I’ve made no secret about how much I love learning new things from historical fiction novels. This one certainly fits the bill.
The blurb gives part of the background, so it’s no secret to say that Jewish families hiding the sewers of Krakow, Poland during WWII is a truly unique setting.
It actually felt like “it should have been obvious” – the sewers of Paris were hiding places for several different revolts and revolutions, so people escaping an oppressive regime would naturally head there.
I found the character mix to be interesting as well. Sadie and her family were very different from the other Jewish family who hid with them and they had a lot to learn from each other.
Ella’s life on “the outside” should have been lovely (by comparison) but she had her own troubles dealing with her evil stepmother…who also happened to entertain Nazis.
I suppose each of the girls had their own troubles – although Sadie’s could have meant the end of her life.
The story skims along, switching periodically between Ella and Sadie. There isn’t much to say about it really, except that the author does a good job of illustrating their similarities and differences, which explain why the two girls strike up an unusual friendship.
Honestly, there’s depth in terms of the weight of the responsibility of the families, and the sheer terror that led them to a horrible place. But there’s not a lot of thinking to do to reach the conclusion that when faced with the unimaginable, people will do what they can to survive.
I will say that an expected twist was not surprising to me – I guessed it early on. I also thought that the wrap up of characters seemed rushed. There were people who played pivotal rules, but once their parts were finished, they weren’t mentioned again until a quick recap at the end.
I would have liked a little bit more depth to that, only because they had been so important earlier.
But no matter – it was an informative and engaging read and I would recommend it.
Twitter: PamJenoff
Instagram: pamjenoff/
About the Author:
Pam Jenoff is the author of several books of historical fiction, including the NYT bestseller The Orphan’s Tale. She holds a degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a degree in history from Cambridge, and she received her JD from UPenn. Her novels are inspired by her experiences working at the Pentagon and as a diplomat for the State Department handling Holocaust issues in Poland. She lives with her husband and 3 children near Philadelphia, where she teaches law.
Buy Links:
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Blue-Star-Novel/dp/0778389383/
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