A powerful, gut‑wrenching story set in 1930s Virginia, centered around a determined immigrant mother battling America’s eugenics era. The Lies They Told is an emotionally portrayal of injustice and humanity, grounded by a strong, relatable character.

The Lies they Told is one of those rare books that touch your heart with characters that stay in your memory. It's about a terrible time in American history that we weren't taught in school and is rarely even written about. Despite all of the horrific events in the book, the overall feeling is one of hope and love of other people despite what others try to do to them.

Lena is an young unwed mother who comes to America from Germany with her mother, brother and 2 year old daughter. After a terrible journey in steerage, they arrive at Ellis Island hoping to begin their new lives. A distant cousin was going to provide work for her mother and brother and had paid their fare but didn't know that Lena and her daughter would also be arriving. When they arrive on Ellis Island, they are appalled at how they are treated. Her mother and brother are not allowed to stay in the US and deemed burdens to society and sent back to Germany. Lena is allowed to stay but the distant cousin, Silas, is not pleased but reluctantly agrees to take her to his cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to help take care of his home and two children. She is worried when she finds out the two young children have been taught to hide when the sheriff comes around and she wonders if her daughter is in danger. Despite the friendliness of her neighbors, she still worries about the safety of her daughter and her two young charges. She is horrified when she finds out The State of Virginia is scheming to paint them as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.” When Lena is accused of promiscuity for living with a man, she is sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics and her daughter as well as Silas's two children are taken away. All of the women in the 'home' are treated horribly and she longs to get out and find her daughter again.

Lena is a beautiful and well written main character. Despite what she goes through on Ellis Island and missing her mother and brother, she decides to make the best of her opportunity to start a new life. The two children learn to trust and love her and despite Silas's strict attitude, life is going well for her as she learns how to live off the land. She is thankful for her new life and her new friends in the community. She is strong and resilient and vows to find her daughter despite all of the road blocks that the government has in place to keep her from reuniting with her. Her quest to find her daughter was heart breaking but she never gave up. Lena is a character that I won't soon forget as she struggles against the cruel mandates of the government and the believers in eugenics.

The author has done extensive research and it shows on every page. Her characters are all well written and impossible to forget. It isn't a political book at all but the story reminds us that discrimination against other people still exists in our world and we need to remember the events of the past to make sure that they aren't repeated in the future.

Ellen Marie Wiseman books are all so hauntingly interesting and this one was no different. She seeks to shed light on some of the lesser known but greatly embarrassing atrocities of our country’s history.

This book centers around the American Eugenics movement of the 1930’s which disgustingly included the forced institutionalization, sterilization, and/or evacuation of immigrants, poor, uneducated, or disabled people deemed to be of feeble mind or body and therefore not allowed to procreate.

The story follows Lena Conti, an educated German woman who immigrates to the US with her young daughter. They are taken in by relatives that live in the blue ridge mountains and quickly learn America is not always the land of the free. They are quickly encouraged to hide when law enforcement is near. This is because the eugenics movement allowed law enforcement to determine what type of life was worth living. Children could be taken and parents institutionalized, at the discretion of those in power. When Lena’s worst nightmare is realized, she bears witness to the worst decisions of our country at that time. She longs to be reunited with her daughter and prepares herself for a lifetime without her.

Heartbreaking and disgusting, this book like her others, opened my eyes to something that as a parent, hits way too close to home for me. Very moving story.

Master storyteller and NYT bestselling author, Ellen Marie Wiseman (favorite) returns following The Lost Girls of Willowbrook (5 stars) with her seventh novel, another powerful and gripping tale, THE LIES THEY TOLD.

A heart-wrenching page-turner as relevant as ever—Top Books of 2025!

This profoundly powerful story explores the shocking reality behind one of the darkest times in recent American history—the eugenics movement.

While the book vividly tells the story of one young woman's dream for a better life in America, soon shattered by eugenics, the author also includes and connects the process of immigrants at Ellis Island and the displacement of the Blue Ridge Mountain people, where eugenics was used against both the immigrants and the American citizens.

