I loved this book. I already thought Schwab was great, but this book combines so many things I love – history, travel, France – and it’s really character/relationship driven. The story is complicated, and there were lots of times I found myself trying to poke holes in the logistics of it all. But it’s worth…
This was a fantastic historical novel about World War II that is even greater because it is nearly all true. Author Lawhon gives us the story of real-life hero Nancy Wake, an Australian who serves as a British special operative in World War II, working with French resistance fighters. As with many historical novels, Lawhon…
If you’re looking for a book that explores the horrors of the Holocaust but does so in a really beautiful way, I recommend this book. It begins in Berlin, where a mother, Hanna, is trying desperately to save her daughter Lea. She learns that there is a rabbi in town who knows how to create a…
I almost skipped this book because of all the hype. A book about a blind girl and a Nazi soldier in war-torn France sounded like it might be on the melodramatic side. But so many people recommended the book, and as it made its way to the finals in this year’s Tournament of Books, I…
Bonjour, readers! The husband and I are back from our trip to France, and you’ll see I have a lot of reviews to write. I always read a lot on vacation, and this one was no exception – although this trip had no long train rides and only one lie-on-the-beach day. Still, our travel days…
This is a book I’ve always wanted to read, and happily it met and exceeded all expectations. I expected swashbuckling adventure but the book turned out to be much more psychological than that. This is one of those books that has been retold and copied so many times you wonder if the original will feel…
Trespass is a book you probably haven’t heard of, by an author you probably haven’t heard of. Rose Tremain has written 15 books, many of them award winners or nominees (Whitbread Awards, Booker Prize, and Orange Prize). Her best known work is Restoration, a historical novel about a 17th century physician that was made into…
This book is a powerful portrayal of the Parisian roundups and killing of Jewish residents during the Holocaust in 1942. Before reading this book I was somewhat familiar with the French role in the Holocaust. However, this specific incident was one I was unfamiliar with and the telling of it in this book is horrifying…
The Book Stop 