As of reading this latest novel, I have now read all of Pam Jenoff's work. Her approach to stories based in and around World War II always take a slightly different approach than the typical WWII novel, and The Woman with the Blue Star was no exception.

Telling the parallel stories of Sadie Gault, a Jewish young woman, and Ella Stepanek, a non-Jewish young woman, in Kraków, Poland during the Nazi Occupation weaves a very high stakes tale.

Sadie and her family are forced out of their home and into hiding in the sewers beneath Kraków, living in fear each day that they will be discovered and shipped off to the camps or worse. Meanwhile, Ella Stepanek lives alone with her stepmother, a Nazi sympathizer, in the wealthier district of Kraków facing her own feelings of abandonment and loss. While the two girls stories could not be more different, fate finds a way to intervene and links the two girls for life.

Sadie's family's retreat to the sewer is nothing less than harrowing and more than a little claustrophobic. Her family tries to make the best of their situation, focusing on the day they will leave the sewer instead of the dark, dank place they are forced to live that is permeated by, well, the smells of the sewer. Sadie grapples with the reality of her situation as her family, and the families they are in hiding with, are dealt blow after blow in a seemingly hopeless situation. Until the day Ella appears above a sewer grate and notices Sadie down below. This chance meeting forges a friendship that crosses the chasms of religion, social status, and living conditions and tests both girls in ways they could have never imagined.

One of my favorite things about reading historical fiction is that I always come away with something new. Whether it is a new perspective on the war itself, or a few nuggets of information around an event I was already well aware of. I am a teacher, so I was already well versed in the Nazi occupation of Poland and the plight of the Jewish people in Poland. However, the idea that people escaped to, and actually lived in, the sewer system was brand new to me. The atrocities of World War II are well known, for sure, but this added a new level of horror I wasn't expecting.

I felt the dual narration worked well in the context of this story, something that is not always easy to achieve. I did find the reveal slightly less shocking than I probably would have had I not read a story with a similar reveal earlier this year. That being said, the suspense was built and it did work well in the context of the story. The parallel love stories, however, I think were the biggest detractor for me for The Woman with the Blue Star. I felt it almost cheapened the story. The novel itself is heavy, given the atrocities being lived through, but the levity and lightness of the love story/love interests pulled me out of the story completely at times, which was frustrating.

Was this my favorite Pam Jenoff novel? No. That is a tie between The Orphan's Tale and The Kommandant's Girl. However, this one I did enjoy overall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row for giving me access to the ARC for this novel.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review; my thoughts are my own.

This book was a somewhat underwhelming read, I was in the mood for something to make me cry, make me emotional and this did not do it for me. While it was an enjoyable read and I am sure a lot of people will end up loving it, I did not connect with the story or the character as much as I wanted to. Not to say that the writing style wasn't beautiful or the story in itself interesting. Just that it lacked the "je ne sais quoi" to make me obsessed with it and be unable to put it down.

I found myself not caring if I continued or not the novel. It is a hard read, in the sense that it demonstrates atrocities that people had to live through, but it also shows human kindness in the man that saves her and her family. This novel showed the resilience of the human existence and the love/friendship that can be born even during horrible times. I really enjoyed how the author portrayed the friendship between Sadie our MC and Ella the polish German collaborator who hates Germans .

Overall, I just wanted to love it so much that in the end I felt disappointed.
There were a lot of times when I was bored and wanted nothing more than for something to happen, this can be a slow read at times and a fast read in other parts.

3/5 stars
Bookarina

Historical fiction & especially of this era are my favorite genre.
Even in the darkest moments of loss & horror, there is usually a small glimmer of light. Not everyone can survive the horrors of war no matter how strong or resilient.

This story is told in parallel of 2 young females. Ella & Sadie, one being Jewish & the other a non Jew, both living in Poland during the occupation of the Nazis.

Their stories & lives are very different from one another but they develop a friendship of sorts in an odd & very difficult way. The story of how to stay safe & alive with so much tragedy is always amazing to me.

The book starts & ends in 2016.

Pam Jenoff has another page turner.

Leaving your beautiful home, having to move to the ghetto, and then forced out of the ghetto into hiding in the city sewer system.

Could this get any worse for Sadie and her family?

Could it really be a hiding place unknown to the Germans and a safe place for two Jewish families?

Sadie and her mother knew it was the best place to be for now, but living there was horrible. No windows, awful smells, floods, and always cold.

One day Sadie notices a girl looking down through a grate. Sadie drew back, but the girl actually became the light in Sadie’s dreary days and brought food.

It was very dangerous for both girls and the others hiding below. You will feel the terror and desperation the characters felt but also the hope that things will work out.

Ms. Jenoff has brought another heartbreaking situation to light but also showed us the power of friendship, caring, and endurance.

