I received this ARC from Grenzland Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

1943. Norway is occupied by the German forces and governed by a puppet ruler. If there is one thing I learned from this book it is the definition of the word Quisling, so named after the leader of Norway at the time. Quisling, a traitor who collaborates with an occupying enemy force.

Kari is the 15 year old daughter of Erling, a widower farmer. Life is hard, both economically and personally. Kari spots a downed allied plane and against the wishes of her father takes action. In this moment she declares herself part of the resistance. As she and Lance, the pilot, make their way to the Swedish border we are treated to her perspective as well as that of her father and a German officer determined to capture them for the sake of his career.

…but beauty isn’t the point of war.

There were some beautifully descriptive sentences that made the landscape really come alive but that’s about as much as I can compliment here. I found this novel quite one-dimensional, redeemed mostly by the historical details gleaned and its brevity.

To the south, thick storm clouds gathered over the mountains, pooling like spilled mercury. It felt ominous and still, like the world was coming to an end.

2 stars.

Publication Date: January 24, 2017