The premise was interesting but I had a hard time relating to the main character. She was very naive and didn’t have as much growth during the novel as I was hoping for. The supporting characters were a mix of trying to teach her and also enabling. I usually appreciate historical fiction in this category but had a hard time pushing myself to finish it.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

I’m grateful that the publishers allowed me to read and review this book.

I enjoy reading WW2 books and always love when authors find a new, unique story to tell. In this case it is about a young artist and all of the little ways she bravely resists the Nazis in German-occupied France. I’m always amazed at the lengths people went to and the courage they showed to resist and fight back during this awful period of history. I would definitely recommend this one to fellow WW2 readers.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc! Another great historical WWII novel. The characters all felt so real. The author did a great job pulling the reader into the story. Will recommend!

After Lucie and her mother Yvonne join her surly uncle Gérard in German-occupied Paris during WW II, Lucie tries to keep her head down, but is gradually pulled in to 'small acts of defiance' that grow more significant with time.

She starts by sketching what's happening and hiding her drawings around the city. After befriending a Jewish family, she starts to do more, helping to forge identity cards and illustrating resistance tracts.

I liked this novel for its unusual slant on the war in France, showing it from an outsider's perspective, yet pulling her right in.

I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Michelle Wright about her novel "Small Acts of Defiance" for the Storytime in Paris podcast.

Here is what I said:
"This week, my guest is award-winning author Michelle Wright. Among other accolades, Michelle was awarded a six-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, where she wrote the novel “Small Acts of Defiance.” “Small Acts of Defiance” recounts the tale of Australian-born Lucie who moves to Paris just before the German Occupation. In a world with increasing anti-Jewish sentiment met with increasing French indifference, and uprooted into a foreign land suddenly occupied by yet another foreign land, Lucie must discover where her own truth lies, and whether small acts can defiance make a big difference.

In our conversation, Michelle discusses what surprises her research uncovered, how hidden art can connect us, why honoring the long-term effects of war was so important, and much more. Then, she treats us to a reading from 'Small Acts of Defiance.'”

If you enjoy WWII books, you should read Small Acts of Defiance by Michelle Wright. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers guide.

Sixteen year old Lucie has survived a house fire and her father’s death. In the wake of all that had happened, her mother decides to take Lucie and relocate from their home in Australia to the country of her birth, France. Within a short time of their arrival, France falls to the Nazis. Lucie, an artist and still a stranger in her new home of Paris, begins resisting the Nazi rules in a quiet way.

This book touches on many serious issues: war, hatred, suicide, betrayal, murder, and resistance. It also illustrates family, friendship, perseverance, survival, defiance, courage, and resilience. It’s a lot to take on in a debut novel, but it’s well done. There were a few things I thought unnecessarily included in the book, such as the scenes with German officers being kind an friendly. I’m sure instances of things like that happened, but in this book, they weren’t explored, just shown without follow up.

I think this book is a warning about history repeating itself. It included some surprises that I didn’t expect. It shows clearly what a sad and painful time was to live through the war in an occupied country, a time when even those closest to you might betray you for a pittance.. It also makes clear how important the loyalty and trust of family and friends are to help you get through such devastating times.

A good book.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

Small Acts of Defiance is a quiet but powerful novel of the way small moments and actions can make huge differences in people's lives. Young Lucie and her mom move from Australia to Paris after a family tragedy, and are then trapped there as Germany occupies France. She becomes friends with a Jewish girl and her family, which leads to her having to make important decisions about the way to live her life, what is right and wrong, and how to help others. While there is nothing really new in this novel, the timeline of events in Paris is laid out nicely, and this novel is a little more philosophical than others in this genre. I found it a little slow at times, but still interesting. Many thanks to the Book Club Girls and NetGalley for the e-arc. Solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

By the time I hit about 30% I was struggling to finish this one. The premise of life in France during WW2 was a good one, but the writing was clunky and didn’t flow well, and there was so much repetition in the book - same conversations, same scenarios, revisiting the same feelings or decisions - that it became a task to get thru.

