The Lioness of Leiden

by Robert Loewen

NYC Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite in Historical Fiction
How do you fight the Nazis right under their noses? With cunning and courage.
When the Germans invade the Netherlands, Leiden University student Hetty’s boyfriend goes missing. But she has little time to grieve when she volunteers as a courier for the Dutch resistance, joined by her roommate, the beautiful Mimi, and seventeen-year-old Maria, the daughter of a slain resistance fighter. At great personal risk, the three women carry documents, secret messages, and cash to protect Jews, downed pilots, and others hiding from the Nazis. During five years of war, Hetty is challenged by a gauntlet of spies and betrayal. She heroically fights back as she and her friends accept increasingly dangerous assignments. All the while, Hetty worries about her family. She tries to forbid her younger brother from volunteering for combat in the resistance and argues with her father about becoming too cozy with the Nazis. As the Gestapo closes in, can Hetty and her family and friends make it through the war, free to live and love again? Inspired by true events, Robert Loewen’s debut novel pays tribute to the heroism of his mother-in-law, who served as a courier in the Dutch resistance during World War II.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, World War II

280 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2023

Reviews

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hetty Steenhaus is a Leiden University student aware of the German Reich invasion of Poland and wants to know more about a group organizing resistance. As Hetty learns of the group's work, the fear that Hitler will not honor the neutrality agreement with the Netherlands turns her fear into a will to fight against the aggressive invasion, no longer a threat but a reality. As the difficulty of the assignments increases, so does the risk of personal safety and exposure for herself, her family, and as a member of a cell in the resistance. Hetty is also in increased danger because of her father’s choices, yet her commitment does not waver. How do you simultaneously remain loyal to your family and beliefs?

The author’s debut novel is a moving story all the more compelling as it is based on his mother-in-law’s experiences in WWII. The novel is written as a series of vignettes developed from listening to the experiences of Hetty Kraus, a courier for the Dutch resistance. With the turn of each page, a light shines brightly on heroism, resolute courage and purpose, and resilience beyond words.

A Q&A with Robert Loewen and Book Club Questions are available to download on the author’s website using the novel’s title as the web address.

Thank you to Robert Loewen, Greenleaf Book Group Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book.

#TheLionessofLeiden #NetGalley

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be highly readable and enjoyed the writing style. Hetty was a lovable character. Unfortunately, I feel a lot of the story fell flat. There was not enough setting of the scene to understand what was happening historically and the book was paced poorly. For example, war breaks out at the start of the book, and when I think it has only been a few months, the book states it has been "two years" since the main character's boyfriend has gone. The book would have benefited from more frequent references to major historical events to ground the sense of time or simply putting the year and month at the start of each chapter. Therefore, even though the book is based on true events, I found this book to be not adequately representing the potential research the author did for the historical aspect of this work.
What bothered me the most was how the author depicted women and romantic relationships in this book. I feel that many women reading this book will share my sentiments as how poorly women's bodies and romantic feelings are portrayed, which was in a very stereotypical and sexist way. While I can appreciate the perspective of a woman participating in the WWII resistance, I found it unlikely they would sleep with the men they were working with, or that including this recurring theme would be the best way to really demonstrate their true sacrifices and risks. In general, I found the stakes of the war to be underplayed, and deaths to be too casual and too easily gotten over, considering this truly is a war story. I found the ending to be a bit abrupt and strange, and for the book to start and end along with the war was nice, but perhaps too large of a scope.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden is a historical fiction novel set in the Netherlands during World War II and based on the author's mother-in-law who was part of the Dutch resistance.

Hetty is a student at Leiden University. When the story begins, the Nazi army has not yet invaded the Netherlands and the students continue to hope that they will remain safe. When Hetty's boyfriend disappears and the Nazi's begin to make life difficult for the people of her country, Hetty agrees to work as a courier for the resistance. At first she only carries messages and cash but soon gets more involved as she helps Allied pilots escape and assists people who are in hiding. She believes strongly in what she's doing despite the fact that her father doesn't want to make waves or publically disagree with the Germans. During the five years of the war, Hetty takes more dangerous assignments and the Nazis identify her as part of the resistance and get very close to finding her on several occasions. Throughout the years of the war, Hetty remains passionate about what the resistance is doing to save their country and its citizens. As her life became more precarious and several of her friends died, she continued to challenge the Germans. Even after the war is over, her life is totally different than she hoped it would be and she still thinks about the friends that she lost.


