The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa is a historical fiction which features four generations of women and three time periods as they experience love, loss and hope. The story begins in Berlin, 1931 as the rise of Nazism sweeps through Germany, Ally Keller gives birth to a mixed-race daughter, Lilith and hides her from the world. When time runs out, Ally puts together a desperate plan to save her daughter’s life. Havana, 1958, Lilith is now an adult, finds herself excited for her future with her husband, Martin. As the fires of revolution grow, Lilith finds herself facing an impossible choice, as her own mother did, in order to save her own daughter, Nadine. Berlin, 1989 as the Berlin Wall falls, Nadine is now a dedicated scientist who has spent her life avoiding the truth about her family. When her own daughter, Luna, begins to uncover the family history, it will be Luna faced with an uncomfortable truth in their family’s past and their place in history.
The Night Travelers is my first book by Armando Lucas Correa. I can see why he has a reputation for sweeping historical fiction with depth of the human stories we often forget. It is a story about four women, separated by time but united by sacrifice. They each embark on journeys of self-discovery which is forged by the power of a mother’s love. It is a wonderful story of the interconnectedness of history and that history is more than just dates and events. It is the individuals who lived and sacrificed during troubling times. It is also a story that details the disgusting things people have inflicted on others and if we are not careful, we will repeat the same. Overall, I enjoyed The Night Travelers. It is the type of historical fiction which leads one to further research events in more depth than what is highlighted in the story. To me, that is a feature of great historical fiction. I highly recommend The Night Travelers.

The Night Travelers is available in hardcover

The Night Travelers opens with Ally Keller, a white German woman, as she gives birth to her biracial daughter, Lilith. She is a “mischling,” a “Rhineland bastard.” Because Lilith is darker, like her Black father—Marcus, who has already been abducted and likely killed—she must be kept in the shadows, away from danger. She and Ally call themselves “night travelers,” because we all look the same in the dark. Lilith is extremely intelligent as a child, but it’s not enough to pass the racist eugenics tests put against her; she is sentenced to be sterilized in Germany’s efforts for “hygienic cleansing.” As tensions rise, Ally knows that the only way to save her daughter is to give her up. Lilith is adopted into new family, the Herzogs, and they flee to Cuba. But while her life in Havana is good for a time, she can’t escape suffering and death, especially as Fidel Castro takes control of the country. History will be repeated, and Lilith will have to send away her own daughter just as Ally had done for her.

From the late 1920s through the 2010s, The Night Travelers draws connections between World War II and the Cuban Revolution, the victims of both, and the long-reaching aftermath both conflicts had on generations to come. It’s complex and well researched, exploring the evils of eugenics, the uneven outcomes for refugees on the St. Louis, Operation Pedro Pan, and the many legal trials against escaped Nazis for crimes against humanity. With such painful themes and backdrops, this is a heavy novel. How much suffering and loss can these characters endure? How many generations must grapple with the trauma? Will they ever again reach a feeling of peace?

The main characters are Ally, Lilith, Nadine, and Luna: four generations of women who navigate war and its effects differently. However, we also get numerous side characters with their own backgrounds and stories. While it can distract from the main story, it also weaves a richer tapestry of the many ways people were affected.

One interesting question The Night Travelers raises is how we perceive and judge others. How can someone be a savior to some people, but also part of the evils committed on a greater scale? Is that person evil because they followed (horrifically cruel) orders? Should or can they be forgiven? Do they deserve to be haunted and punished forever after? There are no clear answers, but some characters get painful ends, deservedly so, depending on your perspective.

I loved the recurring theme of being a “night traveler” and the way Ally’s poetry connects generations. By the time we get to her great-granddaughter Luna, the past is finally being settled. The book’s plot becomes a bit meandering in the middle, but by the end, it comes together beautifully.

Because it’s written at such a distance—four generations over 90 years—The Night Travelers is sweeping rather than intimate. I generally prefer stories that spend more time with one or two characters, allowing the reader to form a deep emotional connection with them. This novel is still emotionally powerful, and may move you to tears, but the focus ultimately lands on the greater, lasting effects of conflict on a family over a century.

