3.5 stars
I liked this story. It offered a unique telling of one German Jewish family's experience during the holocaust. It was a good look at how children were forced to hide their Jewish identity in order to stay alive. How families were literally ripped apart. We follow the Sternberg's, a family of 4, whose lives are drastically impacted as the Nazi's gain control. Mr. Sternberg, a successful heart surgeon, is one day taken away by the Nazis. However, suspecting that his family is in danger, he arranges a strategy to save his wife and 2 young daughters before he disappears. Unfortunately, the plan requires that Amanda Sternberg give up her two children with the possibility of never seeing them again and with no certainty that they will make it to their destination. It is a mother's nightmare and something much easier said than done. The story's main focus is on the youngest daughter, Lina Sternberg, and her experience during the war.

The plot starts off very strong as it details the impact of the Nazis regime on the family. However, about mid way through the book, the plot seemed to slow down and focused more on Lina's character. It felt more character than plot driven. I wasn't as drawn to the pages and it took me awhile to get through this part. I also wished the end of the story had included something more about Amanda's situation. That tangent felt unfinished for me. The only other piece that didn't work for me was the intro and very ending, which take place in present time. These bits seemed disconnected from the plot and needed more depth and perhaps a few more chapters weaved in to better amalgamate the two timelines.

This story is quite simple and a little predictable, but worth the read. This a book that will probably appeal to readers who enjoy WW2 historical fiction. Since there are very little graphic details involving the atrocities, it is a nice option for readers who prefer a tamer glimpse of what happened to people during the war.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Since reading The Nightingale, i have really had a soft spot for books set during WWII, and The Daughters Tale certainty didn't disappoint. A heart-wrenching tale, i found this book hard to put down.

A heartrending book set during WWII and this one was difficult to put down. I am always looking for more books set during WWII and especially ones with strong characters that you are thinking about long after you have turned the last page!

Beautifully written, but I felt myself wanting more. Much like The German Girl I feel like Correa almost keeps his characters at arms length so you find out intimate details about them but ultimately don't know them very well in the end. They are always an enigma.

I wish there was more back and forth between present-day Lina/Elise and child Lina/Elise and I also kept expecting the POV to switch over to the other sister Viera, but she was barely touched after she was sent off to Cuba.

Correa (The German Girl) details the all-to-real and heart-wrenching story of a Jewish mother in World War II Berlin who is forced to make a devastating choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Amanda Sternberg is the wife of a prominent cardiologist in Berlin whose life with her husband and young daughters Viera and Lina is shattered when her husband is arrested by the Nazis, and she is forced to flee Berlin. When the father of a former patient of her husband is able to give Amanda only two landing permits for a ship bound to Cuba, Amanda chooses to send her older daughter Viera on the ship embarking for Havana where Amanda’s brother lives.

Amanda and Lina flee to France and reside in a small French village with a Catholic woman and her daughter until the Germans occupy France and send its Jewish residents to concentration camps. But Amanda remains steadfast in her quest to save both of her daughters, and she does all she can to ensure that Lina will be freed from the confines of the camp while maintaining hope that Viera is still alive.

Fast-forward to 2015 New York City when elderly Elise Duval receives a phone call from a woman who says that she has some letters from Cuba which belong to Elise.

As Correa cleverly links the present-day to the tragedies of the past, he brings to life the vividly disturbing events of World War II Europe and how they touched every facet of life. Beautifully drawn believable characters fill the pages of this expertly-paced novel that is a mesmerizing account of sacrifice and survival against incredible odds.

I didn’t enjoy this book, nor did i feel like i connected with the book and characters. I’m not sure if that is because of the busy-ness of life when i read it or because it was poorly written. It doesn’t seem fair to rate it without being certain. Since i have to choose a star rating i will go with 3.

Riveting is the best way that I can describe The Daughter’s Tale; when I heard that it was based on true events, I had to read it. Once I started the book, I could not stop until I read the last page. The novel was beautifully written and one that I have thought of several times, even after finishing it.

The novel takes place in Berlin in 1939. Julien is Jewish and owns his family bookshop in Berlin. He has always gotten along with his neighbors and fellow businessmen until the Nazis rose to power. He and his wife and two daughters lose everything when the bookshop is burned, and Julien is sent to a concentration camp. Amanda does her best to protect her daughters and she is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision under the most difficult of circumstances, one that will forever haunt her.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Imagine you are charting your family tree. You sit with an elderly relative, taking notes and asking questions about the past and how it affected the future. This is how this book felt to me. An elderly woman receives letters that had been discovered that had been meant for her. As her past replays in her mind, we readers are there to listen and take note of the harsh conditions and the impossible decisions that had to be made on a daily basis during Hitler's pogrom on Jews. You come away with a sense of sadness but also feeling as if you had just watched a very good movie, only in written form.

