Another very well written, heartfelt and heartbreaking series about the Holocaust by Roberta Kagan. Her books keep getting better and better and leave me speechless. Cannot wait for the next one. Thank you Netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

We once again return to Lexi and her life of being a police officer and trying to get justice.

In this book, Sarah has created event after event to keep us intrigued by Lexi and who is trying to prevent from hurting others. Each event causes problems, for which Lexi tries to control in her favour, but something always finds it way to pop up and cause mayhem.

Sarah has played the emotions of the characters to be a force to be reckoned with and keeps us on our toes with what will occur next.

According to Statista.com, around 17 million people were killed during the Holocaust. It is difficult for most people to fathom that number, which often makes it difficult to comprehend the horrors Nazi Germany unleased upon the world. For reference, imagine if the current populations of Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Rhode Island, Montana, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Idaho disappeared. Before the Holocaust, the Germans set the stage by othering Jews and other “undesirable” groups. Kristallnacht, an event central to Kagan’s book, A Family Shattered, is a watershed moment when state-sanctioned racism and discrimination became state-encouraged violence. This book is part 2 in the Michal’s Destiny series, and a good introduction to a past we must never forget.

A Family Shattered is an emotional and well-written historical fiction novel that provides a poignant portrayal of the Holocaust through the eyes of a Jewish family. Roberta Kagan’s vivid writing and strong character development make this a powerful and heartbreaking read. Though it treads familiar historical ground, the novel’s focus on personal stories and the impact of war on family dynamics makes it stand out. Ideal for readers who enjoy historical fiction that captures both the brutality of war and the strength of the human spirit.
Kagan’s storytelling is heartfelt and poignant, drawing readers into a narrative that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of war, but she also shows the resilience of the human spirit. While the book covers familiar ground in terms of its historical setting, Kagan’s focus on the personal struggles of the Ziegler family offers a fresh and intimate perspective on the Holocaust.
Huge thank you to NetGalley, Roberta Sagan, and Book Whisperer for this advanced copy.

Tavvi and Michal face many challenges in their relationship, but together, they build a life filled with love and mutual understanding. They now have a family with two beautiful daughters, Alina and Gilde, and a home brimming with happiness. 1938—Kristallnacht. Blood runs like a river through the streets, shattered glass covers the walkways of Jewish shops, and gangs of Nazi thugs rampage through Berlin in a murderous fury. When Tavvi, a strong-willed Jewish carpenter, tries to save his daughter's fiancé, he doesn't think of his own safety. This is the second in the Michal's Destiny series and one that you will need tissues to finiah. A story of love during WWII and the people it affected.

Roberta Kagan is an excellent author and her descriptions make you feel that you are there in the streets and camps with the characters. It also gives an insight into the Kindertransport in Germany to send children to England for safety. I am now on Book 3 which continues the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to continue this series which needs to be read in order.

The first half of this book took me a bit to get into, but the second half had me gripped!
This book flowed well, even though it is told with multiple timelines and points of view from multiple characters. I really enjoyed how this series started with Michal in book 1 and continued her story in book 2 while introducing Alina’s story alongside it - I am looking forward to seeing how the characters lives continue on in the next instalment. I felt like a couple of the characters’ thoughts or conversations were uneccesarily repeated in different chapters, but overall I still really enjoyed it.
4 stars out of 5 ⭐️

Book 2 of 4 - Roberta Kagan is one of my favorite authors. She writes the best WWII books. She makes me feel like I am one of the characters. Give her a try!

The second installment of Michal's story durning WW2. This one starts where the 1st one left off. I really enjoy reading all the multiple POVs, and instead of wondering what certain characters are thinking and experiencing during events, you actually read it from them first hand.

I really appreciate reading a book that is not scared to make events sound unpleasant. I've read lots of historical fiction books, and I'm not sure if the writer writes this story with more emotion or if she more imagery when writing, but reading this series feels more realistic and raw. You feel like you're actually experiencing events as the characters do.

Thank you to Netgalley, Roberta Kagan, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

Courtesy of The Book Whisperer and Netgalley, I received a copy of A Family Shattered by Roberta Kagan, second in the Michal's Destiny series. This book covers 1938-1945, and the family introduced in the first book. From the horrors of existing in Berlin to those of being in a concentration camp, this story left me emotionally drained as the characters faced devastating situations and difficulties. I was impressed by the examples of the friendship of women as they cared for each other.

