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Dennis J. Turner
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What Did You Do In The War, Sister?: Catholic Sisters in the WWII Nazi Resistance Kindle Edition

by Dennis J. Turner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,645 ratings
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"A powerful story of seldom-sung heroines in humanity's darkest days and a vivid reminder of the power of conscience." -- Edgardo David Holzman, author of Malena

Throughout the occupied territories, Catholic Sisters were active members of The Nazi Resistance.

Based on letters and documents written by Catholic Sisters during the Nazi occupation of Belgium, this book tells the remarkable story of these brave and faithful women, and how they served to resist the German forces.

From running contraband to hiding Jews, from spying for the allies to small acts of sabotage, these courageous women risked their lives to help defeat the Reich.

This is a story that needs to be told.

"...an engaging account of World War Two as told through the voice of a fictional Belgian nun... fascinating and valuable." -- Donald Lystra, Author of Season of Water and Ice
"…a generous recounting of the deeds of marvelous nuns living in the midst of mortal danger. It's also a great read!" -- Father James Heft, Professor of Religion at the University of Southern California
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    February 27, 2020
  5. File size
    1465 KB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  1. When there is no prospect of a tomorrow, today is the only thing that matters.
    Highlighted by 169 Kindle readers
  2. Fear can be kept at bay by this psychological trick as long as hope does not begin to creep into one's subconscious.
    Highlighted by 96 Kindle readers
  3. “Dear God, what will happen to me today, I know not. I do know that nothing shall come to me but what You have foreseen from all eternity. That is enough for me.”
    Highlighted by 89 Kindle readers
  4. most frontline soldiers endure the unendurable by assuming they are already dead and that there is little or no chance they will survive the ordeal of war.
    Highlighted by 80 Kindle readers
  5. Meditation is a form of mental prayer whereby a sister endeavors to subdue her will so that virtue can find space to flourish.
    Highlighted by 72 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I can think of no non-Belgian better qualified than Professor Dennis Turner to write a book telling a story happening in my country... History is like a mosaic, and Dennis Turner's work is both a beautiful and an important stone of that mosaic." -- Ambassador Jean-Michel Veranneman de Watervliet, author of Belgium in the Second World War.

"A powerful story of seldom-sung heroines in humanity's darkest days and a vivid reminder of the power of conscience. Using first-hand accounts, Turner crafts an inspiring narrative of courage and sacrifice in the face of terror." -- Edgardo David Holzman, author of Malena.

"Dennis Turner has used some unusual and previously unavailable records to provide a perspective on World War Two that is entirely new: the role played by Catholic nuns in anti-Nazi activities and the Belgian Resistance movement. While remaining true to the historical accuracy of his source material he has crafted an engaging account of World War Two as told through the voice of a fictional Belgian nun. Readers interested in World War Two, as well as those who are fascinated by accounts of the remarkable courage exhibited in the lives of ordinary people, will find this book a fascinating and valuable experience." -- Donald Lystraauthor of Season of Water and Ice

"I know from first-hand experience that Dennis Turner is a meticulous and thoughtful law professor. I called on him several times for advice when I served as the Provost of the University of Dayton. I am delighted that he has decided to write this story inspired by sisters of Notre Dame who, with holy delight, foiled the Nazis. It is a generous recounting of the deeds of marvelous nuns living in the midst of mortal danger. It is also a great read!" -- Father James Heft SM

About the Author

Dennis Turner graduated from Georgetown University in 1967 with a degree in History. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law School in 1970. He has served as an Assistant County Prosecutor and as a Magistrate-Judge. Since 1974, he has been a Professor of Law at the University Of Dayton School Of Law. During his tenure at the University of Dayton he has served as Assistant Dean, Acting Dean, Director of the Law Clinic and Director of the Legal Profession Program. The University of Dayton has awarded him its highest award for teaching, The Faculty Teaching Award. He has also received numerous Teacher of the Year Awards from the students at the University Of Dayton School Of Law and was chosen to be one of the Master Teaching Fellows for the University of Dayton. He has been a visiting professor for the University of Notre Dame London Law Program. He also has extensive experience with the British criminal justice system through his association with the barrister firm, Pump Court Chambers, in Winchester, England.

Dennis Turner is the author of many law review articles and a law text book, Steele v. Kitchener Case File. For two years, he also wrote a bi-weekly column for the Dayton Daily News entitled, On the River.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B084YS54P3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dennis J Turner (February 27, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1465 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,645 ratings

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Dennis J. Turner

Dennis J. Turner

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WHO IS DENNIS TURNER?

