Lana's War: a WWII French Resistance story on the Riviera

Lana’s War by Anita Abriel is a story of loss, courage and strength in uncertain times. Paris, 1943, Lana Hartmann is a happy woman. Despite the Nazi occupation of Paris, she is on cloud nine. She is happily married to Frederic and she has learned that they are now expecting a baby. Her happy world ends in a heartbeat. While on her way to tell Frederic her happy news, she witnesses a SS officer shoot and kill Frederic because he dared hide a Jewish child he was teaching. Later that day, it becomes evident that she loses the baby as well. Fast forward three months, Lana is going through the motions of life when she gets the offer that will change her life. A man offers her the chance to stop the man who killed her husband. The French Resistance needs her help on the Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, she has the perfect background to socialize with the community of Russian aristocrats who socialize and sympathize with the German officers who occupy the area. Together with Guy Pascal, she gathers information and finds ways to bring the Jewish people to safety. She doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl left on her own. Will she succeed in her mission? Or will her attachments lead to her capture?

Lana’s War is the second book I’ve read by Anita Abriel and she writes a story that pulls you in and keeps you intrigued until the end. I enjoyed reading Lana’s journey as she deals with the sudden loss of her husband and their baby. At the beginning of the story, she is a woman without a care in the world, despite the growing Nazi presence in Paris. As long as she has Frederic, she doesn't care about anything else. She learns quickly that the war will touch you and everything you care about eventually. She’s prepared to do what she can to avenge her husband and their baby. I loved that intrigue and the uncertainty of who Lana could trust and who she shouldn’t. Even as a member of the Resistance, is Guy a man she can trust with her life? The relationship between Guy and Lana was also great as they treated each other with cold indifference before they slowly learned to trust each other. The story was wonderful, filled with suspense and drama. I eagerly devoured the pages as I wanted to see if Lana completes her mission and survives. Unfortunately, I felt the ending was rushed but it doesn’t take away from the story. Overall, I enjoyed Lana’s War and highly recommended it. If you love World War II stories and stories about the French Resistance, you will enjoy Lana’s War. 

Lana’s War is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Light After the War: a story in the war's aftermath

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel is the story of Vera Frankel, a Hungarian Jewish refugee living in Naples, Italy. It has been 11 months since the end of the war and believing her entire family was killed in the concentration camps, Vera fled with her best friend, Edith. As the two rebuild their lives in a new country, Vera finds a job at the American embassy in Naples and falls in love with her boss, Captain Anton Wight. A series of events will leave her heartbroken and wondering what to do next. Edith has an idea to get sponsored for citizenship in America and when that falls through, they end up in Caracas, Venezuela. There she meets the handsome Ricardo Albee, and everything seems to be back on track. With flashbacks of events which occurred during the war, Vera must learn to adapt and survive. Will Vera have the happy ending she’s been dreaming of? Will she ever find out what truly happened to her family?

This story was inspired by Ms. Abriel’s mother’s story of survival during WWII and from the opening page to the closing chapter, you are drawn into Vera’s story of survival which takes her across oceans. I enjoyed The Light After the War as it shows a part of history that many historical books do not feature: the migration of many refugees to other countries. Yes, some came to America, but many people do not realize that many refugees made their way to South America and beyond. I recommend The Light After the War. A story of friendship, love, survivor's guilt, loss and survival.

The Light After the War

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook