This book is based on a true story which makes it that much more compelling. It starts out with a young Jewish girl in January of 1941 in Romania being left by her parents at an apartment building in hopes that she will be taken in. The young girl, named Natalia is adopted by ax wealthy couple who take her in and care for her. This is her story during the war and after. It was interesting to read a book about Romania during WWII. I found myself wanting to read more and wanting to know what happened. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

A young loving Jewish couple, along with their little girl are on the run for their lives. Out of true love, and certainly not neglect, the couple make the ultimate sacrifice and leave their 3 year old daughter on the door steps of an apartment building on a cold January night in 1941. They must do this to give her a chance at survival; otherwise the three of them would all die, if they remained together.

Natalia, as she is later named, is eventually adopted by a loving, wealthy family. The three of them form a bond so strong that not even war can come between them. But even the war takes its tolls on the wealthy, and Natalie and her adoptive parents go through many hardships, but at least they are together during these hard times. The family survive several bombings, starvation, and even escape death by a mere few hours from a deadly infection. With everything this family has endured, one thing has remained constant, and that is their love for their daughter and each other. With the truth tightly hidden away and not spoken about, can this ever so close family of three survive facing the truth of Natalia’s true parentage?

It is Natalia in the end that is faced with a life changing sacrifice to pursue a life she can only dream of but in order to do so, she must leave behind all she knows to be the comfort, and security she has known most of her life.

My Review: I really liked this book! I cried a lot as it is very emotional.
Not only was World Word 2 such a devastating, and tragic time in history, but this story also deals with heartbreaking family issues such as giving up a loved one, and adoption.

The love of a parent for a child and vice versa is really explored in this book.

I grieved for Natalia’s birth parents when they had to make that difficult decision that one cold January night in 1941, and I also grieved for them throughout the book as well. But as much as I felt for the birth parents, I also feared for the adoptive parents. I felt torn between the two sets of parents constantly asking myself, who deserves her in the end? This book is a true testament that true family does not always have to be blood related.

I loved so many of the characters. I fell in love with Natalia as a young girl in the orphanage, and then again later as a young, respectful, adult. I loved the way her story was told. The writer did a wonderful job of creating not just one well-loved character but many! Natalia’s mother was another favorite of mine. Her courage and strength through some of the difficult times is noteworthy.

The story was well paced, and delivered in a very seamless way. I loved the voice that told the story. There was a good amount of back story to allow the reader to connect with the characters, as well as a good overall portrayal of what life was like during this war-ridden time.

I was a little disappointed in the ending but that is only because I had my own hopes and ideas of how things should have turned out. I wanted to know more about Natalia’s life, and I suppose I just was not ready to have the book come to an end when it did. Putting my own hopes and ideas aside, the ending was actually perfect!

Closing Thoughts: I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an emotional drama, and historical fiction.
The fact that a lot of the events in this book as well as a lot of the characters are based off of real events and people, made this book all the more interesting to read. Overall I gave this book four stars on my Goodreads rating. A well written, family love story about war, love, and hardships.

As they were fleeing from the Nazi's, a young couple leaves their 4 year old daughter on the steps of an apartment building. The child is sent to an orphanage, and then adopted by a wealthy couple who is unable to have children. As the war ends, Romania is taken over by the Soviet's and the wealthy family is now at the bottom of the economic and social ladder.

I thought Natalia's story was interesting but I did not enjoy the writing style. The book had a large number of time transitions, that were handled poorly. Every once in a while a paragraph or two was completely confusing, which made me wonder if this is a translation. Overall, a bust.

The Girl They Left Behind is based loosely on Roxanne Veletzos's own family history. The story follows Natalia, a young girl who was parents left her to be found and taken to an orphanage to save her life. Shes is adopted by a loving family but that is just the beginning of the story. The story begins during WWII but unlike most stories that revolve around WWII this actually transcends into life behind the Iron Curtain.

Would I recommend this book? Yes because the heartbreak and hardships seen by her family is transparent in Veletzos's book. Not many could really understand or even comprehend life behind the Iron Curtain. The author can tell clear stories from her family to help paint a realistic picture.

In the beginning the book was hard to read because the point of view changed regularly. I wish the chapters would have had headings to make it easier. Later as Natalia grows the POV was just Natalia's. That was really my only main concern.

Wow!! Thanks Atria for an advanced copy of this book. Beautiful, compelling writing. An excellent story that I am so thankful for the opportunity to read. Everything about this book was perfect. 5 stars. I will be recommending this book to everyone. I absolutely loved it.

It’s a freezing January day when a little Jewish girl is left abandoned in Bucharest by her parents. With the Nazis closing in, they hope someone will take in their child and give her a chance at life. Eventually adopted by a wealthy couple and named Natalia, the girl grows up under Communist rule. Her life is not an easy one and she dreams of escaping to the west, a dream she shares with Victor, a young man she works with. Years later, Victor is an official in the Communist Party, but he still wants to help Natalia escape, despite the fact that it will mean certain death if they are caught. So much has been written about the plight of the Jewish people during World War II, much less has been written about those who ended up on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. An eye-opening read with an appealing heroine