Oh! I really enjoyed "The Silver Music Box" by Mina Baites (Alison Layland-Translator). A wonderful historical fiction taking place during WWII, then 20 years later. Loved the way the author structured this story, as we follow a lovely family, doing their best in the pre-war years, with serious prejudices against the Jews, and limits on businesses and work, the years as the war started, then fast forwarding to a young woman post war, connecting back to the family story, for us all to discover the rest of their journey. Beautiful and powerful! thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful historical fiction book looking at the despair of the Kindertransport, both from the parent and children's perspective. Happy endings do not always happy and Baites mixes both happy and sad in her book, giving the reader the feelings of her characters in their situations. Highly recommend to historical fiction readers.

This story is essentially told in three parts, with the common thread of a beautifully made silver music box. Before reading it, I expected the narrative to be in a ‘then’ and ‘now’ format, but it was linear, from WWI until the early 1960’s. With this kind of narrative, it is common for one part of it to be weaker than the others, and that was very true for me with the last part being by far the weakest and least interesting. I didn’t connect with the character in that section at all, and it all seemed much too easy for her to unravel what was a complicated family situation. I was surprised to find out that this was the first in a two volume series. The ends of the story were neatly tied up at the end of the novel, and I can’t imagine where it would go from there. But I’m not likely to try and find out.

When I read the blurb on the back of The Silver Music Box I expected a story that jumped between the past and the 'present'. Initially I was disappointed that this is not how the story is written.

Organization
Usually organization of material is only relevant in non-fiction; however, Mina Baites has made it relevant in this book. The blurb will lead you to believe that you will be reading the story of a woman discovering her heritage for half the book. While technically you do read Lillian's heritage story; however, it's very misleading as that portion of the story is only the last 70 or so pages. I would have much preferred to read up to a point when many of our characters are separated in WWII, or Lillian is dropped at the orphanage (not a spoiler it's in the blurb). Then a second book could have been Lillian's story that discusses her origination and eventually ties her to our previous characters.

Main Story
I adored the main story and the way it was set-up to focus on chunks of time that are relevant. There are points where it may skip many years but it never felt like I missed out on anything important.
Additionally the main story is where the true value and morale behind the story of The Silver Music Box is pointed to. That morale is that: while events that may seem innocuous in the past they can become the reason something happens in the future. Baites shows us that karma is indeed true and that if you give something positive to someone you will receive positive back (albeit might take 30 years, lol).

The End Story
I'm calling the end story the portion where we move forward rapidly in time and find out the fate of our characters from the eyes of Lillian (the orphan). Instead of telling us the full story in the main story line we are instead told the ultimate outcome of our main characters as it it is told to Lillian, who is searching for answers about the music box.
I found this to be very unsatisfying. I had no vested interest in Lillian and just wanted to go back to the POV's that I loved. That of Paul, Lotte, etc. And while some of our characters do tell their own story to our future gal it's not near as satisfying as if I had read it in order and from their viewpoint like the rest of the book is written.

Overall
I loved the first approx. 350 pages. The transition over to the orphan in the future seemed unnecessary and annoying. Almost like Baites was told to quickly wrap things up and so to do that she rushes the last of the story in to a flashback.
I will certainly pick up Baites again. I really did love 75% or more of the book. I also adored the way a series of events created causality in the future. Karma can be a powerful thing and so Baites clearly illustrates that if you give to others they will (eventually) give back unto you or yours.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I thought I would love this book, but it was just okay for me. I think it was the writing style and the pacing was off. It will be interesting to see how this series unfolds.

This is a beautifully written multi generational story about a German Jewish family. I enjoyed this story from the first chapter. I can't wait to read more from this author.

The Silver Music Box is a beautifully written book that should be read by everyone. The story flows well and the style of writing is easy and descriptive, without being too much or too little. The characters are believable and I like that the story covers several decades. I am pretty familiar with this genre, so I'm confident in saying that this book was well researched.

This book is just amazing and one of the best I've read it a long time!~ Very hard to put down!
There are a lot of characters in the book and they are listed in the front of the book and I found that to be very hopeful. The book starts in 1914 and father Johann Blumenthal creates a silver music box for his young son to remember him by when he goes to fight in the German WWI .
The silver music box is at the heart of the tale and the book follows 3 generations of the family through heartwarming times and severe heartache.
The music box helps to reunite what is left of a family after WWII.
This amazing story will stay with me for a long time.
Pub Date 01 Dec 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful and tragic story spanning three generations and two World Wars. Mina Baites has written beautifully about the traumas inflicted on non-Aryan families in the 1930s and, ultimately, the joy of long-lost family members reconnecting in the 60s: The author’s note at the end of the story was interesting too, but to say more about that or the story may ruin the reader’s experience of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and whenever I had to leave the story, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again, finishing it in just 24 hours. I will certainly look out for more books by this author. I’m grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to have read a digital copy of The Silver Music Box in exchange for an honest review.

Probably most of us have already read many books about the Holocaust & the lead-up to it.
We are regarding such history with the benefit of hindsight, rather than the experience of
having lived through it : books such as this serve not just as reminders of the past, but also
prompt us to consider present-day life with fresh eyes. The Holocaust did not suddenly
happen overnight, but grew over time from seemingly minor matters into what became an
unthinkable horror. It is inconceivable to us that human beings could treat each other in such
a way - & yet, in communities just such as our own, there were people ready to act like this.
The Silver Music Box is a timely reminder not just to think compassion, but to live it, to teach
it to each new generation, for such things must not happen again.
Thankyou Mina Baites, for playing your part : now we must play ours...