This is a debut novel and it was full of interesting characters and nail biting escapes. I wished that there would have been more back story on some of the characters. We got a little bit about Hetty's past but I'd have liked to learn more about some of the other characters and their reasons for risking their lives. Overall, it was a well researched look at the life of members of the Dutch resistance in World War II. Hetty is a brave and tenacious woman that I won't soon forget.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden by Robert Loewen is based on the true story of a young resistance worker in Holland during WW II, Loewen’s mother-in-law. Hetty was a 20 year old college student when the Nazis invaded Holland and among other things, closed the university. Hetty had been flirting with Communism, in part because they wanted to fight the Nazis. Her friend and roommate had fallen in love with Gerhardt, a member of the queen’s guard and a man who was working to set up resistance cells in Leiden and so recruited Hetty. Her job was mostly as a courier, until she killed a Nazi officer who had raped and killed a friend. She hadn’t intended to but he was trying to kill another member of the cell. At that point she became a wanted woman, but the war was far from over.

This was a wonderful story and a worthy effort for a first novel. The style included skipping from scenario to scenario but not always well. Things were missed. It felt like hopping from mountain top to mountain top, scattered and rushed. Again… the story was fabulous and in many ways told well. Hetty was a strong character as were many of the others, some who made very short appearances. Loewen did do well with character building. It was a frightening time and that emotion was at the forefront at every moment. It is a story worth reading and hopefully Loewen will write another, using what he has learned to make it a more worthy effort.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Lioness of Leiden by Green Leaf Book Group Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #GreenLeafBookGroupPress #Robert Loewen #TheLionessOfLeiden

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read based on a real woman who was part of the resistance in the Netherlands, during WWII. Hetty, a University of Leiden student soon finds that her days as a student are pretty much over. The Nazi's have invaded and she is drawn to helping in any ways she can after her boyfriend goes missing and her father's true intentions become a little more clear that it is every man for himself and he will not think twice about doing what it takes to save himself. Although it is only a small group of them, Hetty and two other women do all that they can to resist and help where it matters, often these assignments mean life or death and when one of them gets killed when doing a mission, it really hits Hetty personally and she knows she must hide. As word eventually gets around, members of the resistance and those they thought they knew are being killed or missing and Hetty knows she also has a target on her back. Having a few close calls, Hetty does all she can while still trying to protect her family and those she has saved. It is quite amazing to read about all that this women did to help others and to try to keep her country safe. Thank you to Library Thing, the publisher and the author for the free autographed novel. This one is doing on the shelf with the other WWII books. I really enjoyed Hetty's story. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Amanda Alviz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote a whole review and it got deleted, so here we go again. Here's to hoping I can capture everything I wanted to in the initial review.

The Lioness of Leiden is a historical fiction story loosely based on the author's mother in law's experience in the resistance. It is a story based on the Dutch resistance, which is more of a unique viewpoint than many WW2 fiction books I've read. The author does a great job at provoking a myriad of emotions. Rarely does a novel leave me feeling as gut punched as this one. I fell in love with all the characters. The beginning of the book focuses on three young women, but as the story progresses the focus becomes more on Hetty. I loved Hetty's character and the amount of resilience and passion she had. This was a beautifully written and intriguing historical fiction with drama, suspense, and romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Greenleaf Book Group for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindi]

This is a powerfully written book. I was not able to read the whole thing as it was too much for me to stomach, but I did read through what I could to the end. This book is full of danger, courage, heartache, and reality. Beautifully written and painfully easy to get lost inside of the story. Hetty was truly a lioness who suffered so much yet remained strong. I am glad her story was told and that I got to read it.

I skipped a lot because I couldn't handle how real and graphic some of the attack and battle scenes were. I also encountered some occasional light spice in the sections I did read, but I skipped over a lot of that as well as it's not my style.

Overall, if you can stomach it, this book could make a great read. It is a powerful and potent story of an amazing woman and the people who surrounded her.

I am not leaving a star rating as I don't feel that would be fair since I couldn't read the book in its entirety.

[Anya Filyurina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book by Robert Loewen was an extremely entertaining read.

The main character, Hetty, completely changes with the plot as she goes through unimaginable trauma witnessing her country surrender to the Germans. The book shows how people keep living and loving while the war goes on, showing both the beauty of human relationships and the ugliness of war.

