Such a good book about the effects trauma have on survivors. I loved almost every thing about it esp Nora. I will look for other books by this author. Thansk to Netgalley and the publisher!

I really wish I had read The Curious Kidnapping Of Nora W when it first came out because this is one utterly gripping story filled with marvelous characters. I coudn’t put it down and will read it again and again. This is a story for our times as we witness war and devastation around our world.
I loved the two lead characters but they are well supported by beautifuly crafted family on both sides. Dinora Wojnowski, Nora or Bubby to her friends and family, is 122 years and 147 days old when the story opens. A Polish Jew, she has survived living in a concentration camp during WWII and moved to England afterwards with her husband Henry and son Dovid. Her great granddaughter has been chosen by the family to organise a celebration to coincide with the day Nora becomes the oldest person in the world.
Meantime, Nora is incarcerated in The Cedars, a nursing home she loathes. and has convinced Arifa, her carer, to get her out of The Cedars and instead look after her in her own home. There, Nora blossoms, enjoying not just Arifa's care but also the company of Arifa's son Nasir. Arifa has also endured war. A Syrian refugee, she’s lost her husband and fled Aleppo with Nasir to make a new life in London. I loved that Nora and Arifa were such close friends, despite Nora being a Jew and Arifa being Muslim, a state of affairs that creates many conflicts throughout this story. I loved that as the story unfolded, Nora’s family slowly overame their prejudices.
The whole book is a treasure. It’s packed with lyrical writing that is evocative of both joy and horror as Nora and Arifa remember their pasts and forge a new future. Their story is heartwarming and filled with hope and I just wish that more of us could do what these two women did and see each other as people and not as a set of preconceived cultural or religious values.
The end of the story is also fascinating as author Cate Green has thought to provide insight into the meaning of the various characters’ names. Reading that author note added an extra layer of richness to what was already a marvelous book.

Sorry, but that was definitely not for me...

Terribly boring, kinda naive... Maybe the idea for this story was great. There is nothing wrong to respect the older people and that is good to highlight that. Of course, we should respect their wishes and the way they want to live their life, but at the same time... Kidnapping the older lady who over 90 to let her life her life?
No one from medical staff would agree on that, no matter who desperate the lady would be. And I believe any family woundn't agree to let her stay with a total stranger no matter how educated and caring she is.
So... I'm not buying that.

This is a lovely story about family, tragedy, and survival. It took me a little bit to get into this book because I initially didn't like some of the characters. But as I got to know them, with all of their foibles, I started to love this family. The matriarch, Nora, is soon to be the oldest person in the world. As her family prepares a large celebration, Nora moves out to live with one of her caregivers. Of course, the family is concerned. The story progresses with heart, people trying to do the right thing, and some wonderful main characters who have experienced great loss and are moving forward.

Nora is about to become the oldest person alive at 122. Her family are busy organising a party to celebrate but Nora has other ideas. Telling Noras story after getting her carer to kidnap her. I struggled to get into this story.

This book was beautifully written and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Centred on Nora, a Holocaust survivor and soon to be the oldest person in the world, we find out just how strong Nora is. Haunted by memories of the past, our characters all find themselves on journeys that will break your heart and cause you to fall in love at the same time.

A lovely inspiring read. The book takes you through Nora's memories as a holocost survivor. Her strength and resilience and the joy she now gets from life. A paced read but enjoyable.

When Nora asks her aide in the nursing home to take her out, she does. It is an interesting story about the oldest women in the world. She has lived threw the war as a Jewish woman, married, had kids, and lived through so much Now she wants to do things on her terms.

It is a story to learn from. It was very interested and not meant to be read quickly. It is meant to be absorbed. I really enjoyed this book.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W is a captivating read that makes the reader think. You really feel the struggle and emotions Nora goes through as her story slowly unfolds. A fascinating and poignant read!

"The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W" by Cate Green is a poignant and powerful novel that delves into the resilience and fortitude of a Holocaust survivor. Nora Wojnaswki, the oldest person to have ever lived and the matriarch of her family, has a buried secret from her past. When she disappears on a trip down memory lane in London's East End with her caregiver, Arifa, the truth about her wartime experiences is finally revealed.
Green's writing is touching and expressive, sincerely conveying the emotions and struggles of Nora and her family as they navigate through their shared history. Nora's character is exquisitely portrayed, highlighting her determination, courage, and resilience despite the atrocities she has suffered. The novel explores the themes of family, identity, and the potency of memory, leaving readers with an intense sense of wonder and respect for Nora's story.