The Night Travelers is a beautifully written and impactful novel that connects Germany in World War II with the Cuban Revolution and the decades that follow. It’s sweeping but emotional and is sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction. I plan to read Armando Lucas Correa’s first two novels—The German Girl and The Daughter’s Tale—as well as other books about the topics explored here.

The Night Travelers tells the story of four generations of women caught up in the cruelty and chaos of war and its aftermath. This intricately woven story carries readers from the hatred-fueled “cleansing” of Nazi Germany to the riots and rise of Castro in Cuba and then back again to a recently reunited Germany trying desperately to reconcile itself to its past.
The writing style is stark, almost brittle, echoing the characters whose lives it portrays. Epic, sweeping, and so very well written, yet the pervasive pall of hopelessness and loss was at times difficult to read.
The Night Travelers is a story of the heartbreaking sacrifices and the love that binds mother to daughter across the years and across the miles, conquering all obstacles in its path.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

THE NIGHT TRAVELERS by Armando Lucas Correa is out today and historical fiction fans should take note!

This is an epic story that follows four generations of women from Germany in 1931 across the world to Cuba in 1942 back to Berlin in 1975. Ally and her mixed race daughter Lilith within the rise of Nazi Germany; Lilith and her newborn daughter Nadia within the Cuban Revolution; then Nadia hiding from her history as she watches the Berlin Wall fall, until her daughter, Luna pulls them all together in her discoveries that aren't what they expect.

I will admit that the WWII connection did not draw me to this title. I am glad @bookfriendsbookclub chose this, or I would have missed a gem. The events that transpired in this story were so well researched and are documented in the bibliography to an astounding degree. I had no idea about the role with Cuba at this time, and have extremely limited education about Cuba in general. This was so full of information, but it was put into the story so well that it didn't feel like learning. In fact, I now want to learn more.

I felt carried away by each woman's journey. The way it jumps forward over months or years in each chapter keeps the story from becoming too slow. This also keeps the focus on motherhood, sacrifice, and confronting the past as key points without adding too much on peripheral issues. There was perhaps a bit more information on peripheral characters than I needed, but that definitely filled in the picture.

Thank you to @simonandschuster
@atriabooks
& @netgalley for this digital ARC. I was encouraged to read it, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. Now I can't wait for our bookclub discussion!

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa begins simply enough with the discovery by a young woman that she is pregnant. That is enough to send her running from her parents’ house to save them embarrassment. What if they had known that the father of her baby was a black German. One that would never be heard from again, not because he was irresponsible but because the Nazis didn’t like blacks anymore than they liked Jews. Ally raised her child by herself, then with the help of a neighbor, a university professor who taught the child, Lilith, everything he knew and helped her read all the books in his monstrous library. They kept indoors during the day and crept forth only at night. She didn’t look too dark, it was her hair that gave her away, but her mother wanted to protect her. The time came her mother had to do the right thing and sent her with some Jewish neighbors to Cuba on the St. Louis. Turns out they were some of the very few allowed to get off the boat.

This turned out to be a saga rather than a story. It involved Ally, her daughter Lilith; Lilith and her daughter, Nadine; Nadine and her daughter, Luna. They had mostly happy lives but learned more as Luna dig into the past. It was a very different kind of Holocaust story encompassing many lives. The characters were excellent, written with kindness and sympathy and the storyline was strong. It is certainly not typical of Holocaust stories, but is rather an unlikely take of coincidences and yes, love. It has everything: the Cuban revolution by Castro; a study of a German poet; the trial and incarceration of a war criminal; and deaths, so many deaths. I couldn’t put it down. It was a beautiful story.