I will point out that the writing had more cliches than I would like and the plot was somewhat over complicated. Despite all that, the book was hard to put down and read very lightly.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's called fiction because it is an account of the author's mother in law and also because no one was there with a film crew as she risked her life time and again while working in the Dutch underground.
Well written and with a sense of the urgency she felt as everything she knew was being destroyed around her.
I requested and received an EARC from Greenleaf Book Group Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Not only that, but I also won a print copy from the publisher in a LibraryThing Giveaway! Thank you even more!

[Nancy Woodbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it would be a good World War II book, but it was poorly written and, I didn't appreciate the language, only got halfway through and decided it wasn't worth my time.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden, Robert Loewen, author
This author has written a novel, portraying the life of his mother-in-law Hetty, based on the stories she told about her experiences during WWII, in Holland. She carried the nightmare of those days with her for her entire life, even though she was one of the brave and Righteous Gentiles who actually did the right thing and resisted Hitler’s efforts. As a teenager, she fought the Nazis, inspired by her boyfriend, Karl, even though in her own home, her father was an enemy of her efforts. She bravely defied him.
Hetty and Karl, university students at the time, were part of a volunteer resistance group that was organized by a group of Communists. Together, if Hitler ever broke the Neutrality Agreement with Holland, the fairly ragtag group would spring into action. As the book progresses, and the reader learns of their effort, and of the effort of other loosely organized resistance groups and partisan groups, that did not particularly trust each other, the challenges of World War II are explored.
The efforts of the Allies to defeat the Axis were long and hard. Although this book largely involves the efforts of the Dutch people, hopefully the reader will be inspired to learn even more about the National Socialist miscreants, the monsters, misfits, thugs, and downtrodden Germans who agreed with the hateful policies of the Nazis and either happily or fearfully followed and supported their merciless effort to create the Thousand-Year Reich. The entire world suffered. Resistance movements sprang up in many cities and countries overwhelmed by the German presence, but they needed organization and weapons to fight back. Recruitment of volunteers was difficult since the torture and punishment, if they were caught, had far reaching tentacles. They were endangering and possibly sacrificing, not only themselves, but their friends and family. There would be no way to rescue any of them. If caught, one could not resist giving up information, if captured. The Nazi’s used savage methods of interrogation, including vicious beatings and torture.
As time passed and the danger increased, Hetty somehow grew braver, though she discouraged her own younger brother from joining the movement. She witnessed the deaths of many in her family and in her circle of friends. She witnessed and experienced the destruction that came from both Germany and the Allies, although in that case, it was generally an error of friendly fire. Hetty was helpless to help those ensnared by Hitler’s web, and personally experienced the effects of betrayal that put her in harm’s way.
The novel is a story about subterfuge, capture, imprisonment, escape, survival and the day-to-day experiences of those who tried to fight Hitler, the innocent and the guilty, forced to endure the trauma of those times. The facts in the novel about the war, cannot be disputed. They should suck the reader in with the easy-to-read narrative and the lighter touch of the love stories, at times, to soften the horrors of illustrated. Through it all, normal human emotions survived and endured.
I learned about things I never knew before, about the practice, in a men’s penal camp of making prisoners crawl all the time, to simulate the life of a dog, to never stand upright or speak, but to bark like dogs as their captors laughed at their suffering. These were not only Concentration Camps that imprisoned Jews. There were so many other prisoners held captive, beaten, tortured and starved by the Germans. I learned more about the barbarism of the dysfunctional people who became Hitler’s supporters. They were unhappy, angry human beings without a conscience. Their power was directed at anyone they chose to intimidate. I learned more about that righteous Gentile who put their own lives and that of their family, in danger, to save a soldier, a Jew, a child, or anyone else fleeing Hitler’s minions. I learned of so much grief and loss, again and again, but I also learned that through most of it, people retained hope. The important thing is that I did learn more after reading this novel and did do further research into a time “that will live in infamy”. The book shows the barbaric behavior of Nazis, Gentiles and Jews, etc., coupled with the righteous who fought the heinous behavior. In today’s world, I am often forced to wonder if it could happen again. Has anything changed after so many decades have passed? Have humans learned to be less evil?
There are so many non-fiction books that are available to further inform the readers, and hopefully the reader will educate themselves and be armed with the knowledge to prevent further instances of man’s inhumanity to man. At times, the book feels like it was written for a young adult audience, with its emphasis on young love and romance, but if that is what it takes to broaden the audience, that is great. It is also written for the wider adult audience, as well. The story is compelling.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A free copy of Lioness of Leiden was send to me via Net Galley, in consideration of an honest review. My thanks to Net Galley, author and publisher.

