I haven't read a book this amazing in a long time! Beautifully described historically by author Irma Joubert I could feel all the historical research she has put into the delightful details. This was my total reading pleasure. The book really comes full circle from beginning to end. Lettie is a shy and awkward young woman with not a lot of confidence in her appearance. One thing she does have confidence in is her doctoring skills as she works with only the best, her father who teaches her how to become a doctor just like him as she grows up in South Africa. Her profession take her far and she is very skilled in doctoring. She falls for a young man, De Wit but he falls for her best friend. She meets a man,Marco he is a tender and wonderful man and they marry. He is hesitant to have children with her though because of the health problems he has developed. The character are so well developed and the story line was not what I expected. Though there were joys and losses within the book it comes full circle in the end and this is just what this book needs.
Pub Date 07 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lettie is not exceptionally pretty. She is not brilliant, nor is she a great conversationalist. Unlike her
friends, Lettie is just... ordinary. Though she dreams of catching the eye of the most handsome young man in school, she doesn't really stand a chance with her beautiful friends around. As her friends go on to develop relationships and go into important jobs, Lettie decides to become a doctor.

Marco Romanelli lives with his parents in Italy. He loves music and studying- and along with is brothers, he is quite brilliant. However, when he meets and falls in love with a Jewish girl his life changes- and when World War II breaks out, the whole world changes.

Life is a crooked path, and sometimes it takes us in unexpected directions. When Lettie and Marco meet, it sets in motion a chain of events that neither of them could ever have foreseen. 

As with all of Irma Joubert's books, this is a lyrical and thought-provoking novel. As is also the case in more of her books, faith plays a troubling role- when two people of different faiths meet and fall in love, what should happen? Should love be more important than faith? Or should faith be more important than love? 

The Crooked Path was well- written. Characters were thoroughly developed and the story-line was unpredictable. Events did not always transpire as the reader would wish, but the ending was satisfactory nonetheless. I do feel that faith could have played a stronger role throughout the novel- and I wish that it had. I rate this book a four out of five stars. I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson publishers in order to write an unbiased review.

The Crooked Path is an intriguing title, and the cover art is stunning. These are two things that initially draw me to a book, and this one absolutely did that.

Lettie, who has body issues and feelings of insecurity, is a character that is easy to sympathize with. She compensates for her lack of confidence and weaknesses, mostly, but is still shrouded in doubt that she’ll be loved the way she longs to be loved.

The book moves along fairly slowly for me. There is a lot of backstory and ‘telling’ that didn’t propel the story’s pacing or drive me to read. The setting(s) are captivating and the characters are relatable, but the pacing didn’t grab me and keep my attention.


3 Stars


Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 400
First Line: What she was looking at was definitely not what she wanted to see.

I received a complimentary copy from BookLook and NetGalley.

Favorite Quotes:

Annabel turned to her. “See, Lettie,” she said, carelessly tossing her hat onto her blanket roll, “that’s how you treat boys . . . men. They’re a bit like goats. If you stroke their egos, they’ll eat out of your hand.”

She was a tall, thin woman with hair piled high on her head and a nose like a quarter pound of cheese.

I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before and never will again.” His words flooded her brain, washed over her body, and entered the chambers of her heart where they were anchored, to be remembered and cherished in years to come.

You understand . . . with a deeper understanding than words can convey.”

Years ago my mom told me life sometimes leads you along a strange crooked path, but in the end it will always take you where you’re supposed to be…

My Review:

The Crooked Path bore no similarity to my expectations, and I couldn’t be happier. The premise was entertaining and the writing and storylines were captivating, well-crafted, and smartly paced. The book was highly engaging, eventful, well researched, and encompassed a shattering and traumatic period of history that was told through the inspiring, contrasting, and heartbreaking personal experiences and sacrifices of highly endearing characters on separate continents and of different cultures. The story was poignant, emotive, and thoughtfully written without being overly melodramatic. Sweet story threads, humorous descriptions, amusing observations, and thoughtful insights into the characters’ life-altering transitions were generously woven throughout to balance the tragedy and traumas that befell them. I reveled in the entertaining nuances of the various characters and customs, all of which were unfamiliar and intriguing to me. Ms. Joubert often tucked in amusing and mind-snagging Easter egg details such as the hairdresser “producing a comb from her ample bosom…” and a little later, “delved into her bosom again and produced a pair of scissors.” She was also rather gifted in stinging my eyes and burning my throat with her moving and heartrending narratives. I was captivated and engaged from the very beginning to the pleasantly satisfying end.

