This book makes you feel like you were living with the main character. It was a very emotional journey into the life of a Jewish woman in WWII Poland

I have long been a fan of Pam Jenoff, both her literary works and her literary presentations. This latest novel did not disappoint me. I especially like the ending which offers the reader the opportunity to believe that while all may not always turn out as one envisions, there still is hope for the future. I think this novel comes out at a perfect time with the world dealing with the whole COVID issues and having to question what one would be willing to do for survival in these uncertain ti9mes. Jenoff is quite knowledgeable about both the Holocaust and her knowledge of the area of around Krakow, Poland add much to the plot and general flow of the novel.

What a beautiful tragic story about family and the terrible injustices that Jews went through. The characters are so likable and caring for each other. The love they have for their family carries them through the devastation.

Krakow, 1942. Eighteen year old Sadie escapes the ghetto liquidation with her family to take refugee in the sewers. As they rely on a sewage work for food and safety, wealthy Ella angrily watches her step-mother entertain Germans on the other side of town. When Ella and Sadie incidentally meet, they are tested and tried.

I used to love historical fiction, especially WWII historical fiction, but then I started to feel I was repeating stories. When I read the synopsis for this one, I thought it sounded like a new take. I was very right. While I’ve read many books that take place during this time period, I’ve never read a story like this. It was so difficult reading about the environment Sadie and the others went through. I don’t think I ever could have done it. Every character was brave in their own way. Both Sadie and Ella made for incredible protagonists, and despite their different backgrounds they came together. I did enjoy the ending a lot. It was completely unexpected and bitter sweet.

“When Papa had made me to go through the hole in our bathroom into the sewer, I had understood it to be transit, a passage to safety. And as we made our way through the filth and despair, I told myself it was necessary to escape. Instead, I could not have imagined that we would be staying in the sewer.”

“Anything is manageable if you can stay with the ones you love.

The Woman With The Blue Star comes out 5/4.

I have reviewed this book for New York Journal of Books where it will be posted on their site the evening prior to the release date!

"The Woman with the Blue Star" by Pam Jenoff
Park Row
May 4, 2021
10-0778389383

Historical Fiction

Today, many are upset and confused by the current situation due to the COVID virus and the political unrest we are facing. However, nothing can compare to the suffering and atrocities that occurred in Europe during World War II.

It is 1942, and the Jewish citizens of Krakow, Poland, are being forced from their homes by the SS and Gestapo aided by the Jewish Ghetto Police who do their bidding. Eighteen-year-old Sadie Gault and her parents are sent to live in squalor in a tiny slum apartment from which they see their relatives and neighbors being ushered into trucks and taken to German labor camps.

Sadie spends her days sequestered in their current residence with strict orders to remain inside while her mama and papa toil at physically exhausting jobs. Should anyone enter the building, Sadie knows she is to hide in their large steamer trunk in case the Germans are searching to seize any inhabitants. Though she wants to join the workforce, her mother insists she is safer out of the public eye.

Sadie's heart break, when her mama and papa return from their jobs:

"I wanted to work, even though I could tell from the slow, painful way my father now walked, stooped like an old man, and how Mama's hands were split and bleeding that it was hard and awful. Work meant a chance to get out and see and talk to people. My hiding was a subject of much debate between my parents. Papa thought I should work. Labor cards were highly prized in the ghetto. Workers were valued and less likely to be deported to one of the camps. But Mama, who seldom fought my father on anything, had forbidden it."

Peering out the lone window is dangerous, so Sadie passes the time reading until one day she overhears trucks outside and the growling of German voices alerting her to quickly hide. As the SS inspects every unit, Sadie holds her breath while cramped inside the trunk. Hours seem to pass before it is once again quiet, and Sadie is happy she was not discovered. When her mother arrives after her long day, Sadie is still hidden and Mama, not seeing her daughter, becomes hysterical believing Sadie has been abducted. Emerging from her hiding place just in time, Sadie finds Mama on the window ledge ready to jump preparing to kill herself, grieved at losing her only child.

