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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.5 stars
I adored this book and it made me learn so much about Poland during WW2. Highly recommend - it's not just a book for librarians; it's a book for everyone.
I adored this book and it made me learn so much about Poland during WW2. Highly recommend - it's not just a book for librarians; it's a book for everyone.
challenging
hopeful
reflective
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
I tried, I really did. But after 2/3 of the way thru, I still was "meh" about it. So on to another one that hopefully I will enjoy.
Updated review: I gave this book another shot, listening to it on audiobook instead of reading it. That helped me get the characters and timeline straight, and realize how lush the writing is. Other reviewers have called the romance aspect of the story clumsy and out of place, but I thought it provided a refreshing contrast to the depictions of war and societal hate.
Original review: I'm reading this for a new book club and I just can't get through it. The author's attempt at weaving the stories of three women spanning different eras was just not successful. I got thoroughly confused at who was who, and now I have to go back and read from the beginning if I ever want to finish this. Many other authors manage to intertwine parallel stories successfully, but this author just couldn't in this case.
Original review: I'm reading this for a new book club and I just can't get through it. The author's attempt at weaving the stories of three women spanning different eras was just not successful. I got thoroughly confused at who was who, and now I have to go back and read from the beginning if I ever want to finish this. Many other authors manage to intertwine parallel stories successfully, but this author just couldn't in this case.
this was an okay read! i liked the storyline but found it a bit hard to follow at the beginning as there’s three separate ones that eventually merge into one. i also felt like there was a lot of build up for the first 300 pages and then the last ~100 felt a bit rushed (but also could have been a bit more detailed)
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
There is a lot of WWII historical fiction being published these days, but I thought this book stood out in a good way. I liked that it was divided into three timelines, 1933 Berlin, 1936 Paris, and 1944 NYC and followed three women on interconnected stories. I will admit that I did have difficulty separating the three timelines at first, especially because there is some character overlap, but once I got into it, the transitions were smooth and it was easy to follow.
In 1933, an American author, Althea James, gets invited to Berlin as a guest of the Third Reich. It appears glamorous and impressive until she meets Hannah, a Jewish woman who opens her eyes to a lot of the realities of Nazi Germany. By 1936, Hannah has fled Germany for Paris, where the Nazis are rapidly approaching. By 1944, the Americans are in the war too and a woman named Vivian is working with the Armed Service Editions, sending books to troops to keep up moral.
Their stories weave around each other and the war and offer many interesting perspectives. There is some romance in this story, but its primary genre is historical fiction.
There is a lot of WWII historical fiction being published these days, but I thought this book stood out in a good way. I liked that it was divided into three timelines, 1933 Berlin, 1936 Paris, and 1944 NYC and followed three women on interconnected stories. I will admit that I did have difficulty separating the three timelines at first, especially because there is some character overlap, but once I got into it, the transitions were smooth and it was easy to follow.
In 1933, an American author, Althea James, gets invited to Berlin as a guest of the Third Reich. It appears glamorous and impressive until she meets Hannah, a Jewish woman who opens her eyes to a lot of the realities of Nazi Germany. By 1936, Hannah has fled Germany for Paris, where the Nazis are rapidly approaching. By 1944, the Americans are in the war too and a woman named Vivian is working with the Armed Service Editions, sending books to troops to keep up moral.
Their stories weave around each other and the war and offer many interesting perspectives. There is some romance in this story, but its primary genre is historical fiction.
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
There's so much WWII historical fiction out there, but this was a new take – I didn't know anything about the American ASE program before reading this and it was fascinating to learn about. I enjoyed the POV's and stories of all three women, and the author clearly did her research – each city and specific time period were so fully realized; Viv's chapter about NYC during the first day of the D-day invasion was particularly moving.
Most of all, though – this story is so, so relevant to the political landscape in the today, especially re: censorship, with book bans picking up so much steam around the country right now. Comparing Trump and the GOP to Hitler and the Nazi party has been done to death, but the history really DOES rhyme in a pretty terrifying way.
Most of all, though – this story is so, so relevant to the political landscape in the today, especially re: censorship, with book bans picking up so much steam around the country right now. Comparing Trump and the GOP to Hitler and the Nazi party has been done to death, but the history really DOES rhyme in a pretty terrifying way.
