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b00kaholic91's review against another edition
Too slow moving and too many jumps in time.
linda_1410's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
3.5*
From the blurb, I thought this was going to be about Lillian finding out about her roots and trying to research where her family came from and what happened to them during WWII, but that part of the plot doesn't come in until a little over 2/3s of the way through the book. Instead, it starts out with Johann Blumenthal fighting in WWI for Germany, then follows through to his son Paul at the dawn of the Nazis taking over power and Paul's eventual attempts to get his family out of the country. When things are looking grim for them, it then drops that storyline and jumps forward to the 1960s to Lillian, where I thought the story was going to start.
It was a bit jarring to start off, since I wasn't expecting the story to be so linear, but in the end, I found it more effective getting to know the Blumenthal's and seeing their attempts to stay in Germany as long as they could before realizing - perhaps too late - that they needed to flee to save themselves. It was disheartening to see them doing everything they could to be good Germans, in a Germany that cared about them less and less, and to see the small steps that began to segregate the Jews from the main populace more and more until the Nazis were in power and didn't care about being quite so subtle anymore.
This is compounded when they end up in Capetown in South Africa - they're safe there, but all around them is apartheid - which was implemented based on Aryan propaganda and laws.
I did feel at times that the characters were there more to serve as plot points, and Charolette suffers the most from this since she mostly just reacts while Paul is making all the preparations. Knowing how many women worked in the underground and resistance forces during WWII, I would have liked to see Charolette take a more active role.
I also would have liked more time to get to know Lillian so her story arc could have more weight, but seeing her so driven to find out everything she could about where she came from and what happened to her family was touching nonetheless.
The narrator, Jane Oppenheimer, who I first heard narrating The Moonlit Garden, was an odd choice I think for this story. She has a very mellow and soothing voice, which dulled the tension from a story that really should have been tense.
From the blurb, I thought this was going to be about Lillian finding out about her roots and trying to research where her family came from and what happened to them during WWII, but that part of the plot doesn't come in until a little over 2/3s of the way through the book. Instead, it starts out with Johann Blumenthal fighting in WWI for Germany, then follows through to his son Paul at the dawn of the Nazis taking over power and Paul's eventual attempts to get his family out of the country. When things are looking grim for them, it then drops that storyline and jumps forward to the 1960s to Lillian, where I thought the story was going to start.
It was a bit jarring to start off, since I wasn't expecting the story to be so linear, but in the end, I found it more effective getting to know the Blumenthal's and seeing their attempts to stay in Germany as long as they could before realizing - perhaps too late - that they needed to flee to save themselves. It was disheartening to see them doing everything they could to be good Germans, in a Germany that cared about them less and less, and to see the small steps that began to segregate the Jews from the main populace more and more until the Nazis were in power and didn't care about being quite so subtle anymore.
I did feel at times that the characters were there more to serve as plot points, and Charolette suffers the most from this since she mostly just reacts while Paul is making all the preparations. Knowing how many women worked in the underground and resistance forces during WWII, I would have liked to see Charolette take a more active role.
I also would have liked more time to get to know Lillian so her story arc could have more weight, but seeing her so driven to find out everything she could about where she came from and what happened to her family was touching nonetheless.
The narrator, Jane Oppenheimer, who I first heard narrating The Moonlit Garden, was an odd choice I think for this story. She has a very mellow and soothing voice, which dulled the tension from a story that really should have been tense.
dilchh's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly, historical fictions are the best. I thought I was going to be hit by a reading slump again, judging by awful January has been like, but nope, I devour this book the whole Saturday and Sunday. Granted I did start reading the book on Monday, but weekdays being the most horrible days in a whole week, I couldn't find a time to read, at least not until weekend rolls around. And boy, did I not waste any time at all.
I have to admit, I really was not expecting much from the book. I read the English translated book, and judging from past experience, reading a translated work is quite tricky. Sometimes if the translations aren't that well, the essence of story can get lost amongst the translation. Now, mind you, I am not an expert, it's just merely a rookie's observation. Based on that previous experience, I wasn't really expecting anything amazing from reading this book, but oh damn, I was in for a ride.
The first part is just scary, and not ghostly kind of scary, but more like chilling and thrilling kind of scary, and the second part if just heart wrenchingly sad. I'm not even kidding, there are times I had to put the book down for how nerve wrecking the story was. It's like when you watch a movie and you're at the end of your seat, you're scared for what's going to happened to the characters, and you just want the bad things to go over, but then it never did. And then the sadness? Oh don't even get me started. This book is so sad. So utterly heartbreakingly sad, that I found myself crying whilst reading this book on a Sunday morning. Okay, not everything is entirely heartbreakingly sad, some are actually heartwarmingly sad. Like it's sad, but it's also heartwarming.
