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A review by rachelsb00kreviews
Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff
3.0
Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff
Read: March 6 - 8 (Book Review Pages: https://www.facebook.com/rewbookreviews OR Instagram: @rewbookreviews)
Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres and within that genre, I almost always am drawn to works revolving around WWII…I can’t explain why but I love the stories of heroism, sacrifice and love in the face of great danger and horrifying situations. Much like my last WWII HF book I read, this one is unique in it’s own way and while teaching me a few new things about history, this book wasn’t the best by Jenoff I’ve read. I felt it rushed through a lot to tell a quicker story and the way it leaves off just made me think there’s a chance of a sequel…? I rate it with 3.5⭐️ for it being a touching story about the love of family and even in loss, there’s hope but I felt there was more to this story that wasn't explored.
1942—Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound four America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Matteo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves?
I have never read a book set in Brussels/Belgium before and it was quite fascinating since it was technically apart of Germany various times throughout history. The characters spoke both German and French(English as well but that’s due to working in for the partisans against the Nazi occupation) and Belgian Jews were safe for a period of time being considered part German. Another thing this book did that was unexpected was split the story in three points of view, all women, who face terrifying odds and show remarkable strength throughout everything. Each woman is different and yet in the end, they are simply working toward the same goal…freedom or fighting for others freedom.
I enjoyed this book but there were moments that made me question if certain aspects could have ever happened. I want to give examples but that might give away the plot of this book and I hate to ruin it for those who want to read it because I will recommend it but I want to know if I’m the only ones with doubts on how things happened. I found a few inconsistencies toward the end and was left a bit disappointed by how they were written.
Again, good book by an author I really like but not the best I’ve read by her in the past few years. Am I alone in thinking this? If you’ve read this book, please let me know and tell me your thoughts!
Read: March 6 - 8 (Book Review Pages: https://www.facebook.com/rewbookreviews OR Instagram: @rewbookreviews)
Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres and within that genre, I almost always am drawn to works revolving around WWII…I can’t explain why but I love the stories of heroism, sacrifice and love in the face of great danger and horrifying situations. Much like my last WWII HF book I read, this one is unique in it’s own way and while teaching me a few new things about history, this book wasn’t the best by Jenoff I’ve read. I felt it rushed through a lot to tell a quicker story and the way it leaves off just made me think there’s a chance of a sequel…? I rate it with 3.5⭐️ for it being a touching story about the love of family and even in loss, there’s hope but I felt there was more to this story that wasn't explored.
1942—Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound four America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Matteo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves?
I have never read a book set in Brussels/Belgium before and it was quite fascinating since it was technically apart of Germany various times throughout history. The characters spoke both German and French(English as well but that’s due to working in for the partisans against the Nazi occupation) and Belgian Jews were safe for a period of time being considered part German. Another thing this book did that was unexpected was split the story in three points of view, all women, who face terrifying odds and show remarkable strength throughout everything. Each woman is different and yet in the end, they are simply working toward the same goal…freedom or fighting for others freedom.
I enjoyed this book but there were moments that made me question if certain aspects could have ever happened. I want to give examples but that might give away the plot of this book and I hate to ruin it for those who want to read it because I will recommend it but I want to know if I’m the only ones with doubts on how things happened. I found a few inconsistencies toward the end and was left a bit disappointed by how they were written.
Again, good book by an author I really like but not the best I’ve read by her in the past few years. Am I alone in thinking this? If you’ve read this book, please let me know and tell me your thoughts!