Does this sound familiar today?

About...

Ellis Island, 1928:

Lena Conti, an immigrant from Germany, and her two-year-old daughter, her mother, and her teenage brother flee to America for a better life.

However, little does she know the dangers awaiting her on the other side of the Atlantic. Once here, she is trapped, surrounded by the heart-wrenching cries of terrified mothers and children and shouting men—the abuse and mistreatment of humans in unspeakable ways.

Had she made a terrible mistake? But what choice did she have? America was supposed to be an endless opportunity.

However, the mother and brother, who are labeled burdens to society, are denied entry and deported back to Germany. Now she is left alone and scared in a new country with her young daughter.

Silas Wolfe, a widowed family relative, reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his rural, weathered cabin in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains to help care for his home and children.

She soon learns she will not be paid a wage, only a roof over her head and food while worrying about the safety of her mother and brother. How will she be able to send money to help them?

At the Wolfe Hollow Farm, she meets his daughter, Bonnie, and son, John Henry. Even though there is a language barrier, Lena connects immediately with the children and learns the ways of the Americans as they work together on household chores.

Rural 1930s Virginia:

Lena is concerned that the children are told to hide when the sheriff comes around and soon learns the government (State of Virginia) wants to take away their rights, their land, and their children.

Manipulating the system to label them as slow, backward, feebleminded, and without morals so they can evict them from their land, take the children, and cease the "inferior genes" from passing them on (ability to continue their families' reproduction) while enforcing their new eugenics policy.

With the father away at work, Lena is left with the children and their safety, and soon she becomes a part of this tight-knit community. Still, unfortunately, she cannot prevent the horrific events about to unfold, destroying her life and this family, among others, in the area.

Soon, she is separated from the children, and her own daughter, taken away at the Virginia State Colony for Feebleminded and Epileptics, with little choice and actions forced upon her. What happens at these facilities?

How will she reunite with her daughter and find the family she was separated from, and help protect those she loves?

My thoughts...

A heartrending story about a young mother's fight to keep her daughter and the terrible injustice that tears them apart. The characters step off the page and into history. An utterly gripping tale from start to finish, THE LIES THEY TOLD is storytelling at its finest—another masterpiece to add to Wiseman's epic collection.

Richly drawn characters, beautifully written, heartbreaking, and historically accurate situations combine to make a powerful reading experience. Wiseman unfurls an emotionally rich narrative, and readers will be riveted.

Meticulously researched, the author brilliantly explores this horrific time in our history as we follow the heartbreaking, haunting journey of Lena, her family, and daughter, Ella (to adulthood), as well as Silas Wolfe, and his children Bonnie and John Henry in THE LIES THEY TOLD

The author does not hold back as she uncovers the horrors of eugenics movements through the multi-generational stories of these women. A powerful tale about the love between mothers and daughters and so much more.

Not only are they taking the Blue Ridge Mountain people's lives, their children, the right to reproduce, but the land, their homes, their livelihood, farms, food, and breaking up families in a government's effort to form the national park project.

It is difficult to comprehend that the US was the first country in the world to undertake forced sterilization programs, and the Nazi party in Germany took many of its policies and procedures from American eugenicists.

Law enforcement officials were allowed to seize children from their homes and take them to institutions to undergo an appendectomy or other unspecified procedures before giving them vasectomies and tubligations without their knowledge, only to find out later they cannot bear children.

A timely novel which may remind you of our troubled world today, ICE, horrific detention centers, separation of families, children, and the events taking place now with immigration, and even American citizens. Abuse of power.

From imprisonment and injustice, prejudice, and forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin, this is a tragic, yet ultimately uplifting novel of social injustice, survival, resilience, and hope.

Intense and heartbreaking (difficult to read) at times— you will need to have some Kleenex handy. The author's impeccable research, combined with vivid descriptions and well-developed characters you will come to care for as they face tragedy, abuse, and trauma from those in power.

THE LIES THEY TOLD is a powerful and heart-wrenching story of fierce strength, forgotten history, autonomy, and the places and people we ultimately call home.