It also had sections that seemed random and didn’t add or lend anything to the story besides length. There was far more that could have been expounded on to make it interesting like Lucie’s forgeries but instead it was every possible description of creating tracts, or else random events for Lucie, like walking in the park, the dead swan, Emile in every scenario, elaboration at length, etc. I just lost interest really quickly.

Some of the dialogue choice was also weird and out of place. I could only think of Margot as being from Brooklyn, nor Britain the way she talked, for example.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. Opinions are solely mine.

A poignant story about the tough decisions of citizens of Paris while living in the WW2-occupied city. The book really brings you into the world of the characters and the time period, while exploring the power of art and words, asking the titular question of when small acts of defiance are integral, and if there are times when more drastic measures are needed or justified. It has a strong narrative as it gives a personal glimpse into Paris during WW2.

In the first chapter of this book, there is a very powerful quote from Lucie’s father - “There’s no such thing as doing nothing. Doing nothing is still a choice. A choice to stand aside and let it happen.”

Michelle Wright gives us a sensitive depiction of life in WWII’s Occupied France. In 1940, after the death of her father and the loss of their home, 16-year-old Lucie and her French-born mother Yvonne are forced to move from Australia to Paris to live with Yvonne’s brother in a cramped apartment. Lucie soon becomes friends with Aline, a young French university student who is Jewish. Aline keeps telling Lucie that even small acts of defiance are important, so Lucie takes that to heart and knows she cannot make the choice to do nothing. So she begins to take a courageous stand by joining Aline in small acts of defiance.

Surprisingly, this beautifully written and well-researched book is Wright’s debut novel. She made the characters real to me. I felt the confusion, disbelief, and outright fear all the occupants of Paris were traumatized as the Nazis took over their city.

The Jews were targeted by the Nazis and taken away never to be seen again, while the French saw their city and their countrymen changed. Some were quick to throw the Jews under the bus and become collaborators, while others fought against the Nazis. There is a focus here mainly on how ordinary women were taking a stand against the Nazis.

While this is a heart-wrenching story at times, I took away from it just how brave and resilient the people living under occupation had to be.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy WWII historical fiction. I received an advance copy from Harlequin Trade Publishing, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Wow! What a wonderful and impressive debut. This book was clearly very well researched and I loved it. I thought the characters were so well done and they really were brought to life in this. Both time and setting – are authentic and very realistic. The novel is also an exploration of the impact of war on individuals in terms of their mental health. Highly recommend!

This book had a theme of making the best and finding a positive in whatever situation you find yourself in. Each character in their own minds thought they were doing the right thing in the situation they found themselves in. The book also showed that friendship can overcome most situations. Friendship can sometimes be the only positive that comes out of a situation. I will be suggesting this book to some of my library patrons because the book has real emotions in it and accurate historical facts.

I received a complimentary copy of Small Acts of Defiance in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lucie and her French born mother, Yvonne, arrive in Paris to live with Yvonne’s brother after the tragic death of her father and the loss of their home. The backdrop for the story is Nazi occupied Paris during WWII. As the story progresses, we see significant changes to normal life such as rationing, questioning who you can and can’t trust, to the severe treatment of Jewish people.

During Lucie’s time in Paris, she finds a job at a local art gallery where she is able to use her artistic talents and paints postcards of Paris. Through the art gallery, she forms some very special relationships, especially with Aline, a Jewish student, along with her family. Lucie is very much bothered by the treatment of Aline and her family, along with other Jewish people in Paris. Lucie decides to us her artistic talents to make “small acts of defiance” against the Nazi. Over time, she becomes bolder and will put her own life as risk to help others.

Knowing the potential impact of any level of defiance, I found Lucie to be extremely brave. I also admire her willingness to protect her friends and stand up for what is right.

This novel provides another perspective from WWII, while still brining out the good and bad of society. Even if you have read other novels from WWII. This one is different enough and really explores the depths of a young girl’s courage and the beauty of friendship. I’m glad I had the chance to experience it and would encourage others to check it out as well.

