Author: Kathryn J. Atwood
Publisher: Catherine RosePress
ISBN Paperback:979-8-218-65088-9
ISBN eBook:979-8-218-65089-6
The Belgian Girls: ANovel, written by Kathryn J. Atwood, author of Women Heroes of WorldWar II, is a well-researched account of two young women’s lives,both based, at least in part, in Brussels, one, the real-life WorldWar I heroine, Gabrielle Petit, and the other, the fictionalembodiment of the Belgian Resistance during World War II, JulienneGobert, who both are shown to bravely resist the inhumane Germanoccupation of their home country, Belgium.
The authenticity of thedetails provided can clearly be seen in the bibliography of the Firstand Second World Wars that Atwood supplies at the end of the novel.The close parallel between the lives and fundamental characteristicsof the two girls forms the basic structure of The Belgian Girls, asthe novel unravels the two girls’ stories in tandem andjuxtaposition with each other.
Atwood’s lively andanimated account of the lives and actions of two young women is muchenlivened by the author’s frequent use of direct speech throughout
The Belgian Girls. Atwood also encourages her readers to share inreflecting on aspects of the story through making her leadingcharacters continuously question themselves and aspects of theireveryday environment.
The strong ethical stance taken relating to thecircumstances and conditions of hardship and privation prevailingduring the two World Wars is shown in her portrayal of how a diverseand well-captured array of characters, spearheaded by our two keyprotagonists, relates to scenes of brutality and callousness, withnobility and integrity of character emanating from the moreadmirable, who set a fine example for Atwood’s foreseen adolescentreadership.
Atwood’s predilectionfor bringing the past to life through her intimate fictionalportrayal of heroic characters who exemplify the best of humankindplaces her in a pivotal position for bringing out the best in theyoung. The Belgian Girls should, therefore, serve as an idealspringboard for discussion in youth groups, as well as in the middleschool classroom.