Thursday, March 23, 2017

The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

https://silversolara.blogspot.com/2017/03/interview-with-pam-jenoff-orphans-tale.html

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Click on Ms. Jenoff's photo for an interview with her.
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Noa was thrown out of her parents' home because she had become pregnant to a German soldier but needed to leave after the Germans took her baby.  As Noa made her way out of town, she came upon a train of Jewish infants left to die (talk about heartbreaking.)  

Noa took one of the babies, couldn't continue because they both were almost frozen, and then collapsed near the circus.  The circus members rescued Noa and the baby, but Noa had to perform on the flying trapeze with Astrid to earn her keep.

Even though Noa and Astrid worked together as a team on the flying trapeze, there was tension between them because Noa was terrified of flying especially since she almost fell to her death during practice one day.  The tension subsided as Noa tried harder to please Astrid and when Noa found out the reason Astrid hid from the Nazi soldiers.

The first time Astrid immediately and very quickly disappeared when the Nazi soldiers burst into the circus building, Noa knew something was going on.

How did they know she was Jewish?  Did someone tell on her?  The circus owner kept up a good front and steered the Nazi soldiers from the Jewish performers he was hiding, but it was stressful for all.

THE ORPHAN'S TALE is another beautifully written book by Ms. Jenoff revealing another not well-known fact about WWII.  The circus theme was quite interesting.  I wasn't aware of traveling circuses during that time, but it seems like the perfect way to help keep​ ​some of the Jewish community safe and hidden during the Holocaust.

​THE ORPHAN'S TALE smoothly flows from Noa's story to Astrid's as we learn about their lives and their secrets that they both are afraid to tell.​ Despite secrets, their friendship strengthens even though there is a thin line that may destroy it.

I truly enjoyed THE ORPHAN'S TALE as I have enjoyed all of Ms. Jenoff's books.  Ms. Jenoff has a marvelous way of writing a story based on the unpleasant facts of WWII. 


THE ORPHAN'S TALE had a different theme, and I always learn new things about the Holocaust when I read Ms. Jenoff's books.   

Ms. Jenoff always does exquisite research. You would think all has been known and written about WWII, but the circus assisting the Jewish people was interesting, enlightening, and wonderful to know how another group helped the Jewish people. 

Don't miss reading another heartbreaking but heartwarming book by Ms. Jenoff.  5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review for TLC.

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Click here for a link to other blogs that have been on the tour.

20 comments:

  1. This sounds like a very touching book that tells a unique story. Excellent review! I will keep this book in mind.

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    1. Thanks, Suko.

      Always love her books.

      Thanks for stopping.

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  2. Great review, Elizabeth, I just bought this book and now I really can't wait to read it.

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    1. You will love it, Alex.

      ENJOY, and thanks for stopping.

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  3. I figured this was a good one. Glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. Always enjoy her books.

      Thanks for stopping, Kathy.

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  4. So many excellent reviews of this book, including yours. I really must make time to read it. The setting and the storyline are so compelling.

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    1. Oh yes...excellent read.

      I hope you get to read it, Laura.

      Thanks for stopping.

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  5. This one is definitely on my TBR! Hi love her books!

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    1. I love her books too.

      Thanks for stopping, Lori.

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  6. Glad you loved this one, Elizabeth. I'll keep it in mind when I'm looking for a WWII era novel - I've read a few over the past year and need to space them out. So good but also so emotional.

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    1. It was emotional but not as awful as some of the WWII stories told in books.

      Thanks for stopping, Mary.

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  7. Great review. I loved this one, too, and I'm eager to read more books from this author.

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    1. Thanks, Laurel.

      Start out with her first book: The Kommandant's Girl.

      Thanks for stopping.

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  8. Thank you so much for another thoughtful and well-written review. I will definately be reading this book.

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    1. Thanks for the nice compliment on my review, Dorothy.

      I hope you get to read the book.

      Thanks for stopping.

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  9. Great review, Elizabeth!

    This is not my usual type of read, but I do think I would enjoy this novel. Although I don't read much about the Holocaust, because I have a hard time dealing with such material, I do like the introduction of an unusual element here -- the circus. What a great idea, to hide Jews from the Nazis in a circus! I wonder if this is based on a true story.

    I wish I had found out about this book sooner..... I would certainly have participated in the TLC tour, as I'm one of their tour hosts.

    Thanks for featuring this book! I'm going to add it to my Goodreads shelves!

    Happy Friday!! <3 <3 :) :)

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    1. It is based on true facts. I saw a Twitter post from the author saying that the descendants of the circus family wrote to her and thanked her.

      I hope you like the book when you read it, Maria.

      Thanks for stopping.

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  10. The setting of a 1940s era circus is so foreign to me and I'm completely captured by the idea. What a fantastic setting!

    Thanks for being a part of the tour.

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  11. This is my favorite of all Pam Jenoff's books. So glad you enjoyed it too!

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