I was invited to read The Night Travelers by Atria Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #AtriaBooks #ArmandoLucasCorrea #TheNightTravelers

I was excited to read The Night Travelers as I learned a lot about Germany during the years before and during WWII. I was in elementary school when Cubans were escaping the rule of Castro, and an adult with children when the Berlin Wall was taken down. Act I did not disappoint. I was totally invested in Ally’s story of getting pregnant with Marcus a black musician who was living in Europe. The 1930s were difficult with the study of Eugenics being popular in much of the world. I cried. I felt the moments between Ally’s neighbor, the Professor and “Opa” to Lilith so touching. I felt Ally’s pain when she had to take Lilith to be examined by the German doctors and when she made the hard decision to send Lilith to Cuba on the St. Louis. I felt I was reading a five star book.

Unfortunately, the writing got in the way of the story in Acts II and III. While the author definitely did his research, I could not find the connection to the characters that I found in his writing of Act I. I think it would have been better if this story had been written as a trilogy with Lilith’s story of growing up in Cuba and having to send her daughter Nadine to New York City in the second book of the trilogy, and Nadine’s and her daughter Lina’s story in the third book. I think it would have helped in feeling more invested with the characters through their development. My thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Night Travelers is a deeply emotional historical fiction novel told through 4 generations of women. It was very insightful, heartbreaking and well researched. What I didn’t enjoy the book is how the writing is very surface level even during very traumatic and emotional events. I was never really able to connect with the story or the characters because of how events were simply stated and moved on from. It almost seemed like the characters were robots going from one event to the next. I loved learning through this book and the multiple generational POV’s, however I just wish there were more emotional attachment to the characters.

Read this book if you enjoy:
🌌 A really stunning cover!
🌌 Well researched historical fiction
🌌 multiple POV’s and generational storylines

Can you imagine— not only having a mixed raced child in the 1930's but doing so in Pre-WWII Germany where your politicians think the whole world can only survive its inhabitants are blond hair and blue eyed? The drama of this is enough for an epic story but in this case it is a family's epic saga (which I love and don't see enough of) that goes from pre-war Germany to the edge of Cuba's Revolution in the 1950's. The difference in these two eras let alone these eras in these two countries is mind boggling. And kudos to the author for doing their research.
If you loved books such as "All the Light We Cannot see" and the Havana series from Chanel Cleeton, Then you will devour The Night Travelers as it is a beautiful, original, poignant mix of the two.
AND in all honest I never would have thought this was written by a Male author if I read it not knowing the author's name. Excellent.

A multilayered multigenerational story of a family torn asunder by politics and war.
It begins in Germany, then travels to Cuba, and then back to Germany.
It was an interesting read, but almost too drawn out. It was a bit difficult to keep all the names straight.
Although historical fiction, the history seeps through the narrative.
Readers will get a huge dose of the different environments the characters endured and the sacrifices they made.

Over a span of 84 years starting in 1931 and ending in 2015, this fantastic historical fiction novel will break your heart.

This story starts off with Ally giving birth to her daughter Lilith in Berlin. Faced with the worst life has to offer during WWII, Ally is forced to send her daughter to Cuba to save her life.

Following 4 generations of women thought different time periods, this book will grasp your heart and squeeze it for all it's worth.

The writing is beautiful and captivating you'll find yourself so emerged within the story you'll forget the reality around you. If you love historical fiction in a WWII era you need to read this book.

From Nazi Germany to the Cuban Revolution to the falling of the Berlin Wall, I fell in love with every aspect of this novel. This is one that will stay with you.

By night they felt free. “By night , we’re all the same color,”

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book will be published January 10, 2023

I had previously read Armando Lucas Correa’s The Daughter’s Tale and became so involved in the characters that I could not put it down. When I received The Night Travelers I hoped to once again get lost in the pages. I was not disappointed. Beginning with Ally Keller in 1931 Berlin, he takes you through four generations of women who make life changing decisions.