It is 1940 and the Wehrmacht is on the March, unstoppable everywhere it seems. France has fallen, as has Denmark, and the British have been beaten back across the Channel. The Netherlands’ turn to feel the German weight fall on it is near. Hetty Steenhuis, student , can hardly believe what is happening to her happy country. The Queen has fled with her family to England, something resented by many, though necessary. The red Swastika flag is everywhere,backed by the helmeted men in field grey uniforms and black steel helmets. Any sign of resistance is ferreted out by the special units named ORPO - who brutally go about their jobs . Their job is to impress on the Dutch that resistance of futile and will be responded to with steel.
Hetty’s life changes on a morning when she and her friend witness the ORPO taking three young men, Communist members of the Resistsnce, and whipping them. The young women see and hear lashes that flay the kneeling men’s backs. The men’s screams in their ears and the sight of their blood running on the cobbles, convinces Hetty, and her friend to join a group of anti- Nazi fighters.
This slim book is based on the memories of the author’s mother in law written and shared with her children and with history. It tells of how Hetty and her friends join a cell to fight the Occupiers of their homeland. Through four long years Hetty does everything she can to give the Germans trouble. Smuggling ration card booklets , helping Jews hide , even attacking Nazi couriers and police patrols. She sees comrades arrested and sent to the dreaded “ Orange Hotel” as the ORPO prison is termed, friend raped and other atrocities. She survived to tell her story for the rest of the world.
A few years ago, I and my wife toured Amsterdam’s holocaust museum, just across the street from the Anne Frank house. It was a sobering, yet joyful thing to see how these brave people managed to survive those hard years, those who did and the pictures of those who did not.
Reading this book brought it all back to me.
This was an advanced reader copy, so it was not formatted yet into chapters, paragraphs and sections. It was something like a narrative stream. It did not have maps, photos or pictures, which the print copy might have, I hope, for I would have liked to see Hetty’s picture.
The Lioness of Leiden is a memoir worth reading, just to keep alive how much freedom means, to those who fought to get it back. .

[Sofia Kyriaki Kouloufakou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leiden is dictated by Nazis, and Hetty with her roommate Mimi decide to join the Ressistance. Constantly in danger, in fear of loving their loved ones, they decide to fight for their freedom.

Given that this story is based on a real person (the author's mother-in-law), and that a lot things on this book really happened to her, makes the whole experience all the more haunting. Reading books based in WWII never gets any easier. It is appaling the fact that there once existed a person, who thought that he had rights over an entire people, who believed that there was a 'superior nation'. Regardless, it was insightful to see the point of view of people of the ressistance, and what they had to do, for example to carry falsificated papers or hand grenades, how they could always be searched by Nazi soldiers etc. What was also ever present throughout the whole book, was the uncertainty of war and how things can change in basically a second

Character-wise, it was definitely worthy to see their development. Dear Hetty, who suffered through so much, losing some friends from uni, her constant arguments with her father, and at the same time trying to maintain her cool. while executing her line of work as a mesage courier. What was also really fullfilling were her personal relationships with Yacov, but mostly Mimi, and how much they cared for one another. Mimi, even though she was different than Hetty, was there for her, trying to understand her, even though she was afraid of being a part of the Ressistance.

This book contained so much death, uncertainty, plot-twists, but most importantly it contained hope. And for that I'm wholeheartedly grateful.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book comes out on April 4th!

[Amanda Bruner]

"The Lioness of Leiden," published by Greenleaf Book Group Press, stands among the many accounts and novels chronicling the events of World War II. However, what sets it apart is its unique perspective, as it is based on the firsthand recollections of author Robert Loewen's mother-in-law, Hetty, her roommate Mimi, and the 17-year-old Maria. These remarkable women found themselves in roles they could never have imagined as they became Dutch resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

In the face of the Nazi invasion, Hetty, Mimi, and Maria undertook daring missions, carrying documents, secret messages, and cash, all in an effort to protect Jews, downed pilots, and other individuals in hiding. Their work was fraught with constant danger as they operated under the ever-present threat of being exposed to the Nazis by collaborators keen on identifying resistance fighters.