Now that they are no longer safe, Papa's Polish gentile friend Pawel discovers a way for them to escape, even though he is putting his own life in danger. Sadie and her mother, roused in the middle of the night, gather meager belongings and are hurried to the basement. There they are shoved into the sewer, their only means of hopefully getting away undetected. Crawling through dirty pipes emitting the acrid scent of urine and feces with walls slimy from mold and covered with maggots, they tread carefully so as not to fall into the cold water running beneath or to be panicked by the huge roaming rats.

Pawel is employed to work in the sewers, and this is where he believes they can be safe. The conditions are deplorable, yet this is their only hope for survival. Joining them in their quest for refuge is a Reformed Jewish family consisting of the father, Meyer Rosenberg, grandmother, Esther, who goes by "Bubbe," and 19-year-old son Saul. They are led to a small, concealed chamber where they can hide until the war ceases or they are somehow rescued.

How horrendous it must be to live in a cold, damp environment with no food, supplies, light, or warmth. Pawel periodically brings provisions until he is caught by the police and arrested. He explains to them it is his job to maintain the drains, but they do not believe him and cart him away. The Gaults and the Rosenbergs never see him again.

Bored and restless, Sadie crawls through the tunnels to stand beneath a grate inhaling fresh air from outside. A young woman, about her age, passes by and notices her, disbelieving anyone would be underground. She speaks to Sadie, introducing herself as Ella Stepanek, a well-to-do gentile Polish girl. Ella is intrigued by Sadie and the hardships she and the others are enduring to stay alive. After Ella’s Jewish friend from high school was taken away, guilt consumed her and she could not forgive herself for not helping her, so she decides she must do whatever she can for Sadie and the others. Ella realizes she is putting herself in danger, but her conscience takes over. Her present life, though filled with riches, is miserable. Her father is dead, her stepmother is brutal, and the man she loves is off to war, leaving her with no one. The least she can do is help others who are being persecuted. But will she be able to help them?

Both Sadie and Ella reveal their sorrows and struggles in divergent chapters as the differences between them are explored; they form a strong bond. The highly descriptive and depressing scenes are fictional; however, they are acquired from research of the actual facts from that era.

The trials and extreme hardships that were faced then goes beyond comprehension. How the individuals struggled to survive brings tears to one's eyes as well as the horrific injustice they faced. The terrors of today's world are slim in comparison to the cruelty of 80 years ago. For those who believe things are difficult today, this insightful and emotionally moving novel will put their own lives in perspective. We can only pray history like this does not repeat itself!

Book: The Woman with the Blue Star
Author: Pam Jenoff
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Park Row, for sending me an ARC.

I will admit that I started out thinking that this was going to be another World War II novel. Come on, you have to admit that there are a lot of them and a lot of them have pretty much the same storyline. While this book does kind of fit into that mold, there was something a little bit different about it. We4 have a group of Jews in the sewers who are trying to avoid being found by the Germans. Sadie, one of the Jews in the sewers befriends a Polish girl, Ella, whose stepmother just happens to be helping the Germans. This sets up our chain of events. We get to see the struggles, the horrors, and the bonds of friendships that form during one of history’s darkest times.

Let me start out by saying that I love the friendship and family aspects of this book. I love that while this is about Poland being the Nazi’s control, we still get to see these bonds. The bonds of friendship formed between Ella and Sadie will tear at you. You will be cheering for them to somehow find a way to stay together, no matter. While World War II does tend to focus on the war aspect of things, this book will remind you that there were people just trying to go about their normal lives and that there was still some good left in the world. The measures that Ella and Sadie take to make sure that they are safe and their friends are safe just really brings it all home. Plus, we through in the family aspect. We see just how far people will go to make sure that those they love are still protected-even if that means making some pretty harsh decisions.

The writing is the type that will make it very difficult to put this book down. Pam has a way of pulling you in and making you want to keep reading. You will become fully invested in the story. The ending, wow, let me tell you that was one of the strongest endings that I have read in a long time. Throughout the whole book, Pam gives you a sense of hope in the darkest of times while letting you still know that everything could in fact go wrong. While we go get a lot of happy moments and little celebrations, there is still this sense of dread and death lingering. We are still in World War II and that threat lingers throughout the whole book. Remember Sadie and her family are Jews.