If you are a fan of Ms. Jenoff’s books, this one is an outstanding addition to her marvelous, well-researched gems that you do NOT want to miss.

You will be glued to the pages as you live the lives of the characters. 5/5

This book was given to me as an advanced digital review copy by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have long been a fan of Pam Jenoff, both her literary works and her literary presentations. This latest novel did not disappoint me. I especially like the ending which offers the reader the opportunity to believe that while all may not always turn out as one envisions, there still is hope for the future. I think this novel comes out at a perfect time with the world dealing with the whole COVID issues and having to question what one would be willing to do for survival in these uncertain ti9mes. Jenoff is quite knowledgeable about both the Holocaust and her knowledge of the area of around Krakow, Poland add much to the plot and general flow of the novel.

What a beautiful tragic story about family and the terrible injustices that Jews went through. The characters are so likable and caring for each other. The love they have for their family carries them through the devastation.

Krakow, 1942. Eighteen year old Sadie escapes the ghetto liquidation with her family to take refugee in the sewers. As they rely on a sewage work for food and safety, wealthy Ella angrily watches her step-mother entertain Germans on the other side of town. When Ella and Sadie incidentally meet, they are tested and tried.

I used to love historical fiction, especially WWII historical fiction, but then I started to feel I was repeating stories. When I read the synopsis for this one, I thought it sounded like a new take. I was very right. While I’ve read many books that take place during this time period, I’ve never read a story like this. It was so difficult reading about the environment Sadie and the others went through. I don’t think I ever could have done it. Every character was brave in their own way. Both Sadie and Ella made for incredible protagonists, and despite their different backgrounds they came together. I did enjoy the ending a lot. It was completely unexpected and bitter sweet.

“When Papa had made me to go through the hole in our bathroom into the sewer, I had understood it to be transit, a passage to safety. And as we made our way through the filth and despair, I told myself it was necessary to escape. Instead, I could not have imagined that we would be staying in the sewer.”

“Anything is manageable if you can stay with the ones you love.

The Woman With The Blue Star comes out 5/4.

Book: The Woman with the Blue Star
Author: Pam Jenoff
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Park Row, for sending me an ARC.

I will admit that I started out thinking that this was going to be another World War II novel. Come on, you have to admit that there are a lot of them and a lot of them have pretty much the same storyline. While this book does kind of fit into that mold, there was something a little bit different about it. We4 have a group of Jews in the sewers who are trying to avoid being found by the Germans. Sadie, one of the Jews in the sewers befriends a Polish girl, Ella, whose stepmother just happens to be helping the Germans. This sets up our chain of events. We get to see the struggles, the horrors, and the bonds of friendships that form during one of history’s darkest times.

Let me start out by saying that I love the friendship and family aspects of this book. I love that while this is about Poland being the Nazi’s control, we still get to see these bonds. The bonds of friendship formed between Ella and Sadie will tear at you. You will be cheering for them to somehow find a way to stay together, no matter. While World War II does tend to focus on the war aspect of things, this book will remind you that there were people just trying to go about their normal lives and that there was still some good left in the world. The measures that Ella and Sadie take to make sure that they are safe and their friends are safe just really brings it all home. Plus, we through in the family aspect. We see just how far people will go to make sure that those they love are still protected-even if that means making some pretty harsh decisions.

The writing is the type that will make it very difficult to put this book down. Pam has a way of pulling you in and making you want to keep reading. You will become fully invested in the story. The ending, wow, let me tell you that was one of the strongest endings that I have read in a long time. Throughout the whole book, Pam gives you a sense of hope in the darkest of times while letting you still know that everything could in fact go wrong. While we go get a lot of happy moments and little celebrations, there is still this sense of dread and death lingering. We are still in World War II and that threat lingers throughout the whole book. Remember Sadie and her family are Jews.

This sense of feeling like the characters feeling real is what really made me enjoy this book. While it does seem pretty black and white, like with the writing, we find that there are so many layers. We do have some pretty bad people, but once you get to know them and think, you quickly realize that like our main characters, they are just trying to make it a very unforgiving world. Like with the war, the civilian life is complicated and I really like that Pam shows us that. We get to see just how complex and complicated humans can be.
Anyway, I really had a great time reading this. The only reason it got a four star was because I really didn’t like Ella’s point of view as much as Sadie’s. Don’t get me wrong, I really did enjoy Ella…I just happen to think that Sadie had a little bit stronger point of view. It’s just a small thing really.

This book comes out on May 4, 2021.


Youtube: https://youtu.be/Q77XgVgcj6M

Being new to Pam Jenoff writing I was captivated by this story of friendship during WWII. The author did her research well and created a wonderful story.

I loved that this book at its core was about friendship and what one would do for that friendship. It is also a story of tragedy, hope, and healing. I was so caught up in this story I was unable to put the book down. Thank goodness my son is old enough to take care of himself because I could not pull myself away.

