The history behind The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff goes as follows. A sewage work in the town of Lvov used his knowledge to protect a group of Jews from the Nazis. Think about that. People went down to and lived in the sewers with all the filth that entails to escape and to survive! What is so important about stories such as this one is that they remind us of man's atrocities towards man. What is also important is the fact that these two young women transcend their differences to find friendship, and that along with the atrocities, such periods in history also brought out heroes who brought help and hope. Perhaps, one day we will learn.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/05/the-woman-with-blue-star.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher's blog tour.

Jenoff, Pam. The Woman with the Blue Star. Harlequin, 2021.

Nineteen-year-old Sadie Gault is living with her parents in the Jewish quarter in Krakow, Poland in 1942. When the Germans come to round up the Jews, the Gaults and another family, the Rosenburgs, escape down into the sewers under the city. While they are being led through the tunnels, Sadie and her pregnant mother, Danuta, watch in horror as Mr. Gault falls into the water and gets carried away in the current. The living arrangements in the sewer chamber for Sadie, her mother, and the Rosenbergs are only supposed to be temporary. However, the two families end up living there for months after Pawel, the sewer worker who led them there, is arrested by the Polish police. After Pawel’s arrest, the two families have to figure out how they will get food and supplies without his help. In the meantime, Sadie and Saul Rosenberg, the Rosenbergs’ son, begin a relationship when they start reading books together.

While Gaults and Rosenbergs are trying to survive underneath Krakow, nineteen-year-old Ella Stepanek is stuck living with her Austrian stepmother, Anna, in another part of the city. Her father has died fighting in the Polish army and has left everything to Anna. Much to Ella’s dismay, Anna is entertaining and consorting with Nazi soldiers right in their home. One day, Anna sends Ella to the market, and Ella notices Sadie looking up at her through a sewer vent. Ella and Sadie become friends, and Ella, with the help of her boyfriend, Krys, who is part of the Resistance, try to provide food for the sewer families.

More complications for the Gaults and Rosenbergs begin after Danuta gives birth to her daughter. Afraid that the baby’s cries will give away the families’ location, Danuta leaves the sewer to take the baby to a hospital and never returns. The two families continue to have to make decisions that will affect their survival during the war.

The Woman with the Blue Star takes place in Krakow, Poland, both above and below ground. It is told in alternating chapters in first-person by Sadie and Ella. Other parts of the story are filled in by Pawel and Lucy, Sadie’s sister, when they finally meet years later.

Pam Jenoff is a masterful world-builder. Her descriptions of life in the sewers are horrifying and based on events that actually happened. Readers will feel they are smelling the foul, stagnant water and hearing the nasty rats scurrying in the dark. In addition, the depiction of life in Krakow during the war shows how the city was affected and how Jews were treated during this time.

The book shows both the good and bad of the human race during World War II. Although they are from different walks of life, Sadie and Ella make a real connection and quickly become good friends. Both girls have to reach down deep and find their inner strength to help others. This fervent story is one of hope, survival, struggles, friendship, loss, and family.

Hand this book to readers who enjoy reading fiction stories about World War II and those who like tales of survival and adversity. Although it is written for adults, it would be a good young adult crossover novel, as teens would also enjoy it. I recommend it for high school and public libraries and give it four out of five fleur de lis!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read and review this novel.

Pam Jenoff is back, doing more of what she does best: interesting, well-researched, Holocaust-related historical fiction. This one is set in Krakow, on the streets and in the sewers. It is that latter part that makes this novel work so well. Jenoff manages to create an entire world of hopes, fears, and drama in the sewers underneath Krakow. It's not a common setting for a Holocaust novel, but Jenoff manages to show how high the stakes were. Her writing here is adept: I felt the filth, the fear, the grating of personalities against each other. Both Sadie and Ella were compelling characters and the splitting of the novel between them worked better than split POVs usually work in novels. I highly recommend this one; I think it is a new take on what is becoming a somewhat tired genre.

3.5 Stars

Sadie and Ella are two young women living in Poland during WWII who end up forming an unlikely alliance. Sadie is Jewish and has been chased from a Jewish ghetto with her parents to the sewers of Krakow. Ella is from a prominent Christian family and has grown up in luxury. Their chance meeting happens when Ella is on an errand for her stepmother and sees Sadie in the sewer where they form a bond.

