This is one of my favorite genres, so I was excited to dive in—especially with the story moving from Paris to New York and then back to Europe. The New York storyline was really interesting, and I loved the bond between Lily and Gloria. However, overall, the book felt somewhat disjointed and difficult to get into. At one point, I realized I was 75% through and still had no idea where the story was going or how it would wrap up. Turns out it’s the first in a series, and this book is background setup with no real ending. I might have felt differently if I knew that going in. Not a bad read, just not satisfying on its own.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Set in the mid 1920s, Lily Levin is newly wed and with her baby daughter Mimi, leaves her loving mother behind in Paris for the US with her husband to start a new life. But in New York, she struggles to adapt and fit in. Initially, life is difficult however when her husband finds well-paying but shady work, life improves and soon they move into a beautiful home. Lily meets Gloria in the park one day and their children become instant friends. Lily hires Gloria as a live- in nanny but tragedy strikes when Lily and her husband are killed and Gloria is left with Mimi.

In order to honour her friend, Gloria knows she must take Lily's daughter to her grandmother in Paris, to the only family Mimi has left. Gloria and the children set off to Europe at a terrible time when the Nazi party's power is rising, to find Mimi's grandmother.

This book explores a number of themes including:
- the difficulties faced by immigrants adapting to life in a new country. As a child of immigrants, I remember my family relating similar stories about the challenges they faced.
- The struggles in finding work following WWI and the pressure this placed on families
- the lack of choices and support available to women in unhappy relationships during that era

This is a beautifully written, character-driven novel which has you feeling a great deal of compassion for the female protagonists who find themselves in difficult circumstances with little hope. The ending was unexpected but left me wanting to know more about this story. I look forward to reading the next installment (hopefully there will be one!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This story faces life in a way you don’t expect.

When Lily meets the man of her dreams, she realises that her life could be happy. But when she finds herself in a difficult situation, she relies on her mama Chloe to help. But things aren’t always going to go the way Lily or Chloe thought. The story focuses on separation, heartbreak, starting again, trying to keep your belief and returning home.

This book has high and lows of emotions in the characters and showing that true kindness pays its way.

I received this book for an honest review.

Roberta Kagan’s The Last Lullaby is a profoundly moving and harrowing tale set against the backdrop of one of history’s darkest chapters. With her hallmark sensitivity and historical depth, Kagan captures the heartbreak, resilience, and quiet heroism of those caught in the crossfire of World War II.

At its core, The Last Lullaby is a story of love and survival—of mothers and children, of lost innocence, and of the human capacity for both cruelty and compassion. Kagan’s characters are richly drawn, deeply human, and often unforgettable. Her prose is evocative without being sentimental, carrying readers through moments of unimaginable pain and unexpected grace.

What sets this novel apart is its ability to balance the emotional weight of its subject matter with a compelling narrative arc. Kagan does not shy away from the brutality of war, yet she also reminds us of the enduring power of hope and connection—even in the face of unbearable loss.

The Last Lullaby is not just a historical novel; it’s a tribute to memory, to the voices that were silenced, and to those who dared to sing anyway.

Perfect for: Fans of Kristin Hannah, Heather Morris, and readers of WWII fiction who appreciate emotionally rich, character-driven storytelling.
Rating: ★★★★★

This is a heartfelt, sad, but loving tale, about an immigrant family in New York city, circa 1925.
Following World War 1,
Lily and her husband Joe, and baby Mimi, leave Paris to start a new life in America. However, the streets are not paved in gold, and poverty sets in, until Joe finds a job.
Lily makes friends with Gloria, a single mother of a son. As Lily is expecting another child, Gloria is hired as a nanny.

An unfortunate series of events cause Gloria, her son Nick and little Mimi to flee back to Europe, in search of Mimi’s maternal grandmother.
In Germany, the Nazi party is beginning to develop, as they face redemption from the loss of WW1.

The story is very sad, and it ends with a cliffhanger, as Europe is on the verge of WW2, and the fate of Gloria, Nick and Mimi are unknown.

Roberta Kagan writes heartbreaking stories of life during the wartime eras. Based on true events, Germany eradicated most of Europe’s Jewish population. Ms. Kagan brings to life the brutal realities of her innocent characters. Her books are so well written, and very easy to read.

Thank you to Roberta Kagan, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I was looking forward to this latest book by Roberta Kahan and this new book didn't disappoint in the slightest. Full of romance and loyalty . Lovely characters and well written as usual

💭I really enjoyed this historical fiction book! It takes place right before the Nazi party took over Germany.

