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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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:
No
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tragic story and a unique way to tell it. It’s hard to rate a story that is someone’s life, but the structure of the book was done well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Antisemitism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
There’s a lot of holocaust books out there. For me, the narrative style of this one just didn’t quite land with me.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lately, I've been finding that a lot of the WWII / Holocaust fiction I've been reading has been very popular but I haven't enjoyed it at all. "Refreshing" is not a good word for this book, but when compared to the recent stuff of the same genre that I've read, it does apply. This book was actually well written, and I didn't find myself getting annoyed at the author for the narrative style. It didn't take me long to get into it, and once I started it was hard to put it down.
The story was sweeping, covering a lot of characters in different places, but for the most part I could keep things straight. I found myself referring to the family tree at the start of the book on a regular basis, as I had a hard time remembering which characters were the children of the main parents and which were in-laws or partners. It would have been helpful to see a bit of a larger cast of characters listed at the front, in addition to the immediate family.
I was intrigued to read the afterword and find out that the author was Addy's granddaughter. I knew that this was the author's family story, but for some reason, I didn't expect it to be that of Addy. In any case, Addy's story of fleeing to Brazil was an aspect of the war that was brand new to me. The whole thing with the ambassador signing visas to try to help save people, to the chagrin of the leader of the country, was interesting.
Along those same lines, the transfer of the Polish prisoners to Siberia was another thread of the history of WWII that I wasn't familiar with, especially of the split between the Soviets and the Germans and how that ended up affecting the outcome of the war. (As a side note, the brief summary of main historical events that were placed between pertinent chapters was a huge help for understanding the place of the characters in the larger story.)
The parts about Mila and Felicia I found hardest to read. Having a daughter myself I'm sure had something to do with it. I was sick with worry as I read these sections, especially the scenes with the close calls. The thought of that mother's sheer agony if anything were to happen hit me hard. And then I realized that for hundreds of thousands of mothers, they weren't as "lucky" as Mila and Felicia. It is heartbreaking.
Finally, it really is astounding that the entire immediate family survived. In Felicia's words in the author's note, "We were the lucky ones." How true indeed.
The story was sweeping, covering a lot of characters in different places, but for the most part I could keep things straight. I found myself referring to the family tree at the start of the book on a regular basis, as I had a hard time remembering which characters were the children of the main parents and which were in-laws or partners. It would have been helpful to see a bit of a larger cast of characters listed at the front, in addition to the immediate family.
I was intrigued to read the afterword and find out that the author was Addy's granddaughter. I knew that this was the author's family story, but for some reason, I didn't expect it to be that of Addy. In any case, Addy's story of fleeing to Brazil was an aspect of the war that was brand new to me. The whole thing with the ambassador signing visas to try to help save people, to the chagrin of the leader of the country, was interesting.
Along those same lines, the transfer of the Polish prisoners to Siberia was another thread of the history of WWII that I wasn't familiar with, especially of the split between the Soviets and the Germans and how that ended up affecting the outcome of the war. (As a side note, the brief summary of main historical events that were placed between pertinent chapters was a huge help for understanding the place of the characters in the larger story.)
The parts about Mila and Felicia I found hardest to read. Having a daughter myself I'm sure had something to do with it. I was sick with worry as I read these sections, especially the scenes with the close calls. The thought of that mother's sheer agony if anything were to happen hit me hard. And then I realized that for hundreds of thousands of mothers, they weren't as "lucky" as Mila and Felicia. It is heartbreaking.
Finally, it really is astounding that the entire immediate family survived. In Felicia's words in the author's note, "We were the lucky ones." How true indeed.
This book is heavy, but so touching. I became fully invested in the plight of the Kurc family, and while I am familiar with holocaust history, this story really personalized the experience.
I do not recall a time I was so touched by a book. I cannot stop crying, and I know I have to get off of the couch to deal with life, but I want to just sit here and try to understand the strength of the Kurc family and the beautiful ways that they held on to their lives and humanity in the midst of unfathomable hatred, murder, pain, and humiliation. We have so much to learn from our past.
This was a fascinating read. A family of Polish Jews survives World War II and reunites after the ward. Parents, 5 adult children, and one grandchild. Based on the true story of the author's family.
What I loved: I loved going into this knowing that the family was going to be okay in the end, it made the reading easier. It was fascinating to follow the different story lines - and there were several less-familiar experiences. I've read lots of World War II books, but I hadn't read very much about jews in Poland outside of concentration camps, or those that fled to Brazil, or those that survived by posing as Aryan. The politics between Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland were very interesting.
What I didn't love: pretty one-dimensional characters, limited dialogue/character motivation, etc.
What I loved: I loved going into this knowing that the family was going to be okay in the end, it made the reading easier. It was fascinating to follow the different story lines - and there were several less-familiar experiences. I've read lots of World War II books, but I hadn't read very much about jews in Poland outside of concentration camps, or those that fled to Brazil, or those that survived by posing as Aryan. The politics between Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland were very interesting.
What I didn't love: pretty one-dimensional characters, limited dialogue/character motivation, etc.