Member Reviews
The precis of the book sounded really interesting but it just didn't grab me at all. I really struggled to finish it as the story just didn't flow and seemed to jump all over the place.
“One day I heard the Polish girl ask her father: “How do you write German, with a capital letter or a small letter?”
“We write the names of all the nations with a capital letter, my daughter,” he said, “except for the Jews. Jew is written with a small letter.”
“Thank you, Father,” said the girl politely and continued to write in her notebook.
I remember realizing at that very moment that all nations, all of them, were my enemies, and it didn’t matter that the war was over, as they were saying everywhere. I said to myself, well, Danusha, you’re worthless once again.”
This was a most striking passage and highlights Danusha's dilemma as a young girl running from the Nazis.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this truly remarkable book.
The Polish Girl by Malka Adler was a well written account of Anna and her children in Poland during WWII. The struggles were told through the voice of Anna and her daughter. I was interested in the relationship between the two and how the daughter felt unworthy of her mother and other people she came in contact with. The writing was easy to follow and it came to a clean ending. I am interested in reading more from Malka Adler.
Malka Adler's, The Polish Girl, is not at all what I expected. I hated Anna. She was a cold heartless bitch who tortured Danusha. Anne treated her as less than human. I just couldn't get past that coldness.
I loved Danusha from the first. I could empathize with her unloving mother and the constant running from the Nazis. The parts of the story where Anna told stories of how she got along during the war, and how the guests worshipped her made me sick to my stomach.
This book just wasn't for me, but I know a lot of people who would enjoy this tragic taste of WWII. I award The Polish Girl 3 out of 5 stars.
The polish girl by Malka Adler is a historical fiction set during WW2. I find it was a very interesting story and was an important read but
I though that the writing very disjointed and repetitive, the narration was split between daughter Danisha and the. Stories that her mother Anna. It seemed to be confusing on what was happening because the narration seemed to repeat the same stores multiple times and it wasn’t always clear which point of view the story was being told in.
I did enjoy the parts of the story that described how they survived during the war and the lengths they had to go to keep safe but after this the rest of the story didn’t seem to go anywhere and felt very rushed at the end.
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, and the author Malka Adler.
An interesting topic but moved quite slowly, some chapters more engaging than others. As a result, it was difficult to get into and not as gripping as I'd hope. 3 stars.
This book was so emotional to read and yet I couldn't put it down. It really told the story well and the characters were explained very well. I would recommend this book to others. It was also really educational to learn more about WWI and the holocaust and what others had to go through.
Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really hard one to read and not necessarily due to the subject and content of the book. The story narration keeps jumping back and forth between the daughter and the mother. At times it was very difficult to differentiate between the two and I would have to backtrack to find the change. I put this book down several times and read other books before returning to The Polish Girl. The story was interesting, but the delivery just wasn't enough to do this book justice.
Tragic, heartbreaking and harrowing!
I have read a lot of WW2 novels, they really appeal to me and i was instantly interested in this book. I did enjoy it, I liked that this story is based true historical events and it is those moments which I found haunting, you can feel the ghosts of the real people from history reaching out to you as you read.
Despite this being a story we should all read, it is full of tears and emotion there were times that I felt as though it was missing something.,I can't quite put my finger on to what's missing, but despite my personal reservations it's still one you really should give a go.
Entwined with the horrors of war and what happened is the story of what a mother will do to keep her children safe when everything is stacked against them. The relationship between Danusha and her mother and at times I never understood why her mother would treat Danusha in such a way. It's utterly heartbreaking here we have a little girl who wants nothing more than to be loved by her mother.
Overall, it is a book which many will enjoy and I did hugely enjoy parts, I particularly liked the historic details, I've not read this author before but I will certainly look out for her other books as overall I did enjoy this one.
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@chicksroguesandscandals
World war two in Poland as seen through the eyes of a little Jewish girl, and as told by her mother in Israel after the war. Quite repetitive, a child desperate for her mother's love, and a mother desperate to survive.
A complicated family’s life during WWII. I found it to be very emotional.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I gravitate to historical fictions that tell a story of the horror at the hands of the Nazi’s. This one was a littler difficult for me to read, so much so that I put it down and picked it up. I was having issues connecting with this book. I did finally finish it and I am glad that I did.
I had a bit of a hard time finishing this book. I love the time period and I love historical fiction, but this one was a bit confusing. I'm just not sure I can follow the idea of the Mother wanting a first born son, instead of her daughter Danusha. Seems to me the story was better suited to reading how the family evaded the Nazi's and the bravery of the Mother, Anna.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for the arc of The Polish Girl by Malker Adler,
5 star read- It follows Winter in the year 1939- Follows Danusha and her family whom are forced to leave their home due to the Nazi;s when they invade poland - her mother ends up changing her name and getting a job as a housekeeper in a GERMAN DOCTORS MANSION,, where the Gestapo hold their meetings upon the kitchen in the mansion..... more follows.. definitely recommend this heart wrenching emotional book, such a page turner so emotional but so well written
I cannot offer a review for this book as I found it extremely difficult to read and didn’t finish reading it. However I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read.
The story is about Danusha growing up as she moves about the country with her brother Yashu and their mother Anna trying to conceal their Jewish heritage. At one point Anna finds a job as a housekeeper for a German doctor where Gestappo meetings are held.!
I have to be honest and say I found this book confusing at times as it will be telling the story through Danusha then it will be through her mother reciting it to her friends.
The Polish Girl by by Malka Adler was a story that I could just not get through. While I read over sixty percent of the novel, the writing was choppy, the dialogue was sparse and repetitive and there was only one character for whom I felt empathy. While the premise of the story is a true and sad one, the story just did not resonate with me. Perhaps it wasn’t the story that didn’t resonate with me but how the story was told. I have read a ton of novels set during WWII and I invariably came away learning and feeling something. I had previously read Malka Adler’s Brothers of Auschwitz and came away feeling very different.
As an advanced reader I always complete the books I am asked to review. There are a few rare times when I just couldn’t finish no matter how hard I tried. I like to give the author the respect they deserve for writing the novel. Unfortunately, I gave up on this.
I would like to thank the author, One More Chapter Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An interesting historical novel well written with great characters. The story follows Danusha and her family who are Jews, fleeing the Nazis. Great pacing and tension.
Refreshing to have a WW2 novel set in Poland as opposed to Germany or France.
Can definitely recommend it.
The Polish girl is a heartbreaking World War II novel about a girl Danusha and her mother Anna. All Danusha wants is a mom who will love and protect her from the Nazis. All Anna wants is a first born son.. Their lack of communication leads to heartbreak on each side. War pulls them further apart.
This story is told brilliantly by the author. I felt all the emotion of Danusha's character. The author sets the scene incredibly well and the reader never lacks details. Although heartbreaking, this novel also puts the heart back together.
Sorry to say I just could not finish this one. The writing style was very disjointed and hard to read.
Just wasn’t something I wanted to pick up and try to make my way through anymore.
Thanks to Net Galley and One More Chapter for the advanced copy.