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Sixty Blades of Grass available in audio! June 25, across 60+ retail and library digital distributors, including Audible, Apple, audiobooks.com and Google Play.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Captivating Tale of Courage and Resilience in Nazi-Occupied Holland
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2023
Elizabeth Millane’s remarkable debut novel “Sixty Blades of Grass” transports readers to the haunting and turbulent world of Holland during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Through the eyes of the courageous protagonist, seventeen-year-old Rika, a member of the Dutch Resistance, Millane weaves a mesmerizing tale of love, resilience and the indomitable spirit of the human soul. From the very first page, it is impossible not to become involved in Rika’s journey.
Millane’s writing style is captivating and heartfelt, conveying the range of emotions experienced by her characters. The pacing is excellent and kept me on the edge of my seat as I was eager to discover what fate had in store for Rika and her family. If you are a fan of historical fiction, “Sixty Blades of Grass” is a must-read. You will be moved and inspired by this extraordinary story of bravery and sacrifice.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A beautiful and inspiring story that I simply had to keep reading.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2023
5* for sure. This is one of the most moving books I've ever read. I don't give praise easily, but cannot speak highly enough of this book. Part fact part fiction this was a book I had to read to the end to find out what happened to who. The story line may be a little slow sometimes, but persevere, it's worth it. I loved the main Dutch characters in this story of the German occupation of WW2 Holland. The way the author kept the story rolling through the main characters, their diaries and recollections was inspiring. Even more inspiring was the author's descriptions of life itself, the constant search for food, fuel and sustenance. The fight against the Germans. The final chapters were especially moving and emotive, detailing imprisonment, death, lifelike dreams and survival. A fabulous story told by a fantastic author.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I Loved this book!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2023
I just finished Sixty Blades of Grass by Betsy Millane and I loved it!
Betsy Millane put her heart and soul into this story – and it’s a whopper.
Rika, the reluctant resistance fighter against the Nazis.
Maxim, her concerned father – exactly who he’s siding with isn’t immediately clear.
Liesbeth, Rika’s maternal sister, who is keeping a few secrets of her own.
Amie – innocent and very stubborn. Simple minded yet shrewd enough to spot real evil when down stairs neighbor Pieter offers her some food. Pieter will make your skin crawl!
The doomed Adriaan. Your heart breaks for him – and Rika.
The Colonel: Evil personified! He’ll give you nightmares that won’t soon fade away.
I really did feel transported to The Hague during the WW II resistance while I was reading this. Betsy brought some wonderful (and scary!) characters to life and captured a time and place that was life changing for so many people. I hope Hollywood comes calling for this one!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Simply the best novel I've read in a while...
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2023
Full disclosure - I know Elizabeth Millane. Not well, but well enough to have wanted to buy her book to congratulate her on its publication. What I didn't necessarily expect was that this is a terrific novel. I seem to read a lot of books on WW II, fiction and nonfiction, and I can happily say that Sixty Blades of Grass is a seriously strong addition to the mix. The setting is the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands late in the war. The principal characters are members of a Dutch family. One or more of them are resistance fighters. Or are they? One of the most compelling themes in the book is that secrecy was so critical to survival that no one member of the family could confide in, or maybe even trust, any of the others. Millane propels the action using only the present tense and an eye for detail, telling a story in short, percussive chapters that provide no early clues to how it might end. That's fitting, of course, since the protagonists, based loosely on members of Millane's extended family, could have no idea of how, or if, the war would end, or whether they would live to see it. Last thought - how do I know a book is good? When it keeps me up, reading "just one more chapter" when I ought to turn out the light. I can tell you that Millane succeeded astonishingly well by that metric.