It is 1919 in Siberia. Michal—a young, sheltered girl—has eyes for a man other than her betrothed. For a young girl growing up in a traditional Jewish settlement, an arranged marriage is a fact of life. However, destiny, it seems, has other plans for Michal. When a Cossack pogrom invades her small village, the protected life Michal has grown accustomed to and loves will crumble before her eyes. … eyes. Everything she knows is gone and she is forced to leave her home and embark on a journey to Berlin with the man she thought she wanted.
Michal faces love, loss, and heartache because she is harboring a secret that threatens to destroy her every attempt at happiness. But over the next fourteen tumultuous years, during the peak of the Weimar Republic, she learns she is willing to do anything to have the love she longs for and to protect her family.
However, it is now 1933. Life in Berlin is changing, especially for the Jews. Dark storm clouds are looming on the horizon. Adolf Hitler is about to become the chancellor of Germany, and that will change everything for Michal forever.
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This book is the first in a series. I normally don’t like to read series but this one is enjoyable enough for me to do so. It is a typical saga of Jewish, Germany and Nazi characters woven into the historical backdrop of WWII and the Holocaust.
I have read many of her books and always enjoy. Historical facts combined with fictional characters make for a good read for me.
Michal’s Destiny is the first book in a 4 book series with the same characters. I have read all of them. I absolutely love Roberta Kagan’s writing style and character development. She has more books that I will check on.
From the pograms in Russia to the horrors of concentration camps in Germany! Loved this book so much! Written so well! Roberta Kagan really brings her characters to life, and makes you feel as though you are experiencing everything her characters feel. I am now reading the second book in the series, and it’s equally as good! I intend to read the whole series!
This is a book about a Jewish family before the Holocaust we all know of that but
when i read this book it seemed to come alive more for me. Everyone should
read this book. I couldn’t put it down.
Well written. It reads like real life story.
Enjoyed this book although it was somewhat predictable, kept my interest to the end.
This is an awesome read
A wonderful story and wonderfully written…
Looking forward to reading more in this series!
This is a nice educational book about the horror of the Holocaust. Kept me interested until the end, which was a bit of a letdown. It’s also understandable because the author is following with a sequel. Had the ending been more planned, I would have read the next book.
After reading this book I read the whole series in order A great story about a family during and after the holocaust
I love novels with historical settings and Roberta did a great job of drawing me in to the story. Excellent gripping tale of a dark time in history.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series featuring the characters. They seemed realistic and so did the plots of each book. It was enlightening to get a glimpse of life in pre-WWII Germany, and of course the war years as well, and how the various characters fared through it all. Strongly recommended.
Tragic treatment for non aryan citizens of eastern Europe.
Real insight to what it must have been like to like in Germany during WWII… for Jews and for everyone else.
How could this have happened? The pogroms of Russia and the cossacks. I wasn’t sure I could finish this as it was really SCARY to think that this really happened – not these characters but others so much like them. Wow!
interesting with the historic background. Strange at times and do not like endings that leave you hanging so that you read the next in the series.
Interesting historical novel.
It dealt with Jews originally from Siberia and their trials and tribulations as Jews in Berlin at the time of WWII. Made me aware of how hard life was for Jews at that time and what some of the horrible things they faced.