I enjoy most WWII historical fiction novels, especially about triumphing in unlikely situations, and I enjoyed this one, as well. However, I would not say this is one of Pam Jenoff's best novels. The characters were real and relatable, and the story was compelling, but at times I found myself frustrated with the adolescent behaviors of the two girls. So much so that it took away from the story for me. I understand that they were young adults, but I think after everything Sadie went through, she wouldn't have been so haphazard and neglectful. Or, if she had, she wouldn't have survived as long as she did.

And the ending was so confusing. I knew what was going on, and I appreciated what the author was trying to do; I just thought it could have been executed better.

I always enjoy Pam Jenoff's novels, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this novel.

This book was incredible. And heartbreaking. And inspiring. I was at the edge of my seat for the entire book and couldn’t put it down. Strong ending.

The Germans have moved Sadie and her family into the ghetto in Krakow. They have lived there for quite a while when the Germans decided to eliminate all of the Jews. To save themselves, Sadie and her family move to the sewer system.

Sadie meets Ella, a young polish girl, through a grate. This chance meeting lifts Sadie’s spirits and may end up saving her life in the long run.

What an emotional roller coaster! Sadie’s situation and the tragedy she has experienced almost had me in tears! Pile on the intensity of her situation and I was all over the place! AND! The intensity and emotion just keeps growing as the story moves along!

Need a good tear jerker! THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

If you are looking for a sad and yet happy story that takes place in Poland during WWll you will love this daring tale. Sadie and Ella are quite different young women who grew up in Poland and accidentally meet during the last years of the war. They are wonderful young women that each have struggles that they must overcome. You will want Kleenex handy. I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins/Mira for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

The blurb gives part of the background, so it’s no secret to say that Jewish families hiding the sewers of Krakow, Poland during WWII is a truly unique setting. It actually felt like “it should have been obvious” – the sewers of Paris were hiding places for several different revolts and revolutions, so people escaping an oppressive regime would naturally head there. I found the character mix to be interesting as well. The story skims along, switching periodically between Ella and Sadie. An expected twist was not surprising to me – I guessed it early on. I also thought that the wrap up of characters seemed rushed. It was still a good read. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Harlequin Books (Park Row) and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.

Author Pam Jenoff adds to her growing canon of WWII stories about courageous women with her latest novel, The Woman with the Blue Star.

Sadie is eighteen years-old when she and her parents are forced to flee into the sewer tunnels of Krakow to avoid being captured by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp. Pawel, a handyman who Sadie's father showed kindness to, repays him by hiding Sadie's family and an Orthodox family- a father, his adult son Saul, and his elderly mother- in the sewer and bringing them small stores of food when he can.

They escaped with few belongings, and are forced to live in a cramped area of the sewer. The smell is atrocious, and the boredom is nearly as bad as the fear of being discovered by the Nazis. One day, Sadie wanders to the sewer grate and on the street above, her eyes meet a woman close in age to her.

Ella peers down and she is shocked to see Sadie. Ella's father is deceased, and she lives with her stepmother, a woman who entertains German soldiers in the family home, much to Ella's disgust. Ellas's stepmother reminds her repeatedly that she can kick Ella out of her home anytime she wishes.

Ella decides that she must help Sadie, even if it puts her own life in jeopardy. She brings Sadie food, and they form a deep friendship. Ella even takes things further, becoming involved in the resistance movement, risking her own life.

Jenoff based her novel on the true stories of Jewish people who hid in the sewer tunnels in Krakow during the war. I had never heard these stories, and she does an admirable job placing the reader right down there with Sadie and the others. You can feel the claustrophobic atmosphere surrounding you as you read, and wonder if you yourself would have the courage to do what Sadie and Ella did.

At its heart, The Woman with the Blue Star is a story of the bond of friendship that bring two young women together, and the courage they show, in the face of grave danger. The amazing resilience of the human spirit is on full display as well. Fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale will want to add this to their To-Be-Read list.

Thanks to Harlequin

What a truly emotional historical fiction novel.
I went through so many different emotions reading The Woman with the Blue Star.
Heartbreaking while also heartwarming.
A moving story of family, survival, adaptability and friendships.
You will be astonished at the ending.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author Pam Jenoff says that The Woman with the Blue Star emanates from her "love and reverence for the people who lived through the Holocaust, born out of the years I spent in Eastern Europe working on Holocaust issues." She was inspired to write the book when she discovered the unimaginable true story of a group of Jewish citizens who hid for many months from the Nazis by living in the sewers of Lviv, Poland. She relates, "When I find a story that makes me still gasp, I'm hopeful that others will feel the same." She was taken by a "particularly moving story where a young girl in the sewer had looked up through the grate and seen a young girl buying flowers. When she remarked on the disparity between the girl on the street and herself, her mother said, 'Someday there will be flowers.' I was struck by the horrific circumstances which they endured, as well as their ingenuity and resilience in surviving there."