Like many other novels set during WWII, "The Lioness of Leiden" is not an easy read. It is a poignant reminder that real people suffered the consequences while fighting against the forces of fascism, making it a difficult reality to grasp. The story also delves into complex family relationships, the shared tragedies experienced by the characters, and the significance of female bonds. Through its narrative, the book explores the courage that emerges when individuals are faced with the profound evil of wartime.

I appreciate the author's dedication to bringing these remarkable women's stories to light. "The Lioness of Leiden" serves as a testament to the unforeseen capabilities that individuals can exhibit when confronted by extraordinary circumstances.

[Amanda Bennett at passionforprose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dutch perspective of WWII is one I haven’t read until now. The Lioness of Leiden follows Hetty’s experience through the war.

The Germans invade and her boyfriend goes missing. When they close down her University, she finds she needs to fill her time doing something meaningful, so she joins the small, but growing resistance in Leiden. Hetty, her roommate Mimi, and another young woman orphaned by the war Maria act as couriers delivering messages, false papers to help Jews, downed pilots, and cash to help young Jewish children hide.

For five years Hetty fights the Nazis in her town. More than once she is almost caught and she deals with spies within her network. The war desensitizes Hetty to death and loss, but when her younger brother comes of age and joins the fight she really gets upset. The Gestapo quickly put her on their hit list, and sadly its someone closest to home she finds she cannot trust.

Inspired by the author’s mother-in-law’s experience through the war, Hetty’s journey is that of perseverance against great odds. Her story is not a romanticized version war, but a portrayal of reality in the day to day in a resistance network. Overall this is a good book, but I struggled a bit with the author’s characterization of the women. More than once it felt obvious to me that a man was writing a woman’s voice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Greenleaf Book Group, and of course the author Robert Loewen for the advanced copy of the book. The Lioness of Leiden is out now. All opinions are my own.

Http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Nazi's invade Holland, Hetty's boyfriend volunteers to fend off the Nazi's. When he goes missing, Hetty knows that she must join the resistance. She and her roommate, Mimi, are quickly recruited by Kees to form a small resistance cell in Leiden, along with Maria, an orphan whose parents were killed for resisting. They begin by transporting ration cards, but are quickly escalated for more dangerous missions, transporting pilots, people and weapons. As the danger heightens, Hetty's cell is directly targeted and Hetty can't seem to keep the danger away from those she loves.

Based on the life of his mother-in-law, Loewen presents an amazing story of the unknown heroes of Leiden during World War II. The writing is realistic and gritty and doesn't gloss over any of the dangers that these young women put themselves in. Hetty's character was emotional, heartfelt, determined and down to earth. Her decision making was for the greater good and I was in awe at her ability to always carry on in the face of danger. As well as Hetty's courageous acts, Mimi and Maria were astonishing heroines in their acts for the resistance. I didn't know much about the Resistance in Holland and was glad to learn about these incredible, brave, real-life women who were willing to risk everything to fight the Nazis.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book because of the location, The Hague in the Netherlands, is where my parents grew up and lived during the war.

The author does not hold back as he describes some of the atrocities the Dutch endured as the Nazis endeavoured to take over. However, this book shows they did not take this invasion lightly and fought back.

There is a lot of people to keep track of, especially at the beginning, even though I had wished I had kept notes it didn't take long to become absorbed. The Lioness of Leiden is a well researched, raw story centring around Hetty as she worked with the resistance. She endured terrible losses, heartache, and danger. There are a number of different POVs which gave a vivid picture. The only thing I found lacking was a timeline to indict the progression of time.

The author notes at the end made this book all the more compelling with a final chapter that was emotional and a fitting end. Given this book is loosely based on the author's mother-in-law made the story all the more interesting and sad for the things her family lived through.

My thanks to Greenleaf Book Group (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

[Cindy Roesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are no shortages of true accounts and novels based on WWII. The Lioness of Leiden (GreenleafBookGroupPress) is a historical novel written from first-hand memories of author, Robert Loewen's mother-in-law, Hetty, along with her roommate, Mimi and 17-year-old, Maria. These ladies took on roles they never could have imagined during WWII in the Netherlands. They became Dutch resistance fighters fighting the Nazi Gestapo in the Netherlands, taking on more and more dangerous assignments.

When the Nazis invade the Netherlands, these three women, at great risk carry documents, secret messages and cash to protect Jews, downed pilots and others in hiding. They're always on edge that they may be turned in to the Nazis by collaborators on the lookout for resistance fighters.

