I have to say I was a little disappointed in this book. The references to the history at the time seemed forced, the jumping around in time periods seemed disjointed, and it read more like a young adult novel. I would have liked more of the history of the Polish people in Lublin and the surrounding area in the late 1930s into the mid 1940s and how they survived. Part of the story takes place in the 1960s in the Chicago area but nowhere in the book do you find out how Eli ended up in the United States. Since visas seemed to be a big part of this story, you would think the author would mention how Eli got his.

Eli’s Promise is a historical fiction tale jumping through three eras; Nazi-occupied Poland, the American Zone of post-war Germany, and Chicago at the height of the Vietnam War. The author explores the human cost of war, the mixed blessings of survival, and the strength of love. Even though the book is named Eli's Promise, it actually revolves more around Max, a "fixer" in a Polish town during World War II, his betrayal of Eli's family, and Eli's ultimate search for justice 25 years later.

I'm never the biggest fan of stories that jump back and forth, however this book did a good job of titling each chapter so that the reader knows where and when they are. This is key to making a book like this a success. Being from Chicago, I particularly enjoyed the more modern parts of the story, which are set in Albany Park, and at one point they even reference having a deli tray from Kaufman's, one of my favorite haunts in Skokie. There is also a great description of making and eating babka (coffeecake) which really resonated for me as well. That detail aside, I did find the modern part of the story the most compelling, because, well we all know what happens to the Jews in Nazi times, and it isn't anything good. This part of the story I didn't know what was going to happen, so it was like reading a thriller, and it kept me in suspense. Although I was a bit disappointed with the ultimate resolution between the two protagonists. (no spoilers)

The post-war part of the story was also interesting because I wasn't aware that victims of atrocities continued to live in DP camps for SOOOO long after the war ended and that the US had such a strict quota on the immigration of Jews after the war. So it was good to be educated on that.

I didn't like the Nazi era storyline as much, it just felt so frantic to me. I know it was a frantic time, but I've read a lot of Jewish literature, and this part of the story just wasn't as satisfying, it just felt like the characters were running back and forth saying oh me, oh my...
The author does a great job of conveying the uncertainty of the time, and how there are always people trying to go around the system, as well as balancing out how hopeless things can be with how some people continue to hold on to hope.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free ARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

This story follows Eli Rosen, a businessman from Poland through the Nazi’ occupation in WWII, the displaced persons camp after the war and into 1965. The harrowing story of the trials and tribulations of Eli’s family, and their betrayal by Maximilian Poleisky was both sad and uplifting. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and I was constantly trying to guess what would happen next to no avail. Eli was a strong,trusting man who fought hard to keep his promises to his family. While the ending was bittersweet, I’m so glad that Eli was able to get some justice in the end.

I loved this book! Having read other books by this author I was really excited to get ARC from Net Galley. This book starts in Poland at the beginning of WWII. One is able to visualize the lives the Jewish people had under German control and realize the ways people had to deal with things to try to survive. Although it is historical fiction, it still seems real enough to imagine what people were having to go through. I have not previously read any books where part of it takes place in a DP camp. I found that to be very informative. The book goes back and forth from the 1940s to present day Chicago to tell the story. I found this book easy to read, well written and kept my interest. I didn't want to put it down!

A historical novel written from the point of view of a Nazi concentration camp prisoner, both during the time leading to his incarceration and then one year after his release in the environs of a Displaced Persons Camp.
We share the pressures and fears he faced in his efforts to protect his family and then of the betrayal of the man who was supposed to protect them. Somehow surviving his incarceration Eli somehow has to rebuild a life for himself and his son but how do you do that when you have nothing?
Balson balances the historical details with emotional impact and strong characters to create a tense re-telling in which the reader lives for the moment Eli can hopefully attain a level of peace.
This was well-written and an absorbing story that came from a slightly different angle.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity!
This is my 1st read by Ronald H. Balson but not my only book by him~ I have his book "Once We Were Brothers" which was given to me and highly recommended that I will read next!
The characters in this story, "Eli's Promise" were well defined and I become attached to them quickly! The story goes back and forth into different time periods which I must say, sometimes seemed a bit choppy! All in all I enjoyed the story! This was an extremely dark and heartbreaking time in our history and one I like to learn more about!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc and giving my review!
Linda