At a time when the Nazis are coming to power Ally falls in love with a musician who is Black. She becomes pregnant and has a daughter, Lilith, a mixed race child in a society demanding racial purity. In order to hide her, Lilith and Ally venture out only at night. Lilith is taught by their neighbor, a professor, and displays remarkable intelligence. By the time she is seven her mother knows that Lilith is in danger as long as she is in Germany. With the help of a friend she obtains false papers for her daughter and arranges for her to immigrate to Cuba with an older Jewish couple. As an adult Lilith faces a similar choice. Her husband is associated with the current president of Cuba. The Cuban Revolution has now put her family in danger, forcing her to arrange her daughter Natalie’s escape to be raised by a couple in the United States.

Ally was a published poet whose poem The Night Traveler was composed for her daughter. The poem traveled to Cuba with Lilith and was later passed on to her daughter. Natalie’s own daughter Luna follows in Ally’s footsteps and discovers her own talents as a writer. It is Luna who feels a need to know the truth of her family’s history. What she and Natalie discover are the events that led to the choices that were made as well as family that has waited years to be re-united.

Correa’s story is filled with scenes of love between mothers and their daughters. It is also filled with sacrifice and heartbreak. From the dark days of WWII to the Cuban Revolution he takes you into a concentration camp and to the unsettled streets of Havana. It is an emotional journey but one that should not be missed, making this a story that is highly recommended. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book for my review.

This is my first by this author. I will definitely be reading more of his work.
This is a very emotional story. It takes you to different lands, time, people, and wars. It touches your heart in a way that you won't soon forget. This author reminded me of some times that I had forgotten. A time when I was a child and had no idea what was going on mostly. His writing is sad but beautiful. The way the words are written captivated me. Took my heart and would not let it go. I literally wept for these characters and what they went through. It was so realistic. Based on true times. True events. Things that actually happened. How sad war is. How horrible the Nazi's and the Cuban revolutionaries were. Things that happened were atrocious. So horrible that we can't begin to imagine. I'm glad we can't but we also need to remember that it did and it very well could again. Things are happening around us that are horrible. War is something that we need less of no matter what country you live in.

This book is told in three parts. The first, the beginning, is Ally's story. It's Berlin, March 1931. She gives birth to her baby girl Lillith. One line in this era that really jumped out at me was: "BOOKS ARE NO LONGER SEEN AS USEFUL IN THIS COUNTRY. WHO CARES ABOUT READING THE CLASSICS THESE DAYS?" That was the beginning of the end for the Jews in Germany. Banned books. Banned human beings. Treating people as though they are nothing but scum. Sterilization of children who may carry a gene that is not perfect. Killing or messing up these children forever. All in the name of one man. One horrible little man who was by far not perfect. It's amazing to me how people will follow a man no matter what he is doing. Praise him no matter what. Excuse the horrors no matter what.

What would you do to keep your child safe? Would you give that child away. Send them to a safe place and go on living your life without them? Could you? In the name of love maybe? That is what this story is about. A woman named Ally. A poet who gave her child away to keep her safe. Because this child was a mixed race child. She had a defect. She was a Black German. That was her defect. To keep her safe her mother was willing to give her up. Send her to a new country with almost strangers.

This book is about four women. Four fairly strong women who do what they have to to survive and to keep their families safe. Through generations these women are connected. It starts in Berlin in 1931 and goes through Havana, Cuba 1942 and the US in 1975 and circles back to Berlin in 2015 where it all comes together. A family with so much loss and finding again. So much heartache. The years are all mapped out perfectly. Jumping ahead and then at times back again. You will learn everything you need to about this family.

I loved the characters in this story. All of them. I tried to hate one but I finally felt sorry for that one. My heart broke for the women and what they went through. What they endured in the name of love. Even with the men who loved them were not strong enough it seemed. Generations of heartache and love. This is one historical that will keep you turning the pages and patting your eyes. Tears and lots of them will be shed.

This book leaves nothing undone. Every aspect is covered. A few surprises are along this ride also. Things I certainly didn't expect. I was glad though. I was happy about these. This is one book you just can't miss if you love a good historical.

Thank you #NetGalley, ArmandoLucasCorrea, #AtriaPublishing for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5 huge stars from me. I highly recommend it and that you have tons of tissues as you will need them.

