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karieh13's review against another edition
5.0
In the Author’s note of “The Hours Count”, Jillian Cantor reflects, “I remember learning briefly about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in a high school American History class. Years later, I had only the vague recollection that they were a married couple executed in the fifties for spying.”
That perfectly summarizes the extent of my knowledge of this part of our country’s history, which was one of the reasons I chose to read this book. It, however, has nothing to do with why I liked this book so much.
Because the greatest amount of detail I can now add to the facts I know about the Rosenberg case also came from the Author’s Note: “As it turns out, they were the only civilians ever executed in the U.S. for conspiring to commit espionage.”
But the story told in this novel is still a hauntingly tragic one – just one only tangentially about this now infamous couple. The main character is Millie – a woman whose incredibly isolated life intersects and is forever changed by her acquaintance (and later friendship) with Ethel Rosenberg. Millie has a young son, David, who does not speak – and a husband, Ed, who barely speaks to her and certainly does not listen.
Millie has been told that David’s condition is her fault – that she is “too cold”. That is wildly untrue. Millie is a very caring, loving person – desperate to find answers about her son, her husband, and her life – and the world she lives in – a world full of terrifying threats. She lives in post-World War II New York – with Red scares, smallpox scares, and the ever looming threat of more war and further nuclear bombs.
For so long, Millie accepts her life as is. She does not question her doctor’s diagnosis of David, she does not ask questions of Ed and she rarely ventures out of her small neighborhood.
But then things start to change. She meets Ethel one day and they bond over their sons. She starts paying more attention to her husband’s late night calls…and she meets Jake at a party the Rosenbergs throw. Jake seems very willing to help with David and to talk to her – a need that almost overwhelms Millie.
This book is about isolation, desperation, fear – and a time in our country’s history when all of those elements and more put us on the path that led to a dark time for those who were willing to question what the government was telling them. It’s also about fierce and unquestioning love – which is the reason I liked it so much. “The Hours Count” was a poignant, insightful and tragically lovely book.
That perfectly summarizes the extent of my knowledge of this part of our country’s history, which was one of the reasons I chose to read this book. It, however, has nothing to do with why I liked this book so much.
Because the greatest amount of detail I can now add to the facts I know about the Rosenberg case also came from the Author’s Note: “As it turns out, they were the only civilians ever executed in the U.S. for conspiring to commit espionage.”
But the story told in this novel is still a hauntingly tragic one – just one only tangentially about this now infamous couple. The main character is Millie – a woman whose incredibly isolated life intersects and is forever changed by her acquaintance (and later friendship) with Ethel Rosenberg. Millie has a young son, David, who does not speak – and a husband, Ed, who barely speaks to her and certainly does not listen.
Millie has been told that David’s condition is her fault – that she is “too cold”. That is wildly untrue. Millie is a very caring, loving person – desperate to find answers about her son, her husband, and her life – and the world she lives in – a world full of terrifying threats. She lives in post-World War II New York – with Red scares, smallpox scares, and the ever looming threat of more war and further nuclear bombs.
For so long, Millie accepts her life as is. She does not question her doctor’s diagnosis of David, she does not ask questions of Ed and she rarely ventures out of her small neighborhood.
But then things start to change. She meets Ethel one day and they bond over their sons. She starts paying more attention to her husband’s late night calls…and she meets Jake at a party the Rosenbergs throw. Jake seems very willing to help with David and to talk to her – a need that almost overwhelms Millie.
This book is about isolation, desperation, fear – and a time in our country’s history when all of those elements and more put us on the path that led to a dark time for those who were willing to question what the government was telling them. It’s also about fierce and unquestioning love – which is the reason I liked it so much. “The Hours Count” was a poignant, insightful and tragically lovely book.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
I love it when books live up to the high expectations I place on them. My library doesn't have a copy of The Hours Count, and I'd never read Jillian Cantor before, but I decided to ask for it for Christmas even though it was kind of an unknown quantity. It just sounded so good! A fictionalized story about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, told from the perspective of their neighbor lady? I ask you, how could I pass that up?
It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It's been a while since I was able to sit down with a book and just cruise. A lot of my reading in 2015, for whatever reason, felt very effortful. So it was a relief to immerse myself in Millie Stein's life in Knickerbocker Village, which is terribly mundane and housewiferly—until suddenly, it isn't.
The first-person narration is a great choice, even though it drastically limits the flow of information. Millie isn't stupid, but there's so much going on that she doesn't understand. You're wondering who is who, who's on which side, who's guilty of what, and who might be falsely accused. And because Millie is a wife and mother and her days center around caring for her son, there's a really interesting element of family and domestic drama. Highly recommended, especially for fans of historical fiction.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It's been a while since I was able to sit down with a book and just cruise. A lot of my reading in 2015, for whatever reason, felt very effortful. So it was a relief to immerse myself in Millie Stein's life in Knickerbocker Village, which is terribly mundane and housewiferly—until suddenly, it isn't.
The first-person narration is a great choice, even though it drastically limits the flow of information. Millie isn't stupid, but there's so much going on that she doesn't understand. You're wondering who is who, who's on which side, who's guilty of what, and who might be falsely accused. And because Millie is a wife and mother and her days center around caring for her son, there's a really interesting element of family and domestic drama. Highly recommended, especially for fans of historical fiction.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
munky15's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
lindasdarby's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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.