This historical novel takes place in Lublin, Poland during the Nazi occupation during WW2, the American displacement zone post WW2 and Chicago during the Vietnam era.. I had not read any novels about the American Displacement Camps and found that part very interesting. The main protagonist Eli and his family are well developed characters as is the antagonist, Max. Eli loses his family, business, and way of life in horribly difficult circumstances yet he perseveres. Max and his cohorts ( Max is fictional while the Germans are actual war criminals) embodies all the depravity of the war in ghettos and occupied lands. The novel brings to light the anti-Semitism and difficulties the Holocaust victims faced after they were freed from the concentration camps. Eli spends a considerable amount of time searching for Max only to have him escape retribution time after time. Ronald Balson has created an emotional educational and informative historical novel. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for this wonderful novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

A fixer in a Polish town during world war 2 betrays a Jewish family and a search for justice over 25 years.. This story spans 3 eras World war 2 Poland The American Zone after the war and Chicago during Vietnam Nam War.. it is a powerful and emotional story.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I was granted a copy to read through Net Galley. I have been reading it over time because I was not swept up by the story due to characterizations vs truly horrendous events and the telling of them.
What I liked: The descriptive text of what Polish Jews went through during WWII.
What I didn't like: Organization of time frames and the dialogue utilized in telling story unnaturally. Almost none of the dialogue held true for my sensibilities. I'm happy to see that other reviewers were able to embrace the story more readily than I.

Net Galley copy

Wow! Another great read from Ronald Balson! I have read all of his books and he never disappoints! I was delighted to receive an ARC of his new book from the publisher and NetGalley as I am always anxiously awaiting his next book.
Ronald Balson is a fantastic historical fiction writer and his characters are portrayed flawlessly. This book follows Eli Rosen and his family during 3 time periods, World War II, post war Poland, and Chicago in the Viet Nam era. This was a harrowing tale of Eli's quest to bring justice to a war criminal many years later but it is also a heartbreaking story about the cost of war and the strength of family. I would highly recommend this book as I have shared all my Ronald Balson books to anyone who will read them!

Eli’s Promise by Ronald H. Balson is an excellent historical fiction novel that is unique in that it expertly weaves the story of Eli Rosen and his family (wife Esther and son Isaac) through three different time periods: Lublin, Poland during war,
Fohrenwald displacement camp 1940s post war
and Albany Park, Chicago 1965. It is interesting that the majority of the book focuses on post-war challenges and occurrences vs mainly during the German occupation. I think that bringing light to significant struggles that the Holocaust victims faced after in the war in regards to anti-Semitism, Displacement Camps, trying to find hope and life afterwards in a country that was willing to help and accept Jewish individuals is not discussed enough. For many, one war ended, while another began.

It was very hard to see what Eli and his family went through in regards to having their entire lives altered and, for many, lost and all that they had to endure afterwards as well (as if they hadn’t been through enough). Eli Rosen is a fictional character, yet the author does an amazing job at creating a person that personifies and represents many that suffered through such horrific tragedies and subsequent treatment thereafter. To lose your business, your way of life, your family members, and all that you know is nothing short of devastating.

I cried several times reading about the loss of life, and the unspeakable events that happened not only to Eli, but to so many people through no fault of their own. I will not go any further into the synopsis, as this book is too good to risk spilling any further plot details.

To be able to elicit such strong emotions, create a platform for learning and awareness, and to also create a story that is enthralling from beginning to end, is nothing short of impressive. This is what historical fiction is all about.

Excellent book and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Balson in the future.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Eli’s Promise is a gripping tale of Eli Rosen and his quest to fulfill a promise to bring justice to a war profiteer. Balson introduces us to the Rosen family at the beginning of WWII before things took a turn for the worse for the Jewish residents of Poland. Eli and Esther had a wonderful marriage, a beautiful son and thriving family business until...the Germans invaded and piece by piece their lives went from blissful to uncertain. A demon of a business partner “sold” the Rosens his protection from the Germans. Everything he promised came with a price and as time passed, Eli realized Maximilian to be the snake his wife always told him her was. But when things are increasingly uncertain during wartime, promises can mean hope and Eli made deals with Max despite his better judgment all to protect his family.

This story spans war torn Poland in the 1940’s to Chicago USA in the 1960’s. I don’t want to dive too deep into the story line because I’m not quite sure how to do it without spoiling it for readers. I will say that Balson has created a cast of characters you can immediately connect with. You can feel their emotion and in the case of Max...his arrogance and greed. You quickly become attached to theses characters and the promise Eli is trying to fulfill...though it takes him a couple of decades.

This story paints a vivid picture of a prominent Jewish family as they are slowly stripped of their lives by the Germans. Promises of protection were made and sold to those desperate to find a way to live. To the Germans and to profiteers, it was a game. It’s unbelievable what historical fiction can teach you!

Ronald Balson latest release does not disappoint. It will captivate you, keep you on the edge of your seat and it might even get you to shed a tear or two. I highly recommend this book. It’s beautiful!