I have been a fan of the author for many years, and each time you pick up one of her books, you are assured to learn something and taken back in time while experiencing some of the toughest of challenges.

For the vast majority of immigrants, Ellis Island truly was an "Island of Hope," the first stop on their way to new opportunities and experiences in America. For the rest, it became the "Island of Tears," a place where families were separated and individuals were denied entry into the US.

A reminder of the cruelty of power and humanity, and how lives are affected even for generations to come. An ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions (questions included).

The extensive author's note includes a wealth of information and resources for further reading. You will fall in love with these memorable characters as they linger long after the book ends.

Thank you for bringing this story to life! I could not imagine how difficult it was to write about the darkest time in our history and how some of these things are still ongoing, like the 2020 forced sterilization at the US (ICE) detention center in Georgia that attracted media attention, and what is currently ongoing in Florida. It will break your heart.

A reminder that we all have a moral obligation to speak out against governments doing despicable, horrible things. We all have a voice to help those who cannot speak for themselves.

Audiobook...

I had the honor of reading the book and listening to the audiobook narrated by the talented Elisabeth Rodgers, who delivered a captivating performance, bringing the characters to life. I was hanging on her very word for an engaging, highly emotional, and powerful listening experience.

I highly recommend this masterpiece, which is told with emotion, intensity, compassion, empathy, and sensitivity, as well as all of Wiseman's books, which offer strong take-away messages.

Recs...

For fans of Wiseman (The Lost Girls of Willowbrook) and her others and those who enjoy historical fiction works by Diane Chamberlain (Necssary Lies), Meagan Church (The Last Carolina Girl), Susan Meissner (Only the Beautiful), Adriana Allegria (The Sunflower House), and Dolen Perkins Valdez (Take My Hand) —all favorites.

Thank you, Kensington Books, Recorded Books, and NetGalley, for providing advanced reading and listening copies for my honest thoughts.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 29, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars +
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Thank you NetGalley for the digital advanced readers copy of, “The Lies They Told.”

Lena and her family arrived in Virginia as immigrants with the idea to start a new life. While Lena had plans of getting a job, and more, she quickly realized that was not to be. Only her and her two-year old daughter were granted access to stay, while her teenage brother and mother were sent back to Germany,

Then Silas shows up to pick up Lena and her family as workers, but quickly realized that the boy and mother were sent back. He still takes Lena and her daughter begrudgingly, but he knew she could help in the house.

As the story unfolds, it brings emotions from developed characters, emotions, and bliss. The town is small, and takes a look into the historical era of Germany and Virginia. It also gives Lena an important choice to make which was saddening, but she had to do what she felt was right.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. 4 1/2 stars!

thanks to kensington publishing and netgalley for this review. this book was very powerful and a must read for everyone. once i started it i couldnt put it down. the characters immediately pulled me in with this gripping storyline. i definitely recommend!

🌻 Wow, what an impactful reminder that our country is in no way perfect and has lost its way in the past (and present). Thank you to @uplitreads for my #gifted sneak peek. This is out now!

🌻 This focuses on the American eugenics program between the two world wars- primarily how it was instituted at Ellis Island, and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. This is a program that inspired and informed Hitler on how to institute eugenics in Nazi Germany.

🌻 While reading this you’ll fall head-over-heels for the characters, and your heart will simply break as you read about how they were disrespected, manipulated and frankly assaulted by the US Government. Books like this can be so hard to read, but they’re so important to remind us to keep history from repeating itself. The most patriotic thing we can do is admit we are not perfect, and strive for a better future for all who live here.

🌻 Bonus moments of relief in this book— all the various sayings by the mountain folk had me cracking up. Wait, I mean, they made me happier than a possum eating a sweet tater!

🌻 Overall, I highly recommend this one and if you want to read more like it check out Counting Backwards, Take My Hand, and Only The Beautiful. Again, this one is out now.

If you love historical fiction, The Lies They Told is a must-read for 2025!

