A review by spaces_and_solaces
Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff

5.0

I’ve lost count of times I’ve used the word heartwarming to anything written by Pam Jenoff. But I’d be remiss if I don’t use it now. Code Name Saphire is a brilliant rendition of a tale so haunting that I constantly felt like a constriction in my chest. I wanted to go back in time & at the same time I was counting my blessings of living in this era.
These narrative recounts the saga of 3 women who find themselves dealing with the Nazi atrocities towards Jews. And while each of them has their own way of handling this injustice, they are bound together by this invisible thread of love & loss.
The book deals with the complexities of the effect of WW2 in Belgium & brings out the inhumane treatment meted out to the Jews in a very subtle & nuanced way. Hannah a political satirist propagating against the Nazis in Berlin, Germany sees her husband die in front of her eyes and suffers a miscarriage at the same time..running for her life she reaches Belgium at her cousin “Lily’s” place finding solace. But its not long before she joins an underground movement that saves people targeted by the Nazis. Her fearlessness is inspiring at the same time Lily’s fear provides a stark contrast & displays human emotions when faced with a future so brutal.
The movement joined by Hannah is the mastermind by a young girl all of 23, “Micheline”. Her dedication, service, wit & courage is a tale I would never tire of hearing. I am sure there must be so many women who so courageously put their life on line to save a soul. And the more I read this book, the more I realized there are so many stories of that era that are untold & forgotten with time...