Jenoff wondered what would happen if "the girl above and the girl below had the chance to meet and become friends." The result is The Woman with the Blue Star, a thoroughly engrossing, beautifully written, and deeply moving tale of two young women, roughly the same age, who find themselves existing in starkly contrasting circumstances in the same city at the same time in history. Their first encounter impacts both of them profoundly and they develop a most unlikely and dangerous friendship.

The book opens in Krakow in 2016. Via a first-person narrative, a woman in her early seventies explains that she has traveled to Poland from America in search of a woman around ninety years of age. She watches as the older woman takes her usual seat at a table in a cafe, trying to summon the courage to approach her. When she does, she says that "the woman I see before me is not the one I expected at all." The identities of the two women, and the reason why the younger of the two has traveled so far to speak to the older one is an intriguing mystery with which Jenoff deftly pulls readers into the story immediately.

The action then turns back to Krakow in March 1942. "Everything changed the day they came for the children," Sadie relates in her first-person narrative. She describes the day the Nazis raided the three-story building in the ghetto in which she and her parents have been forced to take up residence with a dozen other families. While her parents labor during the day -- her father was an accountant before the war -- Sadie is supposed to remain hidden in the attic crawl space. But, cold and restless, the days stretched on endlessly in a place where she could not stand up and did not have enough light to read her beloved books. So when she grew hungry, she dared venture downstairs to the kitchen in search of crumbs and a glass of water, and remained there for a few minutes reading The Count of Monte Cristo. When she hears tires screech and loud voices outside, she knows she has stayed too long. The Nazis have commenced an "aktion" -- a sudden unannounced arrest of large groups of Jews to be taken from the ghetto to the concentration camps. "The very reason I was meant to be hiding in the first place." With insufficient time to make her way back to the attic, Sadie hides in the place she was shown by her mother, listening as the soldiers yell, "Kinder, raus!" ("Children, out.") "It was not the first time the Germans had come for children during the day, knowing that their parents would be at work." Eventually, there is silence until the laborers return to find their children gone.

Jenoff offers yet another first-person narrative from Ella that commences in June 1942. She is heartbroken because Krys, the young man she loves, refused to become engaged before going off to fight. Ella's mother died of influenza when she was just a toddler and her two older sisters have married and moved away. Her older brother, Maciej, is living in Paris with his partner, Phillipe. Ella has been left to reside in the family home with her stepmother, Ana Lucia. Her father, Tata, insisted upon renewing his army commission when the war started, and was declared missing and presumed dead shortly after leaving. Now, Ella spends the evenings listening to Ana Lucia entertaining Nazi soldiers, "the higher ranking, the better," having decided to convert the Polish people's captors into friends in order to protect herself. Because Tata died without a will, Ana Lucia has inherited the beautiful home and all of his money, leaving Bella at her mercy. "When you are young, you expect the family you were born into to be yours forever. Time and war had made that not the case."

And then in March 1943, with Sadie's forty-year-old mother expecting a baby in late summer, the Nazis commence another "aktion." She observes that the toilet in the apartment building has been lifted from the floor, revealing a hole in the ground, and her father is frantically chopping the concrete edges to make the hole bigger. As everyone in the ghetto is being rounded up and gunfire erupts, she is horrified when her father directs her to climb through the hole, down into a dark, ominous, foul-smelling void. When she hesitates, her father shoves her and she lands on her knees. She is shocked to see that others are already there. "I took a breath and started to gag. The smell was everywhere. It was the stench of water filled with feces and urine, as well as garbage and decay that thickened the air. 'Breathe through you mouth,' Mama instructed quietly. 'Shallow breaths.'" Soon a stranger leads them on a perilous, tragic journey through tunnels under the city, eventually delivering them to the place where Sadie will remain for months.