Lena Conti is a young Italian German immigrant who just braved passage to America with hopes for a better life for her young daughter, brother, and mother. Upon arrival at Ellis Island, the immigrants are subjected to questioning and embarrassing evaluations that lead to Lena's teenage brother being declared feeble minded and denied entry to the US due to his poor English. He and his mother must return to Germany, while Lena must hope that her mother's distant cousin will take her and Ella in, even though he wasn't expecting them.

Silas, a widower, decides to take Lena in to help with his two children and the household set atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Lena is very impressed with the aged beauty of the cabin and land, and coming from post-war Germany, she's never seen so much food in one place in her life. She realizes she has a lot to learn about America and taking care of the food and household. Fortunately, one of Silas' children, Bonnie, who is capable and wise beyond her years in many ways, falls in love with little Ella, and eventually warms up to Lena and is willing to help. I absolutely adored Bonnie! She was my favorite character in this book.

I wish I could say the struggles stopped there, but this is really a story about the eugenics movement, a dark secret of early 1930s America, and how the state used it to force families off of their land, and to tear families apart by declaring the parents unfit, while the children were placed with more suitable (rich) families. Some Americans and immigrants were also confined to institutions for the feebleminded, sometimes for life, and were forced to undergo sterilization procedures.

Ellen Marie Wiseman tackled a very tough subject with grace and immersive writing that has you hooked from go. This story is absolutely heartbreaking, and it will also have you spitting mad at times. I read another book by this author a few years ago that I really loved, so I requested this as soon as I found it on Netgalley. It's definitely my favorite book of the summer! Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Lies They Told.

Summary: a young Italian German immigrate travels to America for a better life with her brother, mother, and daughter. Once navigating the cruel immigration station at Ellis Island, she works for free on her cousins farm in the hollers of Virginia. Hopeful to evade the ugliness of Germany in 1920s, she finds America to be no better. The Eugenics campaign is in full swing, forcing the mountain people out of their homes through discrimination and injustice.

Opinion: I balled my bloody eyes out 😭 Oh my goodness. This historical fiction novel will break your heart. Parents beware! This is the first time I recall learning about the Eugenics campaign - a racist pseudoscience determined to wipe out all human beings deemed “unfit” and preserve only those who conformed to a Nordic stereotype. You’re taught in school all the horrors of the Germans on WWII but reading about sterilization to weed out the inferior, children being ripped from homes never to be seen again, stealing land from generations of families occurring during the same time in American is sickeningly eye opening.

This novel does a fanastic job depicting the struggles that a young single mother immigrant faced just trying to survive, let alone strive for the American Dream. This book shows the struggles and cruel treatments of immigrants. The abusive scare tactics, intimidation, and injustices that plagued the American government. You can tell the author really did her research for this subject matter. She also gives references and provided more background in her acknowledgements.

Takeaway: It’s a heartbreaking story. But if you like historical fiction, particularly regarding social injustices, then grab this book, your tissue box, and gear up for devastation 💔

The lies they told follows Lena Conti, a young unwed mother who crosses the Atlantic Ocean from Germany to America, and becomes separated from her mother and brother on Ellis Island after they are denied entry.
This is an incredible book. I love reading historical fiction. especially when it is about a subject I do not know anything about and I can learn from it. The writing was brilliant. It was well researched, gripping, thought provoking, and had me in tears.
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an EARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would highly recommend this book.

Just finished 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧 last night, and I’m still thinking about it. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in 1928, this unforgettable historical fiction shines a light on the eugenics movement—a heartbreaking and often hidden part of American history.

Ellen Marie Wiseman brings it to life with such depth and compassion. Her storytelling is rich, her characters stay with you, and the emotion woven throughout—hope, loss, resilience—left a lasting impression. This was an emotional read. I cried, and at times I felt deep anger at the injustice these characters faced. It’s powerful, heart-wrenching, and unforgettable. One of my favorite reads of 2025.

The Lies They Told releases tomorrow—𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟗. I truly hope it finds its way into your hands.

Thank you to @NetGalley, @ellenmariewiseman , and @kensingtonbooks for the opportunity to read early.

