Reviews

Historical fiction has always been fascinating to me. I get lost in the stories, and I'm learning at the same time. While the stories are fiction, they are based on real happenings and are usually very well researched. WWII stories can be challenging to read because of the absolute evil and horror of that time. But, the stories of bravery, resilience, and survival are so captivating. The Night Travelers tells the story of four generations of women, starting with Ally Keller in 1930's Germany, who has to make the unthinkable decision to send her daughter away in order to protect her from Germany's "racial hygiene" laws. The story moves through history into the present day, where we see the impact that decision had on Ally Keller's daughter and the generations after her. The Night Travelers is beautifully written. It is haunting and tragic, yet there were times of great light and love that you hoped would never go away, but feared would.

The Night Travelers demonstrates how the devastation of the Nazi regime and the war, moving into the Cuban revolution, reverberated through time and the long-lasting impact it had on families, even to present day.

Ally put her daughter, Lilith, on a boat to Cuba to escape Germany. But Cuba had its own history of unrest, which ultimately threatened Lilith's family. I admit, I did not know much about the history of Cuba and how communism and Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, so I found this part of the story simultaneously fascinating and horrific.

The story is told in 3 parts, by Ally, her daughter Lilith, and Lilith's daughter Nadine. There are some flashbacks in the story, but they were necessary to tell the story from that characters point of view. Lilith's story took us through her life in Cuba until she had a daughter of her own. I found this part lagged ever so slightly. But the ending left me about as satisfied as you could be with such a tragic story.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, this book is definitely worth a read.

Thanks to Atria and NetGaĺley for am ARC of this book for my honest review.

ree333's review against another edition

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sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Content Warnings

jhaverinen's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

jaded618's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful multigenerational story that had me so emotionally invested in the characters!

This story had me hooked from start to finish. I also enjoyed the historical info that was included that helped to bring life to this book.

Thank you Netgalley for an Advanced copy to review!

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