Like most WWII novels, The Lioness of Leiden is not an easy read. Knowing that actual people suffered the consequences to fight fascism is difficult to process. Complicated family relationships, tragedy suffered by all and meaningful female relationships keep The Lioness of Leiden moving forward with energy and insight. It's a courageous example of not knowing what a person is capable of until faced with evil.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bravery, compassion, and loyalty during war and troubling times provide inspiring stories. After watching Anderson Cooper’s, The Whole Story about the difficult journey of individuals walking from South America to Central America to find a better life, I completed reading Robert Loewen’s fictional account of his mother-in-law’s resistance activity in The Netherlands during Hitler’s jaunt in history. Individuals risk their life to fight oppression. In The Whole Story, men with nothing helped others to reach safety, just as the Dutch hide, protect, and feed Jews during this tragic era of history. The Nazis show no remorse in torture to gain information nor in their disregard for other humans and their property. Hetty’s story of perseverance and determination in the face of many obstacles causes tears and wonder. The story presents so many human moments: Karl’s fright when German pilots drop bombs, Hetty’s father betraying Hetty to the Germans to save himself, and Mimi’s relief when the Americans find her. Yes, many have related the horrors of the Third Reich, but Robert Loewen captures the human and personal saga of this horrible time in history.

[Tawnya Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden by Robert Loewen is a historical fiction novel based on the life of his mother-in-law Hetty Kraus. The novel follows the life of fictional Hetty as she goes from young university student to courier in the Dutch resistance.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a plot. The story of Hetty and her friends in the resistance simply jumps from one event to the next. The only element driving the story forward at all is Hetty trying to stay one step ahead of the Germans.

There were many poorly written sex scenes that added nothing to the story and portrayed women as wanton, giddy schoolgirls.

I wanted to DNF this book by the 5th chapter but pressed on hoping a plotline and characters would develop. They did not. The most interesting, and well-written, portion of this entire book was the firsthand account of Hetty Kraus in the Author’s Postscript.

This has the potential to be a very interesting story, but desperately needs a developmental editor. I would not recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for providing a review copy.

[Cindy Roesel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are no shortages of true accounts and novels based on WWII. The Lioness of Leiden (GreenleafBookGroupPress) is a historical novel written from first-hand memories of author, Robert Loewen's mother-in-law, Hetty, along with her roommate, Mimi and 17-year-old, Maria. These ladies took on roles they never could have imagined during WWII in the Netherlands. They became Dutch resistance fighters fighting the Nazi Gestapo in the Netherlands, taking on more and more dangerous assignments.

When the Nazis invade the Netherlands, these three women, at great risk carry documents, secret messages and cash to protect Jews, downed pilots and others in hiding. They're always on edge that they may be turned in to the Nazis by collaborators on the lookout for resistance fighters.

Like most WWII novels, The Lioness of Leiden is not an easy read. Knowing that actual people suffered the consequences to fight fascism is difficult to process. Complicated family relationships, tragedy suffered by all and meaningful female relationships keep The Lioness of Leiden moving forward with energy and insight. It's a courageous example of not knowing what a person is capable of until faced with evil.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden
by Robert Loewen
The Dutch resistance of the Nazi occupation was beyond heroic. Hetty is a survivor of the persecution of the Dutch people and Jews during world war II. The struggle of conscious and moral strength tested more at that time than any other place in history. Her story is passed on to the next generation in family stories. Robert Loewen used his grandmothers struggle to base the story, it is fictional in this edition. He shows the personal struggle of the men and women who refused to allow the Third Reich persecution of their countrymen, and others. Many of the resistance lost their lives in the struggle, towns faced persecutions of officers as they struggled to punish and exterminate the resistance. It was a dark time, with many grey options. The Dutch protected their neighbors as best they could, although the struggle of spies, and collaborators made it very difficult. This story looks at the cost of war, the cost of evil, and the triumph of the human nature.

