Whisper on the Wind

By Maureen Lang

From the back of the book:

“Belgium, 1916 – The German Imperial Army may have conquered Belgium on its march through Europe, but the small country refuses to be defeated. An underground newspaper surfaces to keep patriotism alive and bring hope and real news of the war to the occupied country. It may be a whisper amongst the shouts of the German army, but it’s a thorn in their side nonetheless – and Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print … even risk his life.”

Yes, Edward is willing to risk his life to keep the underground newspaper in print, but he also risks the lives of his mother and the two women he loves, Isa in particular.

Isa’s family fled Europe for America when the war first began. She finds her way back and sneaks into the country. She is determined to find Edward and his mother and bring them out of Belgium with her. She’s loved Edward since she was a little girl and now, she’s grown into a young woman who is very set in her ways. Of course, Edward refuses to leave and Isa convinces him to let him help with his goals.

As Isa and Edward’s mother take back over Isa’s family home from the Germans, they move the printing press into a hidden room within the cellar. From there, they begin working on the paper while Isa also works to show Edward she’s not the same silly girl his mother babysat while her wealthy parents traveled the world.

Of course, the Germans are suspicious and are watching Isa. They send spies to her home and, at one point, she is thrown in prison for providing food to the enemy. As bad as the experience was, she remains determined to help Edward.

I really liked this book and found the subject matter interesting. I hadn’t read much about the German occupation of Belgium during World War I, so that made the book all the more fascinating for me. It goes along at a nice pace and there really weren’t any parts that bogged the story down. It was fun to read and made for an intriguing tale.