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lastpaige111's review
4.0
Riveting story about survival; haunting memories of life in WWII. A couple of flat characters and unlikely twists are what keep me from giving it five stars. Couldn't put it down!
rosemaryandrue's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A decade after World War 2, Rachel Perlman may have moved to New York City and gotten married, but she is still haunted by her experiences as a Jewish girl hiding in plain sight in Berlin and the death of her mother.
Despite what the blurb led me to expect, this book is not a World War 2 novel - at least, not exactly. Though Rachel's experiences in Berlin hang over the entirety of the story, we spend most our time with her grappling with survivor's guilt in New York City, which works in some ways but not in others.
Rachel is a complicated lead character, an artist who is afraid of what might come out onto the canvas if she truly unleashes herself. Though her feeling of guilt is evident from the start, the reader only slowly uncovers what her crime is, as she grows strong enough to reveal it to herself. I enjoyed reading about the aftermath of the Holocaust on Rachel and the family she's married into, American Jews who feel survivor's guilt for having been safe thousands of miles away during this terrible time.
I also enjoyed how the author examined prejudices that both Rachel and her husband Aaron hold, and how they learn to overcome them. 1950s New York City is recreated with vivid detail, but that includes all its societal flaws - and the insane amounts of smoking.
However, the style of writing did not really work for me. It's a fast patter, interspersed with lots of commercial jingles and meticulous descriptions of things and their prices - a reflection on the rampant consumerism of the time and Rachel's efforts at assimilation to be sure, but they begin to wear on you. I felt similarly about Aaron's heavy New York accent and frequent use of slang, which made his speech sound almost like a caricature. And while I understood why the book concluded in the way that it did, I felt like it wiped out a lot of the conflict in Rachel's marriage without actually addressing it.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
sarah_reading_party's review
4.0
This book!!! It was emotional, complex, and captivating. It was a story about World War II, and the Holocaust, but really about so much more - survivor's guilt, coping mechanisms, mental illness, marriage, art... I could just go on and on. This book covered so much, but was so well written that every part of the storyline flowed together well. I can't think of a single element that could (or should) be taken out. Every character, from Rachel and Aaron, to their family members both in the present and the past was essential to the plot. I was heartbroken as I read, but also rejoiced at the growth/renewal in their marriage and relationship. It was lovely, even though it was tinged by grief and loss. So real, so human. If you like WWII books, please read this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.
rachelsb00kreviews's review
5.0
(Review Page: https://m.facebook.com/rewbookreviews/)
My goodness...this book!
I don't typically write reviews and when I do they're short and sweet; no more than a few sentences but this book certainly deserves an actual review.
I read a lot of books, and I do mean lots, loving the ability it gives me to escape my reality and my top genre is historical fiction but within said genre, I love reading the WWII era for many reasons: 1) It has endless story opportunities. 2) This era though bleak at times shows the true beauty of human resilience and heroics. 3) The amount of sheer agony that people endured(Jews were not the only only ones who were suffered under the Nazis regime) and yet those who survived persevered.
When I came across this book I thought two things, "It's so pretty!"(Because yes, some judgement comes from the covers of books!) and "Oh he's a great author." I had previously read City of Women in 2019 and it showed me a side this horrible war that I had not given thought to the German side and this book did as well but in a darker tone. Upon reading the synopsis, I discovered the book was set in New York in the 1950’s although Gilliam is a master at weaving in and out of war time and postwar.
I have read plenty of WWII books over the years that have made me emotional(like quite literally a sobbing mess, no joke) but with gem of a book, I never shed a tear…I was just stunned. It grips you and makes you truly consider things I had never really given thought to before. I can only imagine the PTSD that those suffered after WWII, with the liberation of the horrible camps but this book opened my eyes to another side of those who lived through such atrocities: “Survivors Guilt.” Of course, I know the term and it’s meaning for those who have been through a traumatic events but I had never put it with Holocaust survivors. Mainly because In my ignorance I probably just assumed that they were simply grateful to be alive, as I'm sure most were, but this book shows a darker side to being alive after so many others died.