Lily meets an American soldier and decides to eventually give her heart to him. He gets stationed somewhere else and isn’t allowed to tell her where. She finds out she is pregnant, as an unwed woman in 1920’s France, where she will be judged and ridiculed. Her man comes back shocked to see her pregnant and they decide they will go to NY to live. She has the baby and realizes her life in America is not what she imagined. She befriends a woman with a son a few years older than her daughter who is down on her luck and hires her as a nanny.

One brave mother will have to make a decision to sail back to Europe with two small children to where Hitler’s party is gaining traction.

There wasn’t much about Hitler’s party until the last 20%, and it seemed the story ended somewhat abruptly, but this is supposed to be the first book in a series, so I am hoping with the second book we will get more about that topic. I can’t wait to read it!

This is the first in a new series by Roberta Kagan. It takes place from about 1922 through 1930, the period between the two world wars. It begins in America and goes to Munch ,Germany and then Paris, France. It is the story of a German woman who finds herself in America with a child, fallen on hard times and the friendship that ensues when she becomes the nanny and good friend of a young Jewish woman named Lily. We learn Lilly’s story, as well, which is one of hardship and trauma. As usual Miss Kagan weaves a tale, which keeps you so interested that you can’t wait to turn the page to see what will happen next. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

What a wonderful book it had romance and was heartbreaking.

Lily leaves Paris with her husband Joe and their daughter Mimi leaving behind her Mother. Lily finds it hard to settle in America. Joe finally finds a job but it is illegal. Lily meets Gloria and a friendship develops between them.

I could not put this book down and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to read about the illegal trade in America at the time where you could not drink alcohol. The book was well written and I liked the characters there was sad bits in the book. I certainly wanted to find out what happened to them.

I look forward to reading the next book to see what happens to them all.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I can only say what an emotional story this is. Roberta Kagan has written many books set around war time and family struggles. This book is an excellent example of her writing. The characters are entirely believable as they struggle in difficult circumstances,. Set in the early 1930s, when the European politics is unsettled after the 1st World War. I can highly recommend this book, can't wait to find out what happens to Gloria, Nick & Mimi who I loved.

Another enjoyable book by this author. The characters were wonderful the story was believable considering the things that were going on in history at that time just prior to wwII. I’m looking forward to the next in this forthcoming series!

The Last Lullaby
By Roberta Kagan

Book #1 of a series. What can I say? Another profound story told as nobody else can do it. Roberta Kagan is the historical fiction author that nobody should miss. Her stories bring to life people and events and events within events that seldom people truly know about. Again, this novel hit the mark on all of these points and more. An interweaving story of Jewish ancestry, relocations of people to different countries and an outlook of the real America for foreigners during the great depression, this book has it all. From war torn France to Depression Era New York to life within prohibition to the rise of the mob this story keeps you turning the pages. This novel really nails the before WWII but after WWI period and all the things that happened during this time. It also touches on the rise of Hitler in Germany and the poverty of America, highlighting how poverty stricken the people of America were during the Great Depression, this book really sheds light on how Europe saw America as the “the golden road” at the end of a war-torn struggle and how America was anything but that to them. This novel will catch you at the beginning and not let go until you have read the last word which is true Roberta Kagan style. Ms. Kagan’s style is one of those true gems that keeps you engrossed and anticipating the next book in the series, which by the way I am now in that club. I will patiently await book 2 when it is ready to see how these people fare during WW2 as I am sure that is where this story is heading. Again Ms. Kagan has outdone herself with this book and I highly recommend it.

The Last Lullaby by Roberta Kagan is different than the other books by her that I have read. It took the entire book to tell the backstory for the Holocaust story I am sure is coming. Lily lives in France with her widowed mother. They are struggling but life is not over for either of them. Lily meets a man when she is out looking for employment. His name is Joe and he is an American soldier. He helps her find a job, as it turns out, he was paying her salary. The expected happens and she falls pregnant and Joe leaves, promising to return. She writes to him often, never hearing from him in response. One day she opens the door and here he is. They marry and after the baby, a girl they name Mimi, arrives, they leave for America. Then the cracks start to show. They travel steerage. They arrive at a tenement apartment they are to share with his mother. More cracks. Eventually Joe gets a job and things get better. His mother dies. His job pays even more. After several moves they are able to buy a house. Lily falls pregnant again and is a little overwhelmed. Joe allows her to hire a nanny and she hires her friend, Gloria, who she met in the park, along with her little boy who has become fast friends with Mimi. It’s not too long before Joe is sniffing around Gloria.

