The Night Travelers is a powerful book that will have you mesmerized from the first page.

It is the multi generational story that spans decades while making you smile, cry and admire the four women for their tenacity and their strength that is passed unknowingly from generation to generation.

It is the power of a mother's love and the sacrifices that they go to save their daughters.

It is the horrific story of man's inhumanity to man during, before and after World War 2.

The rest of the journey and the story I will leave to you to read .

The Night Travelers is a book that wont soon be forgotten and will undoubtedly be a Book Club choice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada, Atria Books for a thought provoking read.

This story was beautifully written. I felt for all of these women, all related by a bond so strong and wanting to get to the truth. Very different historical novel, as it started in Berlin, Germany, to Cuba, to the United States and back to Berlin, Germany. What an extraordinary story about these women and their daughters and the truth that will hopefully set them free..
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to other books by this author.

The Night Travelers is a historical fiction novel covering 4 generations of women and their journey over 3 continents attempting to find their identities and familial history. It is a very sad book of loss ,and redemption resulting from politics and war. I highly recommend this book that had me questioning nazism, communism, race and humanity from different perspectives.

Armando Lucas Correa presents us another book set during WWII, including the ill-fated sailing of the St. Louis ship by weaving together facts and story telling through fictional characters in The Night Travelers.

Beginning in Berlin 1931, Ally gives birth to her mixed race baby daughter Lilith, amidst Hitler’s Aryan ideology. Being terribly afraid and careful, Ally makes the difficult decision to send her daughter to safety. Across an ocean, to Cuba.

While the majority of people on the St. Louis ship were denied entry in Cuba and were turned away, only to return across the Atlantic during WWII. Lilith and her family was accepted and disembarked in Cuba.

Fast forwarding to 1958. Germany becomes a distant memory for Lilith and her family forms roots on Cuban soil. Lilith has a baby girl Nadine with her beloved Martin and this stirs more than maternal instincts. Things become precarious when Martin is believed to be involved in the Cuban Revolution. Lilith does everything she can to protect Nadine.

Years later, Nadine eventually returns to Germany, working on piecing together her ancestry. Nadine and her daughter Luna make some shocking discoveries about their family history.

If you have a fond appreciation for understanding WWII and seeing it through a historical fiction lens, this is a recommended read. Not many stories cover the St. Louis sailing, Armando Lucas Correa provides a few books of this particular event, including The Night Travelers. As told through four generations, this book covers a lot of ground, time and journeys. What one would not do for the sake of their family, and their safety. I quite enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley.

This was probably the best historical fiction book that I have read dealing with Nazi Germany and its far and long reaching repercussions of that time. The book centres on one woman and her anguish of getting her 'different' daughter (product of a German woman and a black musician) out of Germany before she is disappeared. The daughter's story takes over and then her daughter's story, and ends up with the great granddaughter discovering clues and a woman, both which resolve the mystery and history of her great grandmother. Very well written, detailing many of the horrors of Nazi Germany, wonderful Cuba until the communist regime, New York, and then ending back in Germany. An excellent book. Well written.

This book could have rocked my socks off. It started off that way, and almost ended that way. But anyone that reads my reviews knows I prefer character development over plot, and the middle of this story moved so fast there was no room for character development.

Up until Nadine left Cuba, this was a solid amazing story. But we didn't get to know Nadine, nor really Luna. Because there was so little development, I couldn't tell Luna from Nadine. Nadine from a grown Lilith.

However, this focused on some very important world history and the notes from the author at the end are almost worth the whole book. It is worth reading about these periods in our history, especially against a world stage, This book would have had a much greater impact for me personally if I'd felt something more for those people and the story that really mattered to the author. Unfortunately I didn't so a book that could have been one of the best I've read this year only gets three stars. And that makes me sad.

I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover, but was kept in by the sweeping story. Historical fiction can be hit or miss for me, but I found myself getting more into the book as I read on. It's a story of loss and while it took me a few tries to get into the book, I found that it was beautifully written. The story of mothers who are trying to protect their daughters struck a chord and left me aching for more.

