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amanda_lee's review
5.0
I love books set during WWII and this was no exception. It's so emotional and fantastically written. The circus setting was really unique and one I haven't encountered before, I like seeing that there were good people who took the chance to help others.
Noa had a heartbreaking story that resulted in her losing so much. My heart was not prepared for her to come across the boxcar of infants. She courageously saves a baby and then has to figure out how to have both of them survive. When she finds the circus and meets Astrid, the two start off with a prickly relationship. The circus owner, Herr Neuhoff, is fantastic, he does whatever he can to help Astrid, Noa, and the baby.
I loved how Pam Jenoff created this fictional story and weaved in facts that make is feel so real. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
Noa had a heartbreaking story that resulted in her losing so much. My heart was not prepared for her to come across the boxcar of infants. She courageously saves a baby and then has to figure out how to have both of them survive. When she finds the circus and meets Astrid, the two start off with a prickly relationship. The circus owner, Herr Neuhoff, is fantastic, he does whatever he can to help Astrid, Noa, and the baby.
I loved how Pam Jenoff created this fictional story and weaved in facts that make is feel so real. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
krystyn13's review against another edition
4.0
Another great work by Jenoff. How she can discover and create new pieces of historical fiction surrounding WWII is amazing. The setting to this one unique from all other books I've read of this era.
pswords72's review
5.0
What a unique twist to WWII. Heart felt from start to finish. The ending had me in tears.
emg25's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I, too, would’ve joined the circus to escape nazi germany.
nancyadelman's review
5.0
This is a work of historical fiction, based on actual facts. It is the story of two women, Noa and Astrid. Noa is a young girl who is thrown out of her family home when she learns that she is pregnant following a tryst with a Nazi officer. She finds work at a train station and finds a boxcar full of infants and takes one, saving its life and decides to go on the run. She and the baby end up at a traveling circus, where she encounters Astrid, a Jewish flying acrobat. Astrid is older, haughty, and not at all happy to have Noa assigned to work with her. It is not long before the two forge a strong, lasting friendship.
I had not known that circuses were yet another way of hiding Jews, but apparently there was at least one circus operating in Europe which took in a family of five, ultimately saving their lives. This is a poignant story that will keep you guessing; I thought I had everything figured out, but I was wrong. The characters are believable and flawed. The tension is just about right. I was a bit disappointed with the ending; it didn't end how I thought it was going to end, but that says more about the author's skill at keeping the audience guessing. It was a good read about yet another little known corner of World War II.
I had not known that circuses were yet another way of hiding Jews, but apparently there was at least one circus operating in Europe which took in a family of five, ultimately saving their lives. This is a poignant story that will keep you guessing; I thought I had everything figured out, but I was wrong. The characters are believable and flawed. The tension is just about right. I was a bit disappointed with the ending; it didn't end how I thought it was going to end, but that says more about the author's skill at keeping the audience guessing. It was a good read about yet another little known corner of World War II.
jleeds's review
4.0
Good book GREAT backstory. The novel was inspired by (real events): "The Unknown Children" a train car packed with infants taken from their families and a German circus who hid Jewish citizens, often in plain sight.
I thought the concept for the book was excellent but felt that the author only scratched the surface in terms of character development. I really wanted the characters' actions and thinking to go much deeper. Lots of potential... The Epilogue and Author's Notes bumped my rating up from 3.5 to 4 stars.
I thought the concept for the book was excellent but felt that the author only scratched the surface in terms of character development. I really wanted the characters' actions and thinking to go much deeper. Lots of potential... The Epilogue and Author's Notes bumped my rating up from 3.5 to 4 stars.
diannak's review
4.0
This book is a nice change of pace WWII book. The relationship between the two main female characters was believable and heartwarming at the end. What I liked most was the fact that the war and the treatment of Jews was not in the forefront.
joanklko's review
I did not find the story compelling and after reading about ¼ of the book I set it aside and will not pick it back up.