The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

  

*Disclosure of material connection- I received the book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book- 

After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.

My thoughts-

Kristin Harmel might be my favorite author so I always look forward to her new releases. I have been a reader since The Sweetness of Forgiving, and I haven't missed a single book of hers since then. I absolute loved the last book she wrote before this, The Book of Lost Names, anad I wasn't sure another book set in the same WWII era could surprise me or add a new subject matter that I haven't previously read (since WWII historical fiction is my favorite genre), but Kristin Harmel surprised me with this one. I don't know how I never knew that there were Jewish people hiding in the forest during the holocaust, but it was interesting reading this fictionalized version of the people who did. Even though The Forest of Vanishing Stars belongs to the WWII historical fiction genre that Harmel has been writing in for years, there were some elements to this story that were different that I really enjoyed. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. 

The Paris Library by Jane Skeslien Charles

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

My thoughts-

I read a lot of historical fiction set during this war torn era. I like when there is a story in a different time period to help us better understand the character and to maybe add a little mystery. I loved the way this story was set up, introducing us to Lily and her lonely neighbor Odile in 1980's Montana. We see Odile as an adult and wonder what has brought her into this isolation and away from all of her family. The part of the story set in Paris in the late 1930's and early 1940's is heartbreaking as all WWII stories are, but I love that the theme of this story is Odile working at the American library and sharing these books even when she isn't supposed to. I also got quite a kick out of all of the fantastic books that were name dropped in this one. It would be a fun challenge to read all of the books mentioned in a year. At the end of the novel, the author talks about how some of these characters are based on real people, which makes the story even more compelling. I recmomend this book if you enjoy historical fiction, are a lover of classic books, or are a Francophile. 

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Inspired by an incredible true story of two Jewish friends who survived the Holocaust, this sweeping novel of love and friendship spans World War II from Budapest to Austria and the postwar years from Naples to Caracas, perfect for fans of The German Girl and We Were the Lucky Ones.

It is 1946 when Vera Frankel and her best friend Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they managed to escape from a train headed for Auschwitz and spent the rest of the war hiding on an Austrian farm. Now, the two young women must start new lives abroad. Armed with a letter of recommendation from an American officer, Vera finds work at the United States embassy where she falls in love with Captain Anton Wight.

But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he suddenly disappears, Vera is forced to change course. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss.

My thoughts-

It has been a while since I have read a historical fiction novel, and it makes sense that I would jump back in with my go-to sub-genre of WWII Fiction. This one is different than many of the others I have read because it is about survivors after the war, and they travel to several different places trying to escape their past and start anew. I have two best friends and I can't imagine going through anything like the characters in this novel did, but I know that if I had my two closest friends on Earth with me, I would be able to get through it somehow and it is the same for Edith and Vera, who have been through way more than anyone should by the time they reach the end of their teens. This is an emotionally heavy book, but a page turner for sure. There are some glimmers of light in the end, but your heart will definitely be broken for both Edith and Vera several times over before you get there. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, WWII fiction, or stories of redemption.

When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Emily thinks she’s lost everything…until a mysterious painting leads her to what she wants most in the world. The new novel from the author of international bestsellers The Sweetness of Forgetting and The Life Intended shows why her books are hailed as “engaging” (People), “absorbing” (Kirkus Reviews) and “enthralling” (Fresh Fiction).
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was a just a kid, her mom died when she was seventeen, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she’s laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea…until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother—and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, “He always loved her.”

My thoughts-

I fell in love with Kristin Harmel's writing style when I read The Sweetness of Forgetting when it first came out. Since then, I am always on the look out for a new novel from her and as soon as one is available I have to read it immediately. I was so excited to see that her newest book is in my favorite historical fiction sub-genre, set in WWII. The book goes back and forth between that sad era in history and the present day. The main character Emily receives a package in the mail that she believes to be a painting of her grandmother which sets her off on a journey to find some answers. I always enjoy novels set in two different time periods because I think it adds more to the story and helps bring together the ending in a bigger way. Emily was abandoned by her dad and before that, her dad and his own mother were abandoned by Emily's grandfather. This painting leads Emily to answers about who her grandfather was ,what happened between him and her grandmother and gives her the opportunity to get to know her own father better. I read When We Meet Again in a two day span. It is a page turner. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

When We Meet Again will be available for purchase June 7, 2016. You can pre-order your copy today on Amazon.com

A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor's story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairytale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she's stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfectly planned future she’s planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

About the book- 

Last year one of my favorite books was Kristy Cambron's debut novel The Butterfly and the Violin. I have a special place in my heart for WWII novels, but that one knocked it out of the park with an original plot that I never would have  thought of on a subject that I didn't even know happened. I was super excited to read Cambron's sophomore effort, A Sparrow in Terezin. This was another novel set both during WWII and in the present day. Cambron is a master at interweaving the two time periods and intertwining their stories. This was a sad novel, as most WWII era novels are, but it was also laced with hope and some happiness for Kaja. It always breaks my heart when I think about how the Jewish people (and many others) suffered during WWII, but it is particularly sad to think about the kids that were in these concentration camps. I was in tears several times, but notably so once towards the very end. I will continue to seek out each new novel Cambron puts out in the future. She absolutely has my attention from page one of each of her books and is well versed in World War II history. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. 