The Woman with the Blue Star begins with suspense, quickly segueing into a fast-paced, heart-stopping tale about people forced to endure horrific conditions in order to stay alive. It is not an easy book to read, because Jenoff compassionately, but candidly, details the hardships that Sadie and the others suffer and the dangers they encounter. When Sadie's father tells her she must go through the hole in the floor to the sewer below, she believes that she is making her way to a safe place, consoling herself with the belief that the trip is a means to an end. "Instead, it was the destination itself. For all of my wildest nightmares, I could not have imagined that we would be staying in the sewer." There is no escape, with Nazis patrolling the streets of Krakow and shooting Jews on sight, and blockades preventing escape. Ironically, they are stowed away within a maze of pipes and passageways . . . none of which lead to freedom. "Death hung like a scepter above, waiting for all of us if we were captured. We didn't want to be trapped underground -- yet everything hung on our making it work." The need to remain hidden and quiet causes increasing consternation as the days pass, the meager food supply further diminishes, the sounds coming from above grow increasingly ominous, and her mother's pregnancy progresses. How will they be able to care for an infant, much less keep a baby from crying and bringing unwanted attention to them?

Because none of them can leave, their survival is completely dependent upon the assistance of those who dare venture into the sewer to bring them food. Jenoff says that she was "moved by the selflessness of those who helped them, most notably a sewer worker,. . ." Indeed, in the book, it is a sewer worker, Pawel, who risks his own life in order to deliver the needed sustenance to Sadie and the others. Before the war, he was a thief in order to feed his wife and child. Because Sadie's father showed him kindness, he decides that saving Sadie and the others "is my life's work." It becomes his chance for salvation.

The relationship between Sadie and Ella is not the only friendship that Jenoff explores. Among those sheltering in the sewer is a family of observant Jews. Saul and his family escaped to Krakow from a small village, believing that conditions would be better there. His older brother, Micah, a rabbi, stayed behind and was forced into a small ghetto. Saul's fiancee, Shifra, refused to flee with him, remaining behind to care for her sick mother and family. As time passes, and Saul's hope of seeing Micah or Shifra again dims, Saul and Sadie grow close, sneaking away to another part of the sewer at night that provides more light in order to read and talk, eventually developing feelings for each other. But if they manage to escape the sewer when the war ends, will their relationship endure?

Jenoff says writing the book proved to be a very powerful experience. She penned it in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, so "I was writing about isolation while we were in isolation." The story resonated with her -- and will with readers, as well -- in part because it is an exploration of the need for human connection created during a period of time when readers have themselves been separated from their family and friends.

The Woman with the Blue Star is a haunting, poignant, and gut-wrenching epic about the resilience of the human spirit and the indomitable will to live that was displayed by so many during World War II. Sadie is a determined young woman whose parents instilled in her a love of learning and encouraged her dream of studying medicine. She will do whatever is necessary to protect her mother, unborn sibling, and those with whom she hides, believing that Krakow will be liberated and they will be freed any day. Although Ella lost her mother at a very young age, she was a stranger to adversity even during the early days of war. "Sequestered in my world of privilege and protection, I didn't often see the hardships that the ordinary people were facing during the war." But even before she catches her first glimpse of Sadie, she gradually realizes that war is taking its toll on the city she loves and its people, noticing, for the first time, the lack of food, the destruction, the fear, and the Germans' brutality, even as Ana Lucia welcomes it into their home. Once she does see Sadie, she is changed forever. She is at first wary. "Keep your head low, that was the lesson I had learned from the war. . . . Stay out of everyone's way and you might have a chance of coming out on the other side." Ellla knows that if she begins helping Sadie, she will somehow become responsible for her. But she is unable to turn away from the girl in the sewer and resolves to do whatever it takes to help her, proving herself braver than she ever knew she could be.

<em>The Woman with the Blue Star</em> is a mesmerizing, towering work of historical fiction that should be read by every fan of the genre. Jenoff meticulously and believably creates the world in which Sadie and the others are forced to abide, as well as the world above -- a city under siege. Her characters are endearing and sympathetic, their plights intriguing and gut-wrenching, and their friendship unforgettable and inspiring. She says that the message she hopes readers will take from the story is that it is possible for people to transcend their differences and connect with each other. Indeed, despite all of the heartbreak, loss, and adversity depicted in the story, Jenoff has artfully crafted a story that is ultimately uplifting and hopeful. The book is an outstanding choice for book clubs because of the themes and plot twists that lend themselves to discussion.

Pam Jenoff is easily one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I am able to connect with the characters and feel as though I am right there living their story with them. They are emotional and intricate, and I gain new insight from the truths they are based on. The Woman with the Blue Star is no exception. This novel brought me back to 1942 immediately, and I was right there with Sadie and Ella, enduring alongside them.