I'm going to be recommending this to all my friends who love historical fiction. It's well worth a read.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book through Netgalley.</i>

This is the third book I have read by this author. I found all the books (3) I have read so far have a common theme - parents making heart-breaking decisions to save a child; siblings separated by war and country; a family treasure piece/artifact or memento which later surfaces to help to bring about a later generation reunification, understanding and unraveling of the missing pieces. All of the novels are set amidst the upheavals of Nazism in Germany and the debilitating and devastating effects this historical era have wrought.
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In The Night Travellers, Correa features multi-generational women, forced through circumstances, to live in different countries. Despite the different time periods of their existence, they all are connected through shared traumas and struggles and linked directly to the first character - Ally Keller. When the reader is introduced to Ally, she is young, vivacious, beautiful, and Aryan as can be. Ally is passionately in love with a black musician. When the musician is taken away, Ally is left alone to handle a pregnancy which leads to the birth of Lilith referred to as a "Rhineland bastard" and "a mischling". Hitler's Germany does not tolerate children like Lilith; and Ally is forced to make a punishing decision. To save her daughter, she sends her away with a Jewish couple on board the Saint Louis.

Lilith happens to be one of the fortunate ones who were allowed to disembark in Cuba with her "new" parents. She forges a life in Cuba and seems to be rubbing shoulders with the who's who given that her boyfriend and later husband has direct connections to Cuba's then president - Batista. History repeats itself as Lilith is forced to make a life-changing decision for her only daughter, Nadine. Lilith's new homeland is ravaged by revolution and communism, and she loses the love of her life as he is taken away by the authorities for interrogation. Being a pilot and someone close to the Batista administration, he becomes suspect when Batista fled Cuba.

Nadine is adopted by a devoted couple and living in New York. She made a daring trip as part of the Pedro Pan Operation as a refugee landing first in Miami and then spirited away to NY.

"She had wanted for nothing. Her parents had registered her in the best school in their neighbourhood in New York; at Christmas she was given the toys she had asked for, and even a pair of skates and a bicycle...yet she always felt like a guest, someone passing through, the beneficiary of her parents' act of charity".

This idyll didn't last long when a knock at the door brought new questions about her adopted mother, Irma. Jordan Taylor is a devoted and loyal husband to Irma Taylor and didn't have to think twice about relocating to Germany pending Irma's interrogation and court hearings.

Nadine carves out a life in Germany without any attachment to Irma's problems. "The truth was, she didn't miss Irma. The woman who had raised her had vanished one day, without saying goodbye". Nadine has a forward looking attitude and is content to let the past die. She meets Anton; their love leads to the birth of Luna, her precious daughter. Unlike Nadine, Luna wants to understand her past and all of the people in her family tree. Luna is very curious about why they did what they did especially with respect to the decisions about their children.

This multi-generational saga is one of survival and loss; it spans the continents - from Germany to Cuba to New York and back to Germany and Cuba. I like the last parts of the novel when a few twists surface and all the moving parts/people are accounted for.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for this review. There are a few editing lapses which I am sure will be corrected by the time the book gets to print. I enjoy this novel as I like reading about strong women through family generations. I look forward to Correa's next book and I hope he will bring forth fresh material. Four stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa
This is an amazingly written novel of four women over the course of history, their lives starting in Germany WW 2, what a parent will do to ensure the safety of their child, how it takes having a child to understand a mother's love. Although their are historical references through out this novel, it reads very easily. I never felt as though I was getting a history lesson.
The author does an amazing does job with character introduction and description, no problem with remembering who is who and their relationship to one another.
I really felt a connection with the characters and needed to reach for Kleenex towards the end of the novel.
Overall loved this novel and would read more by this author

Some stories haunt you. The Night Travelers for me is one of those books. It begins in WW2 Germany with the story of Lillith, a 7 year old born to a white mother and a black father during the time of Hitler. We follow her she is shipped to Cuba with a Jewish family and grows up during Baptista's reign in Cuba. Again revolution hits and once again a child is shipped away to a safe haven. The characters are so real as are the descriptions of places and times. It was so easy to feel a part of a their story. The joy, the pain and the suffering are all too real. I learned about Cuba's role with refugees as well when I previously had no idea. If you are a lover of historical fiction this one is a must read. If you think you're tired of historical fiction based around world war this one is for you. And even if you don't in particular like historical fiction this is a book that will not disappoint.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read The Night Travelers.