This sense of feeling like the characters feeling real is what really made me enjoy this book. While it does seem pretty black and white, like with the writing, we find that there are so many layers. We do have some pretty bad people, but once you get to know them and think, you quickly realize that like our main characters, they are just trying to make it a very unforgiving world. Like with the war, the civilian life is complicated and I really like that Pam shows us that. We get to see just how complex and complicated humans can be.
Anyway, I really had a great time reading this. The only reason it got a four star was because I really didn’t like Ella’s point of view as much as Sadie’s. Don’t get me wrong, I really did enjoy Ella…I just happen to think that Sadie had a little bit stronger point of view. It’s just a small thing really.

This book comes out on May 4, 2021.


Youtube: https://youtu.be/Q77XgVgcj6M

Pam Jenoff's newest novel, The Woman with the Blue Star has everything you want in a historical fiction novel: it's well researched, suspenseful, has strong characterization & setting, a bit of mystery and romance swirled into the plot, and a strong climatic ending. I devoured this book in one sitting, and I highly recommend it for those who are fans of the WW2 era. I will definitely be reading more of Jenoff after this!

Being new to Pam Jenoff writing I was captivated by this story of friendship during WWII. The author did her research well and created a wonderful story.

I loved that this book at its core was about friendship and what one would do for that friendship. It is also a story of tragedy, hope, and healing. I was so caught up in this story I was unable to put the book down. Thank goodness my son is old enough to take care of himself because I could not pull myself away.

If you enjoy reading about history and how it affects people not just in the moment but years later this is the book for you.

I have read and loved all of Pam Jenoff's books and they all stay on my favorite book lists. Her new book is one of the best books that I've read about friendship during World War II - the friendship of two very different girls in totally opposite lives - but a friendship that transcended what was going on in the world at this time.

Sadie is 18 and living in the Krakow ghetto with her parents. When the Nazis begin to liquidate the ghetto, they escape into the sewers under the city. With several other families, they settle into a small alcove in the sewer tunnels. At first they think they will be escaping from there soon but it soon become apparent that they need to stay underground to remain safe. Surrounded by the smell of the sewer and with a lack of light, they try to make the best of their circumstances. Sadie longs for sunlight and often goes to the sewer grates to look up into the sun. One day, a girl buying flowers sees Sadie below the grate and when she realizes that it is a girl hiding, she decides that she will help her. Ella is from the rich side of town. Her father has died and she lives with her step mother who spends her time with Nazi officers and treats Ella terribly. The war hasn't really changed Ella's life much so her decision to help Sadie was even more surprising. Over time, as they talk, they realize how much they like each other and would love to get to know each other under different circumstances. As the war continues, both girls are in extreme danger that could claim their lives if anyone found out. Their friendship is more important than the danger that is getting worse and their friendship continues until they must make a decision that will affect both of their lives.

This is a wonderful book about the strength of friendship that transcends social class, religion or living conditions even during the most brutal times. The trust and friendship that they had was a bright shining star during a dark time in world history. Even if you are tired of reading WWII fiction, this is a must read - it's about so much more than they war - it's about love and friendship and family and survival.

I received an Advance Copy of this book.

My favorite part about reading historical fiction is that I almost always learn something while still being able to get lost in the world of fiction. I had never once considered the sewers as a possible escape route that people ay have used during the war. Unfortunately, in this case the escape route didn't really work and instead they ended up having to live in the sewers for several months. But during the war, any hiding place had to be used to avoid falling into the hands of the Germans. This was an incredible story of unlikely friendships, enduring hardships, and yes even of hope. The amount of research done for this novel comes through on every page and I applaud Pam Jenoff for once again writing a story that was impossible to put down even if it did have me reaching for the tissues!