Sadie’s story stars in the ghetto, living with her parents. Nazi raids are becoming more frequent and it is only a matter of time before Sadie and her parents are taken also. To try to survive, they escape into the sewer system with the help of local workers. Ella is the youngest daughter and her older siblings have all left to create lives of their own. Left with her father and stepmother, Ella finds her stepmother to be unbearable. When her father is unheard from after enlisting in the war, Ella only has her step-mother and is looking to leave or find her own way. One afternoon while out in the market, Ella’s eyes catch those of another girl, living a completely different life in the dank sewer. What blossoms is a secret friendship, but nothing in Nazi occupied Poland is safe and secrets are hard to keep.

The Woman with the Blue Star was a very quick read. The story jumps right in and keeps you hooked as a reader wanting to know what is going to happen with Sadie and her family. The back and forth between the storylines also kept the pace up, always wanting to know what was going to happen with both girls and see how they were going to be connected throughout. I would definitely recommend this to those that love a solid historical fiction novel.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐ 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 ⭐⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Title: #thewomanwiththebluestar⁣
Author: @pamjenoff
Pub Date: 5/4/21⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Publisher: @parkrowbooks
Type: #physicalbook⁣⁣
Genre: #historicalfiction
Must Read rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thoughts:

-This book absolutely ripped me apart. GUTTED me. Caused me to ugly cry in multiple places. There was so much grief and heartache, but an impossible amount of hope throughout this story. I am embarrassed to be a historical fiction fan who reads a lot during the WW2 time period, but I never knew that Jews were forced from the ghetto to live in sewers as a way to remain unseen and safe. I thought the time that Sadie's family spent in the sewer would be brief, but it lasted for MONTHS and was described in such delicate and intricate detail that the reader feels like they're living along with them. And to be PREGNANT or over the age of 80 surviving the impossible? Let's talk about the true heroes here ...

-My favorite thing about this novel was the formation of very unlikely friendships between the characters. I'll start with Ella and Sadie. If it had not been for the war and their chance meeting at the sewer grate, would these two have ever crossed paths? I loved how fiercely they cared and protected one another. There was so much risk involved in their friendship, but neither stopped fighting for freedom and safety. Next comes Saul. Who knew that you could find love amid the horrors of war and loss? Sadie and Saul's story was magical and such an important part of this story. I am a huge believer that we meet everyone for a specific reason in life and I couldn't agree more with that sentiment in this book.

-The ending of this book is a complete surprise. And to be honest, I have never been more grateful for how a story concluded. I am begging to know though ... WHAT HAPPENED NEXT??!! If you've not read this book ... you'll understand what I mean. As I was flipping through the epilogue, I struggled with Jenoff's decision on who the mysterious lady was in the cafe, but was ultimately grateful for who she chose. It's written to be extremely vague and keep the reader engaged until the very last sentence. A must read - this was also brilliant on audiobook!

While the pace of this one was a bit slower, as one would imagine when the setting is primarily in the sewer system of Krakow. It was a story of love, loss, and friendship. I quite enjoyed it as sometimes you just need a read that isn’t go, go, go all the time. I can see why this histfic might not be to everyone’s tastes, this one hit in just the way I was looking for. I appreciated how the story wrapped up and I had my heartbroken more than once by this one. And I appreciate the help and friendship Ella, by virtue of her being out of the crosshairs, to Sadie and her family below the streets. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Thank you to Park Row Books for the complimentary advanced review copy of The Woman with the Blue Star, the latest release from Pam Jenoff, published earlier this month. It is spectacular and I would recommend for fans of Pam Jenoff, obviously, but also for anyone who enjoys WWII historical fiction. It was unique enough to stand out among a very saturated market. (I mean those of us who enjoy this genre can't quite get our fill!) It is a remarkable tale that you won't be able to put down as you fall in love with Sadie and Ella in a tale of extraordinary courage from ordinary women brought together in volatile circumstances. I found it to be poignant and inspiring and felt a little bereft when I finished.

Pam Jenoff writes with compassion, meticulously-researched historical detail, and heart-wrenching candor. I have yet to read a book written by her that is less than a 5-star read.

In The Woman With The Blue Star, Jenoff turns her pen to the plight of Polish Jews in the city of Kraków during WWII. While her story is fictional, the characters in the book, and their journeys, are inspired by actual Jews who took refuge in the sewers of a Polish city to escape transport to Nazi death camps.

