The Girl from the Fjords is not just another World War II novel. The first half of the book is set during the Nazi occupation of Norway but the second half covers the immediate post-war period and the consequences faced by the vanquished. The story begins in 1940 in a remote Norwegian coastal settlement, where Asta's older brother slips away to Scotland. Asta and her father despise the Nazis but cannot refuse when a German officer is billeted in their small home. Barriers are broken as they get to know one another. Max Brandt isn't a typical Nazi and has never served in combat due to an injury...he is a civil engineer.

My emotions were all over the place reading this book. On one hand, I felt that Asta deserved a bit of happiness with Max, but I knew the ugly reality she would face. And, although Max had never been an ardent Nazi, wasn't he still complicit? If he survived the war, why would he be shown any grace by the Allies? And then there is their daughter, who will be vilified even though she is an innocent. Although I expected the German occupation of Norway to be the most difficult part of this book, it was the second half that was soul-shattering. There were plot twists that I never anticipated, that left me gasping and wondering just how much emotional pain a person can withstand. The scope of this book is impressive, and Eliza Graham's writing has once again made me rethink some of my preconceived notions of history and humanity. If you are a WW II historical fiction fan, you won't want to miss this one.

My thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read the ARC. The review and all opinions are entirely my own.