This was a sad, beautiful story of survival. I loved how it flowed and provided another side of the horrors of war. And I wasn't expecting the Daughter in the title to be the daughter it was.

Barely 3 stars.

It feels a bit sacrilegious to say that a book that is meant to depict the horrors of WWII felt dull and uninspired, but that was my reaction to The Daughter’s Tale. The story focuses on Amanda Sternberg and the plight of her two daughters during WWII. After Amanda and her daughters are forced to leave Poland, there are no good choices for Amanda to ensure the survival of her daughters. Early on, she sends one daughter off to live with her brother in Cuba, and the rest of the story focuses on the survival of her younger daughter. Who stays in France. This should have been better, but the writing and emotions felt a bit flat. Also, the plot got a bit hard to follow and convoluted at times. I think I would have liked this one better if it gave us more of a perspective on the life of the daughter in Cuba. This was a monthly read with Diane and Angela. We all had similar reactions, although there are plenty of positive reviews. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

What a powerful story! This book drew me in and kept my attention; I cried, I hoped and I felt connected to the characters and the lives they were living.- the author was able to capture the feelings of what I can only possibly imagine they would have felt living as Jews and non Jews in Nazi Germany and France.

This books takes you on a journey with several characters but it’s done so seamlessly, its just a natural flow between their journeys compared to other books that feel like you are bouncing.

A historical fiction worth delving into for sure! I’m definitely going to be re-reading this one!

The Daughter's Tale follows Lina through the course of the war, with a flash forward to her in current day. She is a victim of circumstance, of the decisions the adults in her life make in the name of saving her. As a fan of historical fiction, I truly enjoyed this tale. I was engaged from start to finish, not always sure which direction the book would take, but always up for the journey. It left me wondering what had become of the people who passed through her life during the war - Amanda, Danielle and Marie-Louise. But this was Lina's story and like her, once they were out of her life they were out of the story.

April 15, 2019

The Daughter’s Tale by Armando Lucas Correa

A special thank you to NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story overall was very nice. The characters were easy to believe, and the story flowed well. One thing I was thankful for, especially having read The Tattooist of Auschwitz not that long ago, it wasn’t as graphic as I feared.
I actually had a nice block of time to read this book, and so I wasn’t going three chapters forward, one back. Unfortunately, I did cram the ending in shortly after midnight one night about a week ago. Note to self: Don’t do that! I missed key phrases that would have made the ending make sense and not left me feeling gypped and grappling for answers when it was already well past my bedtime.
Fast forward to today, where I took an hour to go back to the last section of the book for a thorough reread. It all became clear in a checklist kind of way, unfortunately I find this quite common in fiction; answering all the questions in the last few paragraphs.
That said, it was an enjoyable read and I learned a little bit more about the history of this time period because the author employed some facts and added a note at the ending referencing them. A nice touch I thought.

The Daughter's Tale opens in New York City in 2015 where 80-year-old Elise Duval receives a phone call from a lady that has letters that were written to Elise from her mother during the war. The book then shifts to uncover the plight and secrets one family went through trying to flee Nazi Germany. A heart-wrenching piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended!

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

I would rate this novel a solid 4 stars. As much as the experience of living through World War II as a Jew must have been excruciating for the average person ...the content of this story started to sound very much like other novels I have read on the subject! I do wish the author would have spent more time let us know the fates of some of the other characters …I felt that there was some unfinished business that needed to be addressed! That being said, this is still a very powerful story! Unfortunately, because of the evolution of time …many stories of the survivors of the Holocaust will get lost or distorted. As for the author, I did enjoy Correa’s style of writing and I will look forward to reading more of this author.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

This is a riveting WWII story about the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her children. It is inspired by actual events including the atrocities that occurred in Oradour-Sur=Glane France in June 1944. For fans of the author's previous book The German Girl and fans of WWII historical fiction, this is worthy addition to their reading list. I will be recommending it to friends and customers alike.

New York, 2015: 80-year-old Elise Duval receives a phone call from a woman who has recently arrived from Cuba. The woman has letters written to Elise by her mother in German from WW2, unravelling secrets that have been left untold for 70 years.

Berlin, 1930s: Bookstore owners Amanda Sternberg is fleeing Nazi Germany with her two young daughters. She arrives in unoccupied France with only one.

I wanted to love this novel. I am a huge fan of historical novels, especially ones taking place during the World Wars. But I never found myself completely immersed in the story. I'm pretty sure I read a translation and this may be the issue, but the writing was a bit dry. It didn't have the emotional pull I expected, which prevented me from really engaging with the story.

I made it about 40% before I gave up, but I really did enjoy the premise. I think the story introduced great hints for intriguing secrets. I just wish I had felt the need to keep reading to discover them.

A horrific recount of the dismal display of humanity during that horrible war. This story terrifies you with the ordeal of the everyday lives of the population most affected. Families torn apart, then pieced together not by blood but by the love and caring of strangers. A sad, sad testament for a time that we must remember and never allow to happen again.
I was shaken by the insight of the young characters, confused in fact and had to remember that their experiences were their reality, and had to be viewed through their shock and pain.
A beautiful piece to be pondered and digested. Words that will get to your heart and images that are difficult to forget.