This book takes you into a dark space in Paris during WWII. We know the ending but we read to learn.

It’s 1940 and Hitler is making “war” a word to fear. He has invaded Poland and he is moving towards other areas of Europe including Great Britain. The Blackburn family lived in Australia – now caught up in the war. Lucie’s father gave her a sketch pad for her 16th birthday. He said, “It’s a brutal place. You’ll need art to make sense of it.” Shortly after that, their house burned down. Lucie’s mother, Yvonne, lost her husband and told her daughter it was time to move on to Paris. That’s where her brother lived and that’s where she felt he could help them although it seemed like a risky place to be.

Lucie quickly had to deal with the difficulties of her new life in a tiny home with her conservative Uncle Gerard. She noticed all the differences in people on the street: more men than women and lots of fear with people running scared. She saw swastikas, German flags, closed stores, limited bicycle paths and closed cinemas. Lucie was told by her Jewish friend to “be careful what you say out loud.” She didn’t understand this new world and “why must they be so heartless.”

The book created a feeling of emotionally distress with her detailed descriptive characters and settings. Lucie, Yvonne and their friends felt real from their confusion, exhaustion and hopelessness. I liked how the author used art as a tool for Lucie to express herself with “small acts of defiance.” It was clear how the people were faced with intense sadness and great dangers throughout the war and when it finally ended, they were exhausted and no longer cared to remember. In the process, everything changed at a rapid, unexpected pace and what really moved me is thinking about how it can happen again.

My thanks to Michelle Wright, William Morrow & Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of July 19, 2022.

Small Acts of Defiance is an excellent read. Although set in WWII Paris, it’s messages and themes still resonate today. Lucie is an Australian transplant to Paris with her mother. She comes to despise her uncle Gerard, but he was responsible for their moving to France. Wright plunks readers in the middle of living on occupied Paris and the increasing difficulties, but also the growing resistance.
I thought Lucie was like a wide eyed child for most of the book and I wanted to shake her awake.
I loved Samuel’s message about hope.
Resistance comes in many forms, shapes, and sizes. People can make a difference.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book. Lucie and her mom arrive from Australia to Paris after a tragic incident involving her father. Lucie's mom wants a new start for her and her daughter in the city she grew up in and loved. Paris, however, is not the city she left. France is newly occupied by Germany, and fear, hatred and bigotry are rampant. Lucie befriends a French Jewish family and watches in horror as their and all Jews' freedoms and dignity are whittled away. As a teenager, Lucie feels there is little she can do to fight these atrocities, but with the help of newly found friends, begins to participate in small acts of defiance, that gradually become bigger in scope. The evolution of Lucie from a shy, frightened teenager to a courageous young woman willing to take great risks for those she loves is wonderfully written. The author's descriptions of Paris and her citizens during this time painted a vivid picture for me, and I felt I was a part of it. I would definitely recommend!

Lucie lives with her mother Yvonne in Australia but after the tragic death of her father and the loss of their home they are forced to return to France to live with her Uncle Gerard. The move is not timely as the Germans invade France not long after they arrive.
Lucie has to contend with a new city, a new life and the fear of war but she wants to help her new city and feel a part of it.
I found the story a little slow but liked the theme of the book and thought the descriptive passages of life in occupied Paris were well researched and interesting .

I enjoy the premise of the novel. The idea behind the story is interesting and has potential for a great novel. However, it lacks in voice and character development. Writing in third person made the characters distant—especially the mother daughter relationship. I also felt the sections where French was included didn’t always flow. It was overall hard to get into and lacking in style. #NetGalley #GoodreadsFirstReads #FirstReads

Small Acts of Defiance depicts the tale of Lucie and her mother Yvonne as they navigate life in WW2 Paris. Lucie yearns to make a difference, help her small family survive, and show she is just as Parisian as any other girl in the city. Though it is a bit of a slow build, the story is told beautifully and the characters are rich and complex.