Lena and her family have arrived at Ellis Island. Lena and her daughter get to stay in America but her mother and brother are returned to Germany. Lena ends up living with her cousin Silas Wolfe. Silas lives on his home place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. But, coming to America is not all that Lena expected.

I cannot express the heartbreak experienced by the characters in this tale. Lena and Silas lost so much because someone thought they knew better. Oh, and how they were lied to! I am trying really hard not to give away a spoiler…READ IT! And understand, this really happened in real life.

Now, this did have a bit of a slow start. But when it takes off…it takes off like a rocket. And trust me, you will not be able to stop. As a reader, you MUST know what happens.

Need a heartbreaking tale you won’t soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

This is an utterly heartbreaking story centered on the American eugenics movement. Set against the backdrop of the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in the early 1930’s, Lena Conti immigrates with her young daughter Ella, hoping for a better life. What she encounters will shock you to the core. 

✨A Mother’s unwavering love
✨ Forced sterilizations 
✨ Injustice
✨ Institutionalizations
✨ Found family
✨ Lighthearted moments
✨ Healing & love

When I say that my heart was pounding, and my eyes were leaking throughout the last third of the book, I am not at all exaggerating. It was intense! This is a story that will get under your skin and make you wish you could do something, anything for these characters. They felt so real. And people just like them existed and went through these same kinds of experiences. This would be a great book for a book club discussion.

CW | Contains some mild profanity and an instance of strong profanity. Some triggers.

4.5/5 stars

[Thanks to the publisher, Kensington Books and NetGalley , for the advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

I was hooked immediately at the beginning of the book.
This was such an emotional read. I found myself not being able to out this book down once I started.
A phenomenal historical fiction read, and one that Ellen Marie Wiseman absolutely delivered. It’s an emotional, powerful story that gripped me from the first page.

What an amazing story based on frightening history! There are few fictional writings better than a work of historical fiction that capture a time and event so powerfully that the reader is compelled to do further research. This book did that for me. I listened to part of this book and the narrator was excellent, and then I read the rest. The novel follows a hopeful immigrant family coming to the U. S. in the early 1930's. After a grueling voyage in steerage from Germany, they arrive at Ellis Island. There they suffer multiple indignities and the mother and 14-year-old brother are deemed unfit and sent back to Germany. The sister Lena and her daughter are allowed into the country. Lena's mother and brother were promised a home and work with a distant relative, Silas Wolff, who paid for their passage. Silas is disgruntled to find Ella and her baby as the only help he will have on his farm in the blue Ridge Mountains in return for the money he spent. Ella adjusts to her new life working as Silas's housekeeper and caretaker of his two motherless children. Then outsiders come to the homes of Wolff and the mountain people and declare them uncivilized and degenerate. It is all a push to steal their land to create a national park. Children are stolen from their parents. Lena, her baby and the two children in her care are among those taken. Their horrifying experiences and the story of survival based on those of real people make this book a must read. The author's notes at the end of the book must not be overlooked!

This book covers a shameful and relevant part of our history with eugenics in the forefront of immigration policies and in discrimination against American citizens.

In the 1930s, Lena crosses the Atlantic from Germany with her daughter, brother, and mother with the hope of starting a new life in America. Because her teen brother cannot speak English well he was labeled feebleminded and was deported. Lena's mother was deported for being sickly looking. Little does Lena know that this landing at Ellis Island will be a foreshadowing of heartbreaking events for her and her daughter.

Lena has no choice but to forge ahead with her daughter to work for a distant relative in the hills and hollers of the Virginia Appalachian Mountains. While Lena bonds with the children of the family, she faces hardships and soon realizes that the American government's eugenics policies run deep in the mountains. Families are separated, individuals are sterilized so they cannot pass along 'bad genes,' and some are institutionalized in orphanages and places for the feebleminded. As if this were not enough angst, the government used eugenics as a tool to remove families from the mountains in order to establish Shenandoah National Park.

