Cover Image: Counting Lost Stars

Counting Lost Stars

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Member Reviews

A young romance interrupted by the Holocaust. 15 years later, a young woman forced to give up her baby for adoption and finding solace in a man who survived.

This book was a bummer! I mean, that typically comes with a book set in WWII and the Holocaust. I wasn’t expecting sunshine and rainbows, but it didn’t turn out like I wanted, which is good for the story (really it works for the plot), but not so much for my mood. I don’t typically pick up these historical fiction, “women’s fiction” books, but this one had queer ladies, and that’s how you get me.

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It is rare that I feel equally invested in both stories of a dual timeline, but I was fully absorbed in both Cornelia’s and Rita’s storylines. Cornelia’s tale began in the 1940s with the German invasion of Holland. Readers will feel the same conflicting emotions as our young protagonist weighing her own safety against the safety of those she loves. The chapters in between follow Rita as she tries to figure out what life could look like after giving birth to a child out of wedlock in 1960’s New York. The way their stories connected was quite satisfying.
Some readers may find that too many topics are attempted to be addressed, including: homosexuality; post traumatic stress; sexism, specifically against women in computing and in the matters of sex and children outside of marriage; and racism. This reader, however, thinks that life is complex and Van Alkemade’s story reflects that. And she does so with a cast of characters you will enjoy rooting for! The focus on the early development of computers and coding was a unique focus for a historical time period that has been much written about.

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In 1960, Rita Klein is studying the new field of computer programming when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Rita is unmarried so when she is pressured into placing her baby for adoption to avoid a family scandal, she reluctantly does. She is grieving over her loss when she meets Jacob Nessy, a Holocaust survivor, haunted by his memories and desperartely wondering if his mother is still alive.

In 1941, Cornelia Vogel is living in The Netherlands and working as a punch card operator on the Hollerith computer for the Ministry of Information. The Hollerith computer was made in American and later became the IBM company. When Cornelia is instructed by the Nazis to run a census of the population on the Hollerith, she begins to realize that the Nazis are using this method to identify Jewish people and where they live. She is uncomfortable about this especially since her upstairs neighbors are Jewish and their daughter is her best friend. but her father also works for the Ministry of Information and he tells her to do as she is told and to not bring attention on their family.

In 1960, when Rita starts to work at a company that has a Hollerith computer she begins to realize that the punch cards might hold the clue to what happened to Jacob’s mother. Maybe by helping Jacob she will begin to heal herself.

Counting Lost Stars has a little something for everyone: family secrets, romance both gay and heterosexual, mistaken identities, and an interesting story about the way the Nazis used the Hollerith punch cards in their Final Solution. The two time periods come together in an unexpected way.

This well written and researched historical fiction novel is available to pre-order and will be available for purchase on July 18th. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

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Two eras weave together in this carefully researched historical fiction. 1960 New York: one of the only female college student's studying computer science, Rita finds herself pregnant and gives the child for adoption. Struggling with her decision, Rita meets Jacob who is also struggling from his childhood of separation from his mother during the Holocaust. 1941 The Hague: Cornelia is tasked to translate a computer's instructions from English into German and seeks help from her Jewish neighbor. Would make a good book discussion title.

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Counting Lost Stars
Kim Van Alkemade
Pub Date: July 18, 2023
William Morrow
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Well done Alkemade! Little known events in the war-torn world of the 1940’s is brought to light in this compelling book.
Well written!
5 stars

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1960s New York City-a woman and a man with torturous pasts might find redemption in one another.
In the 1940s Netherlands-two young women fall in love and make unbelievable sacrifices.

I'm usually not a huge fan of books that switch between eras, but Kim van Alkemade's writing is a flawless execution between the two that never feels jarring. Ultimately, the novel is about love, trust, and healing with characters that have gone through hell, though they never lose their humanity.

There's just so much in this book-racism, sexism, the Holocaust, NYC, etc. The common tie throughout is the use of very early computers which is quite interesting. A very well-researched novel and I highly recommend it.

#NetGalley
#Kim van Alkemade

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