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of this book, the fact that it spans 4 generations and 3 countries and deals with some heavy topics. However, I felt very disconnected with the characters and story. For much of the book, I felt as if I was on the outside looking in, instead of being right in the middle of the story. The writing felt flat at times, and it was hard to connect with the characters. The descriptions of locations were lacking and there wasn't a lot of explanation on the current events. While I have a pretty good knowledge of WWII and what went on, I don't know as much about Cuba's history beyond the basics. I think if people don't have prior knowledge to some historical events, they are going to be lost in what is going on. The author assumes everyone knows exactly what happened during Fidel Castro's takeover of Cuba and the different shifts in government and what brought about his revolution in the first place. It is also assumed that people understand about the trials of Nazis after the war and what it took to bring some of them to justice, as well as what brought about the splitting of Germany and the Berlin Wall. This was a major event in history, but it is barely glossed over in the book. It was also difficult picturing the locations where the story took place as there's not a lot of description of the locations. At one point Nadine lives in New York, but you'd never know it as there is very little said about the city. And though parts of the story take place in multiple cities in Germany, very little is said about these places either. Having been to Germany it made it a little easier for me to picture the cities and places that were described, but other readers are going to be at a disadvantage.

While the characters are all faced with life changing events and difficult situations, it's hard to connect with any of them or feel much towards their situations. It's as if everything is being explained through a third party who's missing a lot of the original story. There's a huge emotional disconnect for most of the story, with the exceptions being the first few chapters with Ally and the last couple with Nadine. Though the story is also supposed to focus on 4 generations, Luna figures very little into the story, only briefly popping in to encourage Nadine to explore the past. She's more of a vehicle to move the story to its conclusion than being an integral part of it. The parts of the story that include Luna are still more focused on Nadine and her quest for answers. And though there are plenty of supporting characters as well, you learn very little about them and forget them pretty easily, with one or two exceptions. They are more there to offer a few pieces of information or help move the story. If there's a disconnect with the main characters, there's absolutely no connecting at all with the supporting characters. The writing is very monotone, which makes it hard to care about what's going on. The characters themselves give very little emotional response as well. It's as if every single one of them was so disconnected from reality that they couldn't be bothered to show any emotion at all. It's a very odd feeling to be reading about these events and have all the characters act like they're watching it from afar with no connection themselves to what's happening.

The story does leave a lot of unanswered questions as well, though I can understand why some of then aren't answered. With a story that involves WWII and other conflicts, there are simply many situations that are unknown and have no answers. Just be prepared for this to be the case, as there will be still be unanswered questions.

This really isn't a bad book; it's just weighed down by the writing.

This book is a heavy hitting historical fiction. I liked the look into each generation. We find out more about the characters throughout as we see each new generation. It is a dark and sometimes hard book to read. But written beautifully.

For fans of historical fiction.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

The Night Travelers
by Armando Lucas Correa
Pub Date: January 10, 2023
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book. I enjoy historical fiction. This is the sweeping generational story of four women, beginning in 1931 Berlin and ending in 2015 Berlin. The story comes in third person POV of the main characters I found it to be too dark and heavy and I was only able to read small sections at a time because it was so overwhelming. I liked it but I cannot recommend it.

3 stars

The scope of this book was impressive. I appreciated the fact that it shed light on the experience of Black people in Nazi Germany. That being said, this was an incredibly heavy book. It felt like unrelenting tragedy and trauma. Even the side characters died tragic deaths (Ofelia, Oscar, Elizabeth, Helena, on and on.) Given how much time we spent with the core characters (Ally, Lilith, Nadine) I felt like we didn’t get to know them very well. The writing in this book was lyrical and beautiful but it just felt like there was both something missing from the emotional aspect of the book and way too much tragedy to handle.

I prefer to only share 4 and 5 star reviews, so I won’t be sharing this on my social media. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it.

The Night Travelers has everything I love in a historical fiction novel: multi-generations, WWII, Cuban Revolution, mother-daughter relationships...however, I thought this book missed the mark for me, a bit, and I ended up liking it, but was not over-the-moon.

