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A review by speculativeshelves
To Die Beautiful by Buzzy Jackson
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A compelling, suspenseful, and quite dark (but not completely hopeless) story of Hannie Schaft and the Dutch Resistance movement during WWII. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction because this is excellent (and accessible for readers who are intimidated by history).
I wasn't familiar with Hannie before reading and I'm so glad I now know her story (and the stories of Truus and Freddie Oversteegen). There are lots of wartime stories focused on the camaraderie between men who fight together and so I really enjoyed reading a war story with a heavy focus on the camaraderie between women.
I also really appreciated this book's Afterword which expands on the real history depicted in the novel as well as the Author's Note explaining the intentionality of certain storytelling choices. You can tell Buzzy Jackson did a significant amount of research and put in the effort to make sure this story was told with care.
I wasn't familiar with Hannie before reading and I'm so glad I now know her story (and the stories of Truus and Freddie Oversteegen). There are lots of wartime stories focused on the camaraderie between men who fight together and so I really enjoyed reading a war story with a heavy focus on the camaraderie between women.
I also really appreciated this book's Afterword which expands on the real history depicted in the novel as well as the Author's Note explaining the intentionality of certain storytelling choices. You can tell Buzzy Jackson did a significant amount of research and put in the effort to make sure this story was told with care.