Every Drop Of Love
The War Orphan by Anna Stuart is a powerful historical novel that I just couldn’t put down. It is grounded in fact and the third book in the Women Of War series but can be read as a stand-alone.
The action is set from January 1945 in Auschwitz. The war is in its dying embers but still the Nazis were incredibly cruel as they separated mothers from their children for the death marches. The mother/daughter bond was strong. “Wherever you are, I’ll find you.” After the war ended, both searched relentlessly for the other.
There was so much loss. The war tore families apart – some members managing to flee Nazi Germany, others were not so lucky. Until told differently, everyone kept hope alive.
We follow the war orphans from Poland to Windermere and to Surrey. Here, new family units formed as they only had each other. We see that dreams of employment bloomed as there was the chance for new beginnings.
We must never forget where we come from. “It was also vital that they kept hold of a sense of their heritage.” We need to know our roots. We want to pass on our family history and learn to “live for those left behind.”
All the small children had ever known was shocking cruelty. Their childhood games were both heartbreaking and horrifying as they acted out what they had seen. Their fear of the Nazis reign of terror remained, even in England. Anna Stuart writes with care and compassion. We cannot fail to be moved.
In Auschwitz the children felt abandoned – even by God. “A God she was pretty sure had long since deserted them.” But God walked beside His children, even in the hellish pits.
Growing up with so much cruelty meant the children had a different set of values. They had to learn how to be nice. “We have to teach ourselves to be good people because that is how we really win.” We cannot let fear and darkness win.
I thoroughly enjoyed The War Orphan. It was such a powerful read. It will stir emotions in you and will not leave you unchanged. This book must be read in order to keep the memory of the six million innocents alive.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Book Description:
1945, Auschwitz: I stumble out of the gates, tightly grasping the hands of two smaller children. Hunger swirls in my stomach and the barren landscape swims before my eyes. I can barely believe it. We’re free. We survived. But what happens now…
Sixteen-year-old Tasha Ancel turns to take one last look at the imposing place that stole her freedom and her childhood. She has no idea how she continued to live when so many others did not. For the first time in months, her heart beats with hope for her future and that of the smaller children who cling to her now.
Tasha was torn from her mother’s arms by an SS guard days before the gates of Auschwitz opened. Now she only has a lock of her mother’s fiery hair. Desperate to be reunited, Tasha asks everyone she meets if they’ve seen a woman with flame-red hair. But with so many people trying to locate their loved ones in the chaotic aftermath of war finding her feels like an impossible task.
Officially an orphan, Tasha is given the chance to start a new life in the Lake District in England. She knows her mother would want her to take the opportunity but she can’t bear the thought of leaving Poland without her.
Tasha must make a heartbreaking decision: will she stay in war-ravaged Europe and cling on to the hope that the person she loves most in the world is alive, or take a long journey across the sea towards an uncertain future?
An absolutely unputdownable and heart-wrenching WW2 story of survival against all odds and learning to live and love again. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Orphan Train and The Nightingale will be gripped.
Author Bio:
Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers. You can reach her on Facebook @annastuartauthor or Twitter @annastuartbooks.
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Buy Link:
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Publicist
Bookouture
Storyfire Ltd
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
Storyfire Limited, a member of Hachette UK Group, registered in England and Wales under company no. 7893911
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