This novel is contrast of lives under the Nazi occupation in Poland. Sadie and her family are forced to move into the sewers of Krakow when the Nazis liquidate the ghetto. Their only link to the world above is a brave sewer worker who continues to bring them food even after their money is used up. The horror of living underground is vividly portrayed in floods, and an unlikely birth. Sadie desperately seeks a glimpse of normalcy and one day, while staring through a grate, is seen by Ella, who lives in relative comfort due to her stepmother's relationship with a high-ranking Nazi. The girls build a friendship and both risk everything to save the lives of Sadie and the others in the sewers. Gripping and painfully accurate.

The Germans have occupied Krakow, Poland, and are rounding up Jews. Sadie and her parents know they need to do something, and Pawel, a Polish sewer worker who knows her father, says he will help hide them underground in the sewer. They are joined by another family, a young man, and his father and grandmother. One day Sadie is looking up through the sewer grate, and locks eyes with Ella a young Polish woman. Ella starts to help them after Pawel is arrested, and the harrowing story continues. In this intense historical novel based on fact, the author has created unforgettable characters, and offered insight into life in wartime Poland. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This story had me greedily flipping pages right from page one. Sadie’s family’s escape from the ghetto as it was being liquidated was horrifying. Pam Jenoff’s description was enough to get my heart racing... as if I was staring down into that hole beneath their toilet and hurriedly coming to the realization that the sewage pipe was my only option for survival.
Once Sadie comes to understand the sewer isn’t just an escape route, but a place they are meant to stay- she is forced to adapt to this new life as the war rages on in the streets above her. While grieving the sudden loss of her father, Sadie takes care of her pregnant mother and shares the meagre food rations with another Jewish family that managed to escape along with them. When she is seen peering out of the grate by a young Polish girl in the market place- a friendship is forged that gives them each hope and purpose to survive the war.
Both girls will have to make dangerous decisions in order to help each other, leading to a climax that will leave you stunned.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and was invested in the main characters. I found the secondary characters less believable, namely Ella’s (wicked) step mother and Krys. The ending came quite abruptly, and was so surprising, it made me feel like I had misread it.... I can see what Jenoff was doing here, but the explanation of each character’s fate after the war was so quickly explained, it felt somewhat far-fetched. I liked the twist, but wish she had taken more time with the ending.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. What a captivating story this was!! We have heard over the years what a horrible time this period in history was particularly for the Jewish people. This book not only reflects on that, it also talks about the hardships that all of the Poles suffered during the war. It brings to light that no one was unaffected and it is a truly compelling story. Her descriptions of the odours and the treacheries of navigating the tunnels really brings home the desperate situation that many people had to endure. So many went from a wonderful life to a living hell and Ms. Jenoff manages to capture all of this in her story. This was a compelling story that you can't put down as you have to know how it ends.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this amazing book!

The Woman with the Blue Star is set in Nazi-occupied Krakow in the 1940s, and it is the story of two different young women: Sadie, a Jewish woman who is forced into hiding in a sewer to escape the Nazis, and Ella, a Polish woman whose stepmother is a Nazi collaborator. When Ella sees Sadie hiding the sewer, she decides to help Sadie and the other Jews with her in the sewer stay alive in whatever ways she can. Both these women encounter terrible hardships, but manage to form a deep friendship in the face of extreme adversity.

I've read many Holocaust and World War II books, and this one is one of the best that I've read. I really enjoyed the fact that the focus of the book is on these young women's lives and the relationships they build. Of course, there are some brutal moments in the book, but the focus is less on the atrocities and more on the ways that ordinary people are trying to live their lives despite extreme circumstances and do some small heroic acts along the way. Although the book is written for adult audiences, I definitely see it having YA appeal as well, since both main characters are in their late teens when the book begins, and there is nothing inappropriate in the book for YA audiences. The relationship-building is what truly makes this book wonderful, and I absolutely loved watching the development of Sadie and Ella's friendship, as well as Sadie's relationship with the other Jewish family hiding in the sewer, especially their son, Saul, with whom Sadie develops a romantic relationship. The story is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, and it will stay with you for a long time after you read it.

Highly recommend to fans of historical fiction and character-driven narratives!

