Author Shari Ryan delivers another fantastic historical fiction book! This is a WWII story that was hard to put down. Leo and Dalia Bergman are Jewish and live in Hamburg with their 3 children, Max, Jordanna, and Lilli. Leo served in the Great War and therefore his family did not immediately go to a concentration camp. Their good friends were sent away, but before they had to leave, Alfie, their son, was taken in by the Bergman family.

One evening they awake to a loud explosion from a bombing. Together they head out in the streets to chaos and fire. Their papers are destroyed and Leo and Dalia are separated from the children. Because the children do not have papers on them, they are sent to a Polish orphan labor camp. Alfie and Max are sent to a boy's camp and Jordanna and Lilli to a girl's camp. Dalia is 100 miles away in Auschwitz. She is a nurse so they send her to work each day at a hospital even when she's only had one piece of bread to eat. Leo manages not to be captured and he is determined to find his family and rescue them.

The story is told from the perspective of Dalia and Jordanna as they endure the evil and horrific conditions. It is so heartbreaking and you will need the tissues for this story. I felt compassion for each character as I got to know them through Ryan's storytelling. Will Leo ever find his family? Do they all survive? What about Alfie's family?

What an emotional story of survival, hope, tragedy, hardships, fear, and family love! I highly recommend this excellent book! Such an amazing story!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC in exchange for an honest review

A beautifully written WW2 Holocaust novel told by from the perspectives of a mother and her eldest daughter. Unputdownable and gripping from the very first chapter. The Family Behind The Walls is an emotional book about a fathers love and sacrifice, and a family’s courage, survival and loss. Its hard to believe that one of the worlds darkest places and time was only liberated 80 years ago, Shari J Ryan has written an amazing book to remind and commemorate that. 5 stars
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.
#TheFamilyBehindtheWalls #NetGalley

Shari J. Ryan is a sublime writer and just when it seemed impossible to add even more power to her stories. she did it with The Family Behind the Walls. My new favourite is off-the-charts good. She writes Historical Fiction as though she lived it...and takes her readers along the perilous and heart bruising journeys of her gorgeously-written characters through vivid scenes of tragedy, grief, humiliation, shame, anguish, despair, unconditional love, courage, faith and kindness. How someone can string letters together to craft text this beautiful and heart rending is beyond my comprehension. This story is told mostly from the perspectives of a mother and daughter bound together by deep love. My mom and I share such a bond which further enriched my reading experience.

A close-knit Polish Jewish family lived in Hamburg, Germany, when the first mutterings and swirls of war appeared. Later, in 1943, city water was poisoned, Germanization screenings were conducted and people were forced into hiding during terrifying raids. Nazis ripped families apart including that of Papa Leo, Mama Dalia and their children Jordana, Lili and Max as well as adopted Alfie. This harrowing story is told mainly from the perspectives of Dalia and Jordana. Selfless Dalia did everything she could to protect her family and would lay down her life for them if necessary. She was taken to Auschwitz where she endured constant torment, humiliation, torture, starvation and living death. The hierarchy in the camps is detailed and was yet another way for the Nazis to mentally and physically destroy the prisoners' wills. Crippling fear of the unknown weighed heavily. Jordana and other children were rescued and taken to displaced persons camps. Imagine not knowing whether your family members are alive or dead. Their goal was to reunite but war changes everything.

Excluding the family, Sister Josephine was another favourite character of mine, superbly resilient and brave under desperate conditions. If only we had more Sister Josephines in the world. I appreciate that though the subject matter is tough, the author's writing is refreshingly clean. She doesn't fluff over the difficult parts but draws attention to them candidly and sensitively as they are very important. I finished reading this novel a few days ago but took the time to process it and its impact did not diminish.

My sincere thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this breathtaking novel. I could not possibly recommend it more highly.

Reading The Family Behind the Walls by Shari J. Ryan was an experience that is hard to put into words. As someone whose family carries the scars of the Holocaust, I felt every page of this story deeply, not just as a reader, but as someone who sees the echoes of history in my own family’s past.

The book is both heartbreaking and beautiful, and I found myself glued to the pages, unable to look away from the characters’ struggles and triumphs. Told primarily from the perspectives of Dalia, the mother, and Jordana, the daughter, The Family Behind the Walls weaves a narrative of strength, survival, and the undying hope that even in the darkest of times, love and family can prevail.

It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the human spirit in the face of unspeakable horror. I give it all the stars—this is a story that deserves to be heard.

