Book Description:
Based on the true story of the Cook sisters, who smuggled valuables out of 1930s Nazi Germany to finance a daring, secret operation to help Jews find hope for a new life in England
British sisters Ida and Louise Cook enjoy their quiet, unassuming lives in south London. Ida writes romance novels, and Louise works as a secretary. In the evenings, the sisters indulge in their shared love for opera, saving their money to buy records and attend performances throughout England and Europe, becoming well-known by both performers and fellow opera lovers.
But when Hitler seizes power in 1933, he begins targeting and persecuting German Jews, passing laws that restrict their rights and their lives. The sisters continue their trips to the German opera houses, but soon, Jewish members of the opera community covertly approach the sisters, worried that they will be stripped of their wealth and forced to leave their homes and the country. Danger looms on the horizon, threatening to spill across all of Europe’s borders.
Ida and Louise vow to help, but how can two ordinary working-class women with limited means make a difference?
Together with their beloved opera community, the sisters devise a plan to personally escort Jewish refugees from Germany to England. The success of the plan hinges on Ida and Louise’s ability to smuggle contraband jewelry and furs beneath the watchful eyes of the SS soldiers guarding various checkpoints. But how many trips can they make before someone blows a whistle? Or before the final curtain falls on Germany’s borders?
The Opera Sisters is a riveting and inspiring novel of two unlikely heroines whose courage and compassion gave hope to many Jews desperate to escape Nazi persecution.
Review:
I must admit, the title of this book didn't draw me in at all. The only opera I am a fan of is Phantom of the Opera - the rest of what I've heard is just not my style. But after reading the description of the book, I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. The story did start off a bit slow, and it was easy to put down and go do something else. I'm glad I kept reading though, because it wasn't too long before I was hooked, and I ended up finishing the majority of the book in just over a day.
I had never heard of the Cook sisters before, or what they did to help rescue so many Jewish families. I am always in awe at the bravery of ordinary people like Louise and Ida. I was also shocked to learn at how indifferent so many people around the world were to the plight of the Jewish Germans in pre-WWII Germany. Looking back and knowing just how evil Hitler was, it's easy to pass judgement on people who didn't know his true colors yet.
I always appreciate when the author of historical stories gives the reader an update of some of the people we get to know in the story. This is a well-researched, captivating story, and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.
Title: The Opera Sisters
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