The two main characters in this book suffer from the guilt—granted in very different ways—and it certainly opened my eyes. Rachel(great name, I know) and Aaron both experience the war in polar opposite ways leaving each with very different ideas of moving on. One is a Berlin born Jewess fleeing the war-torn Europe with thousands of other displaced Jews to America trying desperately to forget the horrors she had experienced and even caused. The other, Aaron, is New York born Jew drafted to service but stationed in California never truly understanding the horrors of what his wife saw or went through. Both feel a guilt for surviving in their own ways and while Aaron wants to just move past it all by focusing on the future, Rachel cannot let go of the things that haunt her…
Highly recommend this book if you are interested in post-WWII America and deep, thought provoking stories that leave you wishing the book was longer.
My goodness...this book!
I don't typically write reviews and when I do they're short and sweet; no more than a few sentences but this book certainly deserves an actual review.
I read a lot of books, and I do mean lots, loving the ability it gives me to escape my reality and my top genre is historical fiction but within said genre, I love reading the WWII era for many reasons: 1) It has endless story opportunities. 2) This era though bleak at times shows the true beauty of human resilience and heroics. 3) The amount of sheer agony that people endured(Jews were not the only only ones who were suffered under the Nazis regime) and yet those who survived persevered.
When I came across this book I thought two things, "It's so pretty!"(Because yes, some judgement comes from the covers of books!) and "Oh he's a great author." I had previously read City of Women in 2019 and it showed me a side this horrible war that I had not given thought to the German side and this book did as well but in a darker tone. Upon reading the synopsis, I discovered the book was set in New York in the 1950’s although Gilliam is a master at weaving in and out of war time and postwar.
I have read plenty of WWII books over the years that have made me emotional(like quite literally a sobbing mess, no joke) but with gem of a book, I never shed a tear…I was just stunned. It grips you and makes you truly consider things I had never really given thought to before. I can only imagine the PTSD that those suffered after WWII, with the liberation of the horrible camps but this book opened my eyes to another side of those who lived through such atrocities: “Survivors Guilt.” Of course, I know the term and it’s meaning for those who have been through a traumatic events but I had never put it with Holocaust survivors. Mainly because In my ignorance I probably just assumed that they were simply grateful to be alive, as I'm sure most were, but this book shows a darker side to being alive after so many others died.
The two main characters in this book suffer from the guilt—granted in very different ways—and it certainly opened my eyes. Rachel(great name, I know) and Aaron both experience the war in polar opposite ways leaving each with very different ideas of moving on. One is a Berlin born Jewess fleeing the war-torn Europe with thousands of other displaced Jews to America trying desperately to forget the horrors she had experienced and even caused. The other, Aaron, is New York born Jew drafted to service but stationed in California never truly understanding the horrors of what his wife saw or went through. Both feel a guilt for surviving in their own ways and while Aaron wants to just move past it all by focusing on the future, Rachel cannot let go of the things that haunt her…
Highly recommend this book if you are interested in post-WWII America and deep, thought provoking stories that leave you wishing the book was longer.
sci_mom's review
3.0
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. This book couldn't really decide if it wanted to be literary fiction or a mystery. The relationships between both MCs and secondary characters were contentious most of the time which became tedious to read. There was a storyline that was written about in depth that resulted in one aspect just basically being dropped and the other ending abruptly. It wasn't that the ending was unsatisfying as much as that there were aspects that simply didn't seem to matter as much as the reader was led to believe they should. Yes, I know that is vague, but I can't really add more detail without including spoilers. Overall, it was an interesting story, but it was somewhat disjointed and tried to be too many things in one book.
bibliopage's review
4.0
An inspiring novel of one woman's search for atonement, reconciliation, and hope. I really enjoyed learning about post-WWII life in its most immediate after affect.