The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a very very difficult book for me to read; the terrible things the Martel family suffered under Stalin during WWII. There was so much horror, suffering, death and evil that many many times I wanted to put this book down. I was so glad I persevered and finished this book for my Albright College Zoom book discussion because this family was determined to survive against many horrific odds.

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Eternal by Lisa Scottoline

Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love this historical fiction audiobook awesomely Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell , Edoardo Ballerini , and Lisa Scottoline. The characters were so strong despite the circumstances, the period of time with Mussolini was so awful with the way he changed the laws to hurt and punish the Jews, like his friend and ally, Hitler. The plot was so gripping, I loved all 20 hours of this audiobook but my heart broke over and over again with how Sandro and his family as the Jews suffered. I loved The friendship and love between the 3 childhood friends. History and their separate situations created such an engrossing story. The importance of family, friendship, the depth of love and longing made this such a great read. Highly recommended!

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We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Awesomely narrated Kathleen Gati and Robert Fass, this historical fiction debut is taken from Georgia Hunter's Jewish family in the year leading up to & during the Holocaust! It was so tough but compelling to read about the Kurc family during WWII and the Holocaust---expansive and horror filled as I listened I kept telling myself---remember the title of the book---they were the lucky ones... as debut author Georgia Hunter wove a heart warming family saga beginning in Poland through the gut wrenching Holocaust and what happens to the many family members. A must read, highly recommended!

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The Rose Cose by Kate Quinn

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this for my Albright College Book Club Zoom & Kate Quinn has once again floored me with a historical fiction book that I could not put down! I did not know about the code breakers of Bletchley Park and OMG I could never take a secrecy oath like Mab, Beth and Osla did--much less everyone else who worked there. I loved these 3 women---their individual Lives before they met and their time as billet mates during the war. They were so very different women but once they meet, they are such fiercely close friends. Quinn did tireless research and I enjoyed her author notes so much---they gave background, and why she changed/added to stories and characters. I also loved their relationships with the men in their lives and Beth's love of her dog, Boots and her single-minded devotedness to her boss, even after he passed (her conversations with him as she imagined her in the room with her solving the puzzles and codes. There was much heartbreak and betrayal and that was so tough to read but WWII took no prisoners and life was not easy in the Huts for these girls who wanted to prove themselves during war time and help their countries. A must read!!!

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APlace to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this debut author awesome historical middle grade fiction as the final book I needed to read for my 2nd #BitAboutBooks Winter Reading Challenge for a book set in another country. I LOVED this book; the Pearce children won my heart, they were all heroes, and they were devoted to one another during such a scary time in London history with World War II and the approaching enemy. With the death of their grandmother, the three children are now orphans and her solicitor decides the best and safest place to be is with a group of children being evacuated away from London to the "safety" of the country. With William 12, Edmund 11, and Anna 9 they realize it is necessary for them to stay together but will pose a problem to find a home that will accept three children. I loved Kate Albus' characterizations; they were fleshed out- both the good and evil characters. There is humor as Edmund just can't control himself, tension as the children try to be the best occupants in each billet, and the psychological suspense with the highs and lows of wartime England and the children's secrets. Middle school readers will love the plot and setting as our three children yearn and try to find themselves A Place to Hang the Moon. The beauty and importance of family is superbly handled by Albus with each turn of the page! Highly recommended!

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Lilac Girls (Lilac Girls, #1) by Martha Hall Kelly

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Cassandra Campbell , Kathleen Gati , Kathrin Kana ,and Martha Hall Kelly, I loved this book but had to stop listening also because it was so gripping and upsetting with the horrors exacted upon Kasia, her family and friends at Ravensbrück during WWII. Mesmerizing were the voices of Caroline and Kasia and I hated Dr. Herta Oberheuser as she changed from a caring person to a German supporter of the Third Reich. The research was meticulous by Martha Hall Kelly and I will certainly be listening to or reading the 2nd in the series, The Lost Girls. For those interested in knowing more about WWII, the Holocaust, and a very dark period of history, this is a must read!

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The View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman

A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Pat Graham for another great recommendation! I loved this historical fiction, taking place in Denmark during WWII/Holocaust. It was a tough read as all Holocaust stories are, but the beauty and strength of the characters, plot, and words made this a favorite for me so I will be recommending it to all my reader friends! Hannah, Michael Bloom, Elka, Ingrid, and Joseph are memorable characters for their struggles, resilience, and response to the upending of their lives during the German occupation of their home, Denmark. During this time of covid-19 it was very difficult to listen to this audiobook, but Alan Medcroft's narration was stellar. Highly recommended!

