Told in two perspectives - Hannah (past in 1939 Berlin) and Anna (2014 - Havana/NYC) that alternate and tie together all the sad history that the Rosenthal family went through escaping the horror of Hitler Germany and barely escaping exile to Havana.

I love that this was based on a real life event that I wasn't aware of with the MS St Louis who left Germany with 937 passengers (most of which were Jewish refugees seeking asylum) the ship was turned away from Havana at the last minute after the passengers had paid for voyage, and papers admitting them to the country. Most of these passengers ended up dispersed back in Europe only to meet a horrific fate, and only 287 that were taken in by London survived. The Cuban president only allowed 28 passengers refuge and this book takes a fictional account of one woman and her daughter, Hannah.

The present day storyline was a little far fetched for me, we didn't need Diego, did we need the tragedy of another massive historical event shoved in? I don't think so. It took me out of the storyline I wanted to focus on, also a few ends that never came back around. A lot of this book talked about the German girl who smothered her mother, however that never comes back around - did she do that? Who can say because it never comes up again. A few continuity errors that drove me batty.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of The German Girl in exxchange for honest feedback.
This book is the first of Correa's books dealing with WWII, the Jewish refugees fleeing on the ship St. Louis, and life in Cuba for the few who were allowed off the ship. It is the story of two women. Hannah, the German Girl, who with her family, her boyfriend and his family, boards the St. Louis when life becomes unbearable in Berlin. She and her mother disembark in Havanna and the rest are refused entry by Cuba, the US, and then Canada.
Anna, named after her Aunt Hannah, is born in 2012. Neither knows of the other until a letter arrives from Hannah after she learns that her brother, who she raised, was killed in the Twin Towers.
The book switches point of view with every chapter, Hannah, then Anna. Until the two meet.
Correa's recent book The Night Traveler is a much stronger book. However, for a debut novel, I found much to be admired. Correa is a natural storyteller and a good writer. He writes compelling characters and his stories move along at a good pace. It's hard to believe that there are still so many stories to tell from WWII but in the hands of a writer like Correa, one person's story and all that follows becomes as important as any life should be. And the horrors of WWII and what happened should probably be told until the end of time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn to this book because it had a storyline based on historical facts that I was not familiar with — Jewish refugees that sailed on the St. Louis from Germany to Cuba trying to escape the horrors of the Holocaust. I enjoyed the story, but the character development was not as robust as it could have been.

A story about love and loss, set during WWII. Hannah and her friend Leo, along with their families) fled Germany on the ship The Saints Louis trying to get to Havana. Unfortunately the the governments of Cuba, the United States, and Canada deny the passengers of the St. Louis admittance, forcing them to return to Europe as it descends into the Second World War.

This is well written novel that looks at a seldom examined chapter in a chaotic period. The dual time line works, the characters are engaging, and the plot moves along briskly. A good read.

Wow. I just can't imagine life during the 1930-40s. This book was so gut wrenching. It follows two young girls, both suffering from loved ones lost due to war, spanning from 1939-2014. It alternates between Hannah the Great aunt that emigrated to Cuba from Germany and Anna who is investigating her fathers past.

I really enjoyed seeing the parallel journey of both girls. I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book. I was on the edge of my seat to always learn just a little more.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and Atria books. My opinions are entirely my own.

Still in print, this is worth reading if you are a fan of WWII stories. What makes this stand out is the connection to Cuba for people fleeing Europe.

This is a historical fiction book where there are dual timelines happening: one starting off set in 1939 Germany and progresses through the years in Cuba, and the other set in 2014 New York. In this type of format in historical fiction, I generally do not care for the story line happening in the present, and often find it unnecessary to the story. This was not the case in The German Girl. I found Anna’s search to discover more about her late father’s family enhanced the story without taking anything away from the Hannah’s story happening in the past.

The cover & synopsis for The German Girl are a bit misleading. I was anticipating the majority of this book was going to take place on board the St. Louis, but in reality the bulk of this book takes place in Cuba. Also, the second half of this book progresses past WWII. While I would still consider this a WWII historical fiction, the book is more about the character’s lives in Cuba as a result of WWII. Surprisingly, I found the Cuba setting post-WWII very interesting. As time progresses, we even start touching upon the Cuban Revolution of the 70’s, where things seem to come full circle from WWII. I always appreciate WWII fiction that gives us a different setting & perspective than those set in Europe.

While the historical context & setting for The German Girl were on point, the cast of unlikable characters made this book a struggle for me. Hannah, our main character, was a big struggle for me from the beginning. There was something very off about Hannah and her odd morbidness…

"I was almost twelve years old when I decided to kill my parents."