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Publishing Co and Ronald Balson for the opportunity to read this book! I enjoyed it so much!

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC. This is the first Ronald Balson book I have read though I am by no means a newcomer to WWII and Holocaust historical fiction. Eli’s Promise is a work of fiction although the Nazi officers portrayed in the story were real. The Yeshiva, DP Camps and Jewish ghettoes were all real. The inhumanely restrictive immigration quotas were very real. The book is well researched although it does not appear the author traveled to Poland to view what remains which to my mind would lend even more depth to the novel. Perhaps he has visited to research his other works.

The book moves between Poland, the DP Camps and Chicago. It moves smoothly, but returning the story to Poland and Germany in the later chapters is distracting. That part of the story could have been completed in earlier chapters. The all too frequently employed epilogue is weak. Fiction or fact, I grieved for the loss of life at the hands of the Nazis and the long road back for those who survived. Though Esther is a character of the author’s making, these words she spoke are haunting: “They will identify us, they will collect and concentrate us and then they will eliminate us.”

I was excited to be able to read and review ELI’S PROMISE by Ronald H.Balson. Somehow, the title, and the fact that it was, for the most part, set in post WWII times in Poland ,really appealed to me.

It’s set in Poland and a Post War Displacement camp in the 1940s, and also in 1965 Chicago. I could tell that a lot of thorough research of the times and history of the Jewish plight during this time, was done before and during the writing of the book.

I’ve got to give an honest review, so here goes.. I’ve never been a fan a of jumping back and forth in time periods, and this book did that a lot. Many times as I was reading it, I found myself trudging along and making myself keep reading. It seemed dull at times and did not hold my interest. The end seemed to come all of a sudden and then kind of dropped. But my opinion is but one, and I would recommend the book simply for the reason that the author has written several books, one of which I have read which I really enjoyed.. this one, however, was disappointing to me.

This was a wonderful book. Gripping and heartbreaking. It was interesting for a book of this genre to take place immediately after the war and so interesting to read what happened to those liberated from the many camps. Some parts felt a little ‘wordy’, mainly those set in the 60’s and could has been a little more succinct however it didn’t detract from the book in any way. I would recommend this book to my family and friends.

There are few WW2 reads that show the in-between on either side of the concentration camp period quite the way that this book does. Though fiction, it has such a rich amount of details and true-to-life feel that it must be based on a conglomeration of true stories. We follow Eli through the late 1930s, prior to Nazi occupation and at its start, briefly through his time in a concentration camp, and then in the 1960s as he works with the United States government. It is a story of tragedy and wrongs, and in real-world fashion, things don't always have a fairy tale ending. If you like history, intrigue, and true crime stories, you will love this book!

This is not the first Ronald Balson book that I have read. He writes interesting storylines and has well developed characters. This book, Eli’s Promise is no exception. This book is about Eli, Esther Rosen and their son Isaac. As the author states in his “Acknowledgments”, the story is written over three time periods: Lublin, Poland during the war, Fohrenwald in the mid-1940s and a section of Chicago in 1965. “. It’s trying to keep up with the different time periods of Eli’s life that was a little difficult for me to keep up with. The time periods go back and forth and intermingled. The Rosens’ are Jews and that was such a horrific time for them. Mr Balson has done a great deal of research for this book. The fact that the Rosens own and run a brickyard and that the Germans need this brickyard to build additional facilities and additions to existing buildings, is a genius way to present the story. It is a good book and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

I am a historical fiction nerd. and when I saw this book on netgalley and Read The synopsis. I requested it immediately. and my wish was granted.. This book follow Eli and his family during 3 timeperiods. during war, postwar and the 1960s.What I loved about this book. The love they had for each other, The family dynamic, their strength, and how they overcome obstacles in a cruel and Black time era. This book made me cry. what I liked less about The book. I wished The author Would have written less about The holocaust and more about The postwar era. an era that is less known for a lot of us. But a must Read. so thank you to netgalley and the Publisher for letting me Read this e arc

Eli's Promise by Ronald H. Balson This is the first book that I have read by Ronald Balson. Eli's Promise focuses on Eli Rosen and his life during WWII and afterwards. This s a truly remarkable, extraordinary and heartbreaking story about a very sad time in our history. It is very well written and it flows well.

When the GIs find the prisoners of the concentration camps they did not know the emancipated Jewish man Eli. Would 30 years later work with the FBI to find that polish men rising up in America was perhaps was a war profiteer. Not well written., and the story was not believable, how a farmer became an FBI agent. Not a fan of the book or the writing style.