Title: The Perfect Family Behind the Walls
Author: Shari J. Ryan
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: January 27, 2025
My Rating: 4.3
Pages: 382

Story is told from the POV of Dalia Bergman and her daughter Jordanna during the Holocaust,
Setting is Germany 1940s

1943 -Leo and Dalia Bergman and their three children, Max, Jordanna and Lilli are Jewish and are awaking on night on their apartment in Hamburg, Germany. They flea the apartment only to be captured and sent to Nazi concentration camps where the family is split up

This was my fourth book by Ms. Ryan. The other were all excellent psychological thrillers.
WWII stories are usually so disturbing as it was a time when the unthinkable happened.
I am not Jewish but I worked as the Director of College Guidance at a Jewish Day School. The founder was a wonderful Holocaust survivor who we all called Papa. He and his wife often told us stories of their survival; I know it is important that we never forget.

I love Ms. Ryan- she is a wonderful story teller. In this case takes a disturbing/emotional situation and has readers glued.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early uncorrected proof.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 27, 2025.

A father who is 1/2 Jewish served in WWI which grants him some immunity for his family of 5 until it doesn't and during a raid he and his wife, Dalia, are separated from their 3 kids. The kids claim to be Polish and are deemed orphans which still gets them sent to Little Auschowitz and separated from their older brother. Meanwhile their Mom has been sent to another concentration camp to use her nursing skills. The loving bond of family and reuniting one day pushes them forward in their darkest days and reminds us of the strength and perseverance that love can give you but also the unimaginable horrors of WWII history to never be repeated. Beautiful story!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC!

Woooweeeee!!!!!This one. It's sad, it made me cry, it
Made me angry I felt a lot of emotions reading it. It was such bravery and just goes to show even in the worst times hope can still live.

Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster!
The Bergman family ( Leo, Dalia & children Max, Jordanna & Lili) is about to grow when their friends the Feinsteins receive notification to leave their home , it is decided to leave son Alfie with the Bergman’s. This is the start of the nazis destroying the family. When Leo & Dalia are dragged away without their children it is the start of an incredible journey which is quite a powerful read. The siblings( yes Alfie too) bond was quite something, especially when describing the code they had learnt and were now using.
Dalia’s journey is the most dramatic, the description of a mother’s pain, had me in tears. You’ve got to wonder at how friendships are built in such surroundings . Leo’s journey was heartbreaking.
Of the books I have read on this subject matter the epilogue in this one was without a doubt the most meaningful.

I marvelled at Alfie’s acceptance of the situation when his parents left. For one so young Lilli had some profound statements.
Dalia’s letter was quite emotional. My favourite character was Lilli, least favourite was (didn’t have one) I liked all the characters for different reasons.

Germany 1943 - such a sad story about a family ripped apart in Auschwitz. The author writes such wonderful characters and the story is heartbreaking. Shari J. Ryan is a wonderful author.

The Family Behind the Walls
by Shari J. Ryan

This author has a new follower. This book was one of the best I have read in a very long time. This family’s struggles at the hand of the Nazi’s is extremely difficult to read, as many stories from that time period are. How people can be so heartless to other humans is described beyond words through every chapter of this book. If you want a tearjerker this is the one. I will admit that there were parts of this story where I had to walk away and come back just to have to walk away and come back yet again as my emotions were out of control. Told both from the Mother’s and Daughter’s side how their stories collide and mesh are totally a roller coaster ride. There was some confusion keeping the storylines and characters straight for the first few chapters but I think that was due to my own shortcoming nothing the author did. When it all clicked together for me then I was totally engrossed and could not put it down. As a mother I could relate to all the terrible things running through Dalia’s mind and soul and following a preventable death that filled her with mourning I don’t know how she survived. I probably would have thrown myself into the electric fence and been done with the nightmare she was living. How a person hangs on to faith and carries on after all she had been forced to do, well, I just don’t know that I would have had the strength.

The children on the other hand, especially Jordanna, has learned from her mother about life and manages quite well with the children. The hope she hangs onto watching her young sister wither away right in front of her own eyes, makes her a real superstar. With all she has to endure she keeps her chin up and tries her hardest to shield her young sister of the hardship she is having to endure. As the eldest daughter it us up to her to keep them together and safe and so she hides most of the horror from her younger sister who sees and understands so much for a child of her young age.

The remarkable journey they all endure separately and together leads to an incredible and heartbreaking reunion in the end and certain heartbreak for the reader and again asks the age-old question, what now? For the survivors living with the guilt that they endured. The bafflement that they survived while others did not. The reconstruction of their lives that lay shattered in more ways than one. With no food, no home, no earthly possessions except what was on their backs, how do you re-build a life in a country you know hates you for who you are? And how do you ever forgive the injustice of it all?

This book is a story of resistance from the perspectives of mother and daughter separated during WW2. Struggling to reunite their family and survive the torment of Nazi Germany.

Although this was a heartfelt story with themes of family, resilience, and underground resistance, it lacked the realism that comes with typical Holocaust historical fiction. Certain events were too convenient.