This is a book that pulled me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the pages. It's filled with danger, suspense, anguish, hope, an unlikely friendship between two young women who live very different lives, and enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. Jenoff's words paint an all-too-vivid picture of what life was like for both Sadie and Ella. She brings the streets of a Nazi-occupied city, and a dark, dank, rat-infested sewer, to life; making it all too easy to imagine the fear, desperation, and rage that filled peoples' souls.

Perhaps what affected me the most was the fact that although Sadie and Ella - all the characters, really - were fictional characters, I never stopped remembering that they, especially Sadie and her family, were inspired by actual people who lived, and died, in the horrors of the Holocaust. Jenoff created such fully-developed, relatable young women that it was easy to forget that were not actual people which amped the emotional connection I felt with them even higher. My heart ached for what they endured but also found hope in the fact that because someone found the courage to do the right thing, others were saved and two young women who could easily have become enemies instead found friendship, purpose, an enduring bond, and the will to go on when all seemed lost.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I have long been a fan of Pam Jenoff, and have been fortunate to meet her numerous times. As soon as I saw this book, it became an anticipated read and let me just say...as heartbreaking a story it is, it is fantastic!

It is unfathomable to think that this story is inspired by true events, and yet it is. This is why I continue to read books on WWII - this is the first one I have read from this perspective or even the first one I have read that even mentions anything about this. And I still have such a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that families escaped to the sewers in Krakow and lived down there not for days but months in the hopes to escape the Germans and being sent to concentration camps.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat, not because it's a thriller, but it just is so captivating. I was so worried about these characters and their fate. I also loved the friendship that develops between the two girls - Sadie and Ella. These girls show such strength and courage despite the circumstances they find themselves in, and while one is imprisoned in a sewer, the other doesn't have it all that much better.

While this book is set during such a horrific time in our history, there are so many parallels to be drawn to our current circumstances as we continue to deal with this pandemic. That feeling of being isolated from others, finding strength that you didn't realize you had, learning to be resilient and adaptable in uncertain times - these are all things that we have had to overcome and these are things both girls had to overcome as well. While not setting out to write a book that mirrors our current conditions, it's funny how it themes are universal in that way.

I loved this book and know it's one that will stay with me for quite some time. It's definitely not an easy read at times, but it's one that needs to be read and has such a great ending - one that shocked me for sure, but was just perfect for this book. I have enjoyed every book I've read by this author, but this is certainly my new favorite and I highly recommend picking it up!

The Review

The author does a truly fantastic and haunting job of capturing the horrors of WWII and the conditions that so many were forced to live in. Right off the bat readers are shown the pain of loss that one of the protagonists goes through in the heart-pounding moments a family attempts to find an escape from the overwhelming German forces. The imagery and sense of setting really are powerful in this story, as readers are immediately brought to the very different and distinct lives that separated those being hunted by the German occupation and those living “normally” during the occupation.

What really stands at the heart of this story however is the relationship between the two young women that become the protagonists of the story. Sadie and Ella’s stories are heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once, highlighting their individual struggles in this time of war while also showcasing how friendship, love, and relationships, in general, can give those in a time of need or struggle the hope they need to either endure or overcome those struggles. Readers will instantly be drawn into their friendship and the path their lives take during this tumultuous time.

The Verdict

A mesmerizing, haunting, and emotional historical-fiction read, author Pam Jenoff’s “The Girl with the Blue Star” is a must-read novel and the perfect historical-fiction read for the upcoming summer season. For those who love history and stories that delve into personal relationships that help overcome struggles, this is a truly engaging and intriguing read that cannot be missed. Be sure to grab your copy today!

Pam Jenoff is one of the best historical fiction authors on the shelves. She is an auto-buy and the waiting lists for her books are extra long! The Woman with the Blue Star is well-researched and compulsively readable. Definitely another great addition!

This emotional and heartbreaking book tells a story of strength and loyalty of two very different young women during WWII. Sadie, a Polish Jew, along with her family and strangers, hides in a literal underground sewer to try and survive the Nazis. Sadie’s mother is pregnant, it’s dark and dirty, and food is scarce. With the help of a stranger who led them to safety in the sewers and occasionally brings them food, they are hoping to survive as long as they can.

Ella, privileged and wealthy, spots Sadie one day through a sewer grate and tries to help in the little ways she can. Sadie is so strong and resilient, and Ella is so kind, loyal, and strong as well. Their unlikely friendship was a bright spot for both during the terrors of the war. Tragedy and grief abound, but this was a really inspiring and beautiful novel. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, especially wartime stories, I highly recommend this one.


Thank you to the author & Park Row books for my copy and letting me take part in this blog tour!