I genuinely think this book was well written in the way that it manages to keep the reader tethered to the book, waiting in vain to know what were to happen to the characters. Then, comes the next chapter, it was already a couple of years later. And you would think as a reader you would hate the author for doing that, but do not worry my fellow reader, for the author have more interesting story to weave in the next chapters, and again you will be tethered even more to the book.
The story was written matter of factly, there aren't too many overly dramatic description of things, it just what it is. Even the characters are just what it was, and yet you can feel that these characters are taking a place in your heart and you can't help but root for them, hoping for the best for them. For God sake, this is a fictional work, and I am so invested in them. I probably have cried because of this book more than four times, that is how beautifully it was written. Words can actually make me cry. And it was a good cry, if I may say so myself.
This was a wonderful story of family, compassion, and friendship. I really did not expect that I was going to come out of this book feeling all sort of emotions, from sadness, happiness, and an eerie feeling of emptiness, because I really felt the hardship and the heartbreak that the Blumenthals had gone through. Honestly, I really did not expect I would like this book so much. Maybe I should just start not expecting anything when I pick a book up to read.
Now, good words have been said about this book, but this book is not without its downfall. I was so enamored by the book, that the ending just took me by surprise and I found myself feeling angry. Like, what the hell? It was a well crafted story from beginning and this was my ending? I am not going to spoil you, but literally in the last three or so pages, the story just took a downturn for me that made think,"honestly, the reader can go by without this particular storyline, really." Now, I do not know whether the ending will set the pace of the story in the second book, because if it doesn't then all the more reason for me to hate that freaking ending. But, if it does, I still think the reader can do just fine without that particular ending.
I have to admit, I really was not expecting much from the book. I read the English translated book, and judging from past experience, reading a translated work is quite tricky. Sometimes if the translations aren't that well, the essence of story can get lost amongst the translation. Now, mind you, I am not an expert, it's just merely a rookie's observation. Based on that previous experience, I wasn't really expecting anything amazing from reading this book, but oh damn, I was in for a ride.
The first part is just scary, and not ghostly kind of scary, but more like chilling and thrilling kind of scary, and the second part if just heart wrenchingly sad. I'm not even kidding, there are times I had to put the book down for how nerve wrecking the story was. It's like when you watch a movie and you're at the end of your seat, you're scared for what's going to happened to the characters, and you just want the bad things to go over, but then it never did. And then the sadness? Oh don't even get me started. This book is so sad. So utterly heartbreakingly sad, that I found myself crying whilst reading this book on a Sunday morning. Okay, not everything is entirely heartbreakingly sad, some are actually heartwarmingly sad. Like it's sad, but it's also heartwarming.
I genuinely think this book was well written in the way that it manages to keep the reader tethered to the book, waiting in vain to know what were to happen to the characters. Then, comes the next chapter, it was already a couple of years later. And you would think as a reader you would hate the author for doing that, but do not worry my fellow reader, for the author have more interesting story to weave in the next chapters, and again you will be tethered even more to the book.
The story was written matter of factly, there aren't too many overly dramatic description of things, it just what it is. Even the characters are just what it was, and yet you can feel that these characters are taking a place in your heart and you can't help but root for them, hoping for the best for them. For God sake, this is a fictional work, and I am so invested in them. I probably have cried because of this book more than four times, that is how beautifully it was written. Words can actually make me cry. And it was a good cry, if I may say so myself.
This was a wonderful story of family, compassion, and friendship. I really did not expect that I was going to come out of this book feeling all sort of emotions, from sadness, happiness, and an eerie feeling of emptiness, because I really felt the hardship and the heartbreak that the Blumenthals had gone through. Honestly, I really did not expect I would like this book so much. Maybe I should just start not expecting anything when I pick a book up to read.
Now, good words have been said about this book, but this book is not without its downfall. I was so enamored by the book, that the ending just took me by surprise and I found myself feeling angry. Like, what the hell? It was a well crafted story from beginning and this was my ending? I am not going to spoil you, but literally in the last three or so pages, the story just took a downturn for me that made think,"honestly, the reader can go by without this particular storyline, really." Now, I do not know whether the ending will set the pace of the story in the second book, because if it doesn't then all the more reason for me to hate that freaking ending. But, if it does, I still think the reader can do just fine without that particular ending.
susanp's review
4.0
I really liked the book, even though the characters were rather sophomoric and the plot was somewhat rough and choppy. It had a good story and an interesting perspective of history and was a quick read, written at about middle-school level.
bkeving_74's review
4.0
Very good historical fiction
The good:
well constructed story told across generations with the unifying theme of an heirloom.
Some heartbreaking and thrilling moments.
It does not paint the entire German population as being swayed by the Nazi movement.