Dennis Turner graduated from Georgetown University in 1967 with a degree in History. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law School in 1970. He has served as an Assistant County Prosecutor and as a Magistrate-Judge. Since 1974, he has been a Professor of Law at the University Of Dayton School Of Law. During his tenure at the University of Dayton he has served as Assistant Dean, Acting Dean, Director of the Law Clinic and Director of the Legal Profession Program. The University of Dayton has awarded him its highest award for teaching, The Faculty Teaching Award. He has also received numerous Teacher of the Year Awards from the students at the University Of Dayton School Of Law and was chosen to be one of the Master Teaching Fellows for the University. He has been a visiting professor for the University of Notre Dame London Law Program. He also has extensive experience with the British criminal justice system through his association with the barrister firm, Pump Court Chambers, in Winchester, England.

Dennis turner is the author of many law review articles and a law textbook, Steele v. Kitchener Case File. For two years, he also wrote a bi-weekly column for the Dayton Daily News entitled, “On the River.”

Dennis Turner lives in Dayton, Ohio, with his wife Kathleen. They have been married over 48 years which suggests that their original blind-date to the Trinity College Junior Prom in Washington D.C. was a success. They have three children, Sonya, Michael and Caroline; and two grandsons, Lucas and Max.

Dennis became an avid sailor at the age of twelve in a land-locked Ohio county as a result of reading a book that changed his life, and the lives of his family. The book was by a British author titled We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea. It described the sailing adventures of four kids about Dennis’ age. After reading the book twice, Dennis just knew he had to have a sailboat even though there was not a lot of water around Dayton suitable for sailing. He built his first sailboat which was actually a raft with a muslin sail. At least it floated. If clipper ships had still been crisscrossing the oceans, Dennis might have signed on as a member of the crew.

Lessons for life learned from sailing.

Enjoy the journey. Destinations often prove disappointing.

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,645 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Anthony(Tony) Riggio
5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous War Ladies
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2021
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January 27, 2021

A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book:“What Did You Do In The War, Sister” by Dennis J. Turner

I purchased this book in the Kindle format, because it was another view of the area of Nazi occupation and liberation by the US Army of the town of St. Hubert, Brussels and then the reoccupation by the Nazis, and the final push of the Allies, commonly refereed to as a part of the Battle of the Bulge, to the end the War in about four more months.

This book was cleverly narrated by a fictional sister, namely Sister Christina, an American Nun from Ohio and a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur While the author has taken some deviations from the strict historical record, which are duly noted,in the “end notes” of the book, the stories are true.

The form of the narrative is written as a memoir by Sister Christina, the facts are taken from extensive records kept and letters written between convents and the Mother House in Namur including letters that were written during the Nazi and American occupations and have never been seen in 70 years. This book sets out in great details the life and struggles of the sisters of this order; how they survived the bombings and artillery shellings during the entire period of both occupations. It is interesting to note that the town of Bastogne was near by the location of the convent,where the Americans never surrendered in spite of the massive counter offensive referred to as the Battle of the Bulge wherein the Nazis drove the Allies deep into Belgium.

This is the story of woman of great faith in God who were subjected to unimaginable torments by the Nazis and they still managed to hide Jews and downed allied pilots. These were women of incredible character and strength who were a part of the silent resistance but never murder and sabotage. Several of the sisters were murdered by Nazis and killed in bombings. Notwithstanding these realities, they never deviated from their purpose as teachers and members of a religious community with strict devotion to required prayers and rules.

There is a lot of personal stories of people who interact with the convent that included Nazi and Allied soldiers as well as a visit from an American actress, Marlene Dietrich there to entertain the the American troops. She spend a night at the convent due to unavailable living quarters among the troops. She even sings her version of “Lily Marlene” <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jrfluDC9AA> . The story put together by the author, an atheist did a remarkable job in his objectivity to avoid any personal prejudices.

