This was a great historical fiction novel. I really fell in love with the characters, and there was suspense which kept me reading quickly!

As much as I love reading historical fiction about little known episodes in history, especially WWII history, this book didn’t hit the mark for me. There were too many characters, and I was unclear who the narrator was most of the time. The story was interesting, but told in a very convoluted way. I felt like the author would gotten the point across better if the plot had been simplified.

TBH, this title doesn't really spark any desire to read it. So ignore that part.

This is an interesting WWII story about a group in Belgium working to put out a satirical version of the local Nazi propaganda newspaper. And that's pretty dangerous, obviously. There's a young person with a thing for making things explode. There's a writer and a professor and a smuggler (who also happens to be a madame of sorts). It's inspired by actual events. Not to give anything away, but this newspaper was actually published and distributed and there are still copies in existence. But who will survive once the Nazis find out what is going on? It's a great story and it was definitely hard to put down.

I have a list of my top five favorite World War II novels, and E.R. Ramzipoor’s The Ventriloquists now counts among it.

The characters, some of whom were real people who dared to stand up to the Nazis and some who were created by the author, are deep, complex, and unique individuals who come together in a stunningly powerful way to make a statement when they know they are doomed no matter what.

Ramzipoor is able to use this sense of impending doom; the presence of the Nazis would be doom enough on it’s own, to give their characters a reason to speak up and act out. What else have they got to lose, really? And Aubrion, Noel, Lada, Gamin, Wellens, Spiegelman, and even the boys in the workhouses have nothing to lose. It’s clear they don’t really see themselves as having much to gain given, again, the fact that the Nazis are in Belgium.

So under the guise of their resistance movement, and as an ultimate act of resistance when they are conscripted to aid the Nazi propaganda movement, they create a newspaper that mocks the Nazis and their propaganda and pull off more than one ruse to manipulate the Nazis into helping them.

The Ventriloquists is in turn humorous and tragic. It is a story of hope in the face of certain defeat. It is the story of what humans can do for one another when it seems like the end is nigh.

(Thanks to NetGalley, Park Row, and E.R. Ramzipoor for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest & original review.)

DNF @ 10%. No connection to the writing or storyline. Too many characters to keep track of. No intrigue or investment in the plot.

The Vetriloquists was a stunning story of how WW2 brought out the courage in ordinary people. I particularly enjoyed the Belgian newspaper and the stereotypes each character was given before we met them. I highly enjoyed this work and will be looking forward to reading more of Kamizoor’s work in the future!

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much promise. The cover is intriguing, the title invites you to explore its pages, the summary is full of compelling tidbits. Now that I have finally finished it, I'm sorry to say it didn't live up to any of that promise.

I finished the book because I was at least a little interested in how the story would resolve. I loved that it was based on a true story and that Aubrion is a real person. It's great that these people have a voice now, that their story has been told. But it was a bit boring. I've read many a historical fiction set in Europe during World War II and they usually tug on my heartstrings a bit. This one did not elicit much emotion. I was happy at the end not because of how it ended but because it was over.

The biggest problem I had with it was the narrative. It didn't work for me. The parts in "present day" were uninteresting and seemed to only be there to further the telling of the Faux Soir storyline. And when Helene would break into the Faux Soir storyline to interject, it would throw me out of the little bit of atmosphere it had built up.

It's an inspiring bit of Belgian history told in an uninspiring way.

* received for free from netgalley for honest review* Amazing read and as always love the historical note at the end, would read again

I didn't finish this book. While the premise was interesting enough, it was too long and too many different threads for such a short amount of time period.

I love historical fiction, but was a little disappointed with this read. Having too many characters in a book can really make the reader lose focus and have to either flip back to find out who was who or just give up the book altogether. The storyline was good, it was just too many characters.

This debut did not disappoint. Helene is a 12 year old orphan who is surviving by living as a boy. She sells copies of a propagandist newspaper in Brussels in 1943. She's drawn into a secret network when she meets a journalist who is underground publishing newspapers. When the Nazis track down the team, they force them to turn these newspapers into propaganda for the public to go against the Allies - the other option is to be killed. The historical detail is so well thought out.

Well written and well researched novel. Perfect for fans of WWII historical fiction. This story shows the power of coming together for a good cause, and the power in the written word.

I love historical fiction and was so excited to read this book. The premise sounded super interesting! Unfortunately, I didn't get very far into it. There were so many characters and it was confusing. I may pick it up and give it another try some other time. But for right now, it just didn't work for me.

Amazing storyline and perfectly written characters!! A must read for any lover of historical reads!!!

This book is so hard to follow. I wanted to love (I read and appreciate a lot of WWII historical fiction), but there were so many characters, and it was all over the place.

One of those astonishing acts of courage (and humor) almost forgotten is brought to life in this novel about WWII Belgium. The Nazis had already taken over Le Soir, Brussel's most popular newspaper, turning it into a propaganda rag, but members of the Belgian Resistance decided to put out an alternative version of the paper on November 9, 1943, giving a nod to the 25th anniversary of the German defeat in World War 1. The idea of an anti-Nazi issue morphed into creating a satirical paper filled with typical Brussels humor--the Faux Soir.

To make this happen, an unlikely gang of Resistance members gather to create this bright moment in the lives of worn-out citizens. There are challenges with sourcing enough paper, ink, and setting up distribution. All of this the group takes on with audacity and, yes, humor, even though none of them expect to survive.