Armando Lucas Correa has once again written a moving, heart wrenching saga of a Jewish family torn apart during the Second World War. Amanda Sternberg’s husband is taken away because of his heritage and imprisoned in a camp. Preparing for this outcome, he had left Amanda instructions and tickets to send their two daughters to Cuba to live with Amanda’s uncle. She is devastated by her loss but sets out to honor his wishes and protect her daughters. However, when the time comes to say goodbye, she is forced to make painful decisions with unimaginable consequences.

The author uses a very interesting story telling technique. He starts in the present as our main character is in the twilight of her years. A letter arrives that brings about a cataclysmic reaction that forces her to relive her past and all the emotions that go with it. I greatly enjoy this method. It keeps you reading and turning pages because you want to put all the pieces together.

As with Armando’s previous novel, The German Girl, this story covers little known, heart breaking events during World War II. Although he does not downplay any of the horrific events, they are written with all readers in mind; therefore, this novel can be read by teenage to adults. If you read and enjoyed Armando’s first novel, you will definitely want to read this one.

This was heart wrenching and mind grabbing! The horrendous times and the decisions that had to be made - sometimes none seeming right - made this book memorable. I don't like to spend a long time writing long reviews, but love spending my time reading and then recommending books to others! I am still thinking about this one, and I haven't decided exactly what to say other than you should read it. There are things still wheeling around in my mind and I think I am going to have to read this again - the knowing of the ending will inform my opinion of the body of the book this time, and I think make it clearer.

I am glad that I had the opportunity to read this book. I was first drawn to this book because of the cover. This book had some surprises that I was not expecting. It had the heartbreak that I was expecting, but it came in surprising decisions that were made. I have never read anything from the author before and look forward to reading his other book.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for providing me with the ARC.

BERLIN, 1939. The dreams that Amanda Sternberg and her husband, Julius, had for their daughters are shattered when the Nazis descend on Berlin, burning down their beloved family bookshop and sending Julius to a concentration camp. Desperate to save her children, Amanda flees toward the south of France, where the widow of an old friend of her husband’s has agreed to take her in. Along the way, a refugee ship headed for Cuba offers another chance at escape and there, at the dock, Amanda is forced to make an impossible choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Once in Haute-Vienne, her brief respite is inter­rupted by the arrival of Nazi forces, and Amanda finds herself in a labor camp where she must once again make a heroic sacrifice. NEW YORK, 2015. Eighty-year-old Elise Duval receives a call from a woman bearing messages from a time and country that she forced herself to forget. A French Catholic who arrived in New York after World War II, Elise is shocked to discover that the letters were from her mother, written in German during the war. Despite Elise’s best efforts to stave off her past, seven decades of secrets begin to unravel. review: I am a huge fan of historical fiction, specifically WWII so I was excited for this book. It is written beautifully and gives the heart-wrenching portrayal of love, survival and family. The book was extremely captivating and if you're a fan of WWII HF, be sure to check this one out

The story was written in the third person omniscient point of view as a descriptive, where the characters are described indirectly. The conflict is a mixture of internal and external as characters must battle themselves, other characters and society as a whole. The major themes that come into place are love, death, war, survival, power and corruption and good versus evil.

Amanda Sternberg is a small bookshop owner in Berlin when World War II breaks out, due to her Jewish parentage she knows that she is in danger, along with her husband and two small daughters. Veria is the older of the two girls while Lina is younger. Elise Duval is an eighty year old woman who lives in New York, but immigrated to the US from France during the war. She gets a call from a young woman who says that she has some letters for her, which were written in German but were located in Cuba. This brings us back to Berlin during the war, Amanda and her husband Julius are attempting to live with changes that the war has caused, but after Julius is taken to a labour camp, Amanda knows she must save her daughters. She is told that there is safe passage to her family in Cuba for her daughters but she cannot accompany them, she decides to send Veria as she is old enough to care for herself, but keeps Lina with her. Amanda and Lina are sent to a labour camp, but are able to escape to France but once there tragedy strikes and Amanda is killed leaving Lina alone.

The ideas are interesting and important while the flow is logical and organized. The voice is individualized and proper for the time period as the sentence structure and word choice help to enhance the story for readers. Yes, I would recommend this book. It would be a good read for those interested in World War II, survival, historical tales and reunions. This would not be a good read for those not interested in World War II or families being separated, particularly parents and children.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I know if one thing for sure, it will definitely not be the last. I loved the way this story was written, I loved how the present day led us back to this great mystery in the past. The struggles of this mother, Amanda, and her children Lina and Viera, the friendships made along the way of their travels, to try to save themselves. The atrocities inflicted upon them and others, was almost hard to read at times. A story of motherly love and devotion, the lengths a woman would go to to try save her children and the strong women and men met along the way. A touching, heart breaking story based upon real events, This story will stick with me for a long time.

