My Thoughts Occupied: A Novel Based on a True Story by Kurt Blorstad

‘Occupied’ is based on the true story of Kurt Blorstad’s father Trygve and his family during the WWII German occupation of Norway.  As the novel begins, Trygve (age seven) and his brothers Thoralf (age eight), and Odd (age three) are living with their mother and grandmother in Norway.  They use to live with their father in the U.S. but move back to Norway during the depression.  Their father remains in the U.S. working and trying to earn enough money to move his family back to the U.S.

Trygve is the narrator throughout the book. He is excited to tell the reader that he also has another sibling on the way and hopes it will be a sister.  His wish comes true.  Trygve gives the reader a good picture of what it was like for the residents in the town during the occupation.  His best friend is his brother Thoralf and they spend a lot of time with each other helping out their family and their Uncle who lives close by.

As they get older, they both get part time jobs after school. Trygve works for a local shop owner, baking bread and doing some clean up. However, he also serves as lookout when the town’s men gather in the shop to talk about the German occupation. He soon gets other responsibilities as well.

This book read almost like a middle school book to me and I think it would be good for sixth graders and up to learn about the occupation in an engaging way.  It was written for middle aged adults and up and I do think that audience will certainly enjoy it as well.  I am of middle age myself. The book is categorized as a Historical Thriller and while there was an element of heightened anxiety, I would not call it a thriller by any stretch.  It is historical fiction.  If you are looking for a historical thriller, you will be disappointed.

That said I really did enjoy ‘Occupied’.  Kurt Blorstad transported me to German occupied Norway and I became part of the family.  This was a great book to get lost in.  Besides the names, the writing makes for easy and fast reading. Blorstand does an excellent job describing the time and landscape.  ‘Occupied is a beautifully told story of coming of age during German occupation. I recommend it to historical fiction fans. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

About Kurt Blorstad

Kurt Blorstad spends most of his time on airplanes for business travel, where he finds the tight environment conducive to writing. His first book, Plane Excitement, was born and raised on many of his early flights.

When his first grandchild was born with hemophilia, Kurt was inspired to use his writing to generate support and awareness of the condition. A portion of the proceeds from Occupied go directly to the National Hemophilia Foundation.

When not writing, Kurt enjoys relaxing on the beach, playing tennis and working in his garden. These are also his wife’s favorite things to do, and the two of them plan to collaborate on a murder mystery series in the future.

Website: https://www.Kurtblorstad.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kurtblorstad
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kurtblorstad/

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Giveaway Occupied: A Novel Based on a True Story by Kurt Blorstad

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