lindasdarby's review
3.0
When I started this book I knew almost nothing about the Rosenbergs and guess what I still know almost nothing. That being said I really enjoyed the story. Good pacing, interesting story and characters. I just wish the author had made Millie's life a little less sad because honestly it bummed me out.
missamandamae's review
5.0
A fascinating look at the ordeal of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, told from the point of view of a fictionalized neighbor who befriends Ethel as everything unfolds. Millie is a housewife with a Russian immigrant husband and a son who displays behaviors that would now be considered autism. We follow Millie as she struggles with raising her son, with her strained relationship with her husband, and her friendship with the Rosenbergs, her neighbors down the hall. My heart broke for this woman as she tries to make her marriage work, to love and help her little son, and build a friendship with Ethel Rosenberg, the one woman in their apartment building who doesn't try to ignore her and her son. While the author makes a few liberties with historical facts, the story of the everyday life the Rosenbergs were forced to leave tugs at your heartstrings. It's a gripping read as the threat of Soviet espionage becomes greater, and Millie becomes more desperate to make her life what she wants. Jillian Cantor makes a great story, and I really must read her first book Margot before too long!
I received a digital ARC from the publisher.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher.
norgrav2's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sarpin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
jml10003's review
4.0
Rounded up from a 3.5 - it was hard to decide whether to round up or down because there were things I really liked about this book and some things that I didn’t.
paulblart's review
4.0
*I won this book in an ARC giveaway* Overall, I was very impressed. I liked how the author blended the occurrences on the day of the Rosenberg's execution with the rest of her story. I really enjoyed the retelling of such a classic story. Congratulations to the author for writing a really great historical fiction novel.
bkish's review
4.0
Excellent historical fiction about the Rosenbergs Ethel and Julius and her brother David Greenglass and fictional characters. This was in 1950s in NYC and the Rosenbergs were electrocuted as Soviet spies. They were Jews.
It is now assumed that Julius was a spy and that Ethel was not - and her brother set them up as he was a suspect and wanted him and his wife cleared. There was then terrible fear of Soviet Union Russia and communism. It led to McCarthy's horrific Unamerican Activities witchhunts that were politically motivated.
The fiction is with these other people who lived in same building in NYC as the Rosenberg family - there were also two children. Also a psychologist PhD who was also in FBI investigating these people. Extremely well written well developed characters. She is a very good writer Jillian Cantor
Judy
It is now assumed that Julius was a spy and that Ethel was not - and her brother set them up as he was a suspect and wanted him and his wife cleared. There was then terrible fear of Soviet Union Russia and communism. It led to McCarthy's horrific Unamerican Activities witchhunts that were politically motivated.
The fiction is with these other people who lived in same building in NYC as the Rosenberg family - there were also two children. Also a psychologist PhD who was also in FBI investigating these people. Extremely well written well developed characters. She is a very good writer Jillian Cantor
Judy
carolynf's review
3.0
It was clear from the beginning that this was going to be a depressing read. It is set in the years leading up to the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenburg in 1953. The main character, Millie, has a lot of problems. She has an autistic child at a time when that diagnosis didnt exist. She has an icky husband who sees her only as a baby making factory. She is worried about the atomic bomb and also the way the Red Scare is targeting Russian Jews like her friends and family. Her only comfort comes from her friendship with her neighbor, Ethel Rosenberg. Except they are not really friends. They are acquaintances with few other options for socialization.
A big part of the plot is Millies rapid dependence on a psychotherapist she meets at a party at Ethels. He offers to treat her son for free, which is the first of many red flags. He is basically sketchy as hell from the get go, but Millie is so desperate for help she is willing to overlook a lot.
Having an intimate look into the lives of the Rosenbergs was interesting but the focus is much more on Millie, who is completely fictional. And her story is so sad, and predictable right up until the end when things go completely off the rails.
A big part of the plot is Millies rapid dependence on a psychotherapist she meets at a party at Ethels. He offers to treat her son for free, which is the first of many red flags. He is basically sketchy as hell from the get go, but Millie is so desperate for help she is willing to overlook a lot.
Having an intimate look into the lives of the Rosenbergs was interesting but the focus is much more on Millie, who is completely fictional. And her story is so sad, and predictable right up until the end when things go completely off the rails.