“The Boy with the Star Tattoo" by Talia Carner is an epic historical novel that weaves together tales of ingenuity, courage, love, and loss against the backdrop of postwar France and the daring escape of Israeli boats from Cherbourg in 1969. The narrative spans three timelines – 1942, 1946, and 1969 – creating a complex and compelling story that demands concentration from the reader.

The story begins in 1942, as the Vichy government intensifies its hunt for Jews in France. Claudette Pelletier, a talented seamstress, falls in love with a Jewish man who seeks refuge in the château where she works. Their whirlwind romance leaves her pregnant and facing a heartbreaking choice when the Nazis invade. Forced to flee to Spain, Claudette leaves her baby in the care of a nursemaid, only to find him missing upon her return.

In 1968, Israeli naval officer Daniel Yarden recruits Sharon Bloomenthal for a secret operation in Cherbourg. Sharon, grieving her fiancé's recent loss in a submarine accident, becomes curious about Danny's past and embarks on a journey to unravel the mysteries surrounding her boss.

The novel explores Claudette's struggle to find her missing child, the post-war efforts of Youth Aliyah to rescue Jewish orphans, and the complex operation in Cherbourg.

The triple timeline adds intricacy to the narrative, requiring readers to piece together the threads of the story. While Sharon is determined to uncover Danny's origins, he remains focused on his mission, creating tension between the characters. The novel touches upon real historical subjects, including Youth Aliyah, the disappearance of the submarine INS Dakar in 1968, and Israel's plans to acquire boats from France.

Talia Carner's meticulous research is evident, shedding light on lesser-known aspects of history. The book delves into the challenges faced by Jewish children in post-war France and the difficulties in reuniting families. The story captures the resilience and heartache of those affected, making it a poignant and thought-provoking read.

Overall, "The Boy with the Star Tattoo" receives five stars for its intricate storytelling, well-researched historical context, and the exploration of post-war challenges faced by Jewish families. Fans of complex historical fiction will find this novel to be a compelling and informative read.

I received an advance copy of the book. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Boy with the Star Tattoo follows three story lines: a disable young Frenchwoman who finds unlikely love during WWII and is then desperate to keep her baby safe, an Israeli operative searching for Jewish war orphans in post France and a young Israeli woman, grieving her lost love, who is recruited for a clandestine mission on which her country’s future depends on

What I enjoyed about the Boy with the Star Tattoo was how well researched it was and how the way that it depicted the struggles of grief and cultural identity. Grief and identity are at the center of the struggles of the main characters and a major question that Boy with the Star Tattoo answers is how do we continuing living when we have lost so much

What I didn’t enjoy was how dry the book could be. The reader is told the stakes are high but we don’t feel it, which took away from my enjoyment of the book. I also felt that the author didn’t always do a thorough job of making the characters 3 dimensional and their connections to one another, in particular the romantic ones, weren’t well fleshed out

I hate to give this such a low rating, especially since this book seems to be getting review bombed by people who haven't even read it, but the writing here simply didn't draw me in. I wanted more historical context; I was lost for quite a large portion of this book. The jumps back and forth in time didn't help with that, either. The writing style felt incredibly distant and impersonal; I struggled to differentiate the characters because I didn't really get much of a sense of who they were. Some events, especially those surrounding Claudette (who was the most interesting character for me), were told so brusquely and impersonally that I felt almost a sense of whiplash. I think the bones of the story were great. There was so much potential here. I just really struggled with the writing style. I sincerely hope other readers find much here to enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

DNF at 21%. I really wanted to love this one because the plot is fascinating, but I just couldn't get into it. I was forcing myself to read. I don't know if it's the writing, if it's historical fiction being hit or miss for me, or what specifically. But I just don't want to pick this one up to keep going.

In The Boy With the Star Tattoo, author Talia Carner tells the interwoven stories of three people: (1) Claudette, who falls in love with a Jewish man she is hiding, gives birth to his son, and then loses that baby when she has to flee from the Nazis, (2) Uzi, a Youth Aliyah agent searching for Jewish children in the aftermath of the Holocaust, and (3) Sharon, ex-IDF, who has been brought in, ultimately, to help with the breakout of the boats of Cherbourg in the late 1960s. The author links all of these events, which take place within thirty years of each other.

