Holocaust survivor Nora Wojnawski (known as Bubby to her family) is about to become the oldest person ever. Her family intend to celebrate the huge milestone with a glitzy party, but Nora herself has other ideas. When she leaves her care home in the company of carer Arifa, her family are determined to return her to the home and have the celebrations they have planned. Will Nora accept their wishes, or will she have the trip down memory lane she wishes?

A beautiful story, with lots of revelations and flashbacks. The author shows how families have lots to learn from their elders, and what you see isn't always what you get. Well written, and very emotive.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W is a fictional story that makes you consider aging from an older person’s perspective, how Nora has lost her independence, her beloved husband...,all she has left is her memories, and her remaining family want her to break a Guinness World Record and it's something she doesn't give two hoots about! Cate Green’s debut novel brings up many emotions: survivors guilt, keeping a child's death a secret, and getting revenge, all of which Nora has and has done by living so long. This is an outstanding debut! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

P.S. I have known many Holocaust survivors and their families. The emotions of the past, along with the guilt of surviving have made for many a difficult life...not only for the survivors but for their children as well. It's sad and you have to wonder how their lives go on as the past is always there to haunt them.

WW2, memories, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-figures, historical-research, history-and-culture, cultural-exploration, cultural-differences, cultural-heritage, Europe, centenarian, emigree, empathic, survivors, war-experiences, wartime, family-history, family-dynamics, friendship, frustration, refugees, care-center, caretaker, Holocaust, Jews, Jewish, Moslem****

History wrapped in fiction.
An inspired story of one Jewish woman who managed to survive the horrors of a war and years of aftermath while being cared for as a very old woman by other women who are survivors of current wars and forced to flee their homes. It is a story of perseverance through horrible times, unsettled times, loving times, and through the trials of extreme old age so to triumph over oppressors by becoming the oldest of all on her own terms. A fascinating read.
I requested and received an EARC from HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was definitely a lovely uplifting story of survival, friendship and who people deal with tragedy and loss. I love the strength and courage of Holocaust survivor Nora Wojnaswki and she really did make this story worth reading.

There are moments of humour, and lots of family memories, stories of the past and of course there has to be a long held secret to be revealed. The author has written a story that will touch you at the head and the heart and it keeps you thinking long after you have finished reading.

A wonderful read that was inspired by the authors family which brings a realness to the book. It is history, humour, compassion, family and friendship all in one great read.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I have found it to be very good. I enjoyed the character, Nora. She is very entertaining and so believable as an older generation, Jewish mother. The story is very well written and through the use of memories explores the issues of war, imprisonment and deportation very well. I like that the Yiddish language is used to express Nora, particularly when she is disagreeing with her family as they prepare for her birthday celebration.
Arifa, her Syrian carer is just as I imagine a refugee in this country would behave. Her teenage son is also as would be expected for a boy who has lost close family and is moved to an alien country.
Nora's grandson and great granddaughter also felt very authentic.
I can recommend this book to all readers, particularly those who like fiction based on true experiences.

This clever story entwines and mirrors the experiences of two incredible women who have suffered wartime atrocities and lost loved ones before migrating to England in search of a new start.

Nora is a survivor of Auschwitz about to celebrate becoming the oldest person in the world, and Arifa is the Syrian carer who takes her from her care home in order to help Nora find the root of her memories.

Fabulously vivid characters and poignant story telling that is both heart-wrenching and comedic in places, this book invites us to think about what family means and how the past can and should inform our present.

