Month: March 2021

The first time I read this Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, was about ten years ago. I had to reread it for a bookclub.

This time I listened to it. The audio version inspired me to change my stars from four to five. It tells the story of Anya aka Vera and her escape from Leningrad during the siege in WW2. Of course, there is more, but the heart of the story is her escape. To hear it told, with a Russian accent is just about more than the heart can take. Rarely, do I find myself sobbing at the end of a book. This one did it to me.

We Americans do not realize how lucky we are. We have never had to struggle for survival during war the way those in Europe have had to countless times. What happened in Russia during the war is barely glossed over in our required high school European history. This book gives an excellent education on what was lost and the suffering that went on. So many innocent live lost. Put this one on your TBR list.

I have read The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer three times. When asked which book I would take to a desert island, this is the one. My copy is well worn and has been passed around to countless people. When asked by patrons at the library which book I would recommend, this is the one.

In my opinion, The Invisible Bridge is the true gold standard of World War 2 fiction. It tells the story of Andras Levi and his wife Klara. It spans decades, countries, continents, fascism and communism. It is truly shocking to consider how much trauma Europe has gone through in just the past 80 years when you read a book like this one. One that truly touches on the historical impact of Hitler and Stalin. The story is rich, the characters have layers that you rarely see in a book and the descriptions make you feel like you are there. The story is truly heartbreaking, but ends with hope and a bit of a happy ending. I don’t want to give too much away, because I want everyone to read the book.

Julie Orringer did a masterful job of researching her topic and interviewing her subjects. Over the years I have read interviews with her. This story is very loosely based on her grandparents experiences in the war. However, she has stated that far more of it is fiction, not fact and that many of the characters in the book are a blending of people her family knew.

Send for Me by Lauren Fox is another WW2 novel about a Jewish family living in Germany. This genre certainly seems to publish in ebbs and flows and 2021 appears to be a flow year. We are barely into the new year and I am seeing a lot of new WW2 novels hitting the library floor with a late 2020 or 2021 publish date. I chose this one for two reasons. One, Jenna Bush recommended it and I find that she always has a great recommendations. Two, the author is a local writer and I try to support our local writers when I can.

I really liked this book. It tells the story of a family who emigrated to Milwaukee, WI from Germany before the start of WW2. This book is inspired by letters the author found in her grandmother’s basement. The story is heartbreaking, but worth the read. It can be a bit hard to follow at times because of the way the timeline goes back and forth. But, once you grasp her style of writing, it is easier to follow. I live in suburban Milwaukee, so it was interesting to hear about the neighborhoods I am familiar with in the book. In fact the neighborhood where her family landed is the college neighborhood that my alma mater is in and where my children have gone to college. It’s always fun to picture the areas you know well when described in a novel.

I however, did not read it. I listened to it on audible. I DO NOT recommend that. The woman who read the book has, without a doubt, the single most annoying way of speaking I have ever heard. I am not alone in this, the reviews of the recording are scathing. I should have paid attention. This is not a reflection, at all, on the quality of the writing or the story told. Next time I will. Read the book don’t listen to it.