Sliding Doors meets historical fiction? Yes, please. The Two Loves of Sophie Strom starts in 1933 Vienna, when a fire rages in Max’s parents’ musical instrument shop. Here his life splits in two: in one instance, the fire claims the lives of his parents, in another they all survive.

Upon the loss of his parents, Max is adopted by family friends who, aware of the ongoing political situation, rename him Hans. Hans goes on to join the Hitler Youth and later the SS, whilst Jewish Max is eventually forced to flee his home, living in Nazi-occupied Paris.

The one connection between Max and Hans is Sophie. Both versions in love with her, both versions of him willing to risk everything for her.

This was a beautiful story, set at a pinnacle time of history, with an incredibly interesting concept. It’s a fresh lens through which to examine the holocaust and done perfectly.

The dual narrative is split between both versions of Max and is very easy to follow, especially as he grows and Hans joins the SS. The supportive characters were as strong as the main characters and I particularly loved Jentz but, given the content of the book, there are some truly hateful characters in there too.

Overall this was a brilliant piece of historical fiction and I can’t wait to read more of the author’s work in the future. My huge thanks to Faber & Faber for the chance to read this one.

This was such a moving and well written book, just as gripping as the book thief. Fully recommend. The concept is well executed

Wow! What a read, what a concept! It's 1933. Thirteen year old Max Spiegelman, meets Sophie in his father's music shop and is smitten by her. He can't wait to meet her again, but that night tragedy strikes and life will not be the same again - his home is set on fire and his life splits into two parallel threads. In one thread, his parents die and he is badly disfigured whilst trying to save them; his mother's friend adopts him and hides his Jewishness by calling him Hans and making him join the Hitler Youth. In his alternate life, Max saves his parents and continues to live with his family. Although their lives follow different courses, both Max and Hans are linked through their dreams and through their love of Sophie. A haunting love story which explores morals and values. Loved it!

This was the most challenging book I have had to review as it is was hard not to reveal too much of the plot.

Reading the buff of this book before choosing to read this I wondered how it could work, But it did. Very interesting historical drama and well worth reading. Strange things do work. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

Vienna 1933, and Max Spiegelman's life is about to change forever.

At just thirteen years old he saves himself and his parents from their burning building. It is no accident. The Spiegelman's music shop has been targeted because they are Jewish.

Vienna 1933, and Max Spiegelman's life is about to change forever.

At just thirteen years old he saves himself, but cannot save his parents from their burning building. It is no accident. The Spiegelman's music shop has been targeted because they are Jewish.

In a Sliding Doors type scenario, Max's life splits in two on the fateful night that his parent's shop is burnt to the ground.

In the life where his parents survive, he remains Max, but his life and his parents become more and more difficult as the Nazi regime tightens and they head towards War. The family is torn apart by pain and suffering, and Max is forced to flee to safety and hope its never discovered that he is a Jew.

In the life where he is orphaned, he becomes 'Hans', his recovery is slow, and he is adopted by a local family, who have lost a son. He gains a brother by this arrangement. The Hitler Youth member, Jew hating, bully, Karl.

Struggling to fit in, he allows himself to be led by Karl and his acquaintances into a world that Max would never have entertained. Eventually becoming an SS Officer.

Both Max dreams, and has visions of the other, and is haunted by what could have been.

Each of Max's lives is connected by one person, Sophie Strom. A beautiful girl who Max meets briefly the evening before the fire. He doesn't think he'll see her again. But each version of himself can't seem to escape Sophie, and she ultimately helps Max to become the best version of himself in all scenarios.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found the story a little confusing at the beginning, however once I understood Hans/Max relationship I enjoyed it. A fascinating story looking at two versions of the after affects of one terrible event. Set as Hitler is beginning to rise as a political leader before World War 2 and through war.
I recommend this book to those who like historical fictionwith a different slant on events. It was at times zn unpleasant read, but taken in the context of the times very appropriate.

The beautiful cover and promising premise really had me excited for this ARC.
And in terms of WW2 books this one is definitely standing out. It is such a unique way to tell a story that could have easily been unbelievable but isn't.

However, it gets quite confusing at times which might be the reason why I just didn't feel a connection to the characters. The story kept me turning the pages and it was an enjoyable read but if i could have had an emotional connection to the characters this could have been an absolute favourite book of all times.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC for an honest review.

The sliding doors of WW2, two people linked by their dreams. The twists and turns of the 'what ifs' is captivating, bringing fortune and sorrow to both.

Although they found themselves on opposite sides of the war, I was drawn to both characters and wanted both to find happiness with Sophie and their own taken on the world.

Thanks to #netgallery and #faberandfaber for access to #TheTwoLovesOfSophieStrom

An absolute delight of a book.

