This book is so powerful. I love reading books about world war 2. This story follows two sisters who realize their love for Opera. However, as time goes on they realized that there are ways they can help Jewish families escape Germany and later other places. These sisters relationship is beautiful. This may be one of my new all time favorites. I love that this book is a collection of stories about so many Jewish families. After each chapter there were notes about the previous chapter. I really liked the layout because sometimes author notes at the end of books can be hard to decipher. However this gives facts and adjustments to dates or events right after you have read it. This book is so rich in historical facts that make you want to fight for justice. Opera sisters is very deeply researched which makes it all the more fascinating that these stories are based on true stories. Also, love the theme of this story that, every little thing that someone can do to help a cause is worth doing and can help in a major way.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely cannot get enough of books like this. Untold stories yet unknown from WWII. Tow ordinary sisters, Ida and Louise, who did extraordinary feats, right under the noses of the Nazis, utilizing their love of opera.
I read rapturously each chapter, Marveling at the ingenuity and courage both sisters displayed.
Plucky and prudent sisters overcame pernicious evil over and over.
The one drawback was the gamut characters, which was difficult to slog though, initially.

What a wonderful story! The characters had so much heart, charm and wit. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

Whilst I was already familiar with the story of the opera-loving sisters & their rescue missions, it was interesting to read about in more detail. I hadn’t realised that it was not a heroic decision on their part, but instead rather crept up on them unexpectedly. (The wonderful benefit of hindsight! How many of us would have been cruising along, life as usual – or maybe with minor inconveniences - & not aware of how other people’s lives were changing dramatically.)
Every fact has been well-documented, with footnotes rather than an appendix (more likely to be read when presented in small doses.)
This book has made it all so much more personal, following the stories of actual people.
Life seems ‘normal’ at the beginning, but gradually the sisters become more & more aware. With knowledge comes decisions to be made, & they start to find their true strength.
Of course, being a true story means everything does not turn out like in the novels Ida was writing - & that is another shock for them to get used to.
There comes a time when they can no longer safely visit the Continent, but...the unthinkable happens : the war follows them home.
It was interesting to learn more about well-known names : Herschel Grynszpan, for instance – it was the first time I had learned some of his background. And that Vera Lynn went ’round the shelters, leading singalongs (which required a piano to be carried underground at each...)
I am glad this book has been written, it brings the reality of what war can be like for ‘ordinary’ people – who perhaps aren’t so ordinary after all, but would they have been without the war?

This novel is based on a true story and is about Cook sisters, Ida and Louise. The Cook sisters eventualy end up helping Jews and the other refugees from occupied countries to United Kingdom.

This was a very researched story about actual events. It was an emotional and amazing read. Definetly recommend.

This is one of the more difficult books I have had to read and by difficult, I mean emotionally. The subject matter is very personalized and very much based on a true story. A true story of two sisters who loved opera and who risked everything to help get Jewish people out of Nazi occupation before World War II was declared.

This story needed to be told and gave me new information and insight into the days leading to World War II. It was beautifully written and as each character and refugee was introduced, it gave me names and stories rather than statistics.

I would very much recommend this story as it left an indelible mark on my soul for these sisters and the people they saved and the ones that they couldn't. The emotions expressed are very much real and I had to put the book down several times to gather myself and temper those emotions.

You won't want to miss this beautiful story, especially if you are a student of history. This is a history that should not be lost to the world, As is within the pages, "Save one soul and you save the world."

I received an early copy of this book through the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Stories like this always makes me remember why I love historical fiction so much! There’s just something amazing about reading these stories about people who have fought and made a huge difference for a whole lot of people. Even though these stories are fiction, they are based on real events and real people and it’s so important that we get to hear all their stories.

This book in particular was great! I loved the writing, I loved the characters, I loved the way it was put together with us meeting and getting a back story of some of the people the main characters helped and met along the way.

My only complaint is the fact that there’s a few things that has been shifted around because I would give a better effect in the book, but personally I would rather it would have been more historical correct. Especially when it comes to the characters based on real people.

I especially remember one scene where one of the characters die in the hospital after a bombing, but the person the character was based on didn’t die in real life, it says in the footnotes that it was someone else that died. I would rather that there was added a few more characters to the book than adding another persons history to a character who was based on someone else with a different story. I just feel like that the person this character was based got cheated a bit.

