Saving Rebecca: A WW2 historical novel about a mother’s devotion

A mother that is willing to do anything to save her daughter.
We are in France during WWII, and the evil that has been threatening Europe has started rounding up people of Jewish faith.
War pulls families apart, and some never return, some lost forever.
A mother and her daughter are sent to the Drancy internment camp. We live with this young mother and her daughter, 5, 6, or 7 year old, she has a birthday as we read, but without much food, is rather malnourished, but oh, so loveable. We see her playing with the head commandant's two daughters, and the author shows how they probably treated this young prisoner.
I was surprised how the prisoners treated one another, how some will turn on another, sad.
There are also a few of those in control whom have compassion.
This is a story that really needs to keep being told, we need never forget. Thank you Alex Amit.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher BooksGoSocial, and was not required to give a positive review.

I love books about the Holocaust and this one did not disappoint. I loved the strength and determination of Sarah and many of the other women that she met during her experience. Hearing about the way the French Jews and German Jews interacted while in the concentration camp in France was eye opening. No spoilers, but ending was not what I expected. Still processing if I wish it had gone the other way with the family. Overall, I enjoyed reading and look forward to reading other books by this author. SavingRebeccaAWW2historicalnovelaboutamothersdevotion
#netgalley

This novel set in Paris during the harrowing days of 1941 follows Sarah, a Jewish mother, and her five-year-old daughter, Rebecca, as they navigate the horrors of World War II. Trapped in Nazi-occupied France, Sarah’s desperate attempt to escape to Spain is thwarted, leading to their capture and internment in the Drancy camp.

Within the oppressive confines of the camp, Sarah seeks to shield Rebecca from the encroaching darkness through tales of a bear and benevolent hunters, juxtaposing hope against their grim reality. These stories, however, cannot mask the dire lessons Sarah must teach her daughter about survival in a world where the threat of deportation to an infamous camp in the East looms large.

Faced with an impossible choice as the trains to the East draw nearer, Sarah’s struggle to protect Rebecca underscores the novel’s exploration of a mother’s unyielding love and the profound bond between parent and child amid wartime cruelty. This gripping tale is a moving testament to resilience and will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

At first I didn't know if I would like this book. It was written as though the character Sarah Bloch was telling the story. It seemed to be a slow build. The story starts in August 1941. Somewhere near the book’s middle I felt myself being lifted up into the story. All the facts seemed to be historically correct. The mother Sarah is concerned for her five year old daughter Rebecca. Sarah is in a situation that she hasn’t any control over. The Nazi soldiers and French police have the control over everyone’s life in Paris. Both Mother and Daughter were separated from Ervin Bloch , husband and father when he went to Spain on business. He had planned to for them to join him in Spain after a month but those plans never came to pass. Nazi soldiers overtook France and Sarah and Rebecca were left in Paris to defend themselves against the Nazi’s hatred for the Jewish people.

WW2 fiction is one of my favorite genres. What I like is that most of the books are based on true historical events. The endings are always happy since we all know the course of history. In this book people do die because of the forced labor and starvation. But those who are fortunate enough to survive the holocaust gain their freedom and began to search for lost loved ones. A special thanks to citizens who risked their own life to help the Jews. This book became a page turner and I’m glad I stuck with it to the end.

I highly recommend this book to readers of WW2 fiction . Alex Amit is a new to me Author and I will be looking for his books in the future. This book is a standalone . It is scheduled for release on 6/14/24

I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are entirely my own.
#SavingRebeccaAWW2historicalnovelaboutamothersdevotion #NetGalley

Saving Rebecca stars out a little slowly. About a third of the way into the book, I was sucked in. I love Historical Fiction, and would recommend this one to any fan of WWII Historical Fiction as well. I felt that the characters were easy to fall in love with and that Saving Rebecca has a unique twist on the typical WWII book. Book is paced well and I finished the novel quickly once it picked up for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.