"Chasing Shadows" by Lynn Austin

Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death? Lena's daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy. Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined. The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes-heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.

I haven't read a lot on the role of the Dutch in WWII, so this book was a pleasant way to rectify that.  Through following one family and their friends, it paints a broad picture of the resistance work in the Netherlands. I liked how the author took into account many kinds of people, not just the whole, hearty, and brave: Eloise, with her PTSD-induced bipolar disorder from her experiences in WWI; Miriam, with her anxiety disorder; the residents of the home for the mentally handicapped; those who were too afraid to fight back; even a young Nazi soldier who just longs for home.

For all that it largely takes place under German occupation, with the laws an ever-tightening noose around the Jews and Dutch resistance, I didn't feel a lot of tension in the story. When Miriam was being moved, or Ans out on assignment for the underground, I never had the tightening in my gut, that worry of, "is this the time they get caught?" There were so few consequences to their activities early on that it was a surprise when things actually did happen. I didn't think it was boring, but at the same time, I found it easy to put down. There's a strong, encouraging element of faith that runs through the story. It was good, but I like a lot of the author's other works significantly more. 

Thank you Tyndale House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.