Resistance: A Novel

The cover of the book was more moth-eaten than I expected. A better description of the condition would have been helpful.

Once you've identified the characters, the story starts to unfold. And it is equal parts brutal (seeing one area of occupied Belgium under Nazi control) and humane, in how several villagers attempt to help the allied pilots.I appreciated seeing what seemed to me to be the reality of the Maquis alongside noncombatants, collaborators, and informants. I could almost feel the terror of the villagers - wherever they fell along the spectrum - when confronted with the Gestapo and the SS.Yet, in the midst of that, a story of life and love unfolds that I will not soon forget.

I am a fan of this author's novels. As always, she writes with great clarity and sureness in her assessment of complex human emotions, engaging the reader in an intimate narrative. It is a talent that enables the author to keep the reader riveted to the pages of this book. She weaves a deceptively simple story about courage, love, and betrayal, set against the backdrop of the horrors and heartbreak of war.The author sets the story in the war torn, Nazi-occupied Belgian village of Delahaut, where the resistance works behind the scenes to defeat the enemy. While flying on a bombing mission, American fighter pilot, Ted Brice, makes a last minute decision that causes his plane to crash in that village.When a ten year old boy, the son of a Nazi collaborator, finds the wounded pilot hiding in the woods, he finds a way to secrete him in his father's barn. He then notifies twenty-something Claire Daussois, who has a secret room in her home where she has hidden others during the war, of the pilot's plight.Claire, along with her husband, Henri, take the pilot in, before he can be discovered by the enemy, and Claire nurses him back to health. When an event occurs that angers the Nazis, causing reprisals amongst the villagers, Henri is forced into hiding. As time goes by, Claire and Ted engage in a brief, but passionate, affair, only to discover that, in war-time, betrayal is a two way street.

"Resistance" joins the growing list of Shreve books that were mixed bags for me. Her novels can be real page-turners but they are undermined by weak characters or implausible plot twists. That was the case again with "Resistance.""Resistance" is the compelling tale of a love affair set against the background of the anti-Nazi resistance in Belgium in World War II. The first 61 pages are brilliant, describing an American pilot, his buddies and their aborted mission over Europe. Shreve does an outstanding job of conveying the chaos of the air battle, the bomber's crash landing and the pilot's desperate rescue by a Belgian child. Also admirable is her delineation of the complicated situation/relationships of the townspeople. Some are collaborating with the Nazis, some are actively resisting. The motives of some are unclear. The atmosphere is one of fear, suspicion, survival.It is the love affair in "Resistance" that seemed kind of mundane and predictable to me. Despite the tense circumstances, I never felt really emotionally invested in the lovers. Added to that, there are at least two plot developments or choices made by the main characters that seemed implausible and inconsistent with things they had said or done before. Now I understand that characters can be unpredictable - often those are the best kind - and it isn't disappointment that things didn't go the way I expected. The inconsistencies were real eye rollers for me and undermined the credibility of part of the story.Oddly, I really liked the final chapter of "Resistance," which sweeps us ahead 50 years to reveal some, but not all, of what happened and who survived. It's not a simple happy ending and it leaves some questions unanswered. It's an intelligent and graceful ending to a book with a wobbly midsection.

Anita Shreve is the best contemporary author in our era. I have never been disappointed in any of her books and this was a wonderful read.Alternating between a current story and the historical [true] murder in the 1800s, the book quickly captured my attention and I couldn't put it down. There is something about the way Anita Shreve writes that just sucks you into the story and convinces you that these people are real.The historical murder provides enough detail so that the reader understands the context of the story. As I read those portions of the book, I was able to visualize the living conditions and the natural surroundings of the setting. The way it is written, it allows you to see it all unfold and anticipate what actually happened. Alternating the prose of the murder story is a current day story of a woman and her family, as she goes to the island where the murder was committed. Her story becomes just as interesting as the murder story.The manner by which she goes between the two stories is seamless. It is the kind of story that really makes you think -- you find yourself thinking of those connections between the two stories.I highly recommend this book. I am a big fan of this author and I'd read anything she would write. That said, this one is one of her very best. Enjoy.

Anita Shreve creates a captivating journey to Belgian life during WWII with unforgettable characters, suspense-filled drama, and emotional life stories. Since I have devoured every other book by this talented author, I was eager to let her guide me through a different time and place with memorable people who quickly became integral in my thoughts. At the end, I felt disappointed by the way she left the reader wondering about too many details and outcomes. The conclusion did not offer the resolution nor closure I had experienced in her other novels.

There are a lot of war books out there. I enjoy Anita Shreve's books which are generally very east to read But for some reason I didn't find this one as gripping as many of Shreve's books despite the story line - a Belgium woman falling in love with an American pilot she is hiding in her attic. I somehow didn't feel I got that much under the skin and into the thinking of the main characters and their relationships which were not always written with the finesse (in my view) of characters in some of Shreve's other books. I ended up reading some of it on the one,two, skip a few principle...so for that reason only giving it three stars.

Chosen because have collected many of Shreve"s books ...now complete and awaiting her latest ?? The action/drama in "Resistance" is different and varied style which adds to the attraction for a devotee to her works. I would refer ...and do constantly ...to others who are not aquainted to her style ....Shreve comes high on the list of inspiring writers. It is the way she pauses ...one liners ....spaced paragraphs ....she hits you with emotion,she gives an immediate picture which involves the reader from the start. I just love this writer.

Picturesque story of a small towns' plight during occupied France. With memorable characters and storyline. Unexpected turns of the villager's behavior.

The story is set during an unbelievably grim period of our history. How on earth did people live through that time of danger, fear, and deceit and the constant threat of betrayal by so-called friends? This may be fiction but there were people like those in the book, who actually lived through the hell and suffering in the hope that they would eventually be free of tyranny.

I have read a number of her novels and enjoyed most of them. This was very different from previous books, not quite as gritty as usual and perhaps failed to hit some of the issues that arrise from this era. On the plus side it was a real page turner and a pleasure to read although in some ways I thought the ending was a little hurried. It is a good novel and well worth the read