Another great book by Armando Correa. I love how he captures the love mothers have for their children and the sacrifices they are willing to make to keep them safe. This book made me cry (not an easy feat!) and I will be thinking about these women for a long time!

Thanks to Atria books, NetGalley and the author for the ARC (and the handwritten note!)

Have you read Armando Lucas Correa’s ‘The German Girl’ or ‘The Daughter’s Tale?’ If so, you’ll want this title that completes his loose trilogy about the survivors of the SS St. Louis.

Correa explores the lives of three women from different times and places who were united in their struggle in making difficult decisions involving family. Ally, Lilith, and Nadine are all forced to make a choice that will keep loved ones safe. For one, it's about ensuring a mixed-race child escapes trauma as WW2 looms, for another it's about keeping a child safe from the grasp of communism and the Cuban Revolution, and for the third, it’s about ensuring a mother is freed from the guilt of her past so that she can enjoy the present and the future.

Have you ever looked at the back side of a tapestry? You’ve probably noticed the chaos of threads and couldn’t imagine that a simple flick of the wrist could turn it over to reveal a beautiful piece of art. It always amazes me. This story is like that. History oozes from the pages of this incredibly rich story. I was unsure how it was all going to work out because of the author’s taut plotting. I had plenty of guesses, but Correa held onto the front side of the tapestry, so to speak, so that I couldn’t see the big picture until he came full circle with his story.

The writing style is different as it utilizes letters and poems in uniting the women’s stories. It’s emotional; the women’s choices are not easy ones to make and the circumstances in which the choice must be made are difficult experiences.

One essential ingredient was missing that would have made this a great book - emotional depth. With so much death, loss and sadness, I expected characters who dug deep to find other emotions to focus on or, at the very least, a strong response to their experiences. The writing came across as too emotionally detached. I also would have loved to have had more distinction between the characters; a unique voice or tone. Is this a personal preference or a shortcoming of writing in third person? I’m not sure. You’ll need to find out yourself!

This book will have you contemplating one of the character’s declarations, “By night, we’re all the same color,” and questioning how far society has really progressed with respect to acceptance.

I love a title that makes me think. I don’t want to be handed everything on a silver platter. There seems to be a trend of simplistic, tell-all titles out there. Congratulations!

I was gifted this copy by Atria Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is an unusual take on a WWII story. A mixed race child, and her mother, come to the attention of the Nazis. In order to save her child from sterilization, the mother sends her daughter on one of the last boats leaving Germany, with a Jewish couple who have already lost their son. The story covers several generations and basically loops around the Atlantic and back to Germany, but the interesting part is what happens to each of them and the people around them. It's not like the best novel ever, but it will keep you engaged. I enjoyed it.

Solid story covering multiple generations. It has the elements of a good story, and its well-written. Good stuff.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Another great historical fiction. I’ve been slacking on the HF reading. But this one reminded just how much this genre is my favorite.
I would recommend this to anyone even if your not a HF fan.
Also I want to thank Astria books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa is the kind of novel that packs a huge emotional punch. Spanning four generations, fifty years, and multiple countries, they author told a sweeping story of war, love, tragedy, and the ties that bind us all. Keep your tissues handy for this one!!

The Night Travelers is about 4 generations of women during war times. Two of these women had to send their daughters away in order for them to survive. In Berlin during the 1930’s, Ally Keller gave birth to a mixed race daughter she named Lilith. When the Nazis rise to power, their main objective is to create a totally Aryan society. Anyone that does not fit their profile is sterilized so the future generations meet their expectations. Since Lilith would be one that would be sterilized, With the help of friends, one being a Nazi, Lilith is given new papers and sent on a boat as the daughter of a Jewish couple that is also looking to flee the country.

Lilith grows up in Cuba. She meets and marries a Cuban pilot named Martin and they have a daughter they name Nadine. Castro comes into power, Martin is killed, and Lilith fears for her daughter’s life under the Communist regime. She enlists the nuns to help her get Nadine out of Cuba. They find an American family to adopt her and she is sent to them and grows up in New York. Nadine goes back to Berlin to university and to find her heritage.

Nadine meets, marries, and has a daughter of her own she names Luna. Luna wishes to become a writer like her great grandmother Ally and delves through all information she can find on her family. She wishes for her mother to face her fears and to confront her past. She helps Nadine do this by bringing her back to Cuba.

The book is filled with history. I enjoyed the way Armando Lucas Correa gave you insight a little at a time into the past of these women and I liked the way he brought it all together, However, It was a little slow and did drag on a bit and to me the ending left me hanging.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this pre release in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Net Galley and Atria for this arc to read.

