I really enjoyed this book, and raced through it. The setting was well described, and I could visualize every aspect of the city, both above ground and below (though I had some difficulty picturing how the conversations around the sewer grate would happen without anyone noticing), and the characters were well developed and very realistic. For fans of WW2 fiction, this is one not to be missed!

Unlikely friendship is one of my favourite themes in novels -- and this one was beautiful. The story follows the point-of-view of two different characters: Sadie and Ella. Their blossoming friendship was heartwarming and full of bravery and sacrifice. I also appreciated that the setting felt very unique (as the idea of Jews hiding in sewers was a new historical fact for me.)

The story was a quick read with a fast pace. It was only at the ending that things felt a little forced. There was a lot going on and some of the events felt rushed to create an action-filled ending, rather than a natural progression to the story. I do, however, love stories that share what happened to all the characters afterwards -- and this was one of those!

A suspenseful, well-written and riveting bit of historical fiction by Pam Jenoff.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Pam Jenoff has done it again. Probably my favorite WWII-era historical fiction writer, Jenoff has once again crafted a heart-string-pulling story set in Nazi-Occupied Krakow.

Ella is lives in Occupied Krakow in 1943. Her father was killed during the invasion, her fiance broke up with her before leaving for the war, and her siblings have moved away. Ella is left with no one but her cruel stepmother, who prefers to spend her time entertaining the Nazi Occupiers. Ella is lonely, and trapped.

Across the city, Sadie is a nineteen year old Jewish woman who is struggling to survive in the ghetto with her parents. When the Nazis clear out the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother flee into the city sewers to escape the slaughter. The paths of these two young women cross when Ella sees Sadie through a grate, and the two immediately connect. Both are lonely and, in their own way, trapped. But Nazi-Occupied Krakow is growing increasingly unsafe, for both of them.

I read this book quickly, and truly enjoyed it. The struggles that these women, particularly Sadie, faced were heartbreaking. Their friendship was sweet. The choices they had to make were realistic, and realistically devastating. The only reason I rated this book four stars instead of five was the ending. Without saying too much, I'll just say that I found the ending a bit predictable.

If you enjoy WWII-era and Holocaust fiction, you'll enjoy The Woman with the Blue Star. The plot is a bit different from other books I've read before, which, in this very heavily published topic area, is a good thing.

I am a big Pam Jenoff fan and this book did not disappoint, but I had a different feel than many of others work. This one felt a bit more action-packed ( rather than story/plot driven) than some of her other titles and for that reason, I finished it rather quickly.

While this story is fictional, it is loosely related/inspired by a true story of a group of Polish Jews that hid from the Nazis in the sewer system.

The ending was a nice touch, but some of it felt a little forced. I had to go back and read because it felt like I missed something ( which I guess was the point). IT was nice to get an ending with an update on many of the characters throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for review.

Such a moving novel!  Pam Jenoff is a master storyteller and her latest novel The Woman with the Blue Star is shining example of that!  

This historical fiction that is set during WWII, Poland and follows two girls, Sadie and Ella.  The two form a very unlikely friendship with one huge barrier— Sadie is jewish and living in the city sewers with her mother to hide from the Nazi and Ella is upper class living with her step-mother who is Nazi collaborator!

I feel like I have learned so much from Pam Jenoff’s novels!  She does an incredible amount of research in all of her books and I am always blown away by the brilliance in her storytelling!  The plot is extremely well thought out and the characters are unforgettable.  I highly recommend The Woman with the Blue Star—a total and complete 5 star novel!

Love Pam Jenoff's book as she has the ability to place you back in the war years with her descriptive scenes.  This was a wonderful story and I really enjoyed it right up to the last few pages where I felt everything was just too neatly tied up with a little bow.  Of course people escaped etc but felt like too many did just to get the book finished.

Pam Jenoff is QUEEN of WWII fiction. All her novels for me have been home runs, and this novel hits it out of the park! Another lovely addition to the WWII collection, yet stands out for originality, excellent writing, and characters that you care about. Ms. Jenoff seems to be able to step into the past and recreate it so eloquently, that it is always a joy to ride alongside her, even though the material can be difficult. But these are stories that need to be told, because as a wise man once said, if we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.
Ten stars! Run to your bookstore and purchase!

I was so so excited to get an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley! I have loved all of Pam Jenoff's novels in the past so I knew this one would not disappoint.  I read alot of historical fiction, especially books set during Ww2. Kudos to Ms.Jenoff for for finding a topic that I hadn't read about before! Much of this story is set around 2 Jewish families that are hiding from the Germans in the sewers in Poland.  I don't want to say much more so I don't ruin the story, but this book has a bit of everything.  Love, beautifully courageous characters, hope and of course heartbreak and tragedy. I whipped through it in two days and would have loved to have continued reading about the characters, but alas, that is simply a sign of an excellent book. Definitely recommend!

The horrors of the war are innumerable and in this book, Pan Jenoff portrays a life of terror for two Jewish families who find their ghetto being sacked and their people being herded into convoys. Through the kindness of one man, they are led away to a kind of safety at least for now. The place is a sewer and the awfulness of this situation is well portrayed from the smell, to the rats, to the putrid water, they find themselves in.

Tragedy happens almost immediately as the father drowns in the rushing dirty water and our main character, Sadie Gault, eighteen years old is left with her pregnant mother and others to hide out assisted by the man who rescued them.

Life is bitter, until one day Sadie glances up through a sewer grate and sees Ella Stepanek, a young Polish girl. The two start to form a friendship through that grate and Ella is the one who eventually risks her life to help Sadie and ultimately the others who have survived the sewer so far.

This is a story of friendship, of love in a time where live seems to have gone into a long winter's nap. There are other occurrences  which bind the story together until its conclusion and reminiscence many years later.

Recommended to those who love reading and learning about how through adversity one can often survive the worst of times. 
Thank you to Pam Jenoff, Park Row, and NetGalley for a copy of this courageous story due out May 4, 2021.

I  have loved Pam Jenoff since I read The Kommandant's Girl about 13 years ago.  Even admist the oversaturated WWII historical fiction genre, she manages to capture my attention and tell beautiful stories.  To me, she is one of the originators of WWII fiction and all those who came after her are mirroring her ability to tell stories of human beings and perhaps even teach those readers about a period in history they may not have otherwise been introduced to.

While, again, the genre is most definitely over saturated, and there are certainly elements of this offering that follow the "norm" in this sub-genre, Pam Jenoff has managed to tell a new story, a different story, one that will stick with readers most definitely.

Set during WW2 this is the story based on true events of Sadie, living in the sewers to escape the nazis and Ella, a young girl living with her step-mother who is a nazi sympathizer. Ella and Sadie form a friendship and help each other survive.  I love the amount of research Pam Jenoff does in each of her books, and I know this will be a huge hit with our patrons.

WOW, just WOW!! I am not sure I can give this book enough praise. First of all, Sadie and her family are Jews that have to escape the grasp of the Nazi army. There is nowhere to go but underground, underground to the sewers. Yes, that is correct, they will live in the sewers. In another part of town, Ella lives a life of semi wealthy, but her father has died and she now lives with her horrible stepmother who is a Nazi sympathizer. Ella is lost until she finds a pair of eyes staring up at her from inside the sewer system. Ella and Sadie will become close, as each of them provides a lifeline for one another. The kicker was the surprise ending! WHEW! I mean what an ending. This is a great one for fans of historical fiction.

"The Woman with the Blue Star" by Pam Jenoff
Publication Date: 5.4.2021


Sadie Gault is living with her parents in the Krakow Ghetto in 1942.  When the ghetto is emptied, Sadie and her expecting mother hide in the sewers.  Her father dies during the escape.  It is frustrating living with strangers and not having enough food.  One day, looking up through the grate, she sees an Aryan girl staring at her.

Ella Stepanek is a Polish girl living with her stepmother, who is close with the Nazis.  Ella wanders around Krakow, doing errands and such.  One day while she visits the market, she looks below a sewer grate and sees another girl staring at her.

Ella begins to help Sadie, showing the power of friendship and selflessness.

What a good read.  This was inspired by individuals who lived in the sewers in Lvov during the war.  The story begins and ends in the present, but the majority of the story is focused on Sadie and Ella's story.  This was an emotional roller coaster.  I am never disappointed in a Pam Jenoff novel; her books are well-researched!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.


#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviews #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #worldwariifiction #worldwariinovels #historicalfiction #2021bookreleases #2021historicalfictionreleases #holocaustfiction #thewomanwiththebluestar #pamjenoff

A historical fiction book about 2 young women living in Krakow Poland during WW2. Sadie and her family living in the Jewish ghetto and the other living comfortably with a step mother who is a collaborator.  These 2 girls meet by accident Sadie now hiding in the filthy sewers with little to no food, with her pregnant mom and another family. They form a friendship and Ella helps to get them out of the sewers to safety.  I enjoyed reading the book! The research the author did made me able to easily visualize what was happening and and feel the pain and fear of what these 2 families were going through. The building of the  friendship  between the 2 girls held my interest to the end, with an ending that surprised me! I believe this story would interest women from teens to retired. For me, I wish the book had been longer!

Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors and she has done it once again. She humanizes the horrors of World War II by giving us characters that we care deeply about as we become involved in their daily lives.  Families and friendships are strengthened as they struggle for survival under unimaginable conditions. Thoroughly researched and well constructed! Another aspect of the war that was unknown to me. The author’s note also shows her great determination to get this story told! #TheWomanWithTheBlueStar #PamJenoff #NetGalley

WWII and Holocaust. Heartbreaking storyline with well written plot. The author must have researched the topic well because the story reflects that. The details and good writing make you almost touch and feel the pain there. The heroism. 
This is one of those books that would stay with me for a long time. 5 stars.

The Woman with the Blue Star tells the story of two Jewish families in Krakow Poland. The Gault's and the Rosenbergs take refuge in the sewers to avoid detection from the nazi's. Loosely based on a the true story of Jews who hid in the sewers of Lviv, Poland.  Sadie Gault, our young heroine becomes friends with a young polish girl, Ella Stepanek. A close friendship soon emerges, each girl relying on the other. As the war rages on, both will have to make life changing decisions.

The story itself is much like every other historical fiction novel set during WWII. Jews, nazi's, imminent danger with a splash of love story. While well written, there just wasn't enough to set this apart from the mountains of historical fiction set during this time. I will give her kudos though for most creative setting. I can't recall reading another book set entirely in the sewer system of a major city.

Unsurprisingly, I had a similar reaction to her previous book The Lost Girls of Paris. This is still a fun read, anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction will enjoy this as well. Perfect for a  lazy afternoon or day at the beach. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

Pam Jenoff is an author who has a fascination with the era of the Second World War. She has written numerous novels inspired by real life events and when reading her books I have always found them to be well-researched and well written. This novel was no exception to that. I seem to be equally fascinated with this era and am always moved by the stories she writes and am moved to learn more about the facts behind them.

This story is set in Krakow, Poland. My husband and I had the opportunity to visit there several years ago and see some of the places that are mentioned in this novel. We took walks with local Guides who told us about the wartime history so that made this book to be of great interest for me. I knew from the early pages that I would find it fascinating. The books beginning and ending are set in contemporary times, but the majority of the story brings the reader right back into wartime Krakow and its underground sewers.

Sadie Gault and her family are living in the ghetto as the story begins but that doesn’t last long as the Nazi’s are performing a round up of the local Jews to transport them to the concentration camps. Sadie is in her late teens but her mother is unexpectedly pregnant and her father, anticipating the round up, has made plans for them to leave the ghetto and the time is suddenly upon them and they must go. Sadie had not been expecting this and when she learns that her family and another family must descend into the sewer she is horribly taken a back (as indeed I would have been under the circumstances!). I can only imagine just how awful that must have been and she had no idea that the sewer was going to become her home for the foreseeable future. When her father unexpectedly dies during the escape, the future looks grim to Sadie and her mother. Led out by a local man who once knew her father, the group become completely dependant on him to provide food and anything else that they might need. Living in close proximity to strangers brings its own challenges and they all know that the Germans could decide to inspect the sewers at any time, and they would be hard put to escape. Some of the interactions reminded me of those described in Anne Frank’s journal. Frustrations bult between them and sometimes spilled out. They had to be quiet so those above wouldn’t hear them and the filth they lived in had to have been horrendous.

One day while under a sewer cap, Sadie’s eyes meet with the eyes of an Aryan girl who is approximately her own age. Their relationship and trust builds over time and Ella becomes an important support for Sadie both mentally and physically. Throughout the novel the reader also learns abut Ella’s story – the death of her father and the poor treatment she receives from her step-mother, a collaborator with the Germans; the young man that she loves and lost…

The author shared in her afterward that this story was inspired by the true store of a group of Jewish people in Lvov who lived in the sewers  in order to survive. It would take incredible strength of character to do that for any length of time. I don’t know if I would be up to it personally.

This novel really drew me in emotionally and I found it hard to put down when responsibilities called me away. The twists and turns kept me on edge until the final page. If you are interested in this time period I think you will find this book fascinating.

The cover artwork was impressive as well and definitely caught my attention. Many thanks to the author, Harlequin and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance readers copy. The opinions expressed her are my own unbiased ones.

As with every book I read about the Holocaust there comes a point where I ask myself why I keep reading these books because they are so horrifying.  But I can't stop.  I was so tense waiting for awful things to happen to Sadie and her family and was so sad when something I hoped wouldn't happen, did happen.  Just a heartbreaking story and a very worthwhile read.

As the author explains in a note at the end of this profoundly touching novel:


“This book was inspired in part by the true story of a small group of Jews who survived World War II in the sewers of Lviv, Poland.  The account that I have written and set in Krakow is wholly fictitious.  . . . . If you would like to read more about the true story, I recommend the nonfiction book 'In the Sewers of Lvov' by Robert Marshall.”

The Marshall book tells the true story of a group of Jews who spent 14 months in 1943-1944 hiding in the sewer system in the Ukrainian city of Lvov.  That group consisted of 20 people, including two children and a pregnant woman.  The group in "The Woman with the Blue Star" is made up of two families:  Sadie Gault, 18, and her pregnant mother; and Meyer Rosenberg, his elderly mother, and his son Saul, who is around Sadie’s age.  Like the group in Lvov, they were helped by a sewer worker, and as the real-life group did, they learned to deal with darkness in confined spaces, the horrific odors, feces, rats, lack of adequate food, constant fear of abandonment and discovery, and sickness and death.

Sadie’s fate becomes unexpectedly joined with that of Ella Stepanek, 19.  Ella, as a Christian Pole, is technically free, but lives in her own hell above ground.  

The ways in which the lives of all these characters play out, and what happens to them, create an unforgettable saga.  An Epilogue in 2016 ends the story in surprisingly unexpected ways.

Evaluation:  Pam Jenoff is an excellent story-teller, and this book is her best so far, in my opinion.  The courage of the characters in spite of their dire circumstances and the poignancy of their stories will stay with you long after you finish this book.