“A gorgeous and thrilling novel… Perfect for book clubs and fans of The Nightingale.” –PopSugarA historical novel of love and survival inspired by real resistance workers during World War II Austria, and the mysterious love letter that connects generations of Jewish families. A heart-breaking, heart-warming read for fans of The Women in the Castle, Lilac Girls, and Sarah’s Key.Author of the … the Castle, Lilac Girls, and Sarah’s Key.
Author of the forthcoming In Another Time.
Austria, 1938. Kristoff is a young apprentice to a master Jewish stamp engraver. When his teacher disappears during Kristallnacht, Kristoff is forced to engrave stamps for the Germans, and simultaneously works alongside Elena, his beloved teacher’s fiery daughter, and with the Austrian resistance to send underground messages and forge papers. As he falls for Elena amidst the brutal chaos of war, Kristoff must find a way to save her, and himself.
Los Angeles, 1989. Katie Nelson is going through a divorce and while cleaning out her house and life in the aftermath, she comes across the stamp collection of her father, who recently went into a nursing home. When an appraiser, Benjamin, discovers an unusual World War II-era Austrian stamp placed on an old love letter as he goes through her dad’s collection, Katie and Benjamin are sent on a journey together that will uncover a story of passion and tragedy spanning decades and continents, behind the just fallen Berlin Wall.
A romantic, poignant and addictive novel, The Lost Letter shows the lasting power of love.
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I loved this book! Well written and you really understood and felt for the characters. If you’re looking for a good book, a nice read this is for you.
Interesting story
Very good read, difficult to put down.
This was a very enjoyable book.
Different take on a Holocaust story. Memorable characters plus a mystery.
I was not expecting that ending
You never know who your relatives might be or the events that happened in their lives. This book was wonderful and it makes you want to find out about your family.
I think….That this is a GEM of a read!!!
I had seen this book on lists for a few years now and I always passed on it. The Reason being: the cover is boring ( yes, I judge books by the cover sometimes) I think they should redo the cover with something whimsical and beautiful, because this book should be super popular. It is written just as beautiful as “ALL the Light We Cannot See” and just as emotionally written as ” The Nightingale”. IN Fact, this book is better than “The Nightingale”.
The book is written with two different perspectives. A woman named Kate who lives in California during the late 1980’s, a time when a lot of turmoil was going on in the world with the Cold war ending and of tearing down the Berlin Wall. And then there is a Man/Boy named Kristoff who lived in Austria during the 1930’s-40’s, of course at that time Jews in Austria/Germany are being persecuted. I don’t want to spoil anything but suffice to say , there’s a mystery regarding a stamp that was made during the time of WWII, and it had to do with Resistance and that stamp sets Kate on a journey that will change her life.
Usually I hate the future/present/contemporary perspectives in WWII historical fiction, they are just boring and make no sense ( i.e. The Nightingale)..But not here, I could have read a whole Book on just Kate. Both perspectives had their own story but also tied in nicely with each other.
This book is up in my top ten, and In my WWII historical fiction ( my current fav sub-genre) it is in my Top 5, Up there with ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, CODE NAMED VERITY.
I recommend this book!
I just finished this book . . . and thought it was the best book I have read in a long time. Great characters, great story line. Thank you!!
A great read! It takes you deep into the world of these people, and the frightening times they lived in.
The plot is a bit contrived, but it is still worth the read.
A great glimpse into common people dealing with the horrors of war and prejudice with a love story woven into the story.
Who knew … as many books as we read about the German invasion of Austria and Poland, here is another with an interesting twist. Who knew … anything about the art and design of stamp creation. Who knew … the ways and means of communication among humans enduring war. Not me. I learned so much in this quiet book I will remember forever. No spoiler alert here; this book is worth reading to the end. Enjoy.
Good book. I like this era and have read many books about Jewish Nazi survivors. This is one of the better books I have read.
I enjoyed this read. I liked the going from the present to 50 years previous. Usually I find I’m more interested in the happenings in one of the eras- this book I looked forward to seeing what was going to happen in both eras. I felt connected to the characters. Felt their fear and pain. Would recommend this book.
Excellent read
Great story! I read a lot of books of this time period and I was never a history buff before but books like this make me want to read more. I have traveled a lot and love seeing places I have visited and find the history of that place more interesting because I can picture it in my mind.
I liked this book. It started a little slow but after I got into it I couldn’t put it down.