I was drawn to some parts of this story more than others. I felt that the sections connected to Claudette and Uzi were the most compelling. I appreciated that the author was really focusing not on telling another Holocaust story, but to look at what happened in its aftermath on a personal level. Sharon’s scenes were less of interest to me for several reasons. While I did become interested in Sharon’s personal quest to discover what happened to the family of the boy with the star tattoo—since it linked to the other two stories directly—the story of the boats of Cherbourg was more of a slog to get through. There were so many characters to track and lot of technical terms to keep up with.

I do think the reader needs to keep in mind that this is a story told from one historical perspective, especially regarding Sharon’s late ‘60s scenes. It would be interesting to read about clandestine immigration, the boats of Cherbourg, and the subsequent Yom Kippur/Ramadan/October War (which is not featured in the text, but where the boats later come into play) from another source.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on January 30.

What an incredibly powerful story! It saddens me that people have written this book off due to what is happening in the world right now, because this is a book that everyone should read. So many books that use the Holocaust as their subject matter for historical fiction books are not written by Jews or find ways to romanticize the horrors that happened, and Carner as a New should have people reading this book. I learned a lot from this book and I highly recommend picking this one up.

I am wiping my tears as I finish this most important novel, particularly in light of current events. The author gifts us a story based on events post-Holocaust, in which the Youth Aliyah movement tries to recover some of the Jewish children hidden in monasteries and homes, to bring them to Palestine. The story also tells the edge of the seat narrative of the Boats of Cherbourg operation, in which five ships essential to Israel’s defense must defy the French embargo. The characters will imprint on your heart; Claudette, the disabled mother who must leave her son or lose her life, Sharon, the daughter a Holocaust survivor who becomes an Israelite fighter, and Daniel, the man adopted by Yaniv Arden knowing nothing of his past. This book is a must read, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Boy with the Star Tattoo was a historical fiction novel told in three different POVs by three women. I enjoyed that the timelines were close together. Carner has written two novels that I adored and this one started as that as well. Midway through the book I felt like she was overwriting (if that's a thing?). There were too many subplots that the book became jumbled as I was reading. I hate writing that but it's my genuine feelings. 3.5 for this one.

In 1942 the Vichy government is hunting for Jews, invalids and partisans throughout France. Claudette is a talented young seamstress living and working at the estate of a kind Duchess. One day as the Nazis get closer to the chateau a Jewish father and son are begging at the back entrance. Freezing and malnourished Claudette does whatever she can to help. She feels an immediate connection to the son and falls deeply in love knowing they can only stay a few days without being discovered. It is not long before she realizes she is pregnant and may never see Rafael again. When the town is finally invaded Claudette is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever. Sharon is grieving in Israel. Her fiancé is presumed dead as the submarine he manned in the Israeli navy has disappeared. It is 1968 and at 20 years old, Sharon is too young to spend her days as a grieving widow. With her many language skills Sharon is offered an opportunity to be part of an operation in France. Raised by her grandparents, she is encouraged to accept and leave Israel for the first time. In France she works beside Daniel Yardin, a handsome naval officer who trusts Sharon with top secret missions. Learning to rely on her instincts Sharon excels at her job while also discovering clues to a past that was buried long ago. Narrated between two very different times, it is only twenty years after the Holocaust that these once tortured victims have become resilient and resourceful Israelis that will do anything to protect the future of their people.

I felt this was an interesting book that had alternating timelines and events that tied well together in the end.

There were several interesting historical events in this book. It touched on the Youth Aliyah, the sinking of the Dakar, and the Sa'ar boats built in France. The settings and descriptions were vividly rendered. I had trouble connecting with some of the characters, though.

At times, Claudette's storyline struck me as farfetched. Also, she seemed almost childlike to me. I found Sharon's story more interesting, but I couldn't understand why she didn't tell Danny upfront what she wanted to know and why. Also, I was uncomfortable with her digging around in someone else's private life, especially after they had already asked for her to stop. Of the three characters who had a featured point of view, Uzi was seen the least, but he had the most character growth. I also found it interesting to read about his assignment and its many challenges.

Thank you to BookClubGirls and NetGalley for the early read.

I wish I could get everyone to read this book. This story had touched me deeply. The Boy with the Star Tattoo is a very emotional story. It gives so much insight into the happenings during World War 2 and the years afterward. To really get everything you can from the book, I highly recommend reading the Postscript, Author's Note and Acknowledgements.

