Thank you Netgalley & Harper Paperbacks for an eARC ♥️

“The Forbidden Daughter" is a soul-crushing, yet ultimately uplifting true story of unwavering hope and resilience in the face of unspeakable horrors. Elida Friedman's journey, from her secret birth in the Kovno Ghetto to her precarious childhood, is a testament to the unbreakable human spirit that will leave you shattered and inspired.

As I read about Elida's parents, Jonah and Tzila, risking everything to bring their daughter into the world, I am struck by their courage and selflessness, and my heart is shattered into a million pieces at the thought of them being brutally torn from her life. The inhumane cruelty of the Nazi regime snuffed out their lives, leaving their precious child to navigate a treacherous and unforgiving world alone.

But Elida's story is more than just a tale of survival - it's a testament to the indomitable human spirit that refuses to be extinguished. Despite being uprooted and renamed multiple times, she never loses sight of her identity or her determination to thrive, even in the face of unimaginable loss and trauma. Her unwavering belief in the power of love and belonging propels her forward, like a beacon of light in the darkness.

Every page of this book is a reminder of the unspeakable horrors that humanity is capable of, but also of the boundless capacity for love, hope, and resilience that exists within every human soul. You'll read of Elida's struggles to find her place in a world that seems determined to reject her, and of the miraculous moments of kindness and connection that sustain her.

"The Forbidden Daughter" is a book that will leave you changed, like a piece of clay that's been broken and remade into something stronger and more beautiful. It's a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome even the darkest of circumstances, and a reminder that love and hope can bloom in the most barren of landscapes. ♥️🥹

I've read a lot of books about WWII, but none from the perspective of the child given away at birth by Jewish parents ... who chose to "break the Nazi law" not abort their child. Their little girl was smuggled out of the ghetto in a basket and given to a family on a farm in Lithuania; when Germans visited, the young girl was smuggled out the back door and hid in the barn ... as her dark curls she looked nothing like the woman that was raising her.

The GoodReads blurb says "A moving, powerful chronicle of overcoming impossible odds"; I would agree with that. I don't want to provide any additional spoilers. Definitely a "must read".

Many thanks to Zipora Klein Jakob for writing this "story" (memoir) and working with the publisher for it to be translated and released in America. Definitely a story that needs to be told.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for approving my request to read the advance read copy of The Forbidden Daughter in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 23 Apr 2024. GoodReads lists at 288 pages.

The Forbidden Daughter is a book not so much about the Holocaust—but about a girl who lived in the shadow of the Holocaust. We follow Elida through her life from birth to the end.

I can’t fathom the struggles she wrestled with every day. Every chapter of her life brought more anguish. The author is obviously passionate about Elida’s story, which showed on every page.

I will say, I would have loved to have had more written about her personality. All I really got was: she’s an intellectual. How was she as a mother? Did she ever come to terms with her childhood? I also would have loved to have read stories from her kids. She isn’t just an important person in history. Elida was a woman living her life to the best of her ability. I guess in the end I just wanted more emotion from Elida.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.