“What Did You Do In The War, Sister?” by Dennis J. Turner.
Cincinnati Book Publishing, Cincinnati, 2018, 299 pages, Grades 10-12.
The underground resistance movement in occupied Europe continues to be a staple in books and movies. Usually, the plot centers on smuggled machine guns and daring ambushes on Nazi soldiers. When women are portrayed at all, they tend to be exceptionally brave people such as Nancy Wake. In a number of daring sabotage attacks, Nancy Wake saved downed fliers and led French Resistance soldiers in combat.
But many women fighting against the Third Reich did not participate in such exploits. Rather, they resisted through saving frightened Jewish children, wounded pilots and desperate refugees. Though less glamorous than the heroics of the women soldiers, these women accomplished feats of great daring, courage and love. Until recently, these valiant actions have not even been acknowledged.
Frequently, during the Nazi occupations, the Catholic Church found itself deeply involved in alleviating the suffering caused by the Third Reich. While some Catholic leaders, such as Father Tiso, the president of Slovakia during the persecution, aided Nazis, many others shielded the suffering. At the forefront of this fearless group were Catholic nuns. Without the aid of grenades and guns, these dauntless nuns saved thousands of victims of the Holocaust.
Dennis Turner, Professor of Law at the University of Dayton, has created a compelling work of historical nonfiction based on a cache of letters written by various Belgium Sisters of Notre Dame during World War II. The name of this important work is: “What Did You Do In the War, Sister?”
A German-American girl named Sophia Pansing from Ohio feels called to the religious vocation. She enters the Sisters of Notre Dame. Talented in languages, she becomes fluent in French. Born into a German American community, Sophia speaks German as well as English. She takes the religious name of Sister Christiana. Being tri-lingual, the order soon sends her to Belgium. There, she happily lives the life of a Sister of Notre Dame.
Unfortunately, Belgium is invaded by the Nazis in 1940 and the world fundamentally changes. The Germans issue strict orders about the movement of Jews, escaped Allied soldiers and Belgian men refusing to work as slaves in German factories. When found, they are brutally treated.
Soon, many of these tyrannized people are knocking on the convent doors to see if the nuns will shield them from the brutality of the Nazis. The Sisters open their convent to these browbeaten refugees and must negotiate with the German authorities trying to arrest the oppressed refugees. With nothing but the love of Christ in their hearts, the nuns must deceive the authorities bent on capturing and killing the victims. With cunning deception, these brave nuns shield countless souls from the authorities. Hounded themselves by the Nazis, these heroic women show the face of Christ to those facing death. How do they do it?
Dennis Turner has written this book from a collection of letters by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Turner includes a valuable timeline at the beginning of the book and an excellent afterword at the conclusion of the story. He has created the character of Sister Christiana and uses her as a foil to move the story through its many stages. Though fictional, Sister Christiana is actually the composite of many of these incredibly loving and courageous nuns. This is a story that needs to be told when examining the role of the Church in alleviating the suffering caused by World War II. These remarkable sisters used the force of prayer and brotherly love to fight against a brutal occupation. They were saints. I hope you get a chance to read this outstanding work of courage and charity.