This is the sentence opener. While I love books that have a memorable opening line, it didn’t really fit the rest of the book. Later in the book there is a scene where Hannah is imagining a fellow passenger committing suicide in graphic detail. Hannah also imagines her parents killing her… I tried to keep in mind the context of these thoughts, but they just didn’t feel realistic coming from a 12-year-old little girl. Once Hannah reaches Cuba, her morbidity does tone done, but the time in Germany & aboard the St. Louis, I found it very jarring. Another character I struggled with was Hannah’s mother. She almost made the book unbearable. She was the epitome of selfish. When her cozy posh life is uprooted, she seemed to only care about her lifestyle being disrupted. There was a tiny part of the book where I thought she was going to redeem herself, but it didn’t last long. Once Hannah and her mother arrive in Cuba, she basically gives up on life and Hannah is left to forge her own way in the world. As a mother, I just couldn’t understand her actions. For me, the characters really brought down this story.

The true history behind the events in The German Girl is absolutely devastating: the fact that most of the 900+ passengers aboard the St. Louis did not survive WWII. The United States, Canada, and Cuba should all be ashamed. The sad part about all of this is that history has a tendency of repeating itself… I thought it was a wonderful touch for the author to include all the names of those aboard the St. Louis. It was a beautiful tribute to all those passengers that tragically lost their lives.

Overall The German Girl came up a bit short. The historical events and setting had all the makings of a fascinating look at WWII from a setting not often explored in WWII fiction, but the insufferable characters spoiled this one. I still think this book is a worthwhile read if only to learn more about the St. Louis and Cuba during and post-WWII.

Content/Trigger warnings: suicidal thoughts, depression, & suicide attempt

*Big thanks to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Holocaust literature is full of survivors stories, but the German Girl gives a different perspective on the quest for Jewish refugees to leave Europe and create a new life. Very few stories of the survivors of the St. Louis exists, as only a few were able to stay in Cuba, and create new lives. The struggle to become part of Cuban society, and the survivor's guilt that exists, lend a different tone to this book. Additionally, the fact that the story goes back and forth between the past and the current time, makes the novel more relatable to a modern audience.

I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity by NetGalley to read The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa back in 2016. Somehow, it took me all this time and rave reviews from fellow teachers for me to actually begin reading it. However, I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down.

The story began in Berlin in 1939 where Hannah Rosenthal, a young twelve year old Jewish girl, lived rather comfortably with her mother and father. The Nazi regime was starting to strip the Jewish residents of their homes and possessions. Hannah's parents, although reluctant to leave their beloved Berlin and beautiful home, knew they had to leave Berlin. They had to get to a safe destination. Hannah's father, Max, saw the warning signs. Somehow, Hannah's parents were able to secure passage for the three of them and Hannah's only and best friend Leo and his father on the German ocean liner ship The St. Louis headed for Cuba. The story alternates with the story of Anna Rosen, a twelve year old girl living in New York with her now widowed mom and with Hannah Rosenthal now Rosen. Both Hannah's and Anna's stories are told through memories and discoveries.

I really found The German Girl to be a very moving and emotional book. The research for this book was very good. This was the second book that I had recently read that spoke about the ocean liner the St. Louis. I cried many times while reading The German Girl. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has not read it yet.

The true historical nature of the story is what made it most interesting. Otherwise, it’s easy to get bogged down in the narrative. The book has a sad tone from start to finish. I did finish, but didn’t really enjoy this book.

This book is a scary reality that history always repeats itself. Is it really because we aren't learning from it or is it just that we choose to believe that what we are doing is right? Maybe we would learn from history if we were actually given all of the information. Once again, another piece of history that I was never aware of.

Ended up listening to this on audio
Narrated by: Joy Osmanski
This book kept losing me in time, especially since the narrator's voice sounded no different between the 2 time lines. Another thing the narrator did was no accents well no I won't say that, there were randomly timed accents not always the same person just every once in a while she would have a German accent and all I kept thinking was either do accents or don't but keep it consistent.

I think I would have enjoyed this one better if I had read it in print.

2 1/2 stars

Publisher: Atria, Simon & Schuster
On Sale Date: October 18th 2016
Pages:360

1938: Twelve year old Hannah Rosenthal lives with her mom and dad in Berlin. They are a real socialite family who are admired by many people, especially because her father is a doctor that teaches medication at the university. But slowly on, their live changes for the bad and worst, as the Nazi's take over Germany. As they are Jewish, the live of the Rosenthal is in great danger. It even c omes that far that a group of Nazi's enters their house and take Hannah's father away. Luckily he returns, but as the danger is so imminent they have to flee. The chance arises to go on a ship that will take them to Cuba, as they are are told they are welcome their. So it happens that soon after, they are sailing the ocean. Luck for Hannah that her best friend Leo is also aboard with his father. But then something very unexpected happens. In Cuba, there has been some resistance by the people to take in