Resistance, a Novel by Anita Shreve
A Historical Romance Set in the Midst of World War 2 Belgium
War gives normal, everyday activities a certain edge, a clarity that otherwise would not exist. People fall in love in the best of times and also in the worst. It is during the worst of times that it becomes even more precious, more poignant, and more fragile. It is for these reasons perhaps, that lovers will attempt the impossible and endure the utmost in order to have or preserve this gift. Anita Shreve illustrates this in her novel Resistance.
The Story of Resistance
Resistance is a story of an American pilot, Lt. Ted Brice, who crashed in German occupied Belgium in 1943. With initial assistance from a very unlikely source, he eventually finds himself hidden in a small attic space under the care of a young Belgian wife, Claire Daussois.
During his convalescence, he learns about Claire and her husband Henri who is a resistance worker. Danger is already high as Germans are on the lookout for the surviving American refugees, however when several German guards are found dead at the site of the plane wreckage, it becomes even more perilous for everyone. Henri goes into hiding and Claire is left to fend for herself and the wounded pilot.
The events that follow deepen the bond between the two and blur the line between the commitment Claire has toward her husband and the physical and emotional attraction she discovers with Ted. She must not only deal with her internal moral struggle but also with the impact a relationship with the American would have if discovered by the Nazis.
The Impact of Resistance
Shreve develops several of the characters in her novel and as a result, gives a full and diverse experience of village life during German occupancy. We encounter resistance workers living on the edge always on the brink of capture, Nazi collaborators who become overnight spies and live with the disdain of their countrymen and double agents who choose to give up friendships and family in a bid to survive. We feel the fear, the hatred, the courage and the love as we see life through the eyes of each person.
The Seed of the Story
Anita Shreve’s idea for the novel was born after reading two letters from a Belgian woman to the mother of fighter pilot William Osborn who crashed during World War 2. They were intended to assure the mother of Osborn’s safety at the time of writing and indicated a possible romance between Osborn and a resistance worker. The characters in Resistance however are completely fictional.
Reference
Anita Shreve, Resistance, Bay Back Books, 1997
Other novels by Anita Shreve
- The Pilot’s Wife (the 25th selection of Oprah’s Book Club and also chosen for a CBS film which aired in Spring of 2002)
- The Weight of Water (Movie version aired in the Fall of 2002)
Resistance by Anita Shreve
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Author, Anita Shreve
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