You can read many historical fiction books that illustrate the horrors of the war. What I found interesting about this story was the details illustrating the prejudice against the innocent Jewish children. The innocents of the war were treated with such distain. No matter the circumstances, they were not treated well by so many. You might want to grab some tissues. I know I needed them.

The story doesn't end with the surrender of Germany. Travel along with Uzi as he tries to locate Jewish children that have gotten lost in red tape, adopted by Christians or treated as less than. The goal is to take them to Israel. His job was a very challenging, not without risk. He has to struggle through bureaucratic red tape but the many different groups that think they know better.

One of the children Uzi saved had a star tattoo on the bottom of his foot. The child had been passed around among those that weren't his family and was living in squalor when he was found. Uzi becomes attached but he was too young to be smuggled into Israel. The rescue of the boy connects timelines within the story.

World War 2 did not end the Jewish peoples struggles. In 1969, Israel is acquiring ships from France. The hatred from the past will influence the production and sale of the boats. One of the men in charge has a star tattoo on his foot. The reader learns of the the man's past since coming to Israel.

That isn't enough for Sharon, the woman he recruits to help with the mission. Her journey to find his past takes the reader back to the war, to his conception and what his mother did to save him. All these years he thought his mother was dead. Sharon takes the reader deep into France to find the truth.

There was so much to learn from this book. I spent hours on Google gaining more knowledge about the history of the Jewish people. They say hindsight is 20-20. We need to make sure we look at the past and avoid repeating it. I didn't realize that the Jewish people were kept from their own country and parts of their country were given away. Shame on us for not rectifying our mistakes.

The Boy with the Star Tattoo is a historical fiction novel told from multiple perspectives, while also spanning multiple timelines. In 1942, Claudette Pelletier is a young woman living in France, working as a seamstress while also living in fear of the Nazis due to her own physical disability. She falls in love with a young Jewish man who temporarily hides in the Chateau she works in and gives birth to a son out of wedlock. In 1946, Uzi Yarden is a young man from the new state of Israel with the Youth Aliyah, searching the French countryside for Jewish orphans who can be taken back to Israel. In 1969, Sharon Blumenthal is a young woman working in Israeli intelligence after losing her fiancé in a tragic submarine incident. She is enlisted to help with a covert operation for Israel in France under Daniel Yarden, the adopted son of Uzi Yarden. Sharon's mother Judith worked with the Youth Aliyah as well before her untimely death when Sharon was only 6 weeks old, and she takes the work in France in order to research her mother's life, but ends up becoming fascinated with Danny's past, determined to reunite him with his parents, if they are still alive while they are in France.

Eash timeline has its own distinct voice and were easily discernible from each other. The writing is clearly well done, and well researched, and I enjoyed the opportunity to read more about an aspect of history that I was unfamiliar with, this is certainly a book that would appeal to other lovers of historical fiction. There were times when I felt the book was too meandering and somewhat repetitive, but the ending was satisfying and neatly wrapped up the experience.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

A really gripping storyline; could not put it down. The writing is, at best, competent, but the storytelling really drew me in. I had not been familiar with either of the historical events that drive the plot (boats of Cherbourg and the search for Jewish orphans post holocaust) and they were, in themeselves, worthy of the read. Other takeaways include insights on the Israeli mindsets, customs, and internal conflicts. A good read for today's times.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review . This is a very good historical novel that begins in 1940 in France and ends in 1969 in Israel. Much of the novel is based on real people and real events. The story centers around Sharon, an Israeli, whose fiancé died in a horrific submarine disaster in 1969 and Claudette, in 1940 in France, who fell in love with a Jew trying to escape from the Nazi’s. I learned about the boats of Cherbourg. In 1969, the boats were commissioned and paid for by Israel. They were built in Normandy in a private shipyard . The book also talked about Hadassah’s “Youth Aliyah” program which rescued Jewish children before , during and after the Holocaust . I enjoyed the story and the many characters, however, it was a little confusing with so many people and alternating between countries and years.

