Member Reviews
I received an ARC from the author, NetGalley and the publisher. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review.
The Daughter's Tale is about women surviving during war. It had all the makings of a great book, but lacked the delivery to make it so. In the end, it was a mediocre take on a fascinating subject, life during WWII.
3 out of 5 stars.
Another WW2 book that just left me feeling I need a break from WW2 books. Nothing really stood out. Just not a great book
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
Another book of historical fiction by the author of The German Girl. I again struggled with the uneven writing but this is another important story that needs to be told. Parts were confusing and the characters hard to relate to but ultimately a book worth reading.
The Daughter’s Tale by Armando Lucas Correa could be one of my favorite historical fiction reads of 2019. This book had me paying attention at the very beginning and didn’t stop until the end. It's worth reading. The setting is WWII.
I love when historical fiction books are able to teach the reader something. In this case there were two things I didn't know about prior to reading. One was the mass killing of the residents of a village in France in 1944 by the Germans. The second historical event was that a ship left Germany with refugees bound for Cuba. Both of these events were woven into the plot and added to an already compelling story.
The book is well-written and it is easy to immediately feel for the characters and your heart breaks with each of the choices they are forced to make. One of the themes of the book is how far would you go in order to protect your child. The decision was so incredible and heart wrenching that it left me thinking about it even though I finished the book days ago. I love when stories just stay with you in your head and that's why this was just a really good reading experience.
I would like to thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read The German Girl around 2 years ago and it was such a fabulous book that I was thrilled to learn that the author would release a new book with links to the first book. The Daughter's Tale is a good novel, just not as engrossing as the first novel. For some reason didn't I feel that this book had the same interesting story as with the German Girl. It is a good book and yes I would recommend it. However, the historical aspect of the story in the German Girl was much more interesting. And I think it's because it felt like nothing I had read before. Also, the choice Amanda has to make in this book (can't write about it since I would spoil the book) would have been more interesting if one had gotten the full story. I was disappointed that there was not a POV from Cuba. I think that would have made the book so much more interesting to read.
The Daughter's Tale is for me a so-so book, perhaps my expectations were just too high after The German Girl. However, I still recommend reading it!
This was not my type of book and I was very disappointed in it.
I had such high hopes for this book
I really liked this book and I enjoyed the dual timelines. It seems like there are many books about WWII but this one is one of the better ones I have read. I thought the author did a good job on his research since he is Cuban and has no ties to WWII/Holocaust. There were times that I yelled out loud about some of the stupid decisions the mother was making and other times I cried for the characters and the horrible choices. I will definitely read more by this author.
The Daughter's Tale was an interesting WWII historical fiction. A story of the terrible turmoil, heartbreak, desperation, and impressible choices that were made in order to survive. Inspired by true events, this book told a heartbreaking tale. Thank you NetGalley for the e-reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I normally don’t read books about the WW because I find them extremely boring. But this I really really loved! I just fell right into it and never wanted it to end! I spent 3-4 hours reading this but it felt like longer cause it was so good. I really loved it! I loved that we didn’t just see one POV but actually saw the whole story. I would recommend reading this one
During WWII, a Jewish woman sends her older daughter alone on a ship bound for Cuba but keeps her younger daughter with her and struggles to keep her safe in Nazi-occupied France. This is hard to review as I had trouble getting behind the rational for the choices that the mother made. I also would really have liked to have many more details about what the other daughter's experiences were. Basically, her story was dropped.
Love reading books that have basis on true events. Story begins at beginning of WWII and continues when protagonist is aged.
This book starts out in the present day when two women, strangers, call Elise, an old woman living in New York, and when she sees them, she has a heart attack.
Then, we are taken back to Germany at the beginning of WWII, where a Jewish woman, Amanda, and her husband are trying to save their two children, Lena and Viera, from the Nazis. In a moment of panic, Amanda sends Viera to her brother in Cuba, but keeps Lena with herself. The book traces what happens to her and Lena during the war.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did, but in the end, I'd rate it around a 3, maybe 3.5 stars.
First, I don't really think Elise as an old woman was essential to the book. Remove that part, write an epilogue, and you accomplish the same thing. Second, I wanted to learn more about Viera's story, but again, she felt more like a prop than an actual character. And finally, especially toward the end of the book, how much time was passing was really hard to follow.
However, I really liked the character of Lena and the characters she met along the way who helped her. And this was not a book that dragged... It moves quickly and captures ones attention.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. It has not influenced my review.