This is a heartbreakingly beautiful story. The Jewish population in Nazi occupied Poland was forced to wear white armbands with a blue Star of David on their right arm. While not as well known as the yellow stars, these identifiers were strictly enforced and those caught not wearing one would face severe punishment. Jenoff based this novel on stories of Jewish families who utilized the sewers to escape persecution during WWII. While the families in the book are not true representations of any specific people, Jenoff weaves a remarkable tale full of complex characters and harrowing experiences. The character Sadie struggles throughout the book to come to terms with the losses in her life and to have the strength to carry on. Ella struggles to figure out where she fits in amidst the chaos around her. The friendship the two forge brings them each hope and a sense of purpose. While stories of WWII have saturated the market, each new book brings another perspective. This book highlights the grit and determination to survive and persist by both the Jewish and Polish populations. It acknowledges the strength of friendship and love and the need we all have to have each in our lives. A truly mesmerizing tale of love, hope, and survival.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Pam Jenoff is one of my absolute go-to authors when I want to read a historical fiction novels based around World War 2, and this one was just as well-written as the rest! This novel is told from two points of view, that of Sadie, an 18 year old Jewish girl in Poland, and Ella, an affluent Polish girl around Safie's age. Sadie and her family find themselves needing to escape the ghetto in Krakow, and the only place they can safely go is into the sewer. This story brought out so many emotions and described the situations facing the characters so vividly. Jenoff paints a picture of the horrors facing both girls and how they tried to find hope and friendship even at the dimmest times. What is even more scary is the fact that while this is a fictionalized account, it is based on true events. If you like historical fiction, this is definitely one to check out. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC to review.

I really enjoyed this story set in WWII Poland. Sadie and Ella become the most unlikely of friends and this is the story of how they helped each other through. I loved the descriptions of Krakow and googled the landmarks mentioned. I felt the characters were rather flat, though, and the dialog wasn’t great. Characters vacillating between emotions from one sentence to the next. I’d still recommend this read simply for the history of it all. I’ve read a lot of WWII fiction and this particular time and place and scenario was new to me. I read this one cover to cover in two days!

Glad to have read a pre-pub copy for my honest review.

Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors and this book was such a beautiful and moving read. Set during WWII in Nazi-occupied Poland, we follow the opposing worlds of Ella Stepanek and Sadie Gault. Sadie and her parents make the decision to leave the Kraków Ghetto and find solace in the city's sewers. Above the sewers, we see Ella's world play out with her step-mother, a known Nazi collaborator, and the boy she loves, One day Sadie's eyes are drawn up above the sewer grate and Ella's below. The two girls lock eyes and thus their story of how their lives will entwine unfolds.
This book had many heart-wrenching moments and I found myself crying on more than one occasion. There are just as many moments when your heart is flying with the characters with their tiny moments of joy. The ending of the book did not disappoint and I am sure this will be a huge hit with book clubs this spring.
The author's note at the end of the book is also very touching. Pam Jenoff explains the process of writing this book during the chaos of 2020 and the parallels she drew from the subject matter during such an uncertain time in everyone's lives.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Parkrow and NetGalley for access to an eARC of this book. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

Pam Jenoff has a penchant for writing captivating fast-paced novels with likable characters in extraordinary circumstances. This book is no exception. I was immediately drawn into the storyline when an unlikely friendship was forged between Sadie & Ella. Their circumstances could not be more different but their shared longing for freedom and being reunited with lost loved ones parallel.

Sadie, a Jew forced into hiding within the Krakow sewers struggles for survival and connection with the outside world. Ella who lives with her widowed stepmother, tries to avoid the lavish soirees continually hosted for her stepmother’s German friends and love interests. An errand takes her to a blighted area of Krakow. When she realizes that a young woman is living in the sewers, she knows that she will return and try to help regardless of the consequences.

Once I started reading the novel, I simply could not stop until I knew what happened. I found myself holding my breath at certain parts. While I was satisfied with the ending, I have continued to think about these characters. And I felt compelled to do some of my own research about similar circumstances that occurred during the war.

I received an advance digital review copy of this book all opinions are my own.