Other than that it was a truly amazing book and I will definitely recommend it, if you like historical fiction about WW2.

The Opera Sisters by Marianne Monson is a story of love, war, and Nazi Persecution of the Jews in Germany and Austria. It's wonderfully researched and written with compassion and empathy for the time.

The story is based on the Cook sisters, Ida Cook was a campaigner for the Jews and an author using the name Mary Purcell. She and her sister Mary Louise was instrumental in aiding 29 Jews to escape the persecution of Jews in Austria and Germany mostly after Kristallnacht.

They both loved opera so they were able to obtain tickets to concerts performed in Germany. These trips to the operas were coverups for what they were really up to. While there in Germany, it became word of mouth about what they could do to help these people that had had everything taken from them. They would take their jewelry and other valuable items back to England with them and keep them for the people. Then they were able to smuggle the people back to England. The only way that they were able to do this is recruit people in England to sponsor the Jews.

In a three-year period, they were able to save 29, men women, and children. Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss and his wife, soprano Viorica Ursuleac originally told them about the plight of the Jews. Ida as an author was able to support the effort with the money she made from the novels.

They had rented a small flat in England for some of these refugees that had nowhere else to go. After the war, the sisters continued their efforts to save as many people as they could from the nastiness that was the Nazis.

I love this book so much, cheered for the sisters and their endeavors, not a fan of opera but I found it very interesting that they were able to use this ruse to free people right under the Nazi guard's noses.

Impeccable research went into this story and it shows. I was the first that I had heard of the Cook sisters and I am glad I read this book. It will stay in my mind for a long time to come.

I give the book 5 stars.

Stories such as this are not purely fictional, there is always an element of truth. This book is about the two Cook sisters who helped many Jewish people escape Germany as possible. The fact is that this novel is fictional yet based on a true story. The story about the actual events is well researched and well written. As a fan of Historical fiction, you learn something new every time you pick up a novel that takes place in WWI and WWII. The authors, such as Ms. Monson, helps you understand the history and delves deeper than what you may have learned in school. Highly recommended.

World War II books for me are in a genre all their own. I always go into them with hesitancy because the events are so incredibly heartbreaking. What drew me to The Opera Sisters by Marianne Monson was the idea of these two sisters putting aside their fears, safety and using ingenuity through uncommon avenues to help so many others.

I love that this was based on a true story and that so many of the historical aspects were well documented throughout the text. It did take me until about 20% to really get a feel for the storyline as the beginning jumps around quite a bit setting up for the later events. After reading this book in it's entirety I really appreciated the set up-so go into this book with that in mind! I think it will help with the experience of this book.

This author was able to condense the entire timeline of WWII throughout the book that made it history rich. There are so many details included that this book felt personal and intimate. Have your tissues handy and know this book will hit you at such a deep level.

If you have read and enjoyed books like A Slow March of Light by Heather B Moore or A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly I think you would really enjoy this one. Content-wise this one is a bit heavier. There is talk of murders, persecution and suicides in this book. There was nothing overly graphic-just that they were happening all across Europe and honestly, if you've read a history book, nothing should come as a surprise but it will impact you emotionally and want to note it.

If you're in the mood for a life changing book, I recommend this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This is one of my favorite genres to read, but I struggled with this one. I enjoyed the fact that it's based on a true story. The heroes from that time, such as the Cook sisters, certainly need to be recognized and remembered. At times, it was hard to tell if this was a fiction book or if it was supposed to be nonfiction. There are numerous footnotes throughout the entire story, which was a bit unusual (and more than a bit distracting). It really pulled me out of the storyline. They may have worked better in the author's note, or something similar, instead. Or perhaps it should've been done as a nonfiction piece. I did like the cover, but the pace was just too slow, and the numerous opera references could be off-putting to some readers. Some of the minor issues could've been addressed with a tighter edit.

historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, holocaust, WW2, romance-writer, family, family-dynamics, fanatic about opera, bravery, British, rescue, opera-stars*****

