Bravo!

What a marvelous story, with the great narrator, Becky Boyd, who breathes even more life into it!
Frankly, I’ve been fascinated by each of this author’s books, whether it be about the Nuremberg Trials, the inter-workings of the Nazis, or the use of female Jewish sex slaves in Nazi camps, but I have to say, INDIGO REBELS is my favorite.

Great detailed descriptions of characters and settings intersperse with factual tidbits that, like all her books, had me visiting Wikipedia, eager to find out even more. But ultimately, fine descriptions aren’t enough for me. As I found myself turning pages with great absorption and anticipation, I realized I was highly impressed with Midwood’s well-thought out and intriguing plot. All in all, a brilliantly executed book which I highly recommend. Bravo, Ellie Midwood!

3 people found this helpful

Listened straight through

Ellie Midwood masterfully places us into occupied France. Into the lives of three siblings we go losing ourselves in their stories. The novel is vivid and feels authentic. They interact with Germans who aren’t stoic and distant flat characters. Rather, she is able to make the Germans three dimensional and real. I highly recommend without hesitation this audio version as that is how I “read” the novel. It is narrated with a steady, pleasing voice.

3 people found this helpful

A brilliant WW 2 novel

A brilliant study of character, this WW2 novel stands out among the others in the same genre for several reasons: it shows the very birth of the French Resistance, and in particular the first clandestine newspaper which was used as a means of not only enlightening the population on the realities of the occupation but called them for action as well. Second, it shows not only different classes but different ideologies clashing - and managing to work together against the common enemy - under the German yoke. Enjoyed it immensely. I have already started reading the sequel but I’m hoping it’ll be available in audiobook format as well; I’d love to listen to it.

2 people found this helpful

Loved it!!

The story is amazing and enthralling, the narration is perfect! I never wanted to turn it off. If you enjoy historical fiction, especially set during WWII, this is the story for you!

2 people found this helpful

"The Indigo Rebels"

If you love historical fiction, this book will be perfect for you. It's compelling, beautifully written, and historically accurate. I felt I was actually there, walking through the streets of Occupied Paris together with Giselle as German officers passed by. The narrator did a great job, bringing the story to life. Highly recommended! Oh, and I hope the other two books in the series will be available in audiobook format as well - I'd grab them in a second!

2 people found this helpful

so good

The first book in a new series by Ellie Midwood.

What I love about this book is that they make you think and ask yourself the question ‘What would you do?”. This book shows that war isn’t black and white and there are good and bad people on both sides.

I love seeing how each of the three siblings comes to term with the war and what to do to save themselves and others. Their actions surprised me and I was cheering Giselle on in the end.

I look forward to reading the next book

1 person found this helpful

Historical fiction at its best

The story of two sisters and their younger brother left in the occupied Paris and the choices they make. As with all Ellie Midwood’s stories, I was immediately pulled in and found myself drawn into the suspense.
Depiction of the characters and their emotional state come to life. One of the sisters struggles with feelings of her husband's indifference and abandonment. The other sister is flamboyant and the opposite of her younger sibling. They both grow to change significantly through the occupation). Their younger brother, at first confused and uncertain, finds his way into the resistance movement. The relationships between them and the people with whom they interact are as complex as one might imagine in such difficult times.
The story gives the reader a look into daily life in France under Nazi control. I’m kin to find out in the next two books, who of the main characters chooses self-sacrifice for the good of others to overcome evil and who favors self-preservation. I can’t recommend this book enough for anyone who enjoys reading about WWII from different perspectives.

1 person found this helpful

A Talented Author With A Historian’s Eye

One of the most difficult things to write is a historically accurate novel set in the recent past and Ellie Midwood does it exceptionally well. What makes the task all the more daunting is that the author sets the story in one of the most historically well documented times and places, France at the beginning of the German occupation. To appreciate what the author has accomplished it helps if you remember that we are three to four generations removed from World War II. Author’s who were contemporary with events – Hemingway, Dos Passos, Styron, Stein, and Vonnegut to name a few – have transferred to the blue ethers. The authors of the “Greatest Generation” are also all but gone, having written about these events either from the perspective of being present in their early 20s at the time or from their own historical research. Midwood, like internationally recognized historical author Ben Pastor (AKA Maria Verbena Volpi) is intimately familiar with her topic and time period. Where other authors achieve verisimilitude through cribbing from reports, essays, and the works of first generation authors, Midwood is at ease with her surroundings and owns this time period in a way that allows her characters to live in them seamlessly. The reader soon stops doing a mental inventory of events that are pending based on history and is quickly lost in the story. Without sharing any spoilers, the author has given us narrative that reminds us that life continues under all circumstances, that war more than any other area of human activity defines our times. What makes this more jolting is that once you realize you’ve settled into the immediate, personal narratives of the characters then you realize that these characters, like yourself, are not living their lives relative to what we deem a defining event in history. The characters are living with the immediate realities of a world overthrown, events that were far from predestined and are articles of faith in our world are still developing in theirs. It is a story that is most satisfying, will have you looking forward to the next installment. But most importantly it will give you a moment to pause and ask yourself if you really understand the historical import of the events of your own times and what, if anything, such awareness has done to guide your actions.

1 person found this helpful

Love and War

The beginnings slow burn turned into a fire as the narrator pulled me into a enthralling narrative full of love, schemes and betrayal. I loved the characters right off, especially the strong female lead, Giselle. A Renaissance woman, who fights in a tumultuous occupied France, is someone I can truly admire. I’m looking forward to hearing more. Viva la resistance!

1 person found this helpful

Worst Narration

I don’t offer many negative reviews. I feel uncomfortable doing so as I know every book is a labor of love and every performance represents someone trying to turn in their best work. However, I just can’t let this go. How lazy and/or cheap was the production crew on this audiobook? To fail so incredibly on selecting a narrator who could provide the appropriate accents or pronounce incredibly common wartime words and phrases made this the hardest to listen to audiobook - ever. Further, the narrator’s failed attempts to act left the characters sounding immature, in both age and intellect. I can see why, after years of taking in every piece of WW2 historical fiction I could find, this one took so long to pop onto my recommended reading list. I think the story could be a good one if read in paper form or performed by someone else.