There was balance between the dual perspectives, never feeling like one was less eventful than the other, but it did feel as if the plot dragged at times causing me to scan or read ahead. The reunions were heartfelt and the ending pulled it through story together well.

I enjoyed the book overall but it felt too cookie cutter.

A MUST READ FOR HISTORICAL FICTION FANS!!! I read The Family behind the Walls. And then I read it again. I couldn't stop thinking. I couldn't stop crying. The story just wouldn't let go.

I can't remember being given so many details before about the conditions in the concentration camps or the challenges of those trying to out run the soldiers. The story might be historical fiction but it gives the reader so much information that research is a must. It will make you cry even more.

The author wrote an absolutely brilliant story using a Jewish family's separation by the Germans. They had thought the were safe. They had though they were exempt until they weren't. During a bombing in Hamburg; the mom and dad were taken from a shelter to assist in the rescue. The four children were taken from the shelter by a solder and put on a truck to places unknown.

I have never been able to fully comprehend the many ways that the those in the concentration camps were treated. I have never completely understood how terribly the children, whose only sin was being born Jewish, were treated. History books have failed us by not giving details. This book does not fail where the history classes did.

I am in awe of all of the survivors of the Holocaust. They did not walk away leaving and the past behind. The characters would carry the memories all of there life. The characters would always suffer the affects of imprisonment.

I can't remember ever being as gutted as when children, hidden by nuns, were confronting German soldiers that has sought safety with the nuns. The children's stories were so horrendous, so heart-breaking that the nuns refused the soldiers safety for the night.

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

This was truly such a heartbreaking, soul touching read! The story is told through the POV of the mother and oldest daughter as they navigate their tortuous time as prisoners at Auschwitz. The writing is so well done and the characters are so relatable, it is hard not to feel the heartache and loss as if they were your own family. The evils faced and the underlying theme of hope are excellent reminders of how GRATEFUL we all should be for the lives we live, despite whatever problems we may have. This one was quite a tearjerker, but I highly recommend!

This was a strong World War 2 element and enjoyed the way the historical elements worked in the tale. I enjoyed getting to go on this journey with the characters and really felt for the characters in this. It was everything that I was looking for and was glad everything worked together. Shari J. Ryan has a strong writing style and am excited to read more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Shari J. Ryan seamlessly blends harrowing details and poignant love in this new historical fiction, The Family Behind the Walls.

The story unfolds in true heartbreaking fashion as told in rotating viewpoints from loving mother Dalia and her brave daughter Jordanna as the hope against all odds to reunite their family during the horrors of WWII. The characters felt real enough to root for, the plot barreling full speed towards its climax the entire time. The editing could be a bit more thorough, but truthfully after a while I was so engrossed in the story I barely noticed the few slight errors. Though provoking, tear jerking, and at times downright horrifying, I really think readers who enjoy novels by Kristin Hannah and Susan Meissner won’t want to miss this beautiful story.

This was such a good book. Its a heartbreaking story and hard to read at times, but its a story we should all hear. It really makes you think about how hard these people fought and loved, Its a great story from beginning to end!

I thought this book would be similar to Roberta Kagan's stories as I am such a huge fan of her. I was pleasantly surprised that although the premise is alike the story was different and stands on its own. I connected with all the characters and learned even more about this horrible event in time. This was my first time reading this author but definitely not my last. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another lovely well told emotional story from this author. When you have a few tears at the end it has been a good book. It tells the story of a family who get torn apart after their house was bombed by the Germans. They are split up and sent to different camps not knowing who and if any of them are still alive.
A great author who tells the stories about the Jews during the war with compassion.

A sensitively written historical novel about the Holocaust and a family ripped apart. This is an understandably heartbreaking book, but one also of hope.

Thank you @bookouture & @netgalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This compelling WW2 fiction novel kept me turning the pages as I needed to know what happened to each family member.

When Jordana and her siblings are separated from her parents in 1943 war-torn Poland, Jordana feels responsible for the safety of her siblings. Without their identifying paperwork, Jordana and her siblings pretend not to be Jewish, but that doesn’t save them from being transported to a work camp and enduring horrible conditions.

Meanwhile their mother is over 100 miles away in Auschwitz. Dahlia struggles with guilt over being separated from her children and husband. How can this family survive the atrocities of this devastating war? And will they ever be reunited?

This compelling story unfolds primarily through the perspectives of Jordana and her mother, Dahlia. The author does a tremendous job with character development, detailing not only the physical struggles of each woman, but their mental turmoil as well. Both Jordana and Dahlia were deeply concerned for the well-being of their family members. I felt Dahlia’s pain as she struggled with some serious losses, and I felt Jordana’s fear and embarrassment during her turmoil. I found that I cared deeply for these characters and I was rooting for their ultimate victory over their circumstances.

I highly recommend this for lovers of WW2 historical fiction.