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sofi0518's review against another edition
4.0
I am a sucker for WWII novels and this one was excellent. It's the story of two young woman in occupied Poland both trying to survive the terror that surrounds them. Sadie, a Jew living in the sewer with her family and Ella, the stepdaughter of a collaborator, become unlikely friends trying to help each other make it through the war. What makes a person risk everything for someone they barely know? Coincidentally timely in our current state of pandemic and the recent quarantine, the book makes me wonder how we could complain about being locked up in our homes in our FaceTime and Instacart world when countless Jews literally had to stay out of sight to save their own lives.
Pam Jenoff is a great author and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Pam Jenoff is a great author and I look forward to reading more of her work.
bsmith27's review against another edition
4.0
A story of 2 Jewish families that live in the sewer of Krakow during Nazi occupation. Sadie is a young woman and sees Ella through the grate above her. Ella is the stepdaughter of a ruthless woman who is entertaining Nazi officers. She hates her stepmother but her father died awhile ago. She begins to help Sadie, bringing her food and taking her out if the sewer one night. Sadie's father dies going into the sewer and her pregnant mother is her beat friend. Her mother gives birth and the 2 families decide the baby cannot stay in the sewer. So the mother leaves to give the baby to a hospital. Ella discovers that the baby never made it to the hospital but the mother did and she was killed when the Nazis came for her. Sadie becomes closer to the young man from the orthodox family that is staying in the sewer with her. Her and Saul decide to marry. Ella's stepmother discovers a Jewish chiam necklace and questions Ella. She throws her out. Ella goes to her boyfriend who is a part of the resistance. Chris has hidden some guns In the sewer. The guns are gone and they realize they have to get the families out. Saul and his father are ahead of Ella and Sadie when the mined sewer begins to collapse. Ella and shady are trapped and rising water. Sadie is wounded and cannot swim and Ella said she will get her out but then a part of the mine collapses and Ella is killed. Sadie makes it out she discovers that she can become Ella and does. She fights with the resistance and goes on as Ella. At the end of the book it is 2016 and the baby that was given to a priest fines quote Ella " and realizes that it is actually her sister Sadie.
i_eat_books_for_breakfeast's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
Thank you to HCCFrenzy and HarperCollins Canada for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sadie Gault and her family are forced to flee the Krakow Ghetto when the Nazis arrive to liquidate it and they seek refuge in the sewers. Ella Stepanek, a Polish girl leads a comfortable life as her stepmother has made sure to ally with the Germans. When passing through the market on an errand, Ella notices something moving under one of the grates and is startled to find that someone is actually living in the tunnels beneath the city. An unlikely and immediate friendship forms between the two as Ella becomes determined to help Sadie. But Nazi occupied Krakow is a city that is becoming increasingly dangerous for both of them.
WWII historical fiction has become quite a regular on my TBR over the last year and I hesitated to pick up this book initially, wondering if it would have anything new to add. While this did remind me a little of The Light in Hidden Places, The Woman With The Blue Star is definitely a story that stands out. This was a fast paced and gripping read. The author easily draws the reader into the world of Nazi occupied Poland right from page one, showing us Sadie’s flight from the ghetto, and how, having nowhere else to go, descend into the sewers of the city in desperation. The conditions in which Sadie and the rest are forced to live in is truly heart breaking and it’s horrifying to think that this was inspired by real life stories. This book brings to life the story of the beautiful friendship between these two girls, the awful situations the hunted Jews found themselves in yet mustered up the strength to get through it all and how the Polish people were courageous enough to go against the Nazis silently and help in whatever small ways they could.
The main characters, Ella and Sadie were fantastic and seeing this era through their eyes, and understanding their thoughts and struggles, though leagues apart, had me really invested in their stories and fates. The secondary characters like Krys and Ella’s stepmother were not as well described, and I would have liked to know more about them, particularly the Rosenbergs, who live alongside Sadie and her mother. With the swift pace this book keeps up though, there isn’t all that much time to think about it.
The ending felt a bit forced to me and the explanation of what happened to each of the characters was so quickly explained that it felt like there was a rush to finish the book. It would have been nice if the author had taken more time with the ending and built up the tension slowly. However, this was an amazing read and I would highly recommend it for fans of WWII historical fiction.
Thank you to HCCFrenzy and HarperCollins Canada for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sadie Gault and her family are forced to flee the Krakow Ghetto when the Nazis arrive to liquidate it and they seek refuge in the sewers. Ella Stepanek, a Polish girl leads a comfortable life as her stepmother has made sure to ally with the Germans. When passing through the market on an errand, Ella notices something moving under one of the grates and is startled to find that someone is actually living in the tunnels beneath the city. An unlikely and immediate friendship forms between the two as Ella becomes determined to help Sadie. But Nazi occupied Krakow is a city that is becoming increasingly dangerous for both of them.
WWII historical fiction has become quite a regular on my TBR over the last year and I hesitated to pick up this book initially, wondering if it would have anything new to add. While this did remind me a little of The Light in Hidden Places, The Woman With The Blue Star is definitely a story that stands out. This was a fast paced and gripping read. The author easily draws the reader into the world of Nazi occupied Poland right from page one, showing us Sadie’s flight from the ghetto, and how, having nowhere else to go, descend into the sewers of the city in desperation. The conditions in which Sadie and the rest are forced to live in is truly heart breaking and it’s horrifying to think that this was inspired by real life stories. This book brings to life the story of the beautiful friendship between these two girls, the awful situations the hunted Jews found themselves in yet mustered up the strength to get through it all and how the Polish people were courageous enough to go against the Nazis silently and help in whatever small ways they could.
The main characters, Ella and Sadie were fantastic and seeing this era through their eyes, and understanding their thoughts and struggles, though leagues apart, had me really invested in their stories and fates. The secondary characters like Krys and Ella’s stepmother were not as well described, and I would have liked to know more about them, particularly the Rosenbergs, who live alongside Sadie and her mother. With the swift pace this book keeps up though, there isn’t all that much time to think about it.
The ending felt a bit forced to me and the explanation of what happened to each of the characters was so quickly explained that it felt like there was a rush to finish the book. It would have been nice if the author had taken more time with the ending and built up the tension slowly. However, this was an amazing read and I would highly recommend it for fans of WWII historical fiction.
micheleweeks972's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
taylok3's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!! This was such an emotional read! One that was hard to read at times but so worth it in the end. I really enjoyed the way this author wrote with so much detail, making it feel all the more real.
I would highly recommend this book to others
I would highly recommend this book to others
cavendish9's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe it was because I listened to this on audiobook, the story is good well researched, but it just too much. The story went on and on with the dramatic. It wasn’t for me.