[Amberleigh Million • a.millionbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden is a WWII historical fiction set mostly in the Netherlands and revolves around three women who took part in the Dutch resistance. Hetty, Mimi, and Maria are the three brave main characters who carry out dangerous jobs such as helping downed pilots and refugees in hiding, delivering coded messages, etc. I'm always amazing by stories of bravery during war and this book is filled with tense moments which made it super readable. I really loved all three friends and I think it's really neat that Hetty is loosely based off the author's mother-in-law. I do wish there would have been some sort of timeline added to each chapter because I was confused at times when starting a new chapter because there would be a significant jump in time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It had The Nightingale vibes so I would definitely recommend if you loved that novel. But keep in mind that War is not pleasant and parts of this book were really hard to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for giving me access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“The Lioness of Leiden” is a historical fiction book by Robert Loewen, based upon his mother-in-law’s WWII covert activities. In the beginning this book seems to be about three young women, all working for the Dutch Resistance, but as the story progresses it focuses more on Hetty. Hetty must’ve been an amazing woman to know with her patriotism, resilience, and passion on the pages. It’s also obvious that Mr. Loewen did research into that time period and location. For me, the book began a bit slowly, but rather quickly (around the 20% mark), the story found its groove and flowed a lot more smoothly. My one wish was that a timeline of some sort was included - at one point I couldn’t figure out if days, weeks, or months had passed (turned out to be about five months) between two incidents. A very interesting book.

[Kayla Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden was such a great book! To my understanding, this is Robert Loewen's first WWII novel, and if that is correct, I will definitely be on the lookout for his future novels. This was an unputdownable book. I loved the plot, the characters, the suspense and so much more. The main character Hetty joins the Dutch Resistance at the start of the war and risks her life to save others, while forming close bonds with her fellow resistance workers. Hetty is patriotic, brave, selfless and would gladly risk her life for the freedom of her country. I also appreciate the brutal honesty of the book and instead of painting life to be rainbows and butterflies, it shows the awful reality of what war was like, and the fates many of the characters met were sad, but sadly realistic too.

Sometimes it was not clear where at in the timeline the story was, but as the chapters progressed, the timeline became more clear. It was a very interesting book.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband and I visited Leiden just four months ago upon our return to the Netherlands. We loved the small city and it’s university which was founded in 1575! At the beginning of the WWII novel The Lioness of Leiden, the major character, Hetty, is a student at Leiden University but joins the Dutch resistance after the German occupiers close the school.

Author Robert Loewen based much of this debut novel on stories recounted by his mother-in-law, Hetty Kraus, who was a member of the Dutch resistance. Although I have read many WWII books, this was an extremely difficult read for me because there was very little respite between harrowing events. I felt the writing was somewhat amateurish as there was very little description to give the reader a sense of place and the timing of events often was abrupt. I did learn some things about the Dutch resistance and incredible bravery of many Dutch people.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lioness of Leiden, what an interesting and eye-opening read so much bravery, courage and sacrifice from all the Dutch resistance. During reading the debut book I felt it did lack some description of setting, the time jumps when you thought it had only been a few days when in fact it had been years and I felt it missed the place setting, I felt I couldn’t visualise I was there. I do however believe this WW2 historical book is well worth reading. What an extrodianary life the authors mother-in-law lived, and after all the loss, she found love again.

I would like to thank Greenleaf Book Group, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


#TheLionessofLeiden #NetGalley

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant, fascinating story line inspired by real historical events in The Lioness of Leiden.
Once an inspired student of law, Hetty and her friends become a part of the resistance in the Netherlands during World War II. Things do start to get very complicated as they get further involved in the Dutch Resistance; people start disappearing, and yet Hetty continues on her mission to be a part of the solution. Plenty of romance is added in to this historical fiction novel, as well as some gripping suspense.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Ginette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and good.

Book Description: This book is about the resistance in the Netherlands and the brave students who worked against the Nazi occupation during WW2.

I have read quite a few WW2 historical fiction books, but not many about the Dutch resistance. This book is inspired by a real person, and I especially enjoyed reading the Author's postscript. The author based the story on the stories told by his mother-in-law, the real life inspiration to this fictional story.
It never ceases to amaze me how brave people were during the war, how they fought for others and put their lives on the line.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and I'm very glad to have the chance to read it.

[Sara Magdalena Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive an autographed copy of Robert Loewen's novel "The Lioness of Leiden". I won it through one of the Goodreads Giveaways. Now that university classes have ended I finally had a chance to really dive into it and I must confess, I wish I hadn't read it so quickly. I loved every second of it. An incredible story that keeps you on the edge of your seat every moment. There is not a single dull line in the novel. I was heartbroken to find out in the end that this was all based on a true story and I am truly sorry for all the people who lived through that awful time, but I am grateful that their stories have been shared. The book is raw and the emotions are real and I cannot recommend this novel enough.