Very well written well researched multiple generation story of strong women. Good engaging read but does not put you in the best of moods. Very heavy read.

I am of two minds on this.

First, this is a well-written, well researched book. The fear in Nazi Germany and the volatility and uncertainty in a Cuba on the brink of revolution are palpable. The timeline jumps back and forth on a few occasions, but for the most part is linear. The characters are nicely drawn, and the story is intriguing.

However, this is not a happy or hopeful book. There is a lot of despair, a lot of hard choices, a lot of death. Rating it based on how I felt is different than on rating it on quality. It's like asking me if I liked watching the movie "Schindler's List".

Not family friendly due to adult themes.

"The Night Travelers" is a multi-generational story that follows 3 women who live in separate periods and places in time, but share in their traumas and struggles. Told from a third person perspective, we begin with Ally Keller's story - she's forced to raise her young daughter Lilith alone in Berlin, and on the cusp of World War II, must deal with the fact that her mixed race child isn't accepted in society. When the danger becomes too great, she sends Lilith with trusted friends to Havana, Cuba, in hopes that she will simply be seen as a Jew fleeing for safety.

Years later, Lilith grows up in Cuba in the midst of a difficult political climate leading up to the Cuban Revolution. Her childhood sweetheart Martin can't escape his loyalties to the dated Batista government, and after Fidel Castro's successful coup, she's also forced to give birth to her daughter Nadine, alone. Nadine is sent to New York City to live what he hopes is a healthier and safer life, but as an adult, Nadine returns to Berlin to continue her work as a scientist and oversee the eventual final home of the victims of the Holocaust. Her own daughter, Luna, forces her to confront her own past and the stories of her own family.

There was a lot that I wanted to love about this book; Correa clearly did some extensive research into these historical periods and events, and I appreciated how he highlighted the treatment of those who were not of Anglo-Saxon descent within Germany in the period of time before World War II as well as the affects of the Cuban Revolution. He's painted compelling stories of these different women who were forced to make difficult and near-impossible decisions for their daughters, and the way historical and political events shaped their lives. It's not a happy story, but it's an accurate one.

What I struggled with, however, was the writing. The tone and voice, even across all three women, was completely monotonous and flat. Even during moments of extreme emotional depth and loss, the writing glossed over the impact and focused more on just the events that unfolded. I found it difficult to personally connect with any of the women because of this, and had difficulty getting through the pages even though the storyline itself was compelling. All in all, I found this novel to have a strong storyline that was unfortunately muddled by surface-level writing.

This book is a wonderful testament to women and the love for their children. Four generations of women experience love and loss as they sacrifice their own livelihoods so their children can have peace and a better life. The story is set in Germany during WWII, Cuba, the United States and Berlin as the women experience hardships, have children and have to make very difficult decisions about how to keep their daughters safe. This is a very intense historical fiction book that I sometimes had a hard time getting through. There are 3 Acts within the book and sometimes the chapters within those Acts skip ahead by many years. I often wished I could learn more about those years although the author did a sort of recap when the chapters timeline skipped ahead many years.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Night Travelers.

I'm grateful I was given the opportunity to read The Night Travelers but it wasn't for me.

This is my fault; I liked the premise but thought there would be more intrigue and suspense.

Instead, this is a multigenerational tale about four generations of women who experience love, loss, war, and hope from the rise of Nazism to the Cuban Revolution.

It's about family, love, loss, war, sorrow, and all the stuff in between.

I'm not a fan of war themed novels; I dislike politics, discussing politics, and politicians.

The writing was great, as was the character development. I also enjoyed the historical context and the real world events the author placed his characters in. There was much I didn't know about, especially about the conflicts in Cuba.

But, I had a hard time caring about the characters and what was happening.

This was just a case of the reader not being the right audience for the book.

I'm confident there will be many readers who will enjoy The Night Travelers very much.

From WW!! Berlin to Cuba in the 1950s and back to modern day Berlin, this amazing novel shares the loves, losses, and trials of four women. From Ally to her daughter Lilith to her grand-daughter Nadine to her great-granddaughter Luna, you learn of a mother's undying love for her child and the sacrifices she is willing to make to keep that child safe. It is beautifully told and while so sad in some places, it is ultimately an uplifting story of human triumph.

I seem to be the exception when it comes to this book as I’ve only seen good reviews so far but this book just missed the mark for me.