Despite the hardships she has lived through, she does have money, although the amount is only mentioned as enough to live on those days. She isn't rushing toward death, but at 121 and counting, she's not in any hurry to go anywhere.

This is a story of family, and while it revolves around the woman who has lived more years than most, this is, essentially, a story of the mistakes and regrets, the memories - those of loss and horror, but also the happier ones, the ones of love.

#genernalfiction #bookrview #booktok #books #reading #bookfriends #bookworm

Many thanks to Publishers and NetGalley

This was a wonderful story and written really well. It was uplifting and inspiring.
I really liked Nora and Arifa their interactions made the story enjoyable to read.

This was a wonderful story and told with intelligence and style.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a beautiful, inspiring, moving and ultimately uplifting novel. I adored Nora and Arifa, and hugely enjoyed this lovely, touching story. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book, it was light hearted and full of love. Crossing cultures and generations gave the book an extra dimension. Whether I can believe the exploits of Nora, who is 122 years old, somehow doesn't matter.
I could say this book is gripping, as I really did want to read it through to the end. It also made me smile.
This is just the sort of book to buy someone who views old age as a negative.
It is said the main character was inspired by the author's mother and I liked that. The author also details the main character's family tree, which is helpful when there are so many generations to consider.
Well this book definitely cheered me up and will look for others by the same author.

Nora is about to become the oldest person to have ever lived and rather than sit around in her care home waiting for time to pass she asks one of her carers, Arifa to take her to the East End so she can relive her younger years.

I loved the premise of this book and loved the flashbacks where you learnt more about Nora’s harrowing history living as a jewish woman through the Holocaust.

Unfortunately the book fell flat for me with the side plot focusing on Nora’s family - I couldn’t stand any of them and think the story itself would’ve been so much better if it had just focused on Nora and Arifa, two women who had incredible stories of resilience and strength.

The Curious Kidnapping Of Nora W is the first novel by prize-winning British-born French journalist, copywriter and author, Caste Green. In early April 2018, Dinora Wojnawski is less than three weeks away from being the oldest person in the world, at 122 years and 165 days. Her great-granddaughter, Deborah Levene has been charged with organising the party, and she has the venue, the rabbi, the caterers and the entertainment all organised when Nora spits the dummy: no party, no way, bupkis

When Sylvia Wojnawski, Deb’s ever-critical mother, hears the news, she is confident she can talk her mother-in-law around, a plan that falls at the first hurdle when the family finds that Nora has signed herself out of The Cedars Care Home to live with her favourite Cedars carer, Syrian refugee Arifa Hashmi.

Considering her elderly and vulnerable, they haven’t reckoned with Nora’s strength and resilience, her tenacity and her stubbornness: no matter how much they try to reason with her, she’s determined to stay put with Arifa and her son Nasir in their Stepney flat. Not only that, but it’s very handy to where she and her late husband had their East End shop, Henry’s Fruit in Quaker Street.

Even though Arifa seems caring and deferential, Deb, her mother and her New York lawyer brother are immediately suspicious that this Middle-Eastern woman and her son are embarking on a scheme to cheat Nora out of her savings (their inheritance). Especially when young Nasif suddenly acquires a laptop computer and money starts disappearing from Nora’s bank account.

Outings to the café that now occupies Henry’s Fruit, the Synagogue, the site of the Grand Palais, the old Jewish theatre, and the Jewish Cemetery all evoke memories for Nora, some of them joyful, others painful: Nora is a Holocaust survivor, and avoids sharing those stories with her twenty-one direct descendants. But an incident at the cemetery takes everyone’s minds off the cancelled party….

Deborah and Arifa carry the main story, with Nora’s reminiscences filling in some of the backstory. Green’s characters have depth and appeal, and she gives them wise words and insightful observations, as well as snappy dialogue that includes a good helping of humour. The sprinkling of Yiddish and Syrian Arabic words and phrases throughout adds authenticity.