It’s the 1930s in Vienna, Austria. Herr Hitler has his eye on Austria and tensions are rising. On an unfortunate evening, our main character’s life is upended when anti-Semite yobs set fire to his house. In that moment, the narrative splits - in one timeline, Max survives with his parents. In the other, Max’s parents perish in the fire and he is adopted into a well-to-do Aryan family and renamed Hans.

Two sides of the same coin, Max and Hans live out their different lives - aware only of each other through their dreams.

The story is phenomenal. I loved the dual perspectives in this book and how they were portrayed. It’s both heartwarming and heart wrenching. A definite five stars!

An unusual idea for a storyline. Two possible outcomes when Max’s parents’ shop is burned to the ground. It details what occurred for each scenario. I found the characters and storyline interesting but have to admit I did struggle at times to connect or isolate the two strands.

I am a lover of historical fiction, and having read more books than I could count set during WW2 I have to say I found this interpretation particularly refreshing. For those of us old enough to have seen Sliding Doors, it is perhaps not an original concept. However, it was extremely well written, at times thought provoking and highlighted a different take on the events faced by Europe during Hitler’s reign of terror.

The only reason this was a four star for me and not a five, was due to some parts of the story being overly embellished whereas other, more prominent and interesting themes seemed to be rushed over. Other than that this was a very enjoyable read.

The Two Loves of Sophie Strom starts in Vienna 1933 with the story of Max Spiegelman. One fateful night, a tragedy so earth shattering causes his life to split in two. Max grows up as a Jew in the 1930’s where there is suffering at every turn for him and his friends. The other half to Max is adopted and renamed Hans, he grows up as a nazi. In both time lines they meet Sophie, is it possible for love to change the course of history.

This story gives the impression initially as similar to Sliding Doors, one of my favourite films and what drew me to read this book, but after a couple of chapters I realise it was not really that similar. I also love stories written on different timeline, but it didn’t quite make that one either. There were a couple of elements to the book that just didn’t sit right for me and left me feeling a little disappointed.

I found the book to be well written, the characters where built well and as the reader I felt I got to know them.

I would recommend this book to someone who wants to read a well written love story but not if you’re specifically looking for a sliding doors theme.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

This is a really novel book, unlike anything I've read before. It tells the story of Max, a 13 year old Jew in Austria, whose father's musical instrument shop has been set on fire. It is at this point that the story splits in two - we follow both Max and his alternative version, Hans, who exists in a parallel timeline. Hans is adopted by a local family, and joins the Hitler Youth and, later, the SS - which is contrasted against Max's experiences of being persecuted for his faith. They are both, however, connected by a link - Sophie Strom.

The novel skilfully weaves both timelines through life in 1930s Europe and WWII. Although the concept of the story had the potential to come across as unrealistic, the author managed to execute it in a believable and thought-provoking way. It was at times a slightly confusing read, and I sometimes struggled to remember the differences between Max and Hans. I also felt the book lacked a little depth, and would have liked further development of the other characters. Overall though, it was a very enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheTwoLovesOfSophieStorm #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Allow me to tell you a story and borrow from the sliding doors theme of this book for a moment.

Some months ago when browsing Netgalley, the cover of this novel caught my eye. I read the blurb but didn't request a copy, mainly owing to my heaving Netgalley shelf. Some months later, I received an email from @FaberBooks asking if I would be interested in taking part in a blog tour for the book. and recalling the sliding doors premise, I agreed to take part and I'm so glad I did. The Aoife in the multiverse who didn't read this book is all the poorer for it.

Sam Taylor, novelist and translator, has translated some of my favourite books (Leila Slimani's Adele and Lullaby). This is his fifth novel, and it's a story set in the lead up to and duration of World War II.

The book opens in a house in Vienna in 1933, home to 13 year old boy Max Spiegelman and his parents. When the house is set on fire one night as the Nazis are rising to power, 13 year old Max's life is split in two. In one scenario, he is left disfigured, orphaned and adopted by an Aryan family who change his identity - Max becomes Hans. In another, he saves his parents and escapes unharmed to face life as a Jew in 1930s Austria.

The two boys dream of one another and are unavoidably tethered to one another, with their fate in one another's hands and in the hands of their one love Sophie Strom. The story moves to France and to the resistance movement, where only one story can emerge from the flames.

I was captivated by this novel. Beautiful writing, a gripping story full of heart and a literary pageturner exploring themes of love, faith, autonomy, choice, dreams and the subconscious, it kept me up far too late and led me to shed a tear. For anyone who enjoyed books like All The Light We Cannot See and In Memoriam, this will appeal. Recommended. 4-4.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber&Faber publishing for the ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own and I did not get paid to write this review.