THE LIES THEY TOLD is the latest outstanding historical novel by one of my favorite authors, Ellen Marie Wiseman. I have loved every book of hers that I’ve read and this one is no exception. It is a heart-wrenching, yet uplifting story of social injustice, survival and community that will stay on my mind for a long time to come. It is set in rural Virginia in the 1930s and sheds a light on the rising eugenics movement in America. Shockingly, at the time, there was widespread support for the Imprisonment and forced sterilization of individuals based on class, race, disability, education level and immigration status. Lena Conti is a young, unwed mother who travels from Germany to Ellis Island with her two-year-old daughter and her mother and brother. Instead of a warm welcome to a new land and the chance for a new life, Lena sees families, including her own, forcibly separated at the port, with many family members denied entry and deported back to their country of origin. Silas Wolfe, a widowed distant relative, reluctantly allows Lena and her young daughter to come to his cabin high in the Blue Ridge Mountains to help care for his children and home. Little do Silas and Lena realize the lengths the government will go to take away their land and institutionalize their children in the name of the eugenics movement. Lena herself is committed to the Virginia State Colony for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptics after being wrongly accused of being a dim-witted and promiscuous foreigner. In a gripping and thought-provoking story, Ellen Marie Wiseman has exposed this shameful and horrific time in our country’s history and provided a brave and resilient heroine to root for as she faced unthinkable hardships. In addition to the compelling story, don’t miss the enlightening Author’s Notes. I highly recommend this moving and engrossing book and thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Wiseman did it again! She created a beautiful yet heartbreaking historical fiction read that will stick with me for a long time. Lena, only 19, arrives in America in 1928 with her daughter, Ella, her mother, and brother. After her mother and brother were denied entry into America, Lena continues and finds her mother’s cousin, Silas, who reluctantly, takes in Lena and Ella. Silas takes them to his home in the mountains in the Shenandoah and Lena helps with his children, Bonnie and Jack Henry. So much happened in the 370+ pages to all of them. Lena is taken, separated from the children, and deemed feebleminded. She is put in a facility where they forced sterilization upon her through the American Eugenics program. This was an awful time in history, but it did happen and people should know about it. The characters were all wonderful, although I did have to remind myself a couple of times that Lena was only 19 and put into a very adult situation. There were many parts where I had tears in my eyes and my heart broke all over again. If you like historical fiction, this one is a must read.

4.5 stars. Set in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia during the 1930s and into mid‑century America, the novel follows Lena Conti, a young German immigrant and unwed mother who arrives at Ellis Island with her toddler daughter, Ella. In a devastating moment, her mother and teenage brother are denied entry and deported, labeled “unfit” by the immigration officers. Only Lena and Ella are allowed to stay.
Lena is taken in by her distant cousin Silas Wolfe, a widower in need of help caring for his children. Though reluctant at first, he offers Lena sanctuary in his aged cabin. But soon, Lena and those around her find themselves entangled in America’s dark eugenics policy—stigma, forced institutionalization, sterilization, and land forfeitures loom like a nightmare.
The Lies They Told is a profoundly moving and timely novel—immersive historical fiction with real moral urgency. Wiseman offers a tribute to those who suffered under America’s eugenics schemes and uplifts a mother’s relentless fight for dignity, love, and justice.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this digital e-arc.*

Set in 1930's rural Virginia, this book dives deep into the heartbreaking reality of America's eugenics movement - a dark and disturbing part of our history that still shocks me every time I read about it.
The story follows Lena Conti, a young immigrant mother, as she fights for her daughter, her family, and her dignity after being separated from loved ones at Ellis Island.  Her journey leads her to Wolfe Hollow, where she's thrown into a community that's both beautiful and under threat.  When Lena is falsely accused and sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, I found myself holding my breath, desperate for her to find her way back to her daughter, Bonnie and Jack Henry.  
The chapters were a bit longer than I typically prefer, but honestly, the rich details and vivid writing made me feel like I was right there inside the pages, walking through the Blue Ridge Mountains and experiencing every heartbreak, small joy, and moment of courage right alongside Lena.  
I absolutely fell in love with these characters and was gripping the pages, hoping and praying for a reunion.  This one gave me all the feelings - such a deeply moving story about survival, injustice, resilience, and hope!  This is a must read!