In the passing of five decades, was how all of these events-the Holocaust in Europe, the clandestine immigration to Palestine, and the escape of the Boats of Cherbourg, were interwoven and how close, timewise, they had been. In the spectrum of human history, and even in the shorter arc of the Jews' exile for two thousand years from their homeland, these three events occurred in the span of less than thirty years. Only in the blink of an eye. And then I read the inscription at the museum entrance and the significance of history came rushing in, like a tidal wave: Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen Psalm 77:19

Even on land, history's footprints can disappear just as quickly as if they were marked on water.

Talia Carner brings history to life of what most of the population does not know. Looking at this novel thru the lens of a Christian, strengthens my faith even more. God's hand is still on the people of Israel and with that he reveals that He is sovereign. The narration is done in two significant time periods of the Jewish nation. The holocaust and in 1968 when many Arab nations went against the nation of Israel. God tells his people in the Old testament and New that the Jewish people will be scattered and in one day be brought back to the promised land as a nation. The main focus is bringing the Jewish children that escaped Nazi terrorism back to Israel to be raised as Jewish. Many were so young that they did not know of their heritage and the Catholic church was set on making Christians.

It is the story of a little boy during the chaos of World War II. A catholic mother and a Jewish father. The mother in her fear of losing her child at a young age had the star of David tattooed on the bottom of his foot so she could identify him if he was taken from her. During this time she was waiting the babies father to come back to her. Her story and what happened to her child is heartbreaking and shows the determination of love. In 1968 Sharon a young Jewish woman lost her fiance in a military action. It left her with no answers but a determination that Israel must survive. She is hired by Danny a Naval Captan from Israel on a secret mission. Sharon not knowing her own mother is intrigued by Danny and the tattoo on his foot.

I loved how the story progressed. Knowing Danny's mother and her pain to Danny not wanting to know his past and why. Of course this leads to a conflict between the two but also a deep connection. I was totally into this and highly recommend for historical fiction fans.

A special thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for the aRC and the opportunity to post an honest review

dual-time-frames, grief, grieving, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, Israel, Jews, relationships, Youth-Aliyah, orphaned, IDF, 1940s, 1960s

This ambitious novel tackles some of the answers to the questions of "what happened next". What happened to the supposedly orphaned children housed with (hardly) Christians, How did Jews escape the illegal embargo placed upon emigrés by the English and French. And how did a people survive the intense grief of survivor's guilt and the uncertainty of the fate of their loved ones. It is a novel written about two time periods: The 1940s and the 1960s. It's an amazing read, but best read in segments in order to have a better understanding of the meaning of history.
I requested and received an EARC from William Morrow/William Morrow Paperbacks via NetGalley.

I have always loved historical fiction, and this did not disappoint! It was interesting to see the aftermath of WWII, which is not always something that is explored. Oftentimes we hear of the tragedies that occurred during the war and the Holocaust, but not always what happened immediately after and how those ripples impacted future generations. I really enjoyed reading the unique take, and it was a very well-developed and emotional read. I will definitely be looking for more of Talia's books in the future!

This book is quite a fascinating historical fiction that explores the plight of Jewish children during and after World War II, as well as the time period in the late 1960's when 5 Israeli boats escaped from Cherbourg, France to Israel. It follows Claudette, who relinquished her infant son, hoping to keep him safe, Uzi, who became part of the Youth Allayah after the war, who searched for those children who had been separated from their families, hoping to reunite them. In the late 1960's, Sharon, an Israeli officer working with the boat mission, headed by Danny, begins to unravel a mystery that is decades old. It is a well-researched book, and I learned so much about the history of these times that I had never known. Talia Carner has brought these little-known time periods to light with wonderful fictional characters that are as resilient and full of heart as those they represent. It is a book full of hope, courage, and a bit of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of my review are my own.

“75% of institutionalized French children had at least one living parent.”

Author Talia Carner “did not want to tell another Holocaust story but to explore what happened afterward. How were these children found?” She did just that in multiple timelines and from multiple POVs as we follow Danny, the boy with the star tattoo, who was the fictionalized child representing so many orphaned Jewish children after the war.

With a little bit of romance and a whole lot of heartache, Carner paints a picture with her prose of what it must have been like for these young children to be ripped away from their natural families during the war and then again from their adoptive families years later to either reunite with the family they lost or to be moved to a family of Jewish culture and heritage.

Here is another example of why I love historical fiction. I learn so much about topics I knew nothing about!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Read if you like:
Historical fiction
Learning about the IDF
Lost and found family stories