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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.
bhunsberger's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. A tough topic to always write about, but nice story and good connection with the characters and their journey.
jeep8read's review against another edition
4.0
It's been a long time since I had a good cry from a book and this one did it.
Germany in the 1930s when Hitler was gaining hold of the population and hate and division were growing, the Blumenthal family, gold and silversmiths, had a successful business, friends, a social position, and security. As circumstances changed and their lives and livelihood were compromised they chose to escape. Their challenges and how those events affected others in Europe and as far away as South Africa make for fascinating reading and provide an emotional conclusion.
Germany in the 1930s when Hitler was gaining hold of the population and hate and division were growing, the Blumenthal family, gold and silversmiths, had a successful business, friends, a social position, and security. As circumstances changed and their lives and livelihood were compromised they chose to escape. Their challenges and how those events affected others in Europe and as far away as South Africa make for fascinating reading and provide an emotional conclusion.
bogfinchgirl's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this story for the first 3/4 of the book. Then it seemed like the author got bored and decided to zoom ahead and tell the story from the future in a quick manner to get it over with. Then just for good measure, threw in a totally unnecessary love story that also felt contrived. So disappointed as the story was excellent.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
Visit the locations in the novel - Lubeck and Hamburg
A story that sings and soars like the bird of the bird box. It’s made by a Jewish jeweller for his little son before the father volunteers for WWI to show he is a good German. This war story, is unlike any other in that it looks at the Jewish people and how they helped and worked hard for their country, helped others less fortunate and wanted to play their part in the war. It’s a poignant story and one where you gasp in hope one moment, cry in the other and shed tears knowing that this is not going to end well. The premise of using a music box which joins the stories across time to tell the whole picture was nicely done and this is a book which is going to stay with me.
katie_cooper's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Loved the story line and was a quick and easy read - just lacked a little depth.
my_reading_nest's review against another edition
4.0
This gave a really personal view of what happened to people during WWII. Especially the impact of children and their families when they had to split up. The narrative showed love, sorrow and perseverance in the face of adversity.
abbyherzog's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a sucker for a good historical fiction novel- what a beautiful way to tell the story of this family. Fragmented, genuine, wonderful!