This book is truly worth the effort to read it and enjoy a wide spectrum of historical facts, thrills, adventures, and drama that will keep the reader completely involved. I highly recommend this book to my reader friends and consequently unhesitatingly give it five stars out of five.
20 people found this helpful
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Kau Lehua
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Mix of Fiction & Historical Reality
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2020
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I love historical fiction when it’s based on true history. This was right down my alley! The fact that the author is an atheist added a thought provoking layer. Mr. Turner, I would love it if you completed the audio of the book. I listened to the first chapter & it’s very good. I would love to provide the audio to my 89 year old mother who has difficulty reading. I just may sit by her side & read it aloud. But the narrator for that first chapter is much better at it than I. My mom said many times that she wanted to become a nun. I could just see her with her courageous & adventurous spirit being one of those wonderful women who helped in the resistance during WWII! Although in reality she was not quite old enough during that time period. Thank you for pouring your time & energy into creating this wonderful book. Why not a 5 star rating? At first I was reviewing the footnotes as I read. But it just became too distracting. Also, although I can’t quite identify, I think it was a little too “dry.” But listening to that first chapter with the wonderful narrator helped to alleviate the “dryness.” I am an avid reader, but have never published a sentence in my life. Who am I to critique something as meaningful as what you have written when I have not walked a mile in an author’s moccasins! Anyways, thank you for memorializing these unsung heroes of WWII.
5 people found this helpful
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Scott Brimer
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2024
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I highly recommend this book. It is a short book, less than 300 pages and well written and researched. I will let you find out the author’s surprise at the end of the book.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The attention to detail in this story is remarkable.
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2021
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I loved this book for so many reasons. WWII is of particular interest to me, since my father and seven uncles were WWII veterans. The title caught my eye first and when I began to read the book, the fictional Claire and her fellow sisters captured my interest completely. I appreciated the mixture of a fictional character (Claire) and the details which the author took from the actual journals of the sisters. War and nuns were not a combination that ever came to mind before reading this novel. After reading it I will never be able to separate them. The account of two unarmed nuns sitting up all night in front of a door-less convent to guard against Belgian looters seemed to me to express - in stark detail - the courage and faith of these remarkable women. Then there was the initial building of hiding places for so many people, along with the repetitive drills on what to do when the Germans arrived. "Remarkable" does not begin to cover their strengths and fortitude The author presents the story on its own merits in a way that is captivating and utterly believable - and his presentation is wonderful. One of my uncles, 82nd Airborne, was killed crossing the Waal River during Operation Market Garden. Over the years, I have been honored to meet many of his fellow paratroopers and Dutch men and women at the annual commemoration of the Crossing in Nijmegen, Netherlands. I know first hand the respect and honor paid to veterans by the Dutch and, through this author, I see that these sentiments are not limited to the Dutch but shared by their neighbors, the Belgians. This book is a beautiful homage to the courage and faith of women who, though devoted to a life of peace and prayer, nevertheless rose to the occasion when thrust into the horrors and deprivations of war.
6 people found this helpful
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SPD
3.0 out of 5 stars cute story - stop at the ending
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2022
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This was a page-turner story and provided some colorful insights into convents in WWII. However, the Afterward spoiled the book for me. It was preachy about the author’s atheism and when describing an order of nuns in Ohio simplified the issues between them and the Vatican to the point of only telling one side and with political bias. Perhaps the author in unaware that orders of nuns and priests are required to follow their constitutions and Catholic dogma. They cannot practice social justice and rebel against or reject other Church teachings. In a word, they must be Catholic. The author conveniently left out the reasons the nuns were subject to a Visitation.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Gary Barbero
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent history…
Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2022
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Who knew, what an excellent history and learning lesson for those who have little knowledge of the valiant work performed by the nuns in the war. An eye opener……
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting education in the horrors of war
Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2020
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This book reminds us of how very cruel human beings can be to each other while also reminding us of the goodness that can appear in amongst the sides in a war.
2 people found this helpful
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C. Kirby
4.0 out of 5 stars Good and insightful read about Belgium in WW11
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2021
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I enjoyed this, but did get a bit confused as to what was fiction and what was not. I believe only the main character and dialogue and that sort of thing is fictitious. However, it reads easily and is well documented as far as the war goes and the nuns immense bravery and goodness. I knew nothing about Belgium in WW11. It must have been diffiulct for the author, who is a confessed athiest (I've nothing against that and he's very honest about his views on religion). There is, though, little in the way of the spiritual side of the nuns lives and how they coped with their faith and what was happening in that respect. I don't think he got that part quite right and it would have given further depth into their lives. He does cover everything that makes it readable. I wish the main character had not been fictitious but perhaps there were no survivors of that period when he wrote the book. Well done to him to take on such a huge challenge though and to make such a good job otherwise. It's well worth reading.
One person found this helpful
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Jane Salter
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring.
Reviewed in Australia on January 2, 2021
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I found this an inspiring book about people faced with difficult choices, and choosing the good no matter what it would cost. This was encouraging to read in the midst of what’s happening in the world today.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A unique story about the Catholic sisters during WedW2
Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2020
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I enjoyed it immensely... I have never understood the form of life such as the nuns in convents long ago and the vows they made. Against the back drop of WW2 and with their fearless obedience they were use to. How wonderful the courage shown in hiding those wanted by the Gestapo. Also having travelled in Belgium, this strife between the Flemish and Waloons has never been explained more clearly...
2 people found this helpful
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