The people are real, the history is real, the conversations are likely, the research is well documented, and the storytelling is very fine, indeed. I remembered reading about the sisters over a year ago and dug into my Goodreads pile to find it. This book is grand storytelling for an important piece of history and two very remarkable women. I really enjoyed this one!
"Ida Cook (1904 to 1986) was a British campaigner for Jewish refugees and a romance novelist as Mary Burchell. Ida Cook and her sister Mary Louise Cook (1901–1991) rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honoured as Righteous among the Nations by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel. Between 1936 and 1985, Ida Cook wrote 112 romance novels as Mary Burchell in 1950 she wrote her autobiography, We Followed Our Stars," and The Bravest Voices: The Extraordinary Heroism of Sisters Ida and Louise Cook During the Nazi Era by Ida Cook was published in 2021.
I requested and received an e-book copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Opera Sisters
by Marianne Monson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Opera Sisters is based on the true story of Ida and Louise Cook both ordinary working girls in pre-WWII London. Ida is a dreamer who later becomes a talented romance novelist and Louise, her salwart companion, is a copy typist. Left “spinstered” by WWI, they are comforted by music, evenings spent listening to and discussing records of their favorite performances as well as the occasional night at the opera. Over time they are befriended by fellow opera lovers as well as the performers. On one of their trips to a German opera house, the sisters’ help is enlisted to escort Jewish members of the opera community out of Germany into England. While the rest of the world, remains asleep to the truth of the coming dangers, the sisters are given a front row seat. They were drawn into the world of opera for its beauty and majesty, but soon find themselves pitched into the dark world that Germany and Austria are becoming under the Third Reich. Time and again, Ida and Louise risk their lives as they smuggle jelwery, furs and papers needed to secure the refugees’ safe passage into England. The Cook sisters offered hope and showed unusual courage at a time in history when many did not want to get involved. It is the story of the heroism of ordinary people who were able to make a difference during extraordinary times.

Monson’s novel is very well researched and references many primary and secondary sources used to create the content of the novel. While she fictionalizes part of the narrative to keep it flowing and cohesive, she clearly indicates these details in her footnotes. If you’re a fan of footnotes and like your historical fiction annotated, then this book is for you. I have to admit that at first the notes disrupted the flow of the story for me, but I quickly learned to enjoy the additional information provided. While there have been more WWII novels written than one can easily count, it is always a joy to read stories that remind us that there is always light to be found in dark times.

Coming soon - Pub date 06 Sept 2022! My thanks to @NetGalley and @ShadowMoutainPublishing for the privilege of reading this digital ARC.

I enjoy learning more about WWII this novel is based on the true story of Ida and Louise know as the Cook sisters. They helped to find ways for Jews and other refugees to escape to freedom in the United Kingdom. This book was full of a lot of information and because of that wasn't as entertaining at times but still full of so many interesting stories you wouldn't want to miss out on it. I love that it showed it was very well researched and story is based on real life events.

Wow! What a lovely real life Historical fiction novel. In the 1900's the British Cook sisters, Ida and Louise Cook travelled continuously to Austria and Germany because of their passion for Opera and Music. As a result, they met and followed many of the prominent opera singers of the early to mid-20th century and developed friendships with them, including Maria Callas, Amelita Galli-Curci, Rosa Ponselle, Ezio Pinza, Elisabeth Rethberg, director Clemens Krauss, and soprano Viorica Ursuleac. It was at this period of thier life, when they helped refugees flee Nazi Germany and other nations under their influence, which was made possible by their connection with Krauss and Ursuleac.

The extent to which they took their devotion to Galli-voice Curci's was one event that revealed a spirit that would serve them well in the future. After hearing her perform a platform concert in the Albert Hall—her first British appearance—and learning the heartbreaking news that she sang opera only in New York, Ida became determined that they should travel there within the next five years to hear her. Will Louise be there? 'Rather!' she exclaimed. The great Galli-Curci waved to them from the audience and then invited them to her Fifth Avenue apartment. They were ecstatic. "Oh Rapture! Rapture! Rapture! Galli-Curci exceeds our expectations."
During their journeys, Ida and Louise smuggled out items belonging to refugees, ranging from coats to jewelry. The sisters would typically arrive in the country dressed plainly with few accessories, but they would return to London covered in furs and jewels that they claimed were their own. The Cooks also collaborated with others in England to secure safe passage for those who were being persecuted.

