Behind the Pages: The Warsaw Sisters

A peek behind the pages of Amanda Barratt's latest release.
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I love talking to other author’s about their writing an research processes, especially when it comes to WWII history! 

So I’ve started a new type of post for newsletter subscribers where I take you behind the scenes of another author’s WWII book. In time, I’m hoping I’ll be able to feature both fiction and non-fiction books, asking the same five questions of each writer. 

It is my privilege to feature The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt this month. Amanda has a way of breaking your heart at the same time as filling it with hope with her stories of courage and resistance. I’ve previously reviewed both Within These Walls of Sorrow and The White Rose Resists and they are both exceptional, so it was my pleasure to ask Amanda these five questions.

I hope you enjoy going behind the pages of The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt.

Behind the pages: The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

Tell us a bit about who you are and how you write?

I write stories that explore oft-forgotten facets of history. My novels include The White Rose Resists, Within These Walls of Sorrow, and The Warsaw Sisters. I’m a self-proclaimed history nerd and my idea of the perfect vacation is wandering museums and historical sites. Historical fiction is my go-to genre and I can often be found catching up on my towering TBR stack. I adore music from the 1940s, the Masterpiece series All Creatures Great and Small, and lemon cake.

What is your book about? 

The Warsaw Sisters tells the story of twin sisters and their journeys of resistance and resilience in occupied Poland. It illuminates events and heroes pulled from the pages of history, such as the daring network of women who rescued Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto and Poland’s secret army that grew into one of the largest resistance movements in occupied Europe. At its heart, it is a novel about women forged by war and the enduring bond between sisters.

Why this story and why now?

Though the Second World War has been written about extensively, Poland’s wartime history remains relatively unknown, especially in North America. In the midst of one of the most brutal occupation regimes faced by any European country during the war, extraordinary resistance was born. As I researched the women who risked their lives to rescue Jewish children and the women who suffered and sacrificed as soldiers during the Warsaw Uprising, their dauntless courage left me in awe and their stories begged to be explored through a narrative format.

 

Where did you go to research this story?

One of the most memorable experiences of the research process came when I visited a museum that housed a collection of artifacts related to the Polish resistance. Though the museum was temporarily closed due to renovations, the director generously gave me a tour and even allowed me to don gloves and handle some of the artifacts. My breath still catches when I remember holding a helmet worn by a soldier who fought in the Warsaw Uprising and studying copies of the underground newspaper published during the occupation. History I had long been researching became so tangible in those moments. 

Tell us a story you came across in research that didn’t make it into the book.

I mentioned this in the novel briefly, but some of the details were trimmed during edits. During the Warsaw Uprising, as the food supply was running out, Varsovians resorted to eating whatever could be found. One of the most popular (or perhaps available!) meals was pluj-zupa—”spit-soup.” The soup was made of barley that hadn’t been husked, so dubbed because diners had to spit out the sharp hulls as they ate. The barley came from the storehouse of a brewery, so wasn’t of the quality normally used for cooking. To prepare spit-soup, barley would first be milled in a coffee grinder, then boiled in water before being eaten. One recipe I can’t say I’m eager to try! 

Is there a WWII book that you would like to peek behind the pages of? It can be fiction or non-fiction. Feel free to send your suggestion to me via the contact page