Thank you to TLC Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour. Irma Joubert is a new author to me. I have seen her books around but have never read anything before and was anxious to read The Crooked Path.

The book opened up with Lettie where we learn of her early years in South Africa, I have to admit I was not drawn in right away, I found her character and the writing a bit stilted and I had a hard time liking her. Then the story jumps to Marco and his experiences with World War II in Italy. I was immediately drawn in and immersed in his story. I haven’t read much of World War II taking place in Italy so this was an eye-opener and an emotional part of this book.

It’s when their lives meet up in South Africa that further invested me in the story and The Crooked Path. The affects of World War II don’t stop at the end of the war and for Marco it lingers and affects the rest of his life. Life isn’t easy in South Africa during this time and the author does a good job of presenting the lifestyle of that era and things people endured, especially Lettie as a female doctor.

The Crooked Path is a story of friendship, love and loss, and so much more, in a setting (both Italy and South Africa) both before and after World War II. Definitely an author I will read more of. She took me to places and events unfamiliar to me in an honest and realistic manner.

Another day, and this time a book about Italian prisoners of war meeting South African doctors. This book was an interesting read: set in a part of the world that we perhaps don’t think about when it comes to the Second World War, or its aftermath. The result is a book that can be, at times, heartbreaking.
The Crooked Path is mainly about two people: Marco Romanelli and Lettie Louw, two people who grow up on the opposite sides of the world- though characters from Joubert’s other novels also pop up during the story.
Despite the fact that the main part of the action is set in South Africa, though, the book begins, oddly, with Marco’s experiences during the Second World War, including a nasty spell in Auschwitz. Though the story Joubert tells here is sensitively done, it’s also jarring, and completely unrelated to the rest of the novel, so it does make for a confusing start.
The rest of it, though, is great. Bringing to mind Sarah Franklin’s excellent Shelter, the relationship between Marco and Lettie is made all the better because we do spend time getting to know them before they actually meet in real life. As characters, they’re believable, warm and easy to sympathise with- especially Lettie’s anguish when younger that she’ll never meet anybody, or win the heart of the boy she loves, because she believes that she’s too ugly to do so. They have human flaws, but Lettie’s determination coupled with Marco’s sweet nature make them people to root for.
Their romance is well written, too: they’re two likeable characters, and Joubert gives their romance the space to breathe, so that when they finally do get together it’s very sweet. I was also impressed by the amount of time Joubert devoted to building up the world that the characters lived in. It’s bizarre to think that as little as fifty years ago South Africa was almost cut off from the rest of the world, and inventions like the gramophone were considered sophisticated instruments! This focus on history takes a serious turn, too: polio is the main focus of the second half of the novel, which gives you a real sense of how much fear it must have caused the population, and makes the novel seem much more grounded and realistic.
The only thing I found a bit problematic was the ending. Joubert has a tendency to cross vast periods of time at random during the course of the novel, which does leave you floundering and struggling to connect with the characters- especially with the younger ones, like Lettie’s daughters. That in turn creates problems with the characters, as it feels more like you’re catching up with them rather than reading a story about their lives. The final section of the book has a romance that feels shoehorned in and clumsy as a result, and I got the feeling that Joubert was struggling to tie up loose ends with all of her characters- which makes for a slightly disappointing ending to an otherwise lovely book.
All in all, this is a light-hearted, sweet read that touches on some of the post-war years- but it’s real focus is the relationship between Lettie and Marcus. If you want something to curl up with this winter then The Crooked Path is it.

Another fantastic, yet emotionally gripping story set in South Africa during World War II and beyond.

Lettie Louw is the daughter of one of the town’s only physicians. As such, she was also friends with the daughter of one of the only lawyers in town as well. Sure she had other friends too, but as they grow older, she realizes that she doesn’t have their hair or their figures. Even so, she has always had a crush on her friend Klara’s brother De Wet. However, one night she says another friend Annabel and De Wet kissing and resolves that she will not succumb to her emotions and throws herself into her studies. Upon graduating with a medical degree like her father’s, she returns home to join his practice and live her life her way.

Marco Romanelli is the a scholar who has no interest in politics, until he meets Rachael Rosenweiz. Italy in the late 1930s has suddenly become a fearful place for all Jews, including Rachael and her family. As Hitler spreads his hatred across Europe, Mussolini is right behind him. Marco realizes that he must find a safe place for Rachael and her family, but all the borders to safety are closing, so they must head into the mountains. But winters in Northern Italy can be just as severe as a concentration camp and Marco endures much more than he can handle or bear. Eventually his health becomes severe and he decides to relocate to South Africa where his brother Antonio has gone. While there, he meets a young doctor that begins to change his perspective on life.

