In this stunning new historical novel inspired by true events, Kim van Alkemade tells the fascinating story of a woman who must choose between revenge and mercy when she encounters the doctor who subjected her to dangerous medical experiments in a New York City Jewish orphanage years before.
In 1919, Rachel Rabinowitz is a vivacious four-year-old living with her family in a crowded tenement on … tenement on New York City’s Lower Eastside. When tragedy strikes, Rachel is separated from her brother Sam and sent to a Jewish orphanage where Dr. Mildred Solomon is conducting medical research. Subjected to X-ray treatments that leave her disfigured, Rachel suffers years of cruel harassment from the other orphans. But when she turns fifteen, she runs away to Colorado hoping to find the brother she lost and discovers a family she never knew she had.
Though Rachel believes she’s shut out her painful childhood memories, years later she is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan’s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Solomon. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveal to Rachel the complexities of her own nature. She realizes that a person’s fate—to be one who inflicts harm or one who heals—is not always set in stone.
Lush in historical detail, rich in atmosphere and based on true events, Orphan #8 is a powerful, affecting novel of the unexpected choices we are compelled to make that can shape our destinies.
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Sad Orphan story analogy about life’s twists and turns from evil to good.
Very interesting plot with good characters.
I knew this would be a page turner for me. The story line is definitely believable. There were only a couple places where today’s world terminology didn’t mess with the early 1900s, but otherwise found it to be realistic. It’s amazing that this kind of institutionalization happened in any way back in the day but sadly i know in some ways this still happens in todays foster system.
Amazing story about an orphaned child who had been a part of a cruel experiment. She grew up and came face to face with the woman who had caused her so much suffering. Would she show mercy or become cruel herself? Good story, well developed characters. Left me thinking about how I would have handled the situation in her shoes.
I read this book because I had bought it and the write-up intrigued me, but it was sad. Sorry, I would not recommend it.
Disappointed in same-sex story line. Not what I thought the book would be about.
I learned lots reading this book about Jewish orphans in the US. I really didn’t care for the ending though.
A very disturbing book, but I couldn’t quit reading. Based on true events and you wonder how people could be so cruel and justify it as being good for mankind.
A page turner. Interesting story line.
Amazing book that makes you think about the past. Many medical advances and discoveries were made at the cost to people just like this story shows.