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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I wish I could get everyone to read this book. This story has touched me deeply. The Boy with the Star Tattoo is a very emotional story. It gives so much insight into the happenings during World War 2 and the years afterward. To really get everything you can from the book, I highly recommend reading the Postscript, Author's Note and Acknowledgements.
You can read many historical fiction books that illustrate the horrors of the war. What I found interesting about this story was the details illustrating the prejudice against the innocent Jewish children. The innocents of the war were treated with such distain. No matter the circumstances, they were not treated well by so many. You might want to grab some tissues. I know I needed them.
The story doesn't end with the surrender of Germany. Travel along with Uzi as he tries to locate Jewish children that have gotten lost in red tape, adopted by Christians or treated as less than. The goal is to take them to Israel. His job was a very challenging, not without risk. He has to struggle through bureaucratic red tape but the many different groups that think they know better.
One of the children Uzi saved had a star tattoo on the bottom of his foot. The child had been passed around among those that weren't his family and was living in squalor when he was found. Uzi becomes attached but he was too young to be smuggled into Israel. The rescue of the boy connects timelines within the story.
World War 2 did not end the Jewish peoples struggles. In 1969, Israel is acquiring ships from France. The hatred from the past will influence the production and sale of the boats. One of the men in charge has a star tattoo on his foot. The reader learns of the the man's past since coming to Israel.
That isn't enough for Sharon, the woman he recruits to help with the mission. Her journey to find his past takes the reader back to the war, to his conception and what his mother did to save him. All these years he thought his mother was dead. Sharon takes the reader deep into France to find the truth.
There was so much to learn from this book. I spent hours on Google gaining more knowledge about the history of the Jewish people. They say hindsight is 20-20. We need to make sure we look at the past and avoid repeating it. I didn't realize that the Jewish people were kept from their own country and parts of their country were given away. Shame on us for not rectifying our mistakes.
You can read many historical fiction books that illustrate the horrors of the war. What I found interesting about this story was the details illustrating the prejudice against the innocent Jewish children. The innocents of the war were treated with such distain. No matter the circumstances, they were not treated well by so many. You might want to grab some tissues. I know I needed them.
The story doesn't end with the surrender of Germany. Travel along with Uzi as he tries to locate Jewish children that have gotten lost in red tape, adopted by Christians or treated as less than. The goal is to take them to Israel. His job was a very challenging, not without risk. He has to struggle through bureaucratic red tape but the many different groups that think they know better.
One of the children Uzi saved had a star tattoo on the bottom of his foot. The child had been passed around among those that weren't his family and was living in squalor when he was found. Uzi becomes attached but he was too young to be smuggled into Israel. The rescue of the boy connects timelines within the story.
World War 2 did not end the Jewish peoples struggles. In 1969, Israel is acquiring ships from France. The hatred from the past will influence the production and sale of the boats. One of the men in charge has a star tattoo on his foot. The reader learns of the the man's past since coming to Israel.
That isn't enough for Sharon, the woman he recruits to help with the mission. Her journey to find his past takes the reader back to the war, to his conception and what his mother did to save him. All these years he thought his mother was dead. Sharon takes the reader deep into France to find the truth.
There was so much to learn from this book. I spent hours on Google gaining more knowledge about the history of the Jewish people. They say hindsight is 20-20. We need to make sure we look at the past and avoid repeating it. I didn't realize that the Jewish people were kept from their own country and parts of their country were given away. Shame on us for not rectifying our mistakes.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Too much back and forth on POV and times. Hard to keep up with. Didn’t hold my interest due to this.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This one is tough to review given all that is going on. So I will focus on the story itself.
I found parts of it more interesting than others. And some characters more compelling than others. Though isn’t that the case with most books. I think the overall story could have used more editing to make it flow better. It was a bit choppy with how it jumped in time. It was just ok.
