Lana's War

Lana's War by Anita Abriel is a light historical fiction novel that takes place in the Riviera during WWII. I have been a fan of Abriel ever since I read her wonderful book, The Light After the War, based on her own family’s history. Therefore, I was thrilled to receive a copy of her latest novel.

Paris 1943: Lana Antanova is on her way to see her husband with the thrilling news that she is pregnant. But when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she’s horrified to see Gestapo officers execute him for hiding a Jewish girl in the piano.

A few months later, grieving both her husband and her lost pregnancy, Lana is shocked when she’s approached to join the resistance on the French Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, Lana has the perfect background to infiltrate the émigré community of Russian aristocrats who socialize with German officers, including the man who killed her husband.

Lana’s cover story makes her the mistress of Guy Pascal, a wealthy Swiss industrialist and fellow resistance member, in whose villa in Cap Ferrat she lives. Together, they gather information on upcoming raids and help members of the Jewish community escape. Consumed by her work, she doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl or wonder about the secrets held by the man whose house she shares. And as the Nazis’ deadly efforts intensify, her intention to protect those around her may put them all at risk instead.

The French Riviera was a unique and colorful setting, and I found myself fully transported there with the sun on my face and colorful flowers all around me as I followed Lana down the streets. The plot and story hooked me in right from the beginning. From there the story kept it’s fast pace and I couldn’t put it down as I followed Lana’s new life a a spy for the French Resistance. However, at times I thought the story was a bit rushed, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Lana was a unique character who had her strong and brave moments along with her incredibly naïve moments. The other characters in the story did help bring a bit more depth and life to the plot. I found Pierre, the cab driver, the most realistic character in the story.

I felt like this story had so much possibility with the romance, resistance work, and action, but overall there weren’t enough bones holding it together to support the plot and the romance felt rushed, one sided, and a bit implausible. Maybe if there was more dialogue, characters with a bit more life/substance, and the resistance work was fleshed out and detailed more, I may have found it more appealing. There really was a lot of potential in this story, but it just needed more depth.

I think this book will work for those who shy away from WWII historical fiction stories due to the harsh and sometimes graphic content of the war and concentration camps. In Lana’s War the cinematic writing, setting and engaging plot will keep you hooked, while still seeing a more mild side of the war and resistance work.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.