I don't even know where to start with this novel, it was amazing and one of my fave reads of this year.
It tells the story of Hava Daniels and Simone Lyon, a Jew and the daughter of a Belgian national war hero.
Their friendship at this time should never have been according to society's dictates and prejudices.
During the occupation of Belgium in 1940 they are both forced to flee together to try and survive.
This was an incredibly harrowing account of their attempt to escape the atrocities of war and the stigma attached to being Jewish.
Loosely based on actual true events of the author's family I found it very moving and nearly reduced me to tears as this subject matter is worse than any horror novel as these terrible things did happen during wartime.
This for me outshone other novels of this genre, I really engaged with the characters and cared about them and what happened to them to the point I was googling the author, the history of the book and it's inspiration.
If a book can move you even after its finished to make you bother to research the events and story then the author has done a wonderful job.
Simone says in the novel "People remember Anne Frank, perhaps they will also remember Hava Daniels."
The book resonated with me so much, the kindness of the character Hava and her empathy for others even during a disgusting period of our history, she showed such caring towards people that it will live long with me.
It also shows the prejudice, racism and bias of people towards others and that behaviour is learnt and the message that comes across strongly throughout that though from different backgrounds and religions Hava and Simone's friendship endured in the hardest of circumstances.
I feel this would also be a wonderful and powerful candidate for a movie adaptation.
A beautiful story of love and friendship set against the cruel backdrop of war.
It tells the story of Hava Daniels and Simone Lyon, a Jew and the daughter of a Belgian national war hero.
Their friendship at this time should never have been according to society's dictates and prejudices.
During the occupation of Belgium in 1940 they are both forced to flee together to try and survive.
This was an incredibly harrowing account of their attempt to escape the atrocities of war and the stigma attached to being Jewish.
Loosely based on actual true events of the author's family I found it very moving and nearly reduced me to tears as this subject matter is worse than any horror novel as these terrible things did happen during wartime.
This for me outshone other novels of this genre, I really engaged with the characters and cared about them and what happened to them to the point I was googling the author, the history of the book and it's inspiration.
If a book can move you even after its finished to make you bother to research the events and story then the author has done a wonderful job.
Simone says in the novel "People remember Anne Frank, perhaps they will also remember Hava Daniels."
The book resonated with me so much, the kindness of the character Hava and her empathy for others even during a disgusting period of our history, she showed such caring towards people that it will live long with me.
It also shows the prejudice, racism and bias of people towards others and that behaviour is learnt and the message that comes across strongly throughout that though from different backgrounds and religions Hava and Simone's friendship endured in the hardest of circumstances.
I feel this would also be a wonderful and powerful candidate for a movie adaptation.
A beautiful story of love and friendship set against the cruel backdrop of war.