What I liked: The novel covers 4 generations of mothers and daughters, emphasizes the bonds between parent and child and the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child's life. I also loved the sense of connectedness between the generations, even though the younger ones had only stories to rely on rather than memories. I learned more about the Nazi eugenics program and also the Cuban Revolution; the novel is extensively researched and includes a bibliography for those interested in further education.

What I struggled with: Because the action jumps forward and back in time from chapter to chapter, I had to stop quite frequently and back up to the beginning of the chapter to remember where and how old the characters were. I also had difficulty keeping track of the generations (Who is Lilith's mom again?) and wished I had taken notes from the beginning.

Fans of Chanel Cleeton's or Kristin Hannah's novels will enjoy The Night Travelers, it is a well-researched, intriguing read and would make a great selection for a book club.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the digital ARC of The Night Travelers. The opinions in this review are my own.

Trauma is inherited, it’s generational, and it carries such a heavy weight. From Germany to Cuba and back again, these 4 women are all so special in their own right.

This is a story that draws you into each woman’s storyline. I liked Ally, and my heart broke for her as hers broke. But I knew nothing good could be in store for her as she set her daughter adrift across the ocean. I related more to Lilith, who knew that Cuba was just a waypoint in her life. She lived with such indifference and hurt toward her mother for giving her away. But now she has Martin and a family, and Cuba is not in a good position. But by the time she was ready to leave, Martin wasn’t.

Last, we have Nadine and, subsequently, Luna, who is an integral part of her story. Nadine has buried her past because she doesn’t want it to swallow her whole. But Luna wants to know the family history, and Nadine won’t stand in her way. It is through the past that Luna shines; she is Ally personified in the newer generation.

The Night Travelers is a story of sacrifice, hurt, and knowing when to let go. It covers many important historical topics, such as Nazi Germany, Castro’s takeover, the Berlin wall, eugenics, and more. This is such a beautiful story of love, and I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you, Atria Books, for the advanced copy.

4.5 stars.

Plot: An emotional multi-generational historical fiction book that covers four generations of women, beginning in 1931 Berlin and ending in 2015 Berlin, with stops in Havana and New York City along the way. It starts with Ally, who gives birth to Lilith, a biracial child during the Nazis' rise to power. To ensure Lilith's safety, she coordinates for her daughter's passage to Havana, while Ally remains in Berlin. So begins a chain of events including mothers making unimaginable decisions in an effort to keep their daughters safe. It is Luna, Ally's great-granddaughter who sets forth to piece together the family history and bring these women's stories together.

Thoughts: Grab your tissues because this one is SAD. Correa crafted a beautiful and well-researched story that provides rich historical context. There were certainly parts that were difficult to read; however, they highlight important parts of history that must not be forgotten. The plot is complex but accessible, and fans of historical fiction will absolutely love this one.

Thank you Atria Books for my gifted copy

A big emotional novel about four generations of women, race, and generational trauma. Ally loved Marcus but, in 1930s Germany, she must hide their daughter Lilith because Marcus, who disappears early on, is the son of an African and German- and Lilith is dark, darker than is acceptable. Ally, a poet, is lucky, to the extent that one could be lucky in this period, because she has the support of Franz and her beloved Professor and it is Franz who arranges for Lilith to be evacuated to Cuba, where she grows up and falls in love with Martin. But then there's a revolution, and Lilith sends their daughter Nadine to New York on a Pedro Pan flight where she's adopted by a German war bride and her husband. But that's not safe either and Nadine finds herself back in Germany where she eventually finds peace until her daughter Luna, also a poet, opens a Pandora's box of sorts. There are ugly secrets here. This winds back and inside itself with some twists and surprises. It's intensely atmospheric (the cold in Germany, the heat of Cuban both physical and metaphorical) and frankly, a page turner. It keeps coming back to Ally's story, the story of a woman gone at the age of 25. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Excellent read. Don't skip the afterword!