If you enjoy reading about history and how it affects people not just in the moment but years later this is the book for you.

I have read and loved all of Pam Jenoff's books and they all stay on my favorite book lists. Her new book is one of the best books that I've read about friendship during World War II - the friendship of two very different girls in totally opposite lives - but a friendship that transcended what was going on in the world at this time.

Sadie is 18 and living in the Krakow ghetto with her parents. When the Nazis begin to liquidate the ghetto, they escape into the sewers under the city. With several other families, they settle into a small alcove in the sewer tunnels. At first they think they will be escaping from there soon but it soon become apparent that they need to stay underground to remain safe. Surrounded by the smell of the sewer and with a lack of light, they try to make the best of their circumstances. Sadie longs for sunlight and often goes to the sewer grates to look up into the sun. One day, a girl buying flowers sees Sadie below the grate and when she realizes that it is a girl hiding, she decides that she will help her. Ella is from the rich side of town. Her father has died and she lives with her step mother who spends her time with Nazi officers and treats Ella terribly. The war hasn't really changed Ella's life much so her decision to help Sadie was even more surprising. Over time, as they talk, they realize how much they like each other and would love to get to know each other under different circumstances. As the war continues, both girls are in extreme danger that could claim their lives if anyone found out. Their friendship is more important than the danger that is getting worse and their friendship continues until they must make a decision that will affect both of their lives.

This is a wonderful book about the strength of friendship that transcends social class, religion or living conditions even during the most brutal times. The trust and friendship that they had was a bright shining star during a dark time in world history. Even if you are tired of reading WWII fiction, this is a must read - it's about so much more than they war - it's about love and friendship and family and survival.

I received an Advance Copy of this book.

My favorite part about reading historical fiction is that I almost always learn something while still being able to get lost in the world of fiction. I had never once considered the sewers as a possible escape route that people ay have used during the war. Unfortunately, in this case the escape route didn't really work and instead they ended up having to live in the sewers for several months. But during the war, any hiding place had to be used to avoid falling into the hands of the Germans. This was an incredible story of unlikely friendships, enduring hardships, and yes even of hope. The amount of research done for this novel comes through on every page and I applaud Pam Jenoff for once again writing a story that was impossible to put down even if it did have me reaching for the tissues!

This novel is contrast of lives under the Nazi occupation in Poland. Sadie and her family are forced to move into the sewers of Krakow when the Nazis liquidate the ghetto. Their only link to the world above is a brave sewer worker who continues to bring them food even after their money is used up. The horror of living underground is vividly portrayed in floods, and an unlikely birth. Sadie desperately seeks a glimpse of normalcy and one day, while staring through a grate, is seen by Ella, who lives in relative comfort due to her stepmother's relationship with a high-ranking Nazi. The girls build a friendship and both risk everything to save the lives of Sadie and the others in the sewers. Gripping and painfully accurate.

The Germans have occupied Krakow, Poland, and are rounding up Jews. Sadie and her parents know they need to do something, and Pawel, a Polish sewer worker who knows her father, says he will help hide them underground in the sewer. They are joined by another family, a young man, and his father and grandmother. One day Sadie is looking up through the sewer grate, and locks eyes with Ella a young Polish woman. Ella starts to help them after Pawel is arrested, and the harrowing story continues. In this intense historical novel based on fact, the author has created unforgettable characters, and offered insight into life in wartime Poland. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This story had me greedily flipping pages right from page one. Sadie’s family’s escape from the ghetto as it was being liquidated was horrifying. Pam Jenoff’s description was enough to get my heart racing... as if I was staring down into that hole beneath their toilet and hurriedly coming to the realization that the sewage pipe was my only option for survival.
Once Sadie comes to understand the sewer isn’t just an escape route, but a place they are meant to stay- she is forced to adapt to this new life as the war rages on in the streets above her. While grieving the sudden loss of her father, Sadie takes care of her pregnant mother and shares the meagre food rations with another Jewish family that managed to escape along with them. When she is seen peering out of the grate by a young Polish girl in the market place- a friendship is forged that gives them each hope and purpose to survive the war.
Both girls will have to make dangerous decisions in order to help each other, leading to a climax that will leave you stunned.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and was invested in the main characters. I found the secondary characters less believable, namely Ella’s (wicked) step mother and Krys. The ending came quite abruptly, and was so surprising, it made me feel like I had misread it.... I can see what Jenoff was doing here, but the explanation of each character’s fate after the war was so quickly explained, it felt somewhat far-fetched. I liked the twist, but wish she had taken more time with the ending.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. What a captivating story this was!! We have heard over the years what a horrible time this period in history was particularly for the Jewish people. This book not only reflects on that, it also talks about the hardships that all of the Poles suffered during the war. It brings to light that no one was unaffected and it is a truly compelling story. Her descriptions of the odours and the treacheries of navigating the tunnels really brings home the desperate situation that many people had to endure. So many went from a wonderful life to a living hell and Ms. Jenoff manages to capture all of this in her story. This was a compelling story that you can't put down as you have to know how it ends.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this amazing book!