This book was fantastic, I love a good romance and this was very well written. I enjoyed it as a quick read before starting my next ARC. The characters were well written and the romance was believable, nice writing and a good story arc too.

Very cleverly written, it took me a few chapters to get in to the flow of the dual time line of Max and Hans but once I did, wow what a beautiful, and complex story. Max and Hans could be classed as good and evil, but as you get to know them you realise that its not as straight forward as that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for allowing me to read The Two Loves of Sophie Strom

I found this a little hard to follow at first. The book has two timelines which are closely interwoven as 'Max's' identity splits into two and he lives two very different, but closely linked lives, which I did find confusing. However, once war breaks out and the two protagonists characters developed (and their lives separated more distinctly) I found myself intrigued as to how it would end. It is a kind of 'sliding doors' narrative which reminded me of 'The Time Traveller's Wife' and that need to keep track of any small detail because the plotting is so intricate and vital to a full understanding.

Sophie is a complex character in both timelines and her relationship with Max/Hans is troubling at times. I realise her marriage to Eduoard was a device to complicate her relationships but her lack of compassion when he is taken by the Nazis was quite hard to read. It seemed like it was convenient for her that he was removed from the picture so allow space for Max/Hans.

The growth and self-awareness which develops in Max/Hans and their shared experiences (which impact on their separate lives in different ways) is very clever. As one character sleeps, he learns what his alter-ego is doing and this, in turn, affects choices and, ultimately, Max's destiny.

This is a book which merits a second read, I feel. Now that I know what is coming, I think I will get so much more out of it. A great read for anyone who likes historical WW2 novels, but a little difficult to get into at first.

This story begins in 1933 Vienna. Nazi Germany’s propaganda against Jews grows apace, spreading to Austria and overhauling the lives of so many, including Max’s (the novel’s protagonist) who, as a child, cannot understand why his family suddenly becomes the target of haters and subsequently an arson attack. This traumatic incident causes his life to be split between two parallel realities: one where his parents died in the fire and he is adopted by an Aryan family, and another where they survive. Thus the novel’s premise is set, and it’s interesting to see how the lives of Max and Hans (his Aryan counterpart) diverge. Strangely, the eponymous Sophie is not the main character but merely appears as the primary love interest of Max/Hans and remains largely one-dimensional. I must admit, while I found the novel's themes very interesting, I struggled to get into it. I didn’t find the characters that believable or compelling and was disappointed that the novel seemed to merely scratch the surface of the important themes it introduced.

The Two Loves of Sophie Strom by Sam Taylor absolutely blew me away. So much so, that I bought the audiobook to listen to while I read and when I just did not want to put it down

I would just like to give a nod to the incredible narrations of Beth Eyre and Jot Davies, navigating some incredibly difficult subjects with integrity, empathy, accuracy and skill. A truly brilliant performance

1933 - A house fire awakens Max, a 13 year old Jew in Austria. His fathers musical instrument shop has been set ablaze, and not by accident. It is at this point, the reader starts to see two versions of the timeline. One side of Max remains the same, half of his face burned by the fire, causing him to be bullied relentlessly. For his looks, for his faith.

The other side of Max exists in a parallel timeline, where Max's parents have perished in the fire, and he is adopted by a German family, the Schattens. Max's family knew the Schattens, their youngest son had died but they still had their eldest, who despised Max. The parents decide to rename Max, calling him Hans and giving him their surname, telling him to lie about his past life. They new what was coming with the change in Austrian politics. As Max (Hans) gets older, he joins the Hitler youth, and later, the SS.

The two sides of Max have one link, and that is Sophie Strom, a girl they meet at their new school, a girl whose hair has been cut off and is the target of bullies. A girl who is the daughter of a bohemian, a divorcee, and who is gifted on the piano and fearless in nature. A girl who understands that each side of Max sees the other in his dreams

An exceptionally intricate plotline, but one that tells both sides of living through 1930's Europe, WWII and the holocaust. Accurately portrayed, incredibly well researched and with a stunning supporting cast, from the cocky, loud Jentz with a gentle heart and the utterly vile Karl and Bauer, who I really, really despised. (there were many characters I disliked, but these two most of all) The french teacher came out with some real gems but was a fleeting character

An absolutely stunning novel and equally brilliant audiobook. I cannot recommend this book enough

Thank you to Netgalley, Faber and Faber Ltd | Faber & Faber and the author Sam Taylor for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

A very different read for me and I'm not sure whether I enjoyed it it or not. It was written very unusually but, the story was interesting. I had to concentrate on all the characters which made this book a bit of a slog. So, I'm giving it 3 stars. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.