Nora and her carer Arifa have taken off in order to avoid Nora's 122nd birthday party. Deborah, her granddaughter narrates but she's not the star of this tale of two women who have survived incredible privation and war. Nora is a Holocaust survivor and Arifa is Syrian. Both of them have lessons for all of us. it's an emotional family saga with good characters that surfs on the storytelling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green is a heart warming and emotional debut about war, loss and the importance of family, both blood and found. While the author touches on some very heavy topics, the over all feeling of the book is one of hope and resilience and reading it is an uplifting experience and one I would highly recommend.
The story is told from three points of view, Nora. Deborah and Arifa. Nora, the titular character, is just eighteen days away from becoming the oldest person who has ever lived when the book opens. Obviously a life that long is filled with many experiences, but undoubtedly it is her time in a Nazi concentration camp that has had the most profound impact on her life. Born in Poland, after the war and along with her husband and son, she moved to London where she worked in the family shop, eventually becoming the matriarch of a large family who are determined to help her celebrate her upcoming record in style, even if it has to be in Cedars Care Home where Nora now resides, along with her ninety year old son Daniel. . The chief organiser of the party is Deborah, Nora's great grand daughter , and she is determined to throw the best party possible , but her plans are thrown into disarray when Nora signs herself out of her care home and instead returns to the East End to stay in the home of Arifa. Arifa cared for Nora in CedarCare, but was a doctor in her native Syria, a country she was forced to flee with her teenage son Nasir following the outbreak of war. Now living in London's east end, she takes Nora home with her for a trip down memory lane. Naturally this causes consternation among Nora's family who knew nothing about the plan, but when a tragic accident throws the future of Deborah's family into doubt, the three women find the parallels in their experiences that will unite them and weave together their individual stories.
This is a very emotional book and the author draws parallels between Nora's experiences during and after the second world war with those of Arifa who has survived a much more recent conflict., and is now experiencing life as a refugee in an unfamiliar country just as Nora did decades before. Despite the differences in their cultures and religions , the two women shared many similarities and I found myself strongly rooting for both of them. I thought the author did an excellent job of portraying how the trauma of war can persist and even pass through the generations , and the strength and determination it takes to survive even when it seems that all hope is lost. I found there was a lot of humour in the storytelling , and I thought that the author was exceptionally good at capturing the essence of time and place, which was particularly evident in Nora's flashback chapters. If anyone thinks a book about an elderly woman could be boring, then they definitely need Nora W in their life.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

The book starts off with the planning of a celebration for the oldest person who ever lived, Nora. All of the complications of family expectations along with a very opinionated centenarian make for a delightful, light premise. Nora's wit and personality are nowhere near her chronological age. But then the story line takes an abrupt, dark, scary turn, touching everyone, bringing out their privately held biases. The twists and turns in this book will hold your attention and keep your rooting for Nora.

Nora Wojnaswki is the head of the family and a Holocaust survivor. She is also the oldest person in the world.
She decides to have one last trip down memory lane to the East End with her carer.
Can she solve the wartime mystery that has remained unsolved for 70 years?

The Curious Kidnapping Of Nora W by Cate Green is a marvellous novel that drew me in from the start.
It is a book about survival as Nora is just eighteen days away from being the world’s oldest women at 122 years and 165 days in 2018 as the novel opens. Nora is a survivor. She was born in Lodz into a Jewish family. She survived the Nazi occupation. She has known love, pain and hard work. She wants to celebrate her special day in her unique way and not be bamboozled into an organized party.
This is a story about a mother’s love. We see the unique mother-daughter bond between several characters, and we witness the huge pain of loss.
Generations separate Nora and her carer but they are united by their shared experiences of war, love and loss.
The book is uniquely set out as the chapters are an eighteen day countdown. Within each chapter there are events of now and also memories from the past. The chapters show alternating points of view.
All the characters were realistic and well drawn. They interact with each other in varying ways, bringing out the best and the worst in each other as personalities either clash or blend.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book which was a fascinating tale, uniquely presented.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful debut that deals with history, trauma, survival, race and memory. Holocaust survivor Nora is about to become the oldest person in the world as she reaches 122. As her family is busy planning a party to celebrate the milestone and her entering the Guinness Book of records, at 18 days to go Nora absconds her care home to go and live with one of the carers there, Arifa, also a survivor of the Syrian conflict. The story is told from three perspectives - Arifa, Nora, and her great granddaughter Deborah = and is deceptively simple. But actually what Cate Green has done is incredibly clever - she has structured a narrative that tells of history but doesn't dwell or preach - instead creating two strong characters in Nora and Arifa living in the present with their memories serving as touch points to explain their choices throughout. While inspired by the authors Holocaust survivor mother in law, this is not a book about the Holocaust (although the references to it are there but told with a beautiful touch - especially when Nora is talking to her five year old great great granddaughter who needs her help when ill). It's a touching and thoughtful novel with injections of humour, strong characterisation of all the different personalities at play and a great sense of place. Highly recommend.

A story about strength, secrets and resiliency. It begins with a woman close to becoming the oldest person on earth and her great granddaughter who is tasked with hosting a party to celebrate it.

But Nora has other ideas as she checks herself out of the assisted living facility and into her carer’s (Syrian Refugee Arifa) house.