This is a strongly crafted story of a Jewish woman fleeing from Germany in 1939 to unoccupied France with one of her two daughters inspired by a true story. It encompasses seventy-six years filled with pain and secrets.
Amanda, a recent widow, loses touch with her elder daughter and then France is occupied by the Nazis. Ending up in a labour camp after most of the village is massacred, she plans an escape for her younger daughter that succeeds. To say more would spoil the read.
I found the characters well defined; the plot is astonishing and kept me reading late into the night. Tension and pacing is excellent.
This book is about heartbreak, courage, undying love, and hope and is so well written that I heartily recommend it.

I was given an ARC of Armando Lucas Correa’s latest novel The Daughter’s Tale through #netgalley. It is the story of the Sternberg family of Berlin. In his final days, Julius Sternberg secured 2 tickets 🎫 for his daughters aboard the SS St. Louis for passage from Hamburg to Cuba, his brother in law was living there already. He also arranged for his wife to hide on a remote farm in France 🇫🇷. Then, in the last moment, Amanda Sternberg changes the plans and sends the eldest daughter, Viera, off to Cuba 🇨🇺 on her own, keeping Lina, the baby, with her in Europe. We follow the two to France 🇫🇷, and Armando spares no details of the horrors of wartime in France, including the massacre of #oradoursurglane. Thank you #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read Armando Lucas Correa’s #thedaughterstale. #wemustneverforget #weremember #ssstlouis #cuba

A powerful book of the Holocaust, from the perspective of a young girl. Heart wrenching in the honest examination of lives forever changed by the brutality of the war. And yet through it all love, hope, and determination survive. Lina’s story is heartbreaking as the horror of the occupation comes alive through Correa’s beautiful writing. His characters are well developed and their fear, pain and hope is palpable. I would definitely encourage everyone to read this book as it truly will give you a new perspective on the horrors of World War II.

This story was a very emotional one. It recounted the fate of the Sternberg family during WWII. They were German Jew, and they faced horrible circumstances under the regime.
First, the patriarch was sent to a concentration camp, where he died. The matriarch, Amanda, found herself having to make some difficult decisions; sending her eldest daughter across the ocean without her. Then when they ended up in a holding camp in the French countryside, having to do atrocious things in order to survive, and secure her youngest daughter, Lina's escape.
Lina/Elisa has to lost her family in one way or another to the war, even her adoptive mother to a massacre. Yet, she is able to retain some semblance of hope.
A story that shows all the horrors of war, and how it can crush the human spirit, but also bring people who are suffering together.

4.5 for me ; but will round up to 5.

The Daughter's Tale is a powerful, haunting novel of World War 2 that will stay with you long after the book is closed.

The struggle for survival for Amanda and her two daughters and the sacrifices she must make to try and keep them from harm's way is compelling. You will cry with Amanda, you will cheer her on.

One of the biggest if not biggest travesty of World War 2 is a part of the story when the Nazi's kill an entire town in the South of France.

This is not just the story of Amanda and her daughters, but it is the story of those around them that helped and were a part of this harrowing journey.

The secrets come to light in 2015 when Elise receives a phone call and some letters from her Mom , all those years ago.

I loved The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa and this book is even more powerful

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada for the wonderful opportunity to read The Daughter's Tale.

The author takes you into the tragic lives of Jews and other undesirables.. Two small children have their lives torn apart, not only by Germans but by the French. The French were feared more than the Germans by everyone. A well-written story, hard to put down.

This book was absolutely wonderful, the characters literally leaped off the page, the style of writing superb. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction, particularly pertaining to what took place in rural France during the Holocaust.years.

A good historical novel, such as this one, enables to see events through the eyes of the characters we have gotten to know on the pages. This makes the facts laid out on a dry history text become more vivid and involves our emotional reactions.

I became informed about two events with which I was unfamiliar. I had not heard or read about the massacre by the Nazis of the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France, 1944. Six hundred forty-two men, women and children were slaughtered.

I knew of the ship, St. Louis, which in 1939 carried over 900 passengers, mostly German Jewish refugees. They were refused entry into Canada which is a blot on our history. I did not know it was the same ship first denied permission to land in Cuba, and then refused entry to the USA. They were forced back to Europe where most died in concentration camps or in the chaos of war.

The book chronicles a dark and evil time. Families were decimated, substitute families formed, millions died. It touches on many lives lost, how some people managed to survive the horror, sacrifices made, and difficult decisions, guilt, terror, and some kindness under risk to lives. The main theme was of a mother’s love for her children, She would do anything to enable them to survive the war.

The story centres on a Jewish family, living comfortably in Berlin, 1939. The father is a successful cardiac physician, whereas the mother owns a bookstore. Amanda Sternberg and husband, Jules have two young daughters. Amanda is ordered to burn the books in her shop. As the books are set on fire she thinks that people who burn books would next be burning people. Jules is sent to a work camp, from which no one returns. Amanda with her two little girls manage to get to France where they think they have found a safe haven, but the Nazis are approaching. She has received only two permits to board ship to join her brother who lives in Cuba. She is desperately deciding who will board the ship. The family is shattered as a result of her choices.

This is just the beginning of the story. I won’t give away the rest of the plot, except to say that there are heartbreaking events which occur in Nazi-occupied France.

The author is a Cuban who has won literary awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications as well as journalism awards. He now lives in NYC, and his historical novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Highly recommended for people who enjoy historical novels based on fact, as well as books focusing on WW2.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in return for an honest review.