Scan barcode
A review by popthebutterfly
The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Woman with the Blue Star
Author: Pam Jenoff
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Polish main character and Jewish main character and side characters
Recommended For...: historical fiction fans, WWII readers
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+ (drowning, Nazis, violence, gore, side character romancing SS officers)
Publisher: Park Row
Pages: 336
Synopsis: 1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous sewers beneath the city. One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers.
Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother, who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans. Scorned by her friends and longing for her fiancé, who has gone off to war, Ella wanders Kraków restlessly. While on an errand in the market, she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it’s a girl hiding.
Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close, but as the dangers of the war worsen, their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds. Inspired by harrowing true stories, The Woman with the Blue Star is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive.
Review: I really liked this read. The book was well written and it conveyed the horrors of WWII and it shows the reader the terror of having your ghetto raided as a Jewish family during that time. The horror almost immediately starts, so please be advised of the TWs before you read the book. The book had well done character development and world building. The plot is also well done and will keep you going throughout the read.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the pacing was a bit fast in places. It really feels like running a marathon reading this book in certain places.
Verdict: Highly recommend.
Book: The Woman with the Blue Star
Author: Pam Jenoff
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Polish main character and Jewish main character and side characters
Recommended For...: historical fiction fans, WWII readers
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+ (drowning, Nazis, violence, gore, side character romancing SS officers)
Publisher: Park Row
Pages: 336
Synopsis: 1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous sewers beneath the city. One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers.
Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother, who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans. Scorned by her friends and longing for her fiancé, who has gone off to war, Ella wanders Kraków restlessly. While on an errand in the market, she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it’s a girl hiding.
Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close, but as the dangers of the war worsen, their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds. Inspired by harrowing true stories, The Woman with the Blue Star is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive.
Review: I really liked this read. The book was well written and it conveyed the horrors of WWII and it shows the reader the terror of having your ghetto raided as a Jewish family during that time. The horror almost immediately starts, so please be advised of the TWs before you read the book. The book had well done character development and world building. The plot is also well done and will keep you going throughout the read.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the pacing was a bit fast in places. It really feels like running a marathon reading this book in certain places.
Verdict: Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence