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thereadingrunnner's review
4.0
4.5 STARS!!!!!
I am so grateful to have received an ARC of this novel through Goodreads. I honestly cannot say enough good things about it - I loved it from the very first page.
It is the story of Eli and his relationship with the profiteer Maximilian - a man who he first meets in Poland at the beginning of the war when Germans begin to invade his hometown. Maximilian vows to protect Eli and his family in exchange for money, and when left with no other options, Eli is forced to trust him even though he knows he is a man far from trustworthy. Their relationship is then taken through 3 distinct but related settings and time periods.
This novel is part war story, part love story, part spy and espionage story, part moving forward and resilience story, part mystery/detective story and part history. It was a surprising gem of a read that I absolutely could not put down.
The only criticism I have of the book unfortunately came at the very end, in the last 15 or so pages in the final meet-up with Maximilian. It almost seemed to me that the writing style shifted a bit and just didn't fit with the richness and depth that the rest of the novel had. This was an ARC, so perhaps this section will have some reworking in the final version.
The novel did not contain surprises or twists or shocking moments, so if you need that, this may not be the book for you. It was just a beautifully written story with well developed characters that I just fell in love with and was rooting for throughout.
I am so grateful to have received an ARC of this novel through Goodreads. I honestly cannot say enough good things about it - I loved it from the very first page.
It is the story of Eli and his relationship with the profiteer Maximilian - a man who he first meets in Poland at the beginning of the war when Germans begin to invade his hometown. Maximilian vows to protect Eli and his family in exchange for money, and when left with no other options, Eli is forced to trust him even though he knows he is a man far from trustworthy. Their relationship is then taken through 3 distinct but related settings and time periods.
This novel is part war story, part love story, part spy and espionage story, part moving forward and resilience story, part mystery/detective story and part history. It was a surprising gem of a read that I absolutely could not put down.
The only criticism I have of the book unfortunately came at the very end, in the last 15 or so pages in the final meet-up with Maximilian. It almost seemed to me that the writing style shifted a bit and just didn't fit with the richness and depth that the rest of the novel had. This was an ARC, so perhaps this section will have some reworking in the final version.
The novel did not contain surprises or twists or shocking moments, so if you need that, this may not be the book for you. It was just a beautifully written story with well developed characters that I just fell in love with and was rooting for throughout.
beth1960's review
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
keelser_33's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
pam2375's review against another edition
3.0
This is another story of the horrors of WWII and beyond. We follow Eli through 3 different time periods beginning with occupied Poland and ending in the mid 60's as he tries to locate the man who said that he would help protect his (Eli's) business.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in September 2020.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in September 2020.
lottie1803's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Murder, Colonisation, War, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
leach2225's review
5.0
First I wish to thank Net Galley for my advanced copy of Eli’s Promise. The book by Ronald H. Balson is his sixth novel and as the rest just as exciting. Another work of historic fiction starting in WWII and finishing in the 60’s during the Viet Nam ear. The novel goes back and forth telling the story of Eli a man who keeps trying to do the best for his family and who puts his faith in an not so trustworthy man who has gotten ahead by working with the Germans during the WWII and with American government officials during the Viet Nam era. The book moved very well and as with a Balson novel kept me locked in until the end. A great read if you like historical fiction and Ronald Balson novels. I give this book a 5+ star rating.
colleen1011's review
4.0
I enjoy reading historical novels based in World War Two. Eli's Promise was a wonderful story about the connection of family and the enduring promise to stay connected. One of the better books I have read about the Holocaust. This was a new to me author that I will read again.
iamnotacentipede's review
3.75
I appreciate this book for not being overtly graphic about the horrors that happened during WWII or what all transpired at the concentration camps. I don't do well personally with intense images and to face the horrors of man head on can be very shocking.
With that aside, there were a few problems I had with this book. Mostly that there were a few inconsistencies, along with the fact that part 2 I felt during the majority of reading that section was a little pointless. I know why the author did it, but I feel like maybe it could have been handled/written better.
This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't an overwhelming success. The ending seemed a little rushed and not as detailed as the rest of the book. The ending did make me tear up a bit, and was as best of a "happy ending" as I think you could get given the circumstances.
I'm ending this on a 3.75 star read but rounding up to 4 stars on GoodReads.
With that aside, there were a few problems I had with this book. Mostly that there were a few inconsistencies, along with the fact that part 2 I felt during the majority of reading that section was a little pointless. I know why the author did it, but I feel like maybe it could have been handled/written better.
This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't an overwhelming success. The ending seemed a little rushed and not as detailed as the rest of the book. The ending did make me tear up a bit, and was as best of a "happy ending" as I think you could get given the circumstances.
I'm ending this on a 3.75 star read but rounding up to 4 stars on GoodReads.
kdurham2's review
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Told through one mans eyes in basically three time frames - The first, Eli Rosen was a Jewish businessman in Poland when Hitler and his cohorts were invading Europe and he was in a lucky spot with a Nazi sympathizer finding favor in him. Maximillian Poleski was able to him stay safe much longer than most Jewish people could as Hitler and his followers started exterminating an entire race. The second is Eli after he has been rescued from a concentration camp and has become a leader in a DP camp and someone from his past may make another appearance. The final glimpse into Eli's life is in 1965, and he is in Chicago and in pursuit of some real bad guys and he is hoping to finally make sure that those get what they deserve.
Told through one mans eyes in basically three time frames - The first, Eli Rosen was a Jewish businessman in Poland when Hitler and his cohorts were invading Europe and he was in a lucky spot with a Nazi sympathizer finding favor in him. Maximillian Poleski was able to him stay safe much longer than most Jewish people could as Hitler and his followers started exterminating an entire race. The second is Eli after he has been rescued from a concentration camp and has become a leader in a DP camp and someone from his past may make another appearance. The final glimpse into Eli's life is in 1965, and he is in Chicago and in pursuit of some real bad guys and he is hoping to finally make sure that those get what they deserve.