The sisters' willingness to assist became known in Jewish communities, and their network expanded to include people in Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt. Hundreds of letters begging for help from strangers began to arrive at the British Refugee Headquarters, addressed simply to 'Ida and Louise.' The sisters felt an increasing sense of urgency to complete their mission. They discovered, for example, that in order to persuade others—friends and family, and, eventually, strangers—to provide a financial guarantee, they needed to persuade them that they wouldn't necessarily spend the money.

Their love of opera served as an excellent cover for their illicit activities. The authorities saw them as crazy but harmless opera buffs. Cook's writing career took off just as their rescue efforts began, and the majority of her new-found wealth was donated to the rescue efforts. Ida and Louise Cook were named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem and are credited with assisting 29 Jews in fleeing Germany and Austria.

Marianne Monsoon has richly researched the Holocaust era of Hitler making this novel remarkable for Historical fiction fans to read. A story of courage, compassion, strength, friendship and sacrifice. I just reviewed the Opera Sisters By Marianne Monsoon, Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publisher for an advance copy for my honest review.

I have been trying to read more historical fiction and the books that I have read, I ended up really enjoying. However sometimes it is hit or miss. I really wanted to enjoy this book but I had a harder time with it. The Opera Sisters is a historical fiction that speaks of two sisters who helped smuggle valuables out of Germany to help finance Jews during World War II.
I would still recommend this book, but it is definitely one for those who like thought provoking historical reads. The formatting was a bit hard for me to follow, especially because it kept skipping between scenes. I was really excited for this book because it looked fascinating but unfortunately it is just not for me.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

The Opera Sisters read more like a series of vignettes than a novel. The reader got glimpses into the lives of the Cook sisters during World War II along with the scattered stories of others around them. Complete with enough footnotes to write a research paper with the attention to detail, though impressive, only served to to muddle the story rather than enhance it in my opinion. I found the shifting perspectives and extensive citations distracting and would have preferred either a fictionalized account of their lives or a biography. What I got was something in between.

The Opera Sisters is an achingly gorgeous book based on true events and real-life British sisters Ida and Louise Cook whose passion for the opera enabled them to become unsung heroines in Nazi Germany during WWII. Ida wrote romance novels and Louise was a secretary. Both scrimped and saved to earn money to attend luxurious operas and even sewed suitable outfits. Through interesting ways they got to know those in the opera industry. Consequently, in addition to making lasting friends such as opera singer Rosa Ponselle, they were approached to escort Jews from Germany to England. The story describes the opera scene, harrowing escapes and horrors of war such as Kristallnacht. Hitler's rise to power, eccentric Picasso and Chamberlain are also mentioned.

My favourite aspect is the willingness of the sisters to do whatever they could to help Jews during the Holocaust at great personal risk. As an opera fan who has seen some of the most stunning opera houses in Europe I was besotted by their phenomenal story. But you needn't be an opera fan to enjoy it. Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction and Nonfiction readers alike ought to pick up this book.

A few historic events were changed by the author to suit the story but the depth of inspiration and beauty enabled me to overlook that. I appreciate the footnotes and was prompted to do further reading about these extraordinary women..

My sincere thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this brilliant book. It really touched my heart.

Sisters Louise and Ida Cook are infatuated with opera. This obsession influences career choices and opens up their circle of influence and as a result, they are asked to partake in a dangerous mission by new and desperate friends.

The content and research were intriguing but the presentation fell flat for me. I’m not sure what the aim was in presenting the narrative in different formats, but it ruined the flow for me. While I am in awe of the risk these two ordinary women took, I failed to connect to them because the story didn’t come alive for me. I am disappointed that a fresh look at WW2 fiction wasn’t as enjoyable for me as I was hoping it would be. Despite my disappointment, I appreciated the author’s exploration of moral courage in the face of risk and of ordinary people standing up and choosing to help another. Just because I didn’t love the author’s choice of presentation, doesn’t mean that you won’t like it.

I was gifted this advance copy by Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Unfortunately, I felt this was more of a history lesson than a good historical fiction, which it had the potential to be. I felt myself not wanting to pick it up. Just Didn’t flow in my opinion.