A fantastic story with characters who really came to life! The only reason I mark it down one is because the writing at times was often quite clunky and repetitive - it felt like it needed another edit - and the dialogue also felt stilted. But I can’t fault the telling of the story itself! I’d also never heard the term “stumbling stones” before so it was interesting to put a name to something I’d seen but never given much thought to.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I did not finish this book, because frankly, I was too confused. I just couldn't connect everyone and everything they were doing. Even the years became too much. Of course, this could be a me problem, so I recommend you try it if interested.

In this incredible and difficult World War II historical fiction novel, Bonnie Suchman brings Alice Heppenheimer, a visionary fashion designer from a successful German Jewish family in the first half of the twentieth century, to life. Following Alice’s development into an independent woman with a fashion career in 1920s and 1930s Nuremberg and Frankfurt, readers experience the rise of the Nazi party and the growth of overt public antisemitism in Germany -- and the terrifying reality of no escape too late -- in the years before World War II with her. Following the story of Alice and her family, readers gain an insight into the prewar difficulties of life as a German Jew rather than the wartime difficulties which are so popular in the historical fiction genre. Suchman’s characters are the star of the novel, full of heart and emotion, and their relationships with each other are fascinating to follow and see develop. The historical setting is vibrant and well-researched, allowing Suchman to further bring the novel and Alice’s struggles to life. Alice is a complex, realistic, and kind heroine whose story and family are interesting to follow, and her perspective of prewar German antisemitism is a nice change from similar historical fiction novels set during, rather than before, World War II.

Great characters, researched well. My favorite genre and I enjoyed it deeply. It gave me a lot to think about.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Note to publisher: Extremely difficult to read due to the formatting issues when sent to my Kindle.

Stumbling Stones by Bonnie Suchman is a dual timeline WWII historical fiction novel. I read lots of WWII historical fiction and I have not read about the markers indicating former homes of Jewish occupants who were deported and lost their lives under Nazi rule. In modern day, while traveling in Frankfurt the author and her husband discovered the brass markers. Set off to search for her husband's German Jewish family the author envisions the dramatic story of his great-aunt Alice.
Alice Heppenheimer is from a wealthy Jewish family and has a talent for women's fashion. She marries and pursues her desired career until Nazi Germany changes the course of her life. Determining when the best time to leave or unfortunately waiting too long is one question that has determined the fate of too many Jewish families during WWII. Married and separated from her loving family, Alice must flee.
I found the story, like so many others of WWII Jewish families, heartbreaking. The resilience and strength to rebuild after so much tragedy is what make me keep reading more WWII historical fiction. Their heroism and determination are incredibly inspirational.
Don't miss the author's notes at the end of the novel.

Growing up in Frankfurt, Alice Heppenheimer is a strong willed talented young woman, set on a career in designing fashion. The advent of Nazism changes all these plans, as well as putting her and her entire family in danger. Well written historical fiction and worth the read.

Stumbling Stones by Bonnie Suchman is an achingly beautiful novel based on the real life of a female German Jew during the 1920s and into World War II. Alice was a fashion designer and free thinker in Germany who was determined to be independent in a man's world. After enjoying temporary success designing handbags, her world changed forever with personal woe as well as war repercussions. This is an emotionally crushing and poignant story of courage, perseverance and the horrors of war.

The author drew on the compelling experience of her husband's family for her inspiration. It is obvious she put her heart and care into her words. Holocaust stories like this are difficult to read but so important. Precious stumbling stone tributes are an excellent way to honour the victims of the Nazi regime. The writing didn't read as much like a novel as I expected it to but it was well worth reading nonetheless.

My sincere thank you to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this thought-provoking novel.

I had never heard of the Stumbling Stones until reading this novel. With more research into them I found them. I visited Germany a few years back with my mother in law who was a child during WWII in Nuremberg. After reading this novel, I can visualize walking down the cobbled streets and seeing the stumbling stones but I never stopped to take a look. The background given was so detailed and thought out. I wanted Alice to leave and survive. The turmoil of this terrible time is haunting!
About half way through, I started thinking this book is a personal tribute to a family member. As I read your author's note, I realized I was right.
Alice would be so proud to have her story told. The book is a masterpiece telling about Alice and her family. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in the life of the Jewish people during this time in history. Seeing the details of how life was and how it changed in a matter of years for Alice and her family was scary. This story needs to be read and remembered. Thank you for telling this story.

This was a very heartfelt and heart wrenching journey of a character who never gave up hope no matter how dark her days were. This is novel is beautifully written and is a great example as to why “people just didn’t leave” no matter how bad things got and no matter how bad things seemed.

I am sorry to say I dnfed this book at 49%. For me it read more like a history book, and even though that is not a bad idea. It Just was not for me.
The premise was good though.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

This is a historical fiction based on a true story that I really wanted to like. The premise is great - the telling of the story of a young Jewish woman finding her way in the world as a fashion designer of purses and a wife while the Nazi party rose to power. The characters are endearing, and their stories intertwine wonderfully.

Unfortunately, I DNF’d after a little more than 1/4 of the book due to the text-book like writing style that creates repetitiveness and a lack of natural conversation during dialogue that made the book difficult to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
( It would have been 4 or 4.5 stars, but formatting issues and changing of tenses in paragraphs made it difficult to follow at times).
The meaning behind the title has become very important to me in the last few months. My husband and I traveled to Amsterdam in November 2023, and there learned what these small brass plates in front of so many buildings were. Each brass “stolpersteine”, or “stumbling stone”, is placed in front of the building where the Jewish occupants lived freely, before being deported. This was a project started years ago; the goal is to create a Stolpersteine for every person persecuted and / or killed by the Nazis, throughout all of Europe.
I am in tears right now, after reading the novel and the author’s notes about the research she did to learn about her husband’s German Jewish family. I can still picture the stolpersteines I saw all over Amsterdam, stone after stone, block after block after block…
Thanks to people like this author, persons like those in her husband’s family will never, ever be forgotten.

I enjoyed this book! I wasn’t aware of the bricks marking lives lost until I read this one. I enjoyed Alice and watching her grow and develop before and during the war. I do think at times, it does read a bit matter of fact, not so fiction like. But it didn’t turn me from finishing the book.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I've read many books on this period of history and this added another story. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

This historical fiction about Alice - a Jewish woman making a life for herself in Germany across two decades (early 1920s through WWII) - is deeply moving and timely. This book is hard to put down. While impossible not to root for Alice and her dreams in fashion and impossible not to be inspired by her independence and resilience, it’s also hard not to be devastated by her naïveté as the Nazis rose to power. Alice is charming, funny and practical, and through her story a broad swath of characters comes into the fold that the reader can’t help but care about, whether family, friends or acquaintances, I was grateful that the epilogue and afterword gave us the historical details about the characters in the novel.

The writing style is not for me personally - it’s a bit formalistic and reads at times like a non-fiction book at points. I also found some repetitiveness across chapters a bit distracting.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..