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From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a riveting audiobook read by Cassandra Campbell as she so eloquently narrates the life and love of Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco. Raised together as children, Eva is a Jew and Angelo is Roman Catholic, they play together, laugh together, despite their religious differences and family circumstances, they are very very close. When Angelo chooses the church, he makes a decision to walk away from Eva's friendship and love, but as WWII threatens the Jewish and Eva, Angelo and Eva are brought together again- both now doing everything possible to help shelter the Jews. Such a saga of family, religion, loss, and love, I could not stop listening to this haunting book!

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Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity #1) by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the narration by Morgan Christie and Lucy Gaskell about 2 women flying during WWII one Julia) is captured by the Nazis and forced to write confessions about codes, locations, etc while she believes her best friend Maddie is dead (she is not). I am not a fan of the unreliable narrator but with this WWII spy theme, I totally understood why Wein employed this in order to betray the Nazis, keep Julia alive while writing and tell the friendship of Julia and Maddie. There is spying, subterfuge, and missions of flying and resistance in this historical fiction novel; Elizabeth Wein is an author extraordinaire telling this story, weaving a sick story of torture, with deep strong characters (I loved Jamie especially), code names for spies, and intense interrogations.

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At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh what a great historical fiction read! Maddie is such a great character who goes through so much, becomes self aware, and really blossoms as a heroine through growth, internal strife, and uses her courage to deal with a husband who drinks and abuses drugs, lies, looks down his nose on everyone, and also his best friend who does not look out for Maddie when she most needs it. With much resolve, the people in the village and small house she lives in show Maddie what really matters most in life; protecting her and helping her to see so many possibilities in life with purpose.

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All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful, haunting book! Doerr's look at WWII & the Holocaust also delves into characters' lives before the war- Marie Laure & Werner are the main, rich characters who are defined by their families (one blind, the other an orphan) and as the book jumps between 1940 and 1944 the reader is immersed in their worlds and cannot break away as war envelopes them and their lives are irrevocably changed. I loved the depth and breadth of this book; will be thinking about snails, radio transmitters, puzzles for a very long time; highly recommended to adults and HS readers who cover The Holocaust in school.

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Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to the 2014 Hub Reading Challenge and the webinar hosting the nominees to the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award, I was able to read this book and thoroughly enjoyed viewing Tanya Lee Stone talk about her research for this book. Thhis book is packed with photographs, interviews and quotes from the Triple Nickels themselves and others in history. Students need to read this noteworthy book about WWII and the trying times for African Americans who wanted to serve in the war for their country and were constantly relegated to menial tasks, inferior accommodations and segregated facilities. This book is a tribute to the steadfast African American soldiers, and paratroopers in Walter Morris' words, "We succeeded where we were not expected to succeed. And we overcame the pitfalls that were put out there. We overcame. And it's a warm feeling to know that, that color has nothing to do with it. It's what's in one's hearts. One's spirit. And that...should be a lesson to all of us. We should have, and we will have, a colorless society one day. And that will be the crowning jewel in this great country's history."

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Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for two reasons, with the first being it is the Goodreads February Discussion for Books Hot Off the Presses
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
and the second is my participation in the 2014 HUB Reading Challenge
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/.... This book is on the list of the 2014 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults. Rose Justice is a transport pilot, who grew up outside Hershey, PA. It is during the war that Rose's plane is intercepted, she is captured by the Germans and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she is a prisoner for six months. Rose and the other captives (who are there much longer)endure beatings, torture, experimentation, and deprivation. It is during her imprisonment and after, as she recuperates in Paris that the full story emerges. What was so wonderful about this story was the "family" Rose formed while in Ravensbrück and it was these bonds that enabled them to endure and in many cases, survive. Wein weaves the importance of family throughout the whole book; with Rose's Hershey family, her pilot friends who are her family before her capture and the Rabbits, Lisette, Irina, Roza, Karolina and others who are her camp family. Rose uses her poetry and storytelling with her concentration camp friends to as a way to remember life before and survive each day whatever way they could. It is during her imprisonment (and after) with the Hamburg Ravensbrück Trials and the Doctors' Trial against Nazi war criminals that Rose emerges as a much stronger person; a writer and medical student, and is able to bear witness in her own way to the atrocities of the camp and let the world know the names of all 75 of the Rabbits who were maimed (and many killed) by Nazis due to their experimentation. Readers will love the women (pilots, survivors, and those who do not survive) in this book; their bravery, fury, compassion, defiance, craziness, and beauty. Highly recommended!

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