Rounded up from around 3.5 stars ⭐️
This novel seamlessly blended fact and fiction in a wonderful manner. It left me feeling very thoughtful.
The story follows the life of Friedrich (a fictional character) through his childhood and into early adulthood. He decides to travel to Germany, despite WWII raging on around Europe. In Germany he meets and falls in love with Kristen (a person that existed in real life). But Kristen is keeping some dark secrets, including her real name- Stella.
I think any novel based on the atrocities of WWII and the treatment of Jewish people will always be deeply haunting. There is no one that can create such horrific stories within their minds. This novel, and the story of Stella, brings up an important question- how far would you go to protect those you love? Would you betray and endanger others to keep yourself and your family safe? I had never heard of Stella before I read this book, and now her story will always haunt me.
I loved that Takis started chapters by recapping what historical moments happened during that month/year. I also loved the inclusion of real notes from the court trial about Stella. My only issue with the book was that some parts felt a bit clunky, but this may be due to the translation, as often beautiful sayings become more stilted when translated into other languages.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical novels that are based on true stories.
This novel seamlessly blended fact and fiction in a wonderful manner. It left me feeling very thoughtful.
The story follows the life of Friedrich (a fictional character) through his childhood and into early adulthood. He decides to travel to Germany, despite WWII raging on around Europe. In Germany he meets and falls in love with Kristen (a person that existed in real life). But Kristen is keeping some dark secrets, including her real name- Stella.
I think any novel based on the atrocities of WWII and the treatment of Jewish people will always be deeply haunting. There is no one that can create such horrific stories within their minds. This novel, and the story of Stella, brings up an important question- how far would you go to protect those you love? Would you betray and endanger others to keep yourself and your family safe? I had never heard of Stella before I read this book, and now her story will always haunt me.
I loved that Takis started chapters by recapping what historical moments happened during that month/year. I also loved the inclusion of real notes from the court trial about Stella. My only issue with the book was that some parts felt a bit clunky, but this may be due to the translation, as often beautiful sayings become more stilted when translated into other languages.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical novels that are based on true stories.