I found parts of it more interesting than others. And some characters more compelling than others. Though isn’t that the case with most books. I think the overall story could have used more editing to make it flow better. It was a bit choppy with how it jumped in time. It was just ok.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I just wasn't in the right headspace for a complex historical fiction right now.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am giving this book 5 stars because it’s something that I feel needs to be read by everyone, especially during this time when Israel is yet again fighting for her right to exist. It’s long. There are some parts that are drawn out and some might find some bits boring or unnecessary, but it is one of the only books of its kind. This is not a Holocaust book; it’s the true stories of what happened after WW2, when the Jewish survivors were wandering around looking for lost family members and wondering just how they would survive the aftermath after having survived the horrors of the years before.
Told in 3 different timelines (1942-1946, 1946, and 1968-1969) and by 3 different third person viewpoints (Claudette, Uzi, and Sharon respectively), this weaves together 3 turning points in Jewish history (the Holocaust, the Youth Aliyah, and the Boats of Cherbourg, also respectively). All three timelines are woven together so while it jumps from 1942 to 1967 and back to 1942 and so on, it works and isn’t at all confusing- though when Claudette’s and Uzi’s time starts intersecting I had to really pay attention at the start of each chapter to see in what part of 1946 they were taking place.
Claudette is a young French woman working as a seamstress for the Duchess of Valençay when she meets Raphael, a young Jewish man the Duchess is hiding. They fall in love, but Raphael is running for his life and after 6 months, he has to flee. Claudette finds herself pregnant, gives birth at a house in the village and must leave her baby there to continue working at the castle. When the Nazis invade she and the Duchess escape to Spain, but Claudette never forgets the baby she left behind. Uzi is a young man in his twenties working for Youth Aliyah, an organization that sent people into Europe after the war to find orphaned Jewish children. They gathered the children and took them to Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) where they had to sneak in under the cover of night since Jews weren’t allowed to live there. Sharon is a young woman in 1968 who is mourning the loss of her fiancé since the submarine on which he was stationed was lost at sea. While she’s already served her time in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) she’s asked to come to France to work on a secret mission as a civilian. As she sees what the Israeli Navy is doing, she realizes her work is of upmost importance.
3 different times, 3 different stories, and yet Talia Carner puts them together in a way in which they meld beautifully. If you ever thought the British willingly gave Israel to the Jews; if you never heard of Youth Aliyah; if you didn’t know how Israel formed her Navy this book is for you. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this. The Boy With the Star Tattoo hits the shelves on January 30th.
Told in 3 different timelines (1942-1946, 1946, and 1968-1969) and by 3 different third person viewpoints (Claudette, Uzi, and Sharon respectively), this weaves together 3 turning points in Jewish history (the Holocaust, the Youth Aliyah, and the Boats of Cherbourg, also respectively). All three timelines are woven together so while it jumps from 1942 to 1967 and back to 1942 and so on, it works and isn’t at all confusing- though when Claudette’s and Uzi’s time starts intersecting I had to really pay attention at the start of each chapter to see in what part of 1946 they were taking place.
Claudette is a young French woman working as a seamstress for the Duchess of Valençay when she meets Raphael, a young Jewish man the Duchess is hiding. They fall in love, but Raphael is running for his life and after 6 months, he has to flee. Claudette finds herself pregnant, gives birth at a house in the village and must leave her baby there to continue working at the castle. When the Nazis invade she and the Duchess escape to Spain, but Claudette never forgets the baby she left behind. Uzi is a young man in his twenties working for Youth Aliyah, an organization that sent people into Europe after the war to find orphaned Jewish children. They gathered the children and took them to Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) where they had to sneak in under the cover of night since Jews weren’t allowed to live there. Sharon is a young woman in 1968 who is mourning the loss of her fiancé since the submarine on which he was stationed was lost at sea. While she’s already served her time in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) she’s asked to come to France to work on a secret mission as a civilian. As she sees what the Israeli Navy is doing, she realizes her work is of upmost importance.
3 different times, 3 different stories, and yet Talia Carner puts them together in a way in which they meld beautifully. If you ever thought the British willingly gave Israel to the Jews; if you never heard of Youth Aliyah; if you didn’t know how Israel formed her Navy this book is for you. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this. The Boy With the Star Tattoo hits the shelves on January 30th.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No