As always, this book in an incredible excerpt of historical fiction from a time period that I love in an area that I’m beginning to feel like I understand more with each Joubert novel that I have read. What made this even more enjoyable were the intertwining characters between this book and Child of the River. It was such a treat getting to see the other side of conversations that happened in the other book with a fresh perspective to give even more life to several of the characters, both good and bad. I also enjoyed that part of the book actually continued the story of Child of the River as it played out even further.

I must warn you, this book is very emotionally taxing. If dealing with lost loves wasn’t enough, now she has brought childhood polio into the mix, making it even more difficult. Even so, I would read this book another twenty times because it is just that good. The way she balances historical advances and events with the characters is simply wonderful. I cannot get enough of her writing. My synopsis are pretty generic, but once you’ve read it, I’m sure you will see why I wanted you to read this book in the first place.

Highly recommended for historical fiction lovers and to those who just love a good book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Irma Joubert is a new author for me to read. The Crooked Path description sounded so intriguing that I requested it without knowing anything about this author. It is an amazing WWII story that brings to life people in vastly different places of the world during this time. How their lives become intertwined is nothing short of an incredible story.

These characters, all of them, not just Marco and Lettie will stay with me for a long, long time. “Even a crooked path has to lead somewhere,” profoundly wise while also being the heart of this book. It is the unimaginable events of the time that caused this journey from Europe to Africa in a story that is heartbreaking but heartening. As the reader I was unable to see far down the path of the journey which made the ending quite unexpected.

Well-crafted is too mild of a word to describe The Crooked Path, it is a brilliant read. I would read anything by this author, never mind that it must be translated into English. The heart of the story is not lost in translation. Irma Joubert is also the author of The Girl from the Train, another war story that I have recently purchased. Can’t wait to read.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I had a really hard time getting into the story. I found it really slow.

I’ve been wanting to read one of Irma Joubert’s books for some time now, so when I was given the opportunity to review The Crooked Path, I snapped it up. I’ll admit it took me a couple of chapters to get into the story, because it begins with a lot of narrative that provides a summary of Lettie’s childhood through to attending university during WWII. It may have been partly the fact that this novel is translated to English from the original language (Dutch or Afrikaans—I’m not sure which), but the writing in the opening chapters felt abrupt to me and even detached.

But then, in the third chapter, we meet Marco Romanelli, and although he is introduced in much the same way, I was quickly drawn into his story as a young Italian man in love with a Jewish girl as war breaks out in Europe. It was eye-opening to know just what some people went through to survive the war, and as his story progressed, I began to get an inkling of how his path might eventually cross with Lettie’s, and by then I was hooked.

Lettie’s mother once told her that life sometimes leads you along a strange crooked path, but in the end it will always take you where you’re supposed to be. On the other side of the world, as the political unrest heightens in Europe, Marco observes: “Even a crooked path has to lead somewhere.” This book takes us along those crooked paths with Marco, Lettie and Lettie’s friends Klara, Christina, and Annabel over a span of some thirty or forty years, navigating life’s important relationships—friendship, romance, and parenthood—and both the joy and the sadness encountered along the way. And although there are obviously times when the books skips large sections of time, there is continuity in the path the story takes through those years.

I really don’t want to say anything more about the plot—that’s best left to the book itself—but there was a sense in which this story came full circle by the end. I would have liked a bit more of a dénouement, as there wasn’t really any time to enjoy the ending once we got there, but this is an engaging read for those who want to experience life in a different time and place, and be reminded that even when we don’t get what we want, even when life takes unexpected detours, there is beauty to be found on a crooked path.

This is a sequel to Child of the River, I did not read it first, I found this book stood on its own merits, but I will certainly pick up Child of the River now. Irma has a different style in writing than I am use to, sometimes her sentences are short, and I would say kind of an elementary style. Not that it detracts from the story, it is just different. She uses the “he said or she said” style quite a bit.
The book is described as a WWII historical fiction, I found this more as a coming of age love and life story of a group of childhood friends in South Africa, not dwelling on WWII. We cover their marriages, children, losses, loves, challenges, tribulations and their decisions as they move through their lives.
Lettie is the main character. She feels she is not as attractive as her other young girlfriends, she then finds her first love in the arms of one of her best friends and is crushed. To avoid any future hurt, she focuses on her studies, goes to university and becomes a doctor, taking over her father’s practice. Marco, a music teacher, former Italian soldier from WWII becomes one of her patients, they fall in love and we follow their marriage, loves and losses.
I enjoyed this book, it is based on several characters and situations the author knew or her family knew of during this time frame in the 1940’s and 50’s. I learned quite a bit about the tuberculosis and infant paralysis treatment and symptoms. I grew up in the 50’s so I related to these situations. Her character development was good, she made you feel compassion for some of the characters and not so much for a couple of them.
I liked the ending and would recommend this book, the storyline was good, character development good. I’ll be reading more of Irma Joubert.