The parallels between the experiences of each refugee family, similarities but also differences are quickly apparent to the reader, and clearly one of the reasons that Arifa and Nora connect so well. Green says that Nora was inspired by her late mother-in-law, ad that her aim was to write a novel about survivors of war and injustice and their lives as ordinary people with an extraordinary past, something she has definitely achieved. A moving uplifting and thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter.

I think this book needed to be written. I feel like people are forgetting about the Holocaust and that will cause anti-semitism to continue growing. It was hard to read this book and evoked many emotions.
Thank you to Harper UK and Net Galley for the digital ARC. This review is based on my own feelings.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W is one of those rare books that deals with a harrowing topic yet still feels like a massive warm hug in a book.

Nora W is about to become the oldest person to ever live. Not only that but she is a Holocaust survivor. Her life is a massive middle finger to that whole regime. Her family want to celebrate but Nora has other plans. Nora wants to spend her final years living with the same gumption that got her through the horrors of her past but will her family allow her.

Nora is the kind of old person that I want to be. I want to have the power to still be so stubborn in the face of those who feel that they know best and know exactly how to get them on side.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W is such a joyous read and I thoroughly recommend it.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green is available now.

For more information regarding Cate Green (@saracategreen) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding Harper Collins (@HarperCollinsUK) please visit their Twitter page.

Holocaust survivor Nora Wojnaswki, is about to become the oldest woman in the world. She is very, very, old and she is tired. Her Jewish family want a huge fuss and fanfare when she breaks the world record for oldest person. Nora does NOT. She enlists the help of a sympathetic care worker from her assisted living facility to take her back to East London where many of her memories were formed.

Care worker Arifa Hashmi brings Nora to live in her home which she shares with her teenage son Nasir. Arifa is from Aleppo, Syria, and knows well the devastation and losses that war can inflict upon the innocent. Arifa has much empathy for Nora and she considers her a friend. Nora's family are suspicious of Arifa's intentions and would prefer it if Nora returned to the care home where she lived previously.

Nora's great grandaughter, Deborah Levene, is the one family member who visits Nora most often. She loves her 'Bubby' very much, but finds her trying at times. Deborah is resentful of Arifa's actions and more than a bit jealous of her relationship with Nora.

When a tragic accident mars one of the family's outings, Deborah Levene's world is turned upside down. What transpires after this accident was a story that will enrich those who read it.

"They say that the pain from giving birth is the worst a human can feel but it is not true. The pain of losing a child that grew inside you is sharper, longer, and has no anaesthetic."

This debut novel was filled with Jewish lore, customs, and history. There were some very poignant moments, but lots of humour as well. The book explores parental bereavement and the traumatic experiences of war refugees/immigrants. It takes a hard look at the culture shock that these people face. Also it delves into the parent/child relationship - universal in its emotions, guilt, and deep-seated love.

This novel was overflowing with well-drawn characters. My personal favourite was Arifa who endured her great losses and change of status with such grace and dignity.

It is a novel with themes of perseverance, survivor's guilt, hope, loss, and family. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading books that evoke myriad emotions and those who are interested in Jewish culture.

This was an incredible moving story that will play with your emotions as it slowly draws you in.
Beautifully & vividly written this wonderful thought provoking & uplifting story will captivate you.
The story was inspired by the author’s mother-in-law, whose physical & mental resilience, not to mention bad temper & stubbornness helped her to survive the Holocaust.
Nora Wojnaswki is a 122 years old Holocaust survivor & about to become the oldest person in the world.
She has lived a long & often harrowing life that nobody should have to go through.
Her mind is quite Sharpe as well as her tongue at times & she wants to live some of the memories she holds before it’s too late.
She enlists the help of her carer Arifa to leave the care home & go back to her roots in the east end of London.
Arifa who has a son named Nasir is dealing with her own grief but she opens up her home to Nora to help her live out her final wishes.
Unfortunately the family are not pleased & don’t trust Arifa.
They have been planning a big party for Norah & she is going to be put in the Guinness book of records if all goes to plan.
There are so many threads running this story as it moves back & fourth through time.
heartbreaking yet heartwarming this book is all about family life at its worst & best & to move forward the best way we can with all that life throws at us.
This was a touching yet funny story at times of family ties & friendships made, but most of all about understanding the needs of others.
This was an interesting well thought out story that i thoroughly enjoyed.