The second in a series. It starts with Tavvi and Michel, a married couple who had issues, and Tavvi spent time with the owner of a whorehouse which comes up later in the book. Michel and Tavvi get back together and have 2 siblings. It is 1939 and the beginning of WWII. The story is tragic and provides explicit details of life in a concentration camp, but then goes to the first daughter Alana. I found the switching back and fore a little confusing at times and unrealistic, but also recognize the author has put in a great deal of time in researching the war years. A tragic time we should never forget. It is hard to believe people can be so cruel and yet we know it continues today. Worth reading. I give it a 3.5

This was a good book that is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. It speaks to the horrific way Jews were treated in WWII and how there lives were torn apart while the allies watched for a long time
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

"A Family Shattered" is an apt title as the family is definitely shattered in this, book 2 of the series. It could be read alone. It was good but not amazing. Definitely read if you want to continue to know about the continuing story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored

This is the second book in the series. It can be read as a standalone but would be better if you read Michal's Destiny first as this book continues the saga of Michal and Taavi and their two daughters and you will have a better understanding of the family's history. Taavi has been arrested. Seeking answers Michal goes to the police station, but never returns. Youngest daughter Gilde escapes Germany on the Kindertransport to England, but at 18, older sister Alina is too old for the Kinderstransport. Alina is essentially trapped in Germany as the Nazis continue to rise to power. She eventually secures passage to America, with hopes of a better life. But life in America isn't what she hopes it to be. Alina must rely on her inner strength and do whatever it takes to stay alive.

1938, Berlin, Germany. This is the 2nd novel of a series and easily read as a standalone book. Michal and Taavi have 2 daughters that must be protected. Taavi is a Jew who is arrested and taken away. Michal is not a Jew and she has to make the decision of how to keep her daughters safe. Michal is determined to find out where Taavi is located. Eventually, she is also arrested and sent to a camp. The love, hopes, strengths, trials and fates of family and friends at the hands of the German Nazis are horrific.
This novel is told in alternating voices of both Michal and Taavi.

Thank you Book Whisperer and NetGalley

A Family Shattered by Roberta Kagan is the second in the Michal/Taavi series and to say it is a downer is putting it mildly. The only one that didn’t check in was Gilde, from England. For everyone else life is not going well. A powerfully written book, this brings the horror of this time period, not only in Germany, to the fore. It was well-written. The reader becomes so involved with these characters as we read, it is dreadful when things take a wrong turn. And they do. It would be inaccurate to have happily-ever-afters in a book about the Holocaust as there were so few, relatively. Excellent characters with a plot to match. Do not read it if you are a softie. It will make you cry.

Robert Kagan has found her niche and although I normally don’t read Holocaust books, I’ve had my fill, I make a couple of exceptions. One is Robert Kagan. We left the first book with Taavi arrested and shipped off and Michal going to the police station to see if she could get him released. She left her girls in the care of Lotte and Lev, who she knew would care for them. Things didn’t work out as hoped and the misery was palpable. Well written. Thanks for reminding us.

I was invited to read a Family Shattered by Book Whisperer. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #RobertaKagan #AFamilyShattered

It is certainly appalling what human beings can do to other human beings. Roberta Kagan has graphically described it as such in this second book of the Michal's Destiny Series and it makes my heart cry. The nightmare that happened to the Jewish people in Hitler's Germany certainly shook families to their roots. Taavi, Michal, Alina and Gilde bore the brunt of it all. The title is so very appropo - A Family Shattered! Indeed.
I feel this work of historical fiction is not for the weak at heart. I cannot say I actually enjoyed this book due to the nature of the narrative but it is necessary for the story to be told. To know and realize all that happened to the various 'outcasts' of society and the impact on their 'innocent' Aryan citizens ... the horrors of reality.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

October 2024

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.

This was an interesting book, but very sad and disturbing. It's about people who loved so deeply, but were all tragically torn about. The holocaust is hard to read about, but is a story that needs to be told.

Book one in this series absolutely blew me away. Holocaust fiction very rarely gets 5 stars from me, and yet Michal's Destiny did. So I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately for me it fell a little short. There were a couple of factual errors and timeline issues, which affected the story for me. I also found it slightly repetitive in places.

However, putting those aside it was a fantastic, and at times difficult read. Roberta doesn't shy away from the dark and gritty subject of being Jewish in Nazi Germany. In amongst the horrors of the camps, there were moments of beautiful friendship. I try to keep my reviews spoiler free, but the kindness that Bridget showed to Michal in Ravensbruck broke.

The title of this book, "A Family Shattered" is certainly appropriate. But "A readers heart shattered" would be an apt description.

Things were increasingly getting tense in Germany. Then came Kristellnacht. Alaina and Benny were almost home when Benny was grabbed. Taavi saw what was happening and told Alaina to go in the house while he attempted to rescue Benny to no avail. Taavi was then arrested. When he didn’t come home, Michal went to the police station to find out what had happened to him, and she didn’t return either. Lottie and Alaina were able to send Gilde to England for safety. Johan, who had always had a crush on Alaina, finally convinced her to go to America with him. They were sponsored by Johan’s birth father, who Johan warned Alaina against having anything to do with him. Things did not go well for her in America, but she was determined to begin a new life, albeit with many complications. This well researched story will keep you captivated and anxious for the next book in the series.

This is such an incredible series, I am so glad I found it. It is approaching this time in history completely different to how I have normally read. There are no holds barred when talking about the lengths that women had to go to survive. and how certain men took advantage of them (not just Nazis) but also how women were strong and did anything to survive. There were glimpses back to the depravity of the club. There is a lot more than I could highlight but I don't want to spoil it.
The one story that stayed with me was the morphine episode
Onto book 3 now.