This is Irma Joubert at her finest! Emotionally raw and compelling. This author is able to draw a story that goes through many years of the characters lives and make you believe you truly lived each step of the way with them.

The synopsis of the book led me to selecting this book to read. The story is about Lettie who always felt a bit different than everyone around her. And the love interest, Marco, is Lettie's first patient. 

Honestly, I didn't understand this book. I felt like there were so many characters, story lines and I was just plain confused. Lost. I didn't like the story, the book, the characters. I tried. Truly, I tried. But in the end, I made it through 31% of the book on my kindle and said phooey on it. There are so many other books out there that are well worth reading, and sadly for me, this is not one of them.

I believe I read a review somewhere, and their was mention that reading the previous book to this one was necessary to understand the story. If I had been aware of that, perhaps I would have held off on reading this book.

Beautiful prose. Joy and sorrow. Joubert certainly takes the reader on a journey during this moving story, told in a two-person narrative. Strong descriptions and character development abound. The characters’ stories are woven together seamlessly. While things start out a bit slowly, the reader will certainly want to hang on, as the pace does pick up. The novel shifts back and forth a bit, but not in a confusing way. As with her other novels, it’s apparent that Joubert has done her research, as the details add to the realism of life and challenges during the time period. A lovely cover complements the story. Fans of historical fiction will want to check out this book.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

The Crooked Path was an enjoyable read. Lettie is looking back on her life after she has retired from being a physician, although I didn't realize that was what she was doing at the beginning of the book. After I got into the story there were both sad and happy times in her life and the lives of her group of friends living in South Africa during WWII. This is a coming of age book with Lettie and her friends with hardships disappointments and good times as they move through life and love. This is the second book I have read by Ms. Joubert and am looking forward to more.

I received this book for NetGalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.

In my last review of a book by Irma Joubert, I said that I'd read several of her books. I guess now that I have read three of her books, I can claim that. There are some remarks I made that I will stand by for a long time.
I find each one to be exquisite in plot, character, and depth. Her writing ability is unsurpassed and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She's not afraid to tackle hard subjects in her writing and her research bears out in all the historical details she includes in her novels.
This book, The Crooked Path is a sequel to Child of the River, and many of the same characters show up in the book, along with a whole company of new ones. Lettie is the daughter of the village doctor in South Africa, and desires to be a doctor in her own right. Her marks in school and in university are the envy of those who don't work as hard.

Marco is in love with a Jewess but in Italy as well as the rest of Europe, the Jews are in danger. After hiding her family in a cave for three years, they are all found and relocated to a concentration camp. When the war ends, Marco finds that his love is dead along with the rest of her family, and Marco is very sick. His brother Lorenzo comes to take him home from the hospital so his mother can nurse him. His brother Antonio was a prisoner of war, taken to South Africa to work on a farm where he fell in love with the daughter of the farmer. When he goes back to South Africa, he convinces Marco to come along--the dry climate is going to be better for his health.

While the book starts during World War II, it ends with the advent of the polio vaccine. Marco and Lettie's love story is a happy/sad one all at the same time. Because Marco is so fragile, he doesn't want Lettie to get pregnant, but he finally gives in and they have two beautiful daughters.

Irma has woven the stories of a number of characters into one cohesive novel that engages the reader from the very beginning, and doesn't let go until after the last page has been read. This is one of the best books I've read in a while, and I appreciate Irma's talent in writing the story. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an Opera at La Scala!

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the first Joubert novel I have read. Such a lovely story…Joubert superbly immerses the reader into the lives of Lettie, Marco, DeWet and other friends and family members. The story has the feel of an “epic” type novel. The writing is beautiful and the prose is very moving. I highly recommend taking the time to read this beautiful novel.

I wish there was more to this book. I wish there was more in Italy during the war, more in South Africa during the war. I wish there was more personal story and connection and less discourses on polio, for example.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book was hauntingly beautiful. Such anguish and such happiness. What a journey!!

THE CROOKED PATH was the first novel that I read by Ms Joubert....hopefully not the last. I loved her writing style, her storytelling ability, and her imagination. This novel captured my attention from the cover art....and did not let go until the final page. I have shared this story w/ all of my reading friends. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.