What a sad but beautiful story of the long lived effects of war. The Night Travelers delves into so many topics. It covers war and how a person can be both a victim and a perpetrator of war depending on the perspective. Race and religion is studied and how they can be fluid in a time of war, immigration, and loss. It is mostly a story of mother's love for their children and how they will do anything to save their children.

I love how Correa paints a picture of Cuba during WWII to present day. He provides the reader with a glimpse of the country, it's diversity, and way of life. The novel has put Cuba on my never ending list of travel destinations.

Another aspect of the book I loved is the discussion of light, darkness, daytime, and night, adding subtle references throughout the story.

One minor quibble is I think the book could have delved deeper into all the topics. However, to do it effectively would probably result in a 500 plus page book.

There are many novels written about WWII and sometimes I feel oh, is this going to be another book about WWII. The Night Travelers goes beyond just being about WWII but explores the long lasting effects of the war in different countries and for generations after.good

This story is heartbreaking. A mother having to give up her child in the hopes of her having a better life only for the daughter to have to make the same choice.
This shows the heartbreak of war and the strength of a mother's love. Armando Lucas Correa's The Night Travelers is a well written story that should live on everyone's bookshelf.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Night Travelers is the best book I have read in 2022.The story line is heartbreaking but the women in this book are so strong and brave it makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation. It was absolute pleasure to read this book.

It gives me no pleasure to leave this review.

Although lacking in originality, as a concept, this novel is still very interesting. Sadly, the execution is beyond flat and disappointing. It would appear that I fell victim to yet another promise of a "sweeping" historical tale.

Ally Keller is a young German woman who at the very beginning of the novel gives birth to a daughter named Lilith. Lilith is an offspring of a German white mother and a black German father. Her birth coincides with the rise in popularity of Hitler's ideology of German purity and nationalism. In order to protect her daughter from the discriminatory policies, Ally puts a plan in motion for Lilith to leave Germany with a Jewish family. What will be Lilith's fait? From then on the novel covers decades and different continents just to come full circle to where it all begun.

Firstly, the novel hardly feels like a concise piece but rather like a series of diary entries.
Secondly, the narrative spans over decades but if it wasn’t for the chapter titles, it would be impossible to identify time or place as any substantial narrative is lacking. The passing of time as it exists feels arbitrary rather than a natural progression of events.
Lastly, if you are not familiar with the main historical events the novel is touching on, you will miss the bigger picture and the context overall.

The Night Travelers is a novel with one purpose in mind, it is to move from one plot point to another at a neck breaking pace. It doesn't try to evoke images or emotions through narration. It doesn't linger on characters in an attempt to give them color and explain their motivations. The sole purpose of the novel is to namedrop historical events and places to hide the lack of true understanding and knowledge of the historical context. There! I said it.

The dialog heavy content propels the plot forward at a fast pace. Unfortunately, the dialog itself does not render any sort of understanding of the bigger picture, or the characters' motivations which are generally reduced to a word or two. With a slim to none understanding of who the characters are, it is impossible to develop any sort of empathy, or even attachment to them. The lives of the four women on their own are truly interesting but when put all together their paths seem too far fetched.

In the review of The German Girl someone commented that the book was attempting to tackle too many issues all at once and in the end accomplished none. It would appear that here we are running into a similar problem.

Fact checker and context you will not find in The Night Travelers:
- Reparations imposed on Germany after WW1 were so harsh that the nation lived in extreme poverty, unable to feed themselves, cold in winter, helpless to protect and provide for their children. That is why Hitler's ideology that promised to bring back Germany's greatness was so successful.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Historical fiction is by far my favourite genre of book. I have read many books that were set in Germany before WW2 and I actually enjoyed this part of the book the most (besides the last part/ending).

I did not know much about the revolution in Cuba or that people sent their children (via the Catholic church) to live in the US. I found I was not really interested in Nadine at all so her story dragged for me.

Overall it was a very well researched book with a history lesson thrown in as well. I did not really love any of the characters so this book never captured my heart. Perhaps because the subject matter and storyline were very dark and sad. The ending was somewhat redeeming among all the sadness but this book was heavy for sure.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this book.