The Woman with the Blue Star is set in Nazi-occupied Krakow in the 1940s, and it is the story of two different young women: Sadie, a Jewish woman who is forced into hiding in a sewer to escape the Nazis, and Ella, a Polish woman whose stepmother is a Nazi collaborator. When Ella sees Sadie hiding the sewer, she decides to help Sadie and the other Jews with her in the sewer stay alive in whatever ways she can. Both these women encounter terrible hardships, but manage to form a deep friendship in the face of extreme adversity.

I've read many Holocaust and World War II books, and this one is one of the best that I've read. I really enjoyed the fact that the focus of the book is on these young women's lives and the relationships they build. Of course, there are some brutal moments in the book, but the focus is less on the atrocities and more on the ways that ordinary people are trying to live their lives despite extreme circumstances and do some small heroic acts along the way. Although the book is written for adult audiences, I definitely see it having YA appeal as well, since both main characters are in their late teens when the book begins, and there is nothing inappropriate in the book for YA audiences. The relationship-building is what truly makes this book wonderful, and I absolutely loved watching the development of Sadie and Ella's friendship, as well as Sadie's relationship with the other Jewish family hiding in the sewer, especially their son, Saul, with whom Sadie develops a romantic relationship. The story is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, and it will stay with you for a long time after you read it.

Highly recommend to fans of historical fiction and character-driven narratives!

This is a heartbreakingly beautiful story. The Jewish population in Nazi occupied Poland was forced to wear white armbands with a blue Star of David on their right arm. While not as well known as the yellow stars, these identifiers were strictly enforced and those caught not wearing one would face severe punishment. Jenoff based this novel on stories of Jewish families who utilized the sewers to escape persecution during WWII. While the families in the book are not true representations of any specific people, Jenoff weaves a remarkable tale full of complex characters and harrowing experiences. The character Sadie struggles throughout the book to come to terms with the losses in her life and to have the strength to carry on. Ella struggles to figure out where she fits in amidst the chaos around her. The friendship the two forge brings them each hope and a sense of purpose. While stories of WWII have saturated the market, each new book brings another perspective. This book highlights the grit and determination to survive and persist by both the Jewish and Polish populations. It acknowledges the strength of friendship and love and the need we all have to have each in our lives. A truly mesmerizing tale of love, hope, and survival.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Pam Jenoff is one of my absolute go-to authors when I want to read a historical fiction novels based around World War 2, and this one was just as well-written as the rest! This novel is told from two points of view, that of Sadie, an 18 year old Jewish girl in Poland, and Ella, an affluent Polish girl around Safie's age. Sadie and her family find themselves needing to escape the ghetto in Krakow, and the only place they can safely go is into the sewer. This story brought out so many emotions and described the situations facing the characters so vividly. Jenoff paints a picture of the horrors facing both girls and how they tried to find hope and friendship even at the dimmest times. What is even more scary is the fact that while this is a fictionalized account, it is based on true events. If you like historical fiction, this is definitely one to check out. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC to review.

I really enjoyed this story set in WWII Poland. Sadie and Ella become the most unlikely of friends and this is the story of how they helped each other through. I loved the descriptions of Krakow and googled the landmarks mentioned. I felt the characters were rather flat, though, and the dialog wasn’t great. Characters vacillating between emotions from one sentence to the next. I’d still recommend this read simply for the history of it all. I’ve read a lot of WWII fiction and this particular time and place and scenario was new to me. I read this one cover to cover in two days!

Glad to have read a pre-pub copy for my honest review.

Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors and this book was such a beautiful and moving read. Set during WWII in Nazi-occupied Poland, we follow the opposing worlds of Ella Stepanek and Sadie Gault. Sadie and her parents make the decision to leave the Kraków Ghetto and find solace in the city's sewers. Above the sewers, we see Ella's world play out with her step-mother, a known Nazi collaborator, and the boy she loves, One day Sadie's eyes are drawn up above the sewer grate and Ella's below. The two girls lock eyes and thus their story of how their lives will entwine unfolds.
This book had many heart-wrenching moments and I found myself crying on more than one occasion. There are just as many moments when your heart is flying with the characters with their tiny moments of joy. The ending of the book did not disappoint and I am sure this will be a huge hit with book clubs this spring.
The author's note at the end of the book is also very touching. Pam Jenoff explains the process of writing this book during the chaos of 2020 and the parallels she drew from the subject matter during such an uncertain time in everyone's lives.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Parkrow and NetGalley for access to an eARC of this book. All of the opinions expressed are my own.