A lovely historical fiction book that made me weep, smile, gasp......a different take on a genre where there is a plethora of good novels that all seem to be the same at times. (depending on the author). This one is vastly different.
STORY SUMMARY
Roza and her five year old little girl Shira hide in an old barn on the property of a neighbor. Their village was overtaken by the Nazi soldiers and Roza's husband was shot and killed after a hard, long day of labor. Her parents have disappeared. She is left alone with her daughter.
They hide during the day in the hayloft. Shira has a difficult time being still and quiet because music pulses through her and the farmyard beckons to her to come and play. In order to help her little girl stay quiet, Roza tells her a story about a girl in an enchanted garden. The girl is not allowed to make any sounds at all. So a yellow bird sings, instead. He sings whatever the girl composes in her head. Music helps the flowers grow.
In this make believe world, Roza can help shield Shira from the horrible things that surround them. But one day their haven is no longer safe so they must flee. Roza has a difficult choice to make: keep Shira with her and risk their lives or give her the chance to survive by being apart. She chooses the later. And things change.
Will Roza and Shira ever be reunited??
MY THOUGHTS
I have loved every Tatiana de Rosnay, Pam Jenoff and other historical fiction WWII authors. However, this one far surpasses many of them, mainly because it is so different. It is told in just two voices: the mother and the little girl. We see three years go by and it ends in 1965......about 20 years later.
The ending is not predictable nor is it expected. It is different....and brilliant.....sad.....but joyful (in many aspects).
The character development and setting is exquisite. You can almost smell the cow dung and hay in the barn....you can visualize the hard packed snow and almost feel the bitter winds.
This novel is gripping, a page-turner and poignant.
I especially loved the descriptions of the classical and romantic era music that the author included in Shira's story......I could hear the violin soulfully spilling out across the room...the convent...the concert hall.....
I don't want to give too much away as that would ruin it for you but if you are an historical fiction fan, this book is a must. It far surpasses what is currently out there....those novels are all good and I've given many of them a 10. But far too many of them are the same plot just re-told.
This?? Different......and compelling.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
2 comments:
Sounds good. I have not read much historical fiction lately, so I will have to see if the library has this book. I have found that the libraries out here in Utah sometimes don't have the books that you have in the east. I went to two libraries yesterday and have my reading for the rest of the month, so I will look for this book next time. Hope your week is going well. See you again soon!
I enjoyed your review very much, and it certainly sounds like a book I would enjoy. You are right, so many books have plots that are so predictable. Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you are having a wonderful week :)
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