Some very uplifting acts of courage that show there is hope in times of despair.
The bad: my only complaint is the melodramatic and somewhat fairytale ending.
Overall I would recommend.
The good:
well constructed story told across generations with the unifying theme of an heirloom.
Some heartbreaking and thrilling moments.
It does not paint the entire German population as being swayed by the Nazi movement.
Some very uplifting acts of courage that show there is hope in times of despair.
The bad: my only complaint is the melodramatic and somewhat fairytale ending.
Overall I would recommend.
jbarr5's review against another edition
5.0
The Silver Music Box by Mina Baites
Cast of characters are highlighted at the start of this book.
Love learning new things: silver smithing and the family business. Love the design work discussed.
We find Johann and he's making a special music box for his son Paul as he has to attend to some things that will take him away from home....
He meets with other family members as they discuss the war.
Johann will sign up to fight in the war-in another country to help the Jews.
Love how his wife wants to help out to help those in need-she will cook and serve at the synagogue. Story advances to when Paul is 19 and treasures his music box.
His father had died in the war...he will convert to Catholicism and then marry Clara who's also converting...
His passion is also a silversmith and the shop continues even after Wall Street collapse...being shunned because they are Jews but live as Christians.
Love how they hold out for as long as they can-losing jobs, no customers....
What I like about this book are the descriptions-they are so deep and detailed you feel you are there, in the trenches and hunched over the work table.
Love what the silver music box stands for and how it's passed from one to another over time, generation after generation.
Resourced and references listings at the end along with an author bio. Would read more from this author because they have done their homework with the facts making it an enjoyable story also.
Received this review copy via AmazonCrossing via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
Cast of characters are highlighted at the start of this book.
Love learning new things: silver smithing and the family business. Love the design work discussed.
We find Johann and he's making a special music box for his son Paul as he has to attend to some things that will take him away from home....
He meets with other family members as they discuss the war.
Johann will sign up to fight in the war-in another country to help the Jews.
Love how his wife wants to help out to help those in need-she will cook and serve at the synagogue. Story advances to when Paul is 19 and treasures his music box.
His father had died in the war...he will convert to Catholicism and then marry Clara who's also converting...
His passion is also a silversmith and the shop continues even after Wall Street collapse...being shunned because they are Jews but live as Christians.
Love how they hold out for as long as they can-losing jobs, no customers....
What I like about this book are the descriptions-they are so deep and detailed you feel you are there, in the trenches and hunched over the work table.
Love what the silver music box stands for and how it's passed from one to another over time, generation after generation.
Resourced and references listings at the end along with an author bio. Would read more from this author because they have done their homework with the facts making it an enjoyable story also.
Received this review copy via AmazonCrossing via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
andreagraves5's review against another edition
4.0
This book had wonderful characters and was incredible with the historically accurate settings. It moved slow for me & was painful to read due to the awful persecution the Jews faced - for the first half of the book. I almost stopped reading. I’m glad I kept reading - definitely had some great plot twists I didn’t guess, which is rare. I loved the second half of the book.
erbaer's review against another edition
2.0
Quick read. I think this book just skimmed the surface of the characters. Great idea but the story never went deep enough.
5 Stars: Life-changing book, will read again
4 Stars: Great book, might re-read
3 Stars: Good book, won’t re-read
2 Stars: Ok book, took some effort to finish
1 Star: DNF
5 Stars: Life-changing book, will read again
4 Stars: Great book, might re-read
3 Stars: Good book, won’t re-read
2 Stars: Ok book, took some effort to finish
1 Star: DNF
barbaraf's review against another edition
4.0
The story takes place in three separate time periods. The silver music box was lovingly crafted by a Jewish silversmith, Johann Blumenthal in 1914 and presented to his son Paul as a keepsake just as Johann heads off to fight for Germany during WWI. Fast forward 20 years later and Paul is fleeing Nazi Germany with his pregnant wife and 4 year old daughter (now the keeper of the music box). Twenty plus years later we meet Lilian who was adopted in England after being transported as a 2 year old out of Germany. Her adopted parents are killed in an accident and she finds out she is not who she thought she was. She inherits the music box which leads to her quest to find her real family.
This story was translated from German and as a result there is not a lot of range in the narration. But it was a heartwarming story none the less and my guess is the German version has more intricate language. I would give it 3.5 stars. It was a very quick book to read. The last section with Lillian piecing together the clues from the box to find her roots was in my opinion the most interesting part of the story.
This story was translated from German and as a result there is not a lot of range in the narration. But it was a heartwarming story none the less and my guess is the German version has more intricate language. I would give it 3.5 stars. It was a very quick book to read. The last section with Lillian piecing together the clues from the box to find her roots was in my opinion the most interesting part of the story.