I have tried to read this book in many different formats and I just cannot get into it for some reason.

It's an interesting concept but it is all happening so slowly that I can't get past 20%.

I love a book that has a huge secret as the main premise … but you don’t discover what it is until the very end.  The historical details of Jewish immigrants coming to America in the early 20th century was interesting.  The author does a good job with character development.  This was a good story that I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Loved the story of the couple who immigrated from Russia to begin a life in America. A foundling daughter and the mystery of keeping her to themselves.. The strength of a mother to fail and begin again and achieve such great success it allows her to view the elite society of New York. Fascinating story..

An unexpected treat, this book is a literary delight!

As much as you can discern from the blurb and other reviews, you can't really know what you're going to get until you dive headlong into this epic saga of life, love, and sacrifice. Addressing a vitally important topic in today's political arena, this book shows us, through the eyes of an immigrant, an America that both needed changing and is worth remembering.

Reading this is a true escapist experience. I was transported back in time and was thoroughly swept away by the stellar prose and engaging characters. The twists keep you guessing, and the emotional impact is haunting. Though it's not the usual genre I prefer, it was a reading experience I'll never forget. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Loving Liberty Levine is an epic almost 30 year saga of Sarah Levine and her daughter Liberty. It begins in 1913 around the time Liberty is born and goes until 1942 or so. It is a story of theft, deception, revelation, and most importantly love and what we will do or those we love.

This is a novel for lovers of fiction and those who want stories of perseverance and growth.

This was an enjoyable read about a family with a secret. I was immediately pulled into the story of Sura and her life in Estonia and her life once she joined her husband Micha, in the US.

Like a lot of other stories about immigrants in the early 1900s it was filled with ups, downs and daily struggles. Unlike a lot of stories about immigrants during the same time frame, the author did a fantastic job describing the settings including the sights, sounds and smells. This was done so well that it was easy to feel you were walking the same streets or seeing the same scenes.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction or anyone just looking to immerse yourself in NYC in the early 1900s. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Loving Liberty Levine is not your typical immigrant story. Yes, there are tenements in New York. Yes, there is the struggle to make ends meet. But the overarching story is about a secret and a mother's love. Sarah loves her daughter Liberty so much that she will do anything to provide her the best life possible.

It took a little bit for me to become fully engrossed in this story, but once I was, I couldn't wait to see how the secrets would come to light. Would Sarah ever be relieved of her burden? How would those closest to her react? Three and a half stars, just because it took some time for me to be invested in Sarah's story.

Lasting Love. How long can a mother keep her secrets? What makes a mother? These are ultimately the questions at the heart of this multi generational tale of interweaving secrets. A very intriguing book, and one historical fiction fans should love. Its descriptions of life between 1913 and 1943 seem accurate, and the tales it tells bring those periods to life. Solid work from yet another new-to-me author. Very much looking forward to more work from Mr. Falconer.

I love books set in the 1900s in New York and this book was told really well with a great plot and characters that linger with you long after the last page. Absolutely pick up this gem of a book. Looking forward to reading more books from this author. Happy reading!

This is a good book. Sura and her husband are from Russia in the early 1900’s. Micha, her husband is going ahead to America to make a better life for them. He would send for Sura as soon as he could buy a ticket. All Sura wanted was a baby. But that was one thing Micha couldn’t give her. Micha gets to America and finds out that the streets aren’t paved with gold and he has to work and work hard to make a meager living. He sends for Sura and their life in their new country begins. This is an interesting story and the characters are well developed. I will recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Excellent! This was one very enjoyable story and one that did pull at my heartstrings. This is the second book that i have read by Colin Falconer, the first being 'Isabella: Braveheart of France'. I really must read more of this author's books! I am not going to write what the story is about, as i always prefer one to read it for themselves, but i do recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

Sarah is a determined woman but she's hiding a big secret. BIG. No spoilers - and note that you have to read til very close to the end to discover it, which isn't a problem because the story will pull you along. Sarah, an immigrant, loses her husband, gains a daughter Liberty, and builds a business but what about her heart? What about Liberty? There's always two sides to every story and this one will pull at your heartstrings. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Spanning the years from 1913 to just before WWII, this one is good historical fiction.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

In 1913, Sarah Levine leaves her small village and sails to New York to start a promising new life with her husband, Micha. Then Micha makes a split second decision that changes everything for everyone. The only constants in Sarah’s life are her love for her daughter and the terrible secret that she must keep.

Good story, a secret within a secret deep in the heart of the story and told just in the last few pages of the book. Great writing, kept me reading to the end.

4☆

A wonderful story of a Mother's love for her child. A story with a big secret. An immigrant's story and the many twists and turns their lives take. .I enjoyed it.
Thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

Loving Liberty Levine was not at all what I expected. It was not an immigration story of romance and separation. Rather, it was a story with a secret at the heart of it. No spoilers, so I will not tell the secret. It was something life changing and profound. The heroine was a business success. The question is was she a successful mother? Liberty, the daughter, was a blessed child. She lived a life somewhat in the dark regarding some things. Did she gain knowledge? Was she successfull despite circumstances beyond her control? It was a good read, well written and the characters were beautiful, flawed and engaging. It will pull you in. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Loving Liberty Levine
by Colin Falconer
Description: In 1913, Sarah Levine leaves her small village and sails to New York to start a promising new life with her husband, Micha. But all Sarah really wants is what has come so easily to her sisters—a family of her own. Finally, in her new home, her dream comes true…but at a terrible cost. She names the baby girl Liberty after the great statue in the harbor that she saw when she first came to America.
From struggling to raise Liberty in a Lower East Side tenement to building a fashion empire, the only constants in Sarah’s life are her love for her daughter and the terrible secret that she must keep. Sarah gives Liberty everything she has, but the truth cannot stay hidden forever. As Liberty grows to womanhood and the world prepares to go to war again, Sarah is asked to make one last impossible choice…
A wonder novel of Historial Fiction. It was a very unusual story and one where you do connect with each character. Sarah loves her daughter beyond all else her name Liberty is Liberty. A family empire of fashion and making Liberty's life full of everything she would want.
It depicts the history of New York and you will also be Loving Liberty Levine.

As I began to read this book my assumption was that it was another romantic immigrant success story, but as I read on, I was pleasantly surprised by this different and unpredictable story of immigrant life in NYC.

Sarah came to NYC, after her husband sent for her. The saddest part of her life in Russia was her inability to have a child and her realization that would not change in NYC. it was the sight of the Statue of Liberty that inspired her.

Sarah’s entire life changed when her husband delivered an infant to her, one he claimed had been abandoned in the street. In truth, he knew who the mother was and that she had been burned to death in a hotel fire. The child was named Liberty in honor of the statue in the harbor.

From this point on, Sarah is obsessed with her daughter and providing a life of wealth for her. Despite learning about the lies surrounding Libby’s birth and the untimely death of her husband, Sarah remains steadfast and manages to succeed, overcoming death and travails to assure that Libby has everything she hoped for her.

Here the reader is pulled into the many twists that surround the lives of these women. It is interesting and engaging. A surprisingly fine read.

I must admit to being shocked that the novel was written by a male (sorry for the assumption) and one from Australia. His ear for language is impressive.

Thank you Netgalley for a read that far exceeded my expectations.