Review: "Flame of Resistance" by Tracy Groot

Reviewed by *Katie McCurdy for Legacy of a Writer

4/5 Stars

THE BOOK:

On the brink of D-Day In Normandy, France...

Nazi occupation has stolen much from Brigitte Durand. Family. Freedom. Hope for a future. Forced to turn her home into a Germans-only brothel to survive, Brigitte clings to patriotism by sneaking food to the French Resistance and the downed airmen they're hiding nearby.

When American fighter pilot Tom Jaeger is shot down and picked up by the Resistance, he becomes the linchpin in their plan to leverage Brigitte's sy,pathy. By posing as a German officer, Tom can smuggle out critical intel she acquires from other so9ldiers about the nearby bridges, whose captuer and defense will be crucial to Allied forces.

D-day looms, and everyone knows that invasion is imminent. But so is treachery. When loyalties are betrayed, the life of one American pilot jeopardizes everything. He becomes more important than the mission to a man who cannot bear to lose another agent...and to a woman who is more than just a prostitute, who finally realizes that her actions could change history.

MY REVIEW:

I’ve never heard of Tracy Groot’s writing before, but when I saw the cover for Flame of Resistance and read the synopsis, I knew I was going to have to give it a try. A retelling of the story of Rahab, set during the World War II, sounded interesting. And it turned out to be just that.

Tom and Brigitte made for great main characters. Neither was perfect, yet they strove to do what was right. There were a lot of characters woven into Flame of Resistance, and I admit I had trouble keeping them all in order. Not only that, but the point-of-view kept switching between characters as well—especially towards the end. To some people, this might not be a problem, but I found it a bit distracting and confusing.

The research and story plotting that went into Flame of Resistance was very well done. Groot seems to know her history very well and brings it out in the book. I found it very cool when I read how she visits the places that she used in the book—a very thoroughly researched writer!

There is a bit of torture in this book. While some methods of torture are merely mentioned, the reader gets an up-close-and-personal look at one unfortunate prisoner’s torture session. Some might find this disturbing, as I did to some extent, so I just want to forewarn you. And, of course, Brigitte is a prostitute and works in a brothel—so you shouldn’t be surprised that you get a look into this lifestyle, though I commend the author on keeping the description of it to a minimal.

All in all, I found this an enjoyable read. It was kind of difficult to follow the plot in some areas, but I kept pushing onward and soon came to understand, roughly, what had happened. If you are a history buff who enjoys this time period and this war, I recommend you give Flame of Resistance a try. Chances are very high that you will love this beautiful story of a heroic man and woman who step outside of the safeties of their life to fight for bigger cause.

* I reviewed this book for Tyndale House Publishing. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.