I love this authors’ books, this was such a great read, and as usual for Correa, heartbreaking. Overall a great book, so well written and emotional.

This book took a long time get into and connect with the readers but once I stick with it I enjoyed the book. I haven't read anything else by the author but I will in the future. This is a great choice for those who like dual timelines and/or historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Armando Lucas Correa for the opportunity to read his new book The Daughter's Tale and I have read his previous book called The German Girl.
Berlin in 1939 isn't a safe place for Jewish people to live. Life changes quickly for Amanda Sternberg, her husband Julius, and their two daughter's Viera and Lina.
Amanda owns her family book shop, and her husband Julius is a respected cardiologist.
The Germans burn down the book shop and Julius is sent to a concentration camp.
Julius had been worried about his families safety for sometime, he has secretly saved a large sum of money and has made plans for them to leave. A parent of one of his patients agreed to provide the opportunity for Amanda to flee Germany and she has to leave quickly and has no time to dwell on what will be her husbands fate.

Desperate to save her daughter's they leave Germany, and go to France.
Amanda has a chance to save her daughter's, to send them to Cuba and a ship called the St Louis, she decides her youngest daughter Lina is too young to make the journey and only sends her eldest daughter Viera..
Part of her husbands plan was for Amanda to go to France, to stay with his friends widow Claire and her daughter Danielle.

Once Amanda reaches France life is not easy, she misses Viera and she has to come to terms with the death of her husband in the concentration camp, her future and her daughter's lives have been changed forever.
She writes letter's to Viera, every letter is returned unopened and she has no idea what happened to her daughter and if she made it to Cuba?
Amanda and Lina are eventually taken from Claire's house to a concentration camp and Amanda will do anything to make sure her youngest daughter is safe.

In France, the German's round up all the people in the village, all the women and children are taken to a church in Oradour-Sur-Glane and the church is set alight by the German SS.
Lina is one of the lucky children to survive and the book is about what happens to her after the fire.

New York in 2015 , Elsie Duval receives a call from a woman who explains that she has letters written by Amanda to her daughter all those years ago and the shock causes her to have a heart attack.
Ida Rosen and her daughter Anna deliver letters written to a girl called Viera by her mother almost 70 years ago. They fly to New York to deliver them to the person to a woman who they believe might be Viera and is she?

The Daughter's Tale, takes you from Germany, France, Cuba and New York. It's a journey of tragedy, sacrifice, betrayal, secrets, a mother's love for her daughter's, and about tough choices people had to make during WWII. Not only for themselves, for their families and others. I really enjoyed reading The Daughter's Tale, yes it's very sad, it's based on a true story, so many people never spoke about what happened to them during the war. They moved on with their lives as best as they could and you can understand why it was very difficult for them to be confronted by their past and not even their own family knew what had happened to them during this awful war. I enjoyed the book and gave it 5 stars.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

Rating 3.5 stars

Fear leads nowhere. Fear only ends up taking away what little lucidity we have left. Count every heartbeat.

A remarkable story of a mother's love, hope and what she would do for her family to continue. A story that starts with a reunion in present time and then recaptures the time spent. A young Jewish family in Germany as the oppression of Germany sets in. Amanda and Julius Sternberg must now face what that means for their family. Amanda's love for books awakens her to the cruelty of Germany as they destroy everything she holds dear including her husband a doctor. When the family is separated, she must face what will become of her two young daughters. It is here that she is faced with a choice. A choice that haunts her but that is her driving force.

Her choice leads her to France and eventually her youngest daughter must carry on her mother's hope. It is tragic but it also a love that is fierce and stands against evil.

A Special Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This book moved me to tears & my anxiety level was oh-so high. It wrecked me. So many times I had to put it down over the course of the week to either listen to a romantic comedy book or continue a Colleen Hoover novel to get me through the gut-wrenching historical realities of this story.

This is a family saga of love, sacrifice & survival at all costs. Author @armandocorrea writes amazingly strong female characters & they will be staying with me for a long long time. This is one the most heartbreaking stories I’ve ever read & so much of it is true, realities I knew nothing about even having read so many WWII historical fiction novels.

I look forward to picking up the author’s former well-known novel, The German Girl. I highly recommend picking this one up, just be forewarned that it’s one powerful heavyhearted novel that keeps the punches coming.