself or just before. But this book helped me understand why Nazism took such a strong hold on the German people and also showed how many Germans fought against it.
•
I did struggle ...more
•
Resistance Women follows the lives of a group of women living in Berlin in the decade preceding WWII and beyond. I learned SO MUCH about German history and culture. Most WWII fiction focuses on the war itself or just before. But this book helped me understand why Nazism took such a strong hold on the German people and also showed how many Germans fought against it.
•
I did struggle ...more

This was a long book and took awhile to get through! 😅 Amazing history and heart gripping events! The author bases all her main characters on real people (except one who is a combination of people) which makes for excellent authenticity. Because this is so historically accurate the story gets choppy in places. The middle gets a little slow, but the last 100 pages are worth the whole book. There’s a brief affair at the beginning that I assume is historically accurate.
This story begins in 1929 and ...more
This story begins in 1929 and ...more

Written from a different perspective this saga is set in Germany (for the most part).
The story follows a group of courageous women determined to do the right thing in the face of obvious and imminent danger.
Beginning in 1929 the reader is taken into Germany before Hitler came to power, his meteoric rise to power and the beginning, the middle and the end of WWII.
How these gutsy women risked their lives in a resistance movement within Germany to thwart Hitler and his insane ambitions is a moving ...more
The story follows a group of courageous women determined to do the right thing in the face of obvious and imminent danger.
Beginning in 1929 the reader is taken into Germany before Hitler came to power, his meteoric rise to power and the beginning, the middle and the end of WWII.
How these gutsy women risked their lives in a resistance movement within Germany to thwart Hitler and his insane ambitions is a moving ...more

This book seemed to take a long time to read which is natural I guess when it takes you slowly thru 20 years of time leading up to and into World War II. The story of the 4 women and their families tell an inside of Germany tale of the tedious pre-planned buildup with Hitler against the Jews and other non-aryan groups that leads the expansion into border countries and eventually out right war. Another book that reminds us we must never forget...

Mildred Fish, an American College graduate, meets the love of her life, Arvid Harnack. After they fall in love, they marry and make their home in Arvid’s homeland of Germany. Mildred and Arvid thrive there, forming new friendships, and enjoying the intellectual and artistic offerings of 1930s Berlin. As Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party become more popular and powerful, Mildred and Arvid and their friends are compelled to resist. For years, Mildred and Arvid and their cohorts risk their lives to g
...more

Resistance Women
by Jennifer Chiaverini
“Hitler lied with impunity, …. when his fanatical admirers disregarded all evidence that contradicted him? [Mildred] wondered sometimes if the Fuhrer believed his own lies, but she suspected the answer was much simpler, that he was ruthlessly calculating——“ (Page 280)
The story involves 4 women who are part of a cell trying to hasten the end of Hitler’s reign by passing information to the Allies and helping victims of Hitler’s Horror. The 4 women, Mildred Fis ...more
by Jennifer Chiaverini
“Hitler lied with impunity, …. when his fanatical admirers disregarded all evidence that contradicted him? [Mildred] wondered sometimes if the Fuhrer believed his own lies, but she suspected the answer was much simpler, that he was ruthlessly calculating——“ (Page 280)
The story involves 4 women who are part of a cell trying to hasten the end of Hitler’s reign by passing information to the Allies and helping victims of Hitler’s Horror. The 4 women, Mildred Fis ...more

Meet the women:
• Mildred, an American, is married to Arvid Harnack, a German. She is teaching in Berlin, working on her Doctorate, vowing to stay in Germany with her husband.
• Greta Kuckoff, recently returned to Berlin from Wisconsin. She is a writer, with not many options. Her lover is Adam, who is married, but insists he will soon be free.
• Sara Weitz is a Jew and a student of Mildred's. Her parents have been able to flee to Switzerland, while Sara remains in Germany with her brother Natan.
In ...more
• Mildred, an American, is married to Arvid Harnack, a German. She is teaching in Berlin, working on her Doctorate, vowing to stay in Germany with her husband.
• Greta Kuckoff, recently returned to Berlin from Wisconsin. She is a writer, with not many options. Her lover is Adam, who is married, but insists he will soon be free.
• Sara Weitz is a Jew and a student of Mildred's. Her parents have been able to flee to Switzerland, while Sara remains in Germany with her brother Natan.
In ...more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This is my first read from Jennifer Chiaverini and I loved it! It is well written and not fast paced.
This book covers the period between 1929 and 1946. It is based on fact. “Die Rote Kapelle”, the Red Orchestra or the Red Chapel was the name given by the Gestapo to a group of resistance workers. Their ages were between 16 and 86, and about 40% of the group were women. This story is told not only from the Jewish perspective, but also from the fraction of anti-fascist Germans who wanted ...more
This is my first read from Jennifer Chiaverini and I loved it! It is well written and not fast paced.
This book covers the period between 1929 and 1946. It is based on fact. “Die Rote Kapelle”, the Red Orchestra or the Red Chapel was the name given by the Gestapo to a group of resistance workers. Their ages were between 16 and 86, and about 40% of the group were women. This story is told not only from the Jewish perspective, but also from the fraction of anti-fascist Germans who wanted ...more
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Play Book Tag: [Poll Ballot] Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini - 5 stars | 5 | 17 | Mar 24, 2020 08:02PM |
Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of several acclaimed historical novels and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as six collections of quilt patterns inspired by her books. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin. About her historical fiction, the Milwaukee Journal Se
...more
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“Perhaps Germany will serve as a warning,” said Arvid. “May they learn from us to snuff out fascism in America when the first sparks arise and not delay until democracy goes up in flames all around them.” “This could never happen in America. A nation that elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt would never elect a madman populist.”
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“She wanted a true partnership fueled by intellect and creativity, respect and desire.”
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