A Sparrow in Terezin is available now on Amazon.com and other retailers nationwide. 

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The Nightingale Nurses by Donna Douglas (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

'Pay attention please, nurses. The next six months will be the most important of your lives'

It's the final year of training for three young nurses at The Nightingale Hospital.

Helen is at a crossroads in her life as she battles with her domineering mother over both her love life and her future career.

Dora can't stop loving Nick, who is married to her best friend, Ruby. But Ruby is hiding a dark secret with the potential to destroy Ruby's marriage.

Millie is anxious about her fiance, sent to Spain to cover the Civil War, and things only get worse when she encounters a fortune teller who gives her a sinister warning.

With war looming in Europe, and the East End of London squaring up to the threat of Oswald Mosley's blackshirts, the women of the Nightingale have to face their own challenges, at work and in love.

My thoughts-

I am breezing through this book series. I am going to be so sad when I finish the fourth one and have to wait until November for the next one! Read my book reviews of the two previous books Nightingale Girls and Nightingale Sisters before you read my review of the third book here.

The further I get into the Nightingale Girls series, the more invested I am in knowing what is going on in the lives of Helen, Millie, Dora and friends. My heart breaks for both Helen and Dora as they each try to navigate their own respective love lives with road blocks standing in their way. I am used to Dora's relationship with Nick not working out because of the trauma she has suffered that she suffered and her own friend standing in the way, but it is Helen's  tenacity to finally stand up to her mother and the situation that unfolds with Charlie that really captured my attention and emotions in this book. Millie is also grappling with her fiance being overseas where they are just on the brink of a full out war. There is plenty or romance and drama to keep you interested in what is happening with these final year nursing students. Speaking of it being the final year of nurse training at the Nightingale, all of the girls trying to study as well as trying to remember everything they have learned over the last few years makes for some very interesting dialogue as well. I love that with each new book in the series we get to know Helen, Millie and Dora a little bit better and that we are often introduced to more characters to get to know as well. As we get closer to the next book and the one that follows that, it is almost to a place in time where WWII is set to begin, so in each book there is gradually a little more about the war happening as well. I can not put these books down. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or a little bit of romance.  Have the tissues handy for this one. 

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Daisies Are Forever by Liz Tolsma Blog Tour & Book Review + Kindle HDX

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Litfuse Group in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.

Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch's identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her "marriage."

Their journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wAD3T 

My thoughts

Since the very first time I picked up Number the Stars by Lois Lowery when I was 8 years old, I have always been drawn to works of fiction that are set in the WWII era. There is just something so fascinating to me about this heartbreaking time in history. I think it is because I can not possibly fathom how anyone made it through such an awful war. I reviewed Liz Tolsma's first book Snow on the Tulips last year and I thought it was a very interesting look into both sides of what innocent people would be going through during the war...the Jewish people who were being targeted and the German people who made the significant risk to hide them away. I knew that when she wrote another novel about WWII I would have to read it. Daisies Are Forever didn't disappoint. It was certainly a page turner. The story is of a group of people trying to head out of the danger zone and into Berlin for safety. Gisela is the main character and she has a lot on her shoulders feeling like she is responsible for other people's safety and well being. She is thoughtful and scared out of her mind. On her way to fleeing to safety, she meets Mitch Edwards, who is a British soldier that escaped from a POW. This leads to her having to lie about his identity to make sure he stays safe as well. I found Gisela and Mitch both very likeable and my heart broke for both of them and everyone with them for what they were going through. I found Kurt to be kind of a creep and I could have done without him, but he was definitely an obstacle for Gisela and Mitch, or at least he was trying to be. The description used in the novel is vivid and really brings the story to life. You can almost feel the pain and fear that the characters feel. I read Daisies Are Forever in just a few short days and I could even see myself reading it a second time (I am not usually a repeat reader). I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or has a specific interest in WWII.

About the author-

New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies areForever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children, all adopted internationally.

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Liz Tolsma's latest WWII historical fiction novel, Daisies are Forever, is getting rave reviews. 

". . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . ." —Library Journal

"Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read." —CBA Retailers + Resources

Liz celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway!
One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 2nd on Liz's website.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz's website on June 2nd to see if you won.