The Lioness of Leiden by Robert Loewen is a novel based on the life of his mother-in-law Hetty Kraus. The novel follows the life of Hetty as the events of WWII change her from university student to courier in the Dutch resistance. I haven’t read much about WWII in Holland, so this was very interesting.

Unfortunately, it was very difficult for me to get into the book. As a former English teacher, I found myself wanting to “grade” the book. The action seemed to jump around, with events just happening without any transition in between. I never knew quite when an event was happening. Sometimes there would be months between chapters, with no comment on the passage of time. I was also upset that the female characters seemed to be portrayed as feather-brained girls with nothing on their minds but drinking and having sex. I feel that was a grave injustice. The only character I felt I knew anything about was Hetty – and that was too bad because many of the characters could have easily been developed into well-rounded people that we could get to know
I almost didn’t finish the book, but I kept hoping it would get better! I love the idea of a man writing about his mother-in law’s experiences, but this really fell short for me. I did really like the very end of the book – a very short section written by Hetty herself.
I was given this book by LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
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This debut novel was highly readable. I read the book in almost one sitting. The novel centers around Hettie, a university student who gets involved in the resistance in the Netherlands WW2 after her boyfriend goes missing. It is based on a true story. The novel shows her progression of getting involved and the relationship she builds with others and the impact of the war and Nazis on those parties. Without giving away spoilers I found it the events to be very sad with many harrowing escapes. The characters were highly readable and I enjoyed seeing the progression of the main character over the course of the book. ( )

The Lioness of Leiden is a novel inspired by true events. It is captivating full of suspense , romance and bravery.
The story takes place during the German invasion of the Netherlands in WWII. Hetty is a student at Leiden University and when her boyfriend goes missing she joins the Dutch Resistance. Hetty and her friends start out by just carrying documents and cash to help the Jews. As the war continues, she and her friends except assignments that will kill them if caught or betrayed. Many of the resistance fighters have been killed or sent to camps. Hetty worries about her younger brother who wants to join the resistance.
I don’t want to spoil the book with the ending all I can say is that the book will not disappoint. Many thanks to Library Thing and #Greenleaf Book group press and the Author Robert Loewen for an opportunity to read this thrilling novel. ( )

The Lioness of Leiden is clearly a labor of love by its debut author, Robert Loewen. In it, the retired lawyer relays the writings and stories told by his mother-in-law, Hetty Steenhuis Kraus (1920-1994), a Leiden (Netherlands) University student who served as a courier in the Dutch Resistance during the Nazi occupation in the early 1940s.

I would agree with some other reviewers that the other characters in the book are not particularly well-developed, but that is not surprising, given that Hetty "did not like talking about her wartime experiences because of the painful memories it elicited." More biographical novel than historical fiction, the chapters are short, and it is an easy and compelling read. ( )

Hetty is a student when the Germans invade the Netherlands. Her boyfriend goes missing, and is presumed captured or dead. Previously a shy and quiet person, Hetty comes to life fighting in the Dutch resistance and protecting her Jewish friends.

It took me a while to get into this book. The points of view were constantly shifting, which made it hard to get to know the characters. The book was well paced and the storyline was interesting. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. ( )