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

3.5 When choosing to read a book about the Nazis and the Holocaust, one knows they are opening themselves up to some of the darkest days in history. Yet, if the word gentle, could be applied to any book that touches on this subject, this is the one. The focus is on one Jewish family, the Blumenthals. The men Jewelers by trade, and the events that touch them are unveiled gently, with much of the focus on the Germans who were their friends, and others who went out of their way, at great risk to themselves, to help them. That is not to say they don't have their share of suffering and losses, just that is was different to read a book where this happened.

The silver music box, is the connector between the generations, both symbol of love and a means of identity.i am not going to rehash the plot, the summary for this book, is one of the better ones. Gives enough away without saying too much. The first two-thirds of the book covers the family in Germany and starts in the 1930s, when they begin to realize where the future, for Jews, may be heading. This part is strongly written, well done and the focus is again on various members of this family. I liked this part very much, which made my disappointment with the last part vividly stand out.

The last part takes us to the 1960's, and a young woman has had some surprising news. This will send her on a guest to find those forgotten or scattered after the war. Some of the revelations at this point lack the shock value, they would have had if this story had been told in a linear fashion. It is also a little over written ,and one line in particular I felt was cheesy, didn't fit at all. Still all in all this is a good story, with a different bent than many of these years. This is the box a mother can read with her young teen to introduce the Holocaust, much to discuss and not horribly graphic.

ARC from Netgalley.

This was a captivating and emotional, multi-generational story following the Blumenthal family from the beginning of WWI through the early 1960s. So much has been written about this time period, and each story I read never fails to bring to me to tears at least once. The Blumenthals are a prominent, Jewish family in Germany in the early 1900s and are known for their finely-crafted jewelry. We see Johann, the patriarch, choose Country over family and enlist in the military to fight for Germany, his beloved homeland, in WWI. This story follows his friends and family though the 1930s and the increasing cruelty towards the Jewish people in Germany, who were forced to flee their homeland to find safety. This was an emotional story that puts you in the shoes of a small, Jewish family, forced to find a way to safely emigrate to South Africa, without loosing everything. It was a harrowing story that brought me to tears several times. I truly enjoyed the author's note at the end that said the character of August was based on a very real person. It still takes my breath away to imagine what people went through during WWI and WWII and the long-lasting effects to so many families.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is outrageously great! It is quite an achievement by an author to hold the attention of readers for any length of time. And I couldn't put this novel down for any length of time!

"The Silver Music Box" is a deceptively simple story of a family who are silversmiths and Jewish in Europe during the first half of the 20th century. At the heart of this book is a beautifully crafted silver music box that follows the family and is actually the main character of the book. It is the heart of the family as it passes from one generation to another.

The characters are extremely well written and the plot takes us on a journey of joy and heartbreak that the reader will not soon forget.

I received this book from NetGalley and Amazon Crossing in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed from page one. Well researched. Loved the way the author writes. I was engaged with the characters and their lives. An enjoyable read of love and war and the trials it brings.

Lovely historical fiction. No surprises actually but nicely written and translated story about a German Jewish family. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is one for fans of the genre.

Wow Oh Wow, this was a great book!! The main part of the book chronicles the life of the Blumenthal’s starting before WWI as Johann, designs a music box for his small child, Paul. We follow this music box throughout the whole story, by the end you can envision what it looked like.
The rest of the story follows Johann and Lotte in WWI and then the lives of Paul, his wife Clara and their daughter during the years before and during WWII. I read many WWII novels and this one is right up there with the best I’ve read, it has heart, it has love, mystery, and most of all it is based upon true events and real people. The author leads you along the everyday lives, detailing the atrocities and how the Jewish communities suffered during this horrible time, and it shows some of the sacrifices they had to make in order to live and survive. I had a long road trip this weekend, listened to this story on my Kindle in the car, it was the most enjoyable 6 hour drive I’ve had.
The second part of the story starts in 1963 and it backtracks the story of the little music box. The entire book was great, it hooked me from the very beginning to the end with a wonderful ending. I would highly recommend.

Wonderfully written story that was not lost in the translation. Enjoyable, informative and engrossing historical fiction with different story lines were skillfully woven together. Though heartbreaking at times the story was filled with hope. Learned about aspects of WWI and WWII that I hadn't known.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

A story that sings and soars like the bird of the bird box. It’s made by a Jewish jeweller for his little son before the father volunteers for WWI to show he is a good German. This war story, is unlike any other in that it looks at the Jewish people and how they helped and worked hard for their country, helped others less fortunate and wanted to play their part in the war. It’s a poignant story and one where you gasp in hope one moment, cry in the other and shed tears knowing that this is not going to end well.

It’s very emotional as you might expect, but this goes further in that it seeps right into the heart of the story that is not often told – the Jews who played a role for their country. What happened before the US entered the fray, before the worst of the worse which the world now knows happened -the early stages were no less chilling and heartbreaking.

The story flits between Germany and England, but it’s the story in Germany that plays the biggest role and leaves the biggest impact and I have so much newfound respect for the many Blumenthals in history.