Look for Pam Jenoff’s new novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, an unforgettable story of courage and friendship during wartime.A New York Times bestseller!“Readers who enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants will embrace this novel. “ —Library Journal“Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion…. I read this novel in a headlong rush.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New … Journal
“Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion…. I read this novel in a headlong rush.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan’s Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival.
Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.
Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another—or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.
Don’t Miss Pam Jenoff’s new novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, a riveting tale of unfathomable sacrifice and unlikely friendship during World War II.
Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.
The Lost Girls of Paris
The Ambassador’s Daughter
The Diplomat’s Wife
The Kommandant’s Girl
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
The Winter Guest
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Loved this book. Great depth.
Great heart wrenching story.
Moving story of life during WWII includes a wire of life in the circus at that time. Also the dangers of being Jewish. Characters well developed a twist at the end.
I almost stopped reading, certain parts didn’t click with me, but that changed. The ending and the epilogue made everything complete.
Astrid, a happily married middle-aged woman, is dumped by her husband during WW2 in accordance with a Nazi directive that German officers must immediately divorce their Jewish wives. She returns to her small German village and resumes her previous occupation as a circus aerialist. Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Noa saves a Jewish baby from freezing on a railcar heading east towards the concentration camps, partly motivated by her need to replace the baby taken away from her after an SS soldier impregnated her. Their paths converge when Astrid trains Noa as an aerialist so that Noa and the baby can take refuge with the circus. Astrid and Noa are alternating first-person narrators as suspense builds in many types of perils: the war and its resultant totalitarian society; Nazi persecution of the Jews; inherent dangers of the flying trapeze and aerial tricks; a destitute existence; the cold of winter; secrets and impossible romances. Clear, efficiently declarative prose brings Astrid and Noa and their quests for survival to vivid life.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.
It has interesting character and plot.
I am a senior who is a retired book store manager and an avid reader. This book ranks in my all time favorite top five books. As I’m reading it, I kept thinking “is this book based on true events”, it’s that believable. Jenoff’s descriptions are worded where you feel like you are witnessing the scene, whereas so many authors use descriptions as what I like to call “filler and fluff” I could rant and rave about this book and how good it is for hours. Looking forward to reading more of books. Thank you Pam Jenoff for making the COVID-19 lock down more pleasant and bearable.
Good to the very end. Hard to put down.
Fiction based on fact, my favorite. Wonderful characters and story, relatable.
A German circus during WWII is an interesting topic—wish it had been more in depth.
History that I was not aware of.
This was a very interesting book. I learned a lot about these practices.
You never knew what was going to happen and there were lots of twists and turns. Great reading.
I love war stories but this one was too too sad. It was so good tho. I was out of sorts with the end but it fit the story. Needed more building a love match with Noa and Luc. If one were to die she picked the right one. I just really enjoyed the story line. I could only hope that with Nazi Germany in history there were some stories of people escaping. War is hell.
Surprising story of care & devotion in troubled times.
Barely held my interrest.
Didn’t want to put it down
Very interesting story on subject I never heard about
It started a little slow but it all pulls together for a good story.