What happens next are the stories that are shared by these women and all they went throughout their wars. That shared pieces are what connect them together.

I read it quite quickly. It read well but something felt a little like I was missing a piece of the story.
Either way, it was a unique voice (s) and idea to leave a reader with a thought provoking read.

3.75 stars ⭐️ from me! I will 💯 pick up another story from this author

I’m really sorry but I have been unable to finish this book. There is nothing wrong with the writing or the subject matter but it just failed to grab my attention. It’s rare that I DNF particularly with books I have chosen to review but after 100 pages I found myself making excuses for not reading so gave up.

Took me a while to get into the book. I did really like Nora. Her family would have driven me up the wall. An eclectic bunch as most families are. The sadness of the war, the Holocaust, secrets kept (you wonder why really, why cause more pain?) A poignant , engaging story
Just one thing- my German is reasonable but it might annoy those who have to translate

Excellent and emotional read.

I loved the characters and the way the story was told. The book touches on stories of friendships and family histories and the backdrop makes this quite difficult to read.

Really enjoyable book.

3.75 (rounded up to 4) - I can confidently say that I have never read a book that has had a character aged 122. Upon hearing this, I was immediately drawn to the plot.

In a matter of weeks, Nora will become the oldest documented living person. Her family wants to throw her a party, but this doesn’t come without a list of demands. Meanwhile, Nora decides to leave the nursing home to live with her caretaker Arifa. Though from different times and wars, there is a kinship with the fellow refugee.

I liked a lot about this book. It’s a unique plot with wonderful characters. Most importantly, it relays an important message. However, I also struggled with the writing style. The paragraphs had a tendency to trail off without completely finishing the initial thought. This was fairly consistent and made the narration difficult to follow. Nevertheless, the plot and characters do hold their own, making this a worthwhile read.

A huge thanks to HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter for inviting me to read and review the digital ARC through NetGalley!

Nora Wojnaswki is only days away from becoming the oldest women in the world, her family have planned a party for her and they made the mistake of not asking Bubby what she wanted! Her great granddaughter Debs Levene has been busy organizing the celebration, booking caterers, inviting guests, some are traveling from overseas and asking Nora's Rabbi to attend.

Nora isn’t your average old lady, her body might be failing and she knows what she wants. Nora gets a family member to sign a form letting her leave the nursing home, she goes to live with one of her caretakers Arifa Hashmi and her son Nasir. Nora likes Arifa, her hands are gentle, she takes her time and she tries to beat her playing cards. Of course Nora’s family are horrified, how can a fail old lady leave a nursing home and move in with two people they don’t know and trust?

I received a copy of The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The fictional story makes you consider aging from an older person’s point of view, how Nora has lost her independence, her beloved husband, all she has left is the memories, her remaining family want her to break a Guinness World Record and it's something she doesn't give two hoots about.

A story about two mothers having one thing in common, how ordinary women get caught up in a war and they both lost a child during this time and a half of their heart went with them. Cate Green’s debut novel brings up topics such as survivors guilt, keeping their child's death a secret, getting revenge and Bubby has done this by living so long. Unfortunately innocent children are still being killed in wars, some leaders never learn from history and mistakes of the past and three and a half stars from me.

On the cusp of breaking the world record for oldest living person in the world, Nora Wojnaswki decides she’s had enough. Enough of the big to do her family is insisting upon to celebrate her milestone, enough of the assisted living facility she lives in and enough keeping the past buried so deep that it consumes her. She escapes the facility and moves in with her caretaker, Arifa…a woman who has also suffered the same great losses in her life just many, many years after Nora did.

With her family determined to make sense of her sudden move and changes, she begins to retrace her steps from arriving in London just after WWII and tells her life story.

I wanted to like this story more than I actually did. I felt several of the characters where difficult to like and for that, wanted to finish it quickly. Then I just focused on. Nora and all that she had been through in her 122+ years, from living in a ghetto to being sent to a concentration camp and having her young daughter torn away from her to making a new life for herself and her family in England…this is a story of strength. She needed her family see past the surface and superficial and remember what is really important. Family bonds and love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and Cate Green for an early copy in exchange for my review.

A woman is about to break the record of living to the ripe old age of 122, and her family is planning a party. The woman does not want a party. Her carer takes her from the facility where she resides. This is a strange story.