E.R. Ramzipoor gathers historical figures and creates new characters to step in for people whose names are not known. All are bright, well drawn figures who will win your loyalty. One especially, the man who is a "ventriloquist": someone who is able to recreate the writing style of absolutely anyone or thing. In this case, it's Nazi propaganda.

Not to spoil the outcome, but it is completely satisfying, even if the result of that outcome is heartbreaking. Ramzipoor has an engaging writing style and captures the character of exhausted Brussels after years of Nazi rule. There are almost too many details, but the bravado and poignancy of people literally risking their lives to make their sad nation laugh makes a wonderful read.

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

I'm not going to lie....I couldn't finish the book. I got about 1/3 through the book & was having such a hard time maintaining focus. There are so many characters and they're all over the place. I really wanted to like this too but it just wasn't for me.

As a lover of historical fiction, this covers ground that I thought would have been already written. However, it is a new story that is frightening and inspiring.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

A stunning true story of ordinary people, in Nazi occupied Belgium, fighting back with printed words. As a Communications major in college (many years ago) I found The Ventriloquists to be very intriguing; both the truth and fiction. E.R. Ramzipoor does a wonderful job of breaking down what is true and what is not in her author's note for those whom feel that is important to identify. Additionally the literary style of The Ventriloquists is gorgeous and leads to quotes like:
"The typewriters has gone to sleep for the evening, taking their needful melodies to bed with them. Aubrion hated the silence. Silence reminded him of everything that was frightening in the world: night and death and audiences that didn’t applaud."

Historical Reference
I'm very disappointed with myself (and my education) that I did not know the story of Le Soir or Faux Soir. Thus, I'm very thankful to Ramzipoor that she has brought this intriguing, but also important story to light. Many people today may not realize the resources it took pre-Internet to get a propaganda message out. Between paper, ink, press time, press labour and distribution it was no small feat to print and distribute a daily newspaper. Ramzipoor does a wonderful job of covering off every one of these key pieces prior to Le Soir hitting the streets for public consumption. And while she takes 544 pages to tell the story, I'm not sure I would want a single sentence cut as it all feels so critical to the ending and final piece that was printed and distributed in Belgium.
There are additional little tidbits of information in The Ventriloquists that could be novels all their own. My personal favourite true 'side' story I learned is this one:
"Germans later began shipping little fabric Stars of David to every town in Belgium; when the men and women of the post learned of Stars’ purpose, they took the Stars home and burned them."

Language
I love reading books set in France. Not only for the fact that France always feels like a truly romantic place (I've not been there yet); but also because they speak my favourite language, French. As a born and raised Western Canadian it's a little unusual that I am fluent in both English and French. 99% of French speaking Canadians (francophone) are in Quebec (east) and on the East Coast. Let me clarify that, English is my first language; French is the language I love but am only (at best) proficient in. For me there is something about books where they combine the French phrases that many know (without translation) and English that just makes my heart soar. The mix in The Ventriloquists felt perfect to me. It might be a little bit too much French, that goes untranslated, for some; but in that case I'd encourage readers to 'Google It' for a translation and appreciate the flow and style of the French language (but I'm biased).

Characters
Whether it's the characters that Ramzipoor researched and were real, or people she had to assume existed, each of our POVs and characters feel like real people. You might think that it's easier to narrate from the POV of a person that actually existed, than a fictional one. I have found that is not always the case for many writers. I could not have told you the difference between the characters based on historical record and those that Ramzipoor inserted or assumed into the story. They all feel equally fleshed out. I know many reviewers have criticized the plethora of characters in this story but the reality is that it would take a lot of people to pull off this feat.
I would remiss not to point out my three favourite characters: a boy of about 13 who is the primary POV, a lesbian whom seduces another (high powered) lady, and the star of the story our middle aged male and lead conspirator (real person) Aubrion. However even the side characters are so impeccably done that I can't leave them all out: a gay man who forges letters like no other (and is trapped into working for the Germans to stay alive), the German turncoat, or the man that donates his printing press (at great risk) to produce the final product are all beautifully done. Many of the lovely quotes in the story come from difference characters, including this gem I love:
"An ellipsis is a poor substitute for a period, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise..."

Ending
I've been known to hate a lot of endings. I often wonder if I've liked the ending to even 30% of the books I've read in my life. I dunno what it is but endings make or break stories for me. The Ventriloquist does not let down. From the true events that happen at the climax of the story, to the fictional outcomes for many of our characters; Ramzipoor does a wonderful job of wrapping up the pieces of the story for our many intriguing people in ways that feel balanced (given it's war time and they are all conspirators) and also surprisingly satisfying. A few may (of course) bring you to tears; but there really is no avoiding that when the Nazi's are involved.
"So it was beautiful and you burned it. All of Nazi history written in a single sentence."

Overall
If you have any interest in a small rebellious group, printing of newspapers, propaganda creation and distribution, WWII in Belgium, resilient people or just WWII in general this is a wonderful book to add to your repertoire. It will require some time to read because of it's dense language and length; but I believe the pay-off is well worth the effort. For me, The Ventriloquists easily deserves to be alongside The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and other recently told WWII literary feats, that bring to light some of the billions of stories of those who survived a time most of us can't even begin to relate to. Each one of these amazing stories of resilience and hope help me to remember that it can always get worse; and that if others survived in the past than I should certainly be able to survive today's world.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.