After the death of her father, Lily and her mother, Chloe struggle to survive in post WWI Paris. Forced to find a job she meets an American soldier who persuades a baker to give her a chance. What follows is fairly predictable for the first half of the story. Transplanted to the USA, barely speaking English, Lily struggles to fit in. She meets Gloria, a widow with a young son, and on impulse offers her a job as her daughter, Mimis’ nanny. Here the pace and feel of the book changes, and for me became more interesting and readable.

I found the characters a bit flat and at times frustrating, especially the females. The author has a real feel for the era and the history of the Jewish people, which I would have liked to read more about in this book. An interesting concept, which for me didn’t completely work and I didn’t feel invested in the read. Definitely a book of two halves.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Last Lullaby is a powerful, emotional historical novel that weaves together love, loss, and the resilience of motherhood. Set against the backdrop of 1920s Paris and New York, Lily and Gloria’s bond is beautifully written, and the sacrifices they make for their children are both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The story delves into the struggles of immigrants and the looming shadows of war, with rich historical details and vivid characters that pull you in. While the pacing slows at times, the emotional weight and depth of the choices made by these women make this an unforgettable read.

And Roberta Kagan does it again! I don't know how she does it but thank heavens she does! Another outstanding story to what promises to be another exceptional and exciting series. I know I sound like a broken record, but if you read any of her books you will understand how easy it is to get absorbed into her world. Never stop writing! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book by Roberta Kagan I have read. The story is set mostly between the wars. Although strangely apart from Gloria the characters from the first and second half of the book are completely different. I found the female characters very gullible and the males almost pantomime villain in character. The storyline was mostly predictable. There are also some strange discrepancies, a gold and diamond pin that is pivotal to the plot is sold twice! Firstly by Joe for $5000. Then by Gloria despite not being rebought. The second time despite accepting $3000 for it Gloria only gets $500 dollars, a figure she has just refused outright. Although I finished The Last Lullaby it is not a book that would encourage me to buy any other books by this author I'm afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks netgalley for once again letting me read another Roberta Kagan book, I have read all of her books and this one did not disappoint me.
I hope I will be given the chance to read another book by this wonderful author.
Lily is living with her mother.life is hard In paris and everyone is struggling.
Lily meets a soldier called Joe and he is everything she always wanted handsome and seems to have money, they fall in love.but when Joe is told to,join his regiment he goes, and Lily finds she is pregnant.
Joe does not answer any of her letters and Lily is scared perhaps Joe has left her.
But Joe comes back and is delighted with seeing Lily and her daughter.
Joe tells Lily he is taking them both to,America and Lily but leave her mother with a promise that they will visit.
But things do not go smoothly for Lily and she hopes she has not made a big mistake going to America.

Once again Roberta Kagan writes a wonderful, well researched story. It is a very touching story starting in the early 1920’s as they go to America. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC. The review is my own.

I absolutely love this book. It is beautifully written. I will be recommending it to everyone who loves these kinds of books. Easy five stars.

Paris 1922: When French woman Lilly meets Joe in Paris after the War, there is immediate attraction for both of them, they marry and after Lilly gives birth to their daughter Mimi, Joe announces that he must return to America. Lilly does not wish to leave France and her mother behind but the choice is taken away from her.
Their journey on the ship is below the standard Lilly expected and, on arrival in America, she learns how great a mistake she has made. She becomes little more than a servant in the home of her mother in law and Joe, unable to find work, turns to drink and gambling. But, things begin to look up when Joe gets a job driving a truck and it appears that their lives have now truely begun. As their circumstances improve and Lilly is once more pregnant, she invites her new found friend Gloria, together with her eight-year-old son, to live in their home as Nanny to Mimi and the new baby to come.
This is an unusual story and as it progresses, I became so very defensive for the women in the story as I began to detest the men. Not a story to love for me but it is an interesting study of human nature and how poverty and loss can be so devastating.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story prior to publication.

Max is dying he is remembering meeting his wife and some of their history. The family is poor. Chloe doesn’t want her daughter Lily to work but Lily knows she has to find something. She finally found something with the help of Joe a soldier who is actually paying the baker to pay Lily. Joe and Lily are developing a relationship though he is being called away. Chloe is skeptical and does not want her daughter involved with Joe. Lily does not listen to her mother ends up pregnant. She does marry Joe, but they are moving to the states and Chloe still has a bad feeling. Joe and Lily go to the states with their new daughter. Chloe stays behind, though they promise to bring Chloe to the states when money is no longer an issue. Chloe doesn’t seem to want to leave. Chloe was right about Joe and Lily isn’t happy in the states at least at first.
Joe ends up making money and getting what Lily wants and needs but it comes from the mob. Lily continues to live a happy life or the happiest possible with Joe. Though Joe is falling for the nanny Gloria who is also lily’s good friend and he takes advantage of her. It’s annoying that Gloria doesn’t talk to Lily.
Lily and Joe both die and Gloria brings her son and Lily’s daughter to France to meet Chloe.
On the ship Gloria meets a man who is a German fascist who wants Gloria to meet party members with him. He is very pro Hitler.
The book pretty much follows that one family Gloria brings Mimi to Chloe, and Chloe is going to have Mimi live with her. Gloria accepts Fredericks proposal and promises her son that they will visit. However, Frederick is involved with the Nazi party and Chloe and Mimi are Jewish.
Very good book, but I hated the ending leaving off a cliffhanger the way it did so many unanswered questions!! so I’m very much looking forward to the second book

The last Lullaby by Roberta Kagan is an emotional and challenging journey of Lily Levin. The book starts in Paris, 1923. Lily Levin departs for America with her infant daughter and husband, leaving behind her beloved mother and the world she has always known. Carrying a cherished family heirloom and the lullabies of her childhood, she embarks on an uncertain journey toward a new life in New York. There, Lily forms an unexpected bond with Gloria, a young caregiver whose loyalty and friendship offer comfort amidst hardship. As their lives intertwine, the strength of their connection is tested by unforeseen tragedy. When the past calls her back to a Europe on the brink of catastrophe, one mother must make an unthinkable choice—risking everything for the children she loves. A beautifully written book which i really enjoyed. Utterly addictive and should come with a warning once you pick it up, you will not be able to put it down until the final page. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Roberta Kagan is a master (mistress?) at writing a book which forces the reader to eagerly await the next installment. This entertaining story begins in Paris in the 1920s and relates the story of an impoverished Jewish family and the fortuitous meeting of a Jewish American soldier by their daughter. The descriptions of the voyage to the United States in steerage and subsequent life in the tenements of New York City are harrowing. The book is easy reading and delves into topics such as prohibition, speakeasies, the mob, friendship, loyalty and murder. The children depicted in the story are endearing and precocious and are an integral part of the events —- including a return to France via a trip to Germany in 1930 and the beginnings of the Nazi party. This book is highly recommended (for all who are patient enough to await the next installment) and I thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the privilege of reading this book prior to publication.

This is a well written story which portrays accurately the attitudes towards women and the difficult circumstances of life between the two world wars.
Lily marries Joe when pregnant with their daughter, Mimi. They leave her home city of Paris and her beloved mother and go to Joe’s home in America, where life is hard and impoverished.
Gloria is an unmarried mother who meets Lily in a park through their children and they become friends. Gloria becomes Mini’s nanny and moves in with her son, Nick.
Lily’s circumstances improve when Joe gets a rather risky job.
There are some tragic events and Gloria takes Mimi to find her grandmother, Chloe, in Paris. She meets Friedrich on the journey and there is a vivid and worrying description of attitudes which lead to the second world War. The story ends at this point.
This is a thoughtful and emotional journey which paints a clear picture of life as it was. The reader knows the historical events that follow and is left with a feeling of sadness, but hoping that these endearing characters will have a better future.

Errata in the story that I need to point out:
At the end of Chapter 29 Joe steals Lily’s emerald and diamond pin (brooch) that Chloe gave her. He pawns it for $5000 but never redeems it. He uses the money to pay back his mob boss.
In Chapter 45 Gloria finds the pin in Lily’s jewellery box and pawns it for$3000 to buy their passage back to France.
There is only one pin, but it appears and is pawned twice!
In Chapter 49 at the breakfast table Gloria is called Lily.

I just finished the Last Lullaby by Roberta Kagan and it wasn't the book for me.
I'm giving it 3
A few key things stood out to me.
A lot of telling instead of showing.
A major incident that shifts the primary POV felt a bit jarring.
I wanted deeper character building.
The pacing was off. Some things took
way too long and others happened absurdly quickly.
As an ARC reader, I struggle with a review when I didn't love it. I know how hard authors work and that should be celebrated but I know honesty is the most important of a review. I hope my review of this work helps you!
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

Although the book's cover would lead one to believe this is WW II historical fiction, it's an intense look at the desperate years between the two world wars. As tough as it was for veterans, it was worse for women, especially those with children.

Both Lily and Gloria become involved with men they hope will provide a decent life for their children, having failed to do so on their own. As the reader, you see the warning signs and want to scream at these women to stay far away from them. At the same time, you understand the choices they make, and it breaks your heart. Lily's choice takes her to the tenements of NYC, a far cry from Paris and not what she expected. "She was a ghost, present but unseen, except when Mimi's cries made her an inconvenience." Gloria's choice takes her to Munich in 1930, where this novel ends, but not before the author gives us some truly horrifying foreshadowing.

"If sometimes his passion for his new political movement seemed to burn too bright, well, all men needed a cause to believe in, didn't they?" See what I mean? Run away, Gloria! I loved that this book emphasized the dire economic straits of all the countries in the 1920s, as well as the extreme disparity between the industrialists and everyone else. Although Roberta Kagan's books are always emotionally draining, I never expected the shocking twist in this one. The Last Lullaby is a terrific beginning for a new series and I highly recommend it.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC. The review and opinions are entirely my own.