The Daughter's Tale by Amando L:ucas Correa is a . wonderful book based on a true story.. I felt the pain and fear of all the major characters. The story begins in Nazi Germany when Hitler is just beginning to round up the Jews and send them to camps.Amanda Sternberg loses her Jewish husband who tells her to leave with their daughters to a relative in Cuba.. She does send the oldest daughter but keeps the younger one with her. She is haunted by the loose of her first child but finds life dangerous in the French village where she is staying. They are living in continual danger, hunger and fear. They are living near Oradour-Sur-Glane which is a small village in the south of France. In 1944 the Nazies massacured eyerone living there. Her younger daughter did survive and found her way to Cuba where she married and had a daughter.
While this book didn’t top The German Girl for me (one of my top 2 favorite WW2 historical fiction novels ever), this book was still a beautifully written, heart-wrenching portrayal of family, survival, love, and loss during the Holocaust era. Correa’s writing is so stunning and captivating, and I found myself crying for but also cheering on Lina and all of the other characters throughout the book.
Overall, I would highly recommend this novel for fans of WWII historical fiction.
Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Based on a true events The Daughter's Tale is a a view of a Jewish mother trying to survive with her two daughters. A haunting read of survival during the terrible times of World War 2. Very moving story that had me shedding tears.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher and all opinions are mine.
I am a big fan of WWII historical fiction even though most of the time I do end up teary-eyed and just heart broken with events that took place during that period of time. It is important, though, that these stories be written so we don't forget the horrors that occurred. Mr. Correa has written a beautiful and heart wrenching book about the sacrifice a mother makes in protecting her daughters from the ravages of war. Wonderful characters that will be difficult to forget. A Daughter's Tale is one that should not be missed.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
Having finished the Daughter's Tale I was grappling with how many stars to give it. Based on true events, this is a fictionalized heartbreaking story of a mother, Amanda, and her two daughters, Lina and Viera during WWII. Following the instructions of her captured husband, she was to put her two daughters on a boat to Cuba to stay with their uncle. At the last minute Amanda decides to only send Viera because she believes Lina is too young. The story now focuses around the daughter Lina and you don't hear about what happens to Viera's life. Yes this is a heartwrenching story but it didn't pull me in like some other WWII stories I have read. This is still a great book to read and do recommend it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher and all opinions are mine.
Told in two timelines, The Daughter’s Tale is another captivating story involving WWII.
The first timeline is Berlin in 1939. Amanda and Julius Sternberg have big dreams for their daughter that are dashed when the Nazis take over Berlin. Their bookshop is burned to the ground, and Julius is sent to a concentration camp.
Amanda is fighting for her daughters’ lives, so she heads towards the south of France where a family friend has offered to take them in.
But before she arrives there, Amanda is offered the chance to board a ship filled with refugees headed for Cuba. Should they board the ship, or stay in France? This decision could mean their lives.
The second timeline is New York in 2015. Elise Duval is eighty-years-old and is called by a woman who knows many things about a time Elise has done her best to forget. Elise came to New York after World War II, and she finds out this woman has letters from her mother written to Elise.
The Daughter’s Tale encompasses another atrocity carried about the Nazis of which I had no idea prior. It seems the list is endless, and so are the perspectives and stories to tell from the war, and I’m always grateful for those who choose to write them. This is a horrific time we can never forget.
I was immediately drawn to Amanda as a character. My stomach turned as she had to make decisions with her daughters’ lives in the balance. There was no way to know which was up, much less which was route was the safe one.
I also have to mention the books and the horrible acts related to them. That made my heart ache as well, and you just have to read about it.
The Daughter’s Tale is inspired by true events. Overall, it is a story told in sparse prose with a powerful message. A mother’s sacrifice and guilt, redemption, and love for family. It’s all here.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I just finished The Daughter’s Tale by Armando Lucas Correa and it gets 4 stars. I think this will nestle in just fine on the shelf along with a lot of the popular WWII books. Following the perspective of German Jews, you really develop an empathy for and care about the characters. He does something interesting with how the main point of views morphs over time instead of the typical switch between 3 characters’ perspectives. So as time goes along the main character changes. Also, I found it interesting how he used the element of foreshadowing with one of the character’s knack for premonitions. It made me pay really close attention to the language and watch for clues about what would happen next.
Trigger warning: It’s WWII, so there’s war violence and racism. There’s also mention of sexual assault and suicide.
The Daughter’s Tale is an epic story that spans many years surrounding WWII. It is a very different type of war story though in some ways. The family got out in time to enjoy some good years escaping into rural France before the Nazi’s became too prevalent there. There are certainly tastes of the Nazi’s and also of the Concentration Camps but not in a long term or typical way.
This book was beautifully written and almost poetic at times. Ms. Correa is certainly a gifted writer. This book shows humor, courage, great love for others and humor all in one book.
I loved the book and would read anything else written by this author.