The Night Travelers was a good generational historical fiction novel. The darker side of the genre, which is a often characterized by happy moments set against a backdrop of devastating times, seems to have been misinterpreted in this work. What I hoped would be a hard-hitting, emotional rollercoaster ended up being an endless barrage of deaths which, along with cheapening the plot, left me feeling hopeless. Although I appreciated the poignant conclusion when all of the loose ends were tied up, I found that it, along with the character development, was not enough to redeem the book. If you are more passionate about historical fiction and enjoy very sad books, this may be your cup of tea but for now I’m going to stick to coffee.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis doesn’t do this book justice. It is one of the most intense books I’ve read. Just imagining the horror these women experienced as their world turned deadly. It certainly made me think a out the pain and suffering brought on my murderous men.

I would have given five stars except some parts of the story seem factual, but are proven in the end not to be. It seemed to be intentional deception to raise the tension level. Still absolutely worth the read.

Woah! Talk about a heart wrenching read! This is the most remarkable historical fiction novel I have ever read.
The first chapter gripped me and I found myself clenched throughout the entire story.
Correa's beautifully written and detailed writing had me compelled throughout which had me hanging onto her every word.
I found this book extremely moving and touching. The setting was very detailed and I could picture everything so vividly. The Night Travelers was incredibly well told, a stunning book and I enjoyed it immensely
Heartbreaking, but an amazing, beautiful read. Very highly recommended.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Atria Books,
Thank you for your generosity and gifting a copy of this approved eARC!

I want to thank Atria Books and marketing manager Katelyn Phillips and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa.
“By night, we”re all the same color, she said to herself.”
The book covers 4 generations of women in 3 acts. Historically inspired by the ship, the St Lous, and its journey from Hamburg Germany with mainly Jewish refugees to asylum in Cuba. They were turned away from Cuba, the United States and Canada before returning to Germany where most of them were sent to concentration camps and their deaths.
Preserved letters, poems and stories connect these women in these terrible years and what ultimately brings them together.
The Night Travelers is very emotional. It lets you see how truly horrible the years under Hitler in Germany and Castro in Cuba were.
I would recommend it to anyone who wants a more in depth view of that time.
Publication date is January 10,2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am giving an honest opinion.
The NIght Travelers is the first book by Armando Lucas Correa that I have read. He made a splash with The German Girl. The two books overlap only in that both involve the ship St Louis that left Germany to take Jews to other parts of the world to save them from Hitler. The ship was rejected at every port, including the US, and was sent back to Germany where all the Jews were sent to concentration camps.

In this book, a mixed-race child of seven, Lilith, is saved by her white WASP mother, a poet named Ally, by pretending the daughter is Jewish. Lilith escaped on the St. Louis with a Jewish couple, neighbors of Ally's. Both the couple and the child are three of twenty-seven people allowed off the boat in Cuba. This book tells the story of four generations of women, starting with Ally and then moving to Lilith who carries a poem that her mother wrote called The Night Traveler. She grows up in Havana not remembering much of her previous life in Germany. When Castro takes over the country, she has to send her own daughter, in much the same way, to the US to escape being imprisoned for being Batista sympathizers. This daughter, raised by emotionally distant "parents" ends up back in Germany when her 'new mother' is accused of being a Hitler official. And we now follow her story of growing up German, marrying and having a daughter, Luna, who wants to revive the memory of her great-grandmother the Poet. In doing so, she uncovers the betrayal that set all these stories in motion.

I really enjoyed this book. Correa has a poetic way of writing pulling the reader into the drama of these women's lives. You care about them and feel the horror of the times they lived in. I personally liked Ally's and Lillith's stories far better than the other two. I think the times of these two women are so much better known. But in the end that didn't really matter. As the book came full circle and Ally comes back to life, there is a satisfaction of a story well told.

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa is a great multi-generational historical fiction that spans several decades to give a great and unforgettable story.

Multiple storyline/plot novels can be tricky to pull off. Can it be memorable and entertaining, yet not become to overwhelming or drawn out? I feel the author does a good job at balancing these elements.

This novel spans four generations of women within a family, from the beginnings of WWII to the late 1980s/1990s. We get to see how one moment in time with one decision can then have the butterfly effectfor generations to come. We see the decisions made within the family and also made due to extraordinary external circumstances (such are those examples of revolutions, war, traumas) and how each person responds to those differently.

The author adds elements of historical details, mystery, and suspense to the novel to give it complexity and to keep the narrative flowing for the reader to want…to need…to continue to find the resolution or the ending and it was great to be able to reflect on these themes after completion.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Atria Books for this wonderful 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, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/10/23.