Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Every time I read a WWII book, there is another layer of what happened to the people in Europe and I am amazed.
This book is haunting. I have to admit though that the first chapter or two was hard for me to read. Having two young kids of my own, I couldn't help but get emotional. I am so glad that I pushed through. Although the book of course is highly fictional, the background is not and that is exactly why we need books like this that speak of the horror that happened during that time.
3.5 Stars.
Definitely a pleasant read. Pulled you in, got you teared up.
Although I was it was more circus-centered ie. a little bit more depth to the circus artists and performances, I enjoyed reading the book.
Definitely a pleasant read. Pulled you in, got you teared up.
Although I was it was more circus-centered ie. a little bit more depth to the circus artists and performances, I enjoyed reading the book.
Not what I was expecting but still a pretty good book. I seem to be attracted to books about WWII and all the different views they provide about that time. There are certain things you hear about all the time and you just know and there are things that one would not really think of....like a boxcar full of babies being carried away from their parents and a circus happening in the middle of a war. A couple of surprises. Kind of mad at one of the main characters and I have a few unanswered questions. Quick read though. Picked it up on a Saturday afternoon and finished Sunday night.
sad
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Literally, I think one of the best WW2 books I've ever read. I could not put it down. The love, the heartbreak, I was crying and routing for them within pages!
Didn't love it. It had a lot of promise in terms of the story, and it started out okay, but by the end the writing was driving me crazy. I kept thinking back to my Writer's Craft class and the constant reminders to "show, don't tell". I feel like this author did too much telling and not enough showing. The characters were not developed sufficiently to believe their motivations. This Luc character and the whirlwind romance between him and Noa was completely out of left field and totally not believable. Did not enjoy this book.
I have to say, I am becoming a great fan of WWII fiction. Two of my favorite books are The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and now this, The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff. Water for Elephants is another book that takes place during time frame and is also a Circus setting.
That being said, I loved the story of Noa and Astrid. I loved how this author pieced each of their historys and then their lives together. This is a story about love, loss, life and perseverance. I highly recommend!
That being said, I loved the story of Noa and Astrid. I loved how this author pieced each of their historys and then their lives together. This is a story about love, loss, life and perseverance. I highly recommend!
There is so much good in this book and so much bad. This is such an interesting WWII concept but the development of characters and plot points are so brief and unconvincing it’s frustrating. Many of the plot choices are no more elaborate or creative than my 11 year old students write. I read this quickly, and was eager to read it each day. But, I was consistently disappointed by the abrupt shifts in character relationships and the writing cliches in the final parts of the story.
Honestly this book was amazing. It was a WWII book that wasn’t overly complicated and it was something you could follow along with. You could find yourself rooting for certain characters while hating other ones. You connected the characters and felt their emotions through the pages - and that’s really important in these kinda of stories. It hit my emotions strong in multiple parts of the book but especially at the very end. I would highly suggest this book to anybody looking for a quick historical fiction story.