Fast forward. Jo and Lily are killed and Gloria attempts to take Mimi to France to her grandmother. On the boat she meets a man who is too good to be true and he makes her life considerably easier. This man is returning home to Germany to meet a man he admires: Adolph Hitler. No one knows at this point what the future will bring. Lily is a naive, simple young woman who believed Joe even when good sense said she shouldn’t. Joe is a driver for a mobster whom he thinks can be outsmarted, by him. He is wrong. Gloria is a simple young woman who got pregnant and was disowned by her family. The women are sympathetic characters. Joe is a jerk. Time will tell where this goes, although based on what Kagan writes, the handwriting is on the wall. Good characters, as always, and an unexpected plot. Kagan writes a compelling, mostly third person, novel with a twist on her usual topic.

I was invited to read The Last Lullaby by Storm Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StormPublishing #RobertaKagan #TheLast Lullaby

What a beautiful book cover The Last Lullaby by Roberta Kagan was. This was a book that just caught my eye and I am so glad it did. It was a beautifully written book and was full of emotions - You will need tissues and lots of them.

“I can’t leave you, Mama. I can’t go,” Lily sobbed. “Then don’t say goodbye,” Chloe whispered, pressing the cherished family heirloom into her daughter’s palm. ”Just until we meet again.”

I need tissues. . . . .

Set in Paris, in 1923. Lily Levin boards a train with her baby daughter Mimi and American husband, they are leaving behind her beloved mother Chloe for a new life across the ocean. Lilly carrying her mother’s precious diamond pin close to her heart, she holds Mimi close and she sings Yiddish lullabies to her.
Now, Lily faces an uncertain future in a country she’s never even seen, only heard about.

Now, in New York, Lily is struggling to fit in, she finds an unexpected ally in Gloria, she is a young mother who is hired to care of Mimi. The two women forge a good friendship which is deeper than blood, they spend hours together sharing their dreams, fears, and their fierce love for all their children.

Then. . . . . . . tragedy shatters both of their world.

One brave mother must make an impossible choice that sends her and two children on a voyage. This is to Europe where Hitler’s Nazi Party is gaining power and darkness is rising.

WoWow. . . . . and Breath - pass me a tissue!!! No make it the Box!

I highly recommend this book. Just beautiful!

Big Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my ARC.

Paris, 1923. Lily Levin boards a train with her baby daughter Mimi and American husband, leaving behind her beloved mother Chloe for a new life across the ocean. Carrying her mother’s precious diamond pin and the Yiddish lullabies she sings to Mimi, Lily faces an uncertain future in a country she’s never seen.

In New York, as Lily struggles to fit in, she finds an unexpected ally in Gloria, a young mother hired to care for Mimi. The two women forge a friendship deeper than blood as they share dreams, fears, and their fierce love for their children.

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of pieces of stories, sometimes they feel disconnected, but I think the other has plans for this to be part of a series and I look forward to reading more!

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Set in Paris and also New York, this story is set during the 1920’s about a family who move to New York for a better life. I enjoyed Roberta Kagan’s writing style however I did find it slow at times and was disappointed that the book ended with a cliffhanger, hope a second book is made thst is set during ww2. While I enjoyed this book I feel like it was advertised wrong, the cover has swastikas on it indicating that the book is set during ww2 but it’s not, this book has nothing to do with the book war
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, al opinions are mg own.

What a read!! This made me feel a whole range of emotions and I loved it. Very well written with greatly established characters.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is the story of Lily who, after the loss of her father, now must ensure that her mother and herself survive.

When she meets a soldier who is American, she really likes him and he too really likes her. After a while, Lily is leaving the country she’s lived in, and her Chloe, her mother behind.

Lily, with her husband and baby, to go and live in a country she’s never seen before, not knowing what’s in store for her there.

Thinking it’ll be easier than the life she left behind, but she soon finds out that it’s not. Lily realises that her husband isn’t who she thought it was, and wishes she was back home with her mother.

When she meets Gloria, they bond quickly and soon her life changes..

The story was well written, emotional and you read about life after WWI and before WWI.

I highly recommend this book.

Hmm, I’m not sure how I feel about this story. It follows a woman after The Great War, who married, got pregnant, and moved with her husband to America. They struggled at first, but he eventually gets a well paying (though not legal) job, and things start to look up for them. But his philandering and dishonest ways cause problems. Which then leads us down a whole different rabbit hole with another set of characters. Then it just ends, with the premise that another book will follow with these characters. I will not go out of my way to look for the sequel, to be honest.

Roberta Kagan’s historical fiction novel, “The Last Lullaby,” explores mother-daughter bonds and women’s sacrifices. It’s a story of love, friendship, and heartbreak, but the uneven pacing, predictable plot points, and underdeveloped characters hinder the reading experience. Though it’s the first book in a series, I doubt I’ll read part 2.