The Woman with the Blue Star
Trigger warnings: antisemitism, war, murder, loss of a parent, suicide, death
During World War II in Poland, a Jewish family escapes capture by living in the sewers.
Sadie Gault is a Jewish teenager who lives in the newly constructed Jewish ghetto in Kraków, Poland. When the Germans come to take the Jewish children, she hides and her family decides it's time to escape. She goes on a harrowing journey with her parents and ends up living in a sewer to escape detection.
Well-to-do Ella Stepanek is shunned by her friends because her stepmother is a German collaborator. When she sees a girl her age in the sewer, she's drawn to her. Ella visits Sadie and brings food to her.
At first, Sadie keeps the others she is living with a secret from Ella. As more Jewish citizens with blue-starred armbands are rounded up, Ella worries for her friend.
The war becomes increasingly dire, and there are no Jews left in the city. As the Germans begin to realize that they are losing the war, they become more aggressive toward the Polish people. Both Ella and Sadie will suffer losses, but their strength and friendship will be what keeps them going.
Sadie's narrator captures her emotions and how she remains both innocent and ages significantly during her experiences. Ella's narrator sounds more level-headed like her character.
Recommended for World War II fiction lovers and Jenoff's many fans.
Note: this book is based on several true accounts of World War II.
Pam Jenoff is a bestselling historical fiction novelist who lives outside of Philadelphia. She is a law professor and former US government worker. Her work at the US Consulate in Poland is what sparked her interest in World War II and the Holocaust.
Publisher: Park Row (print); Harlequin Audio
Narrators: Jennifer Jill Araya, Emily Lawrence, & Nancy Peterson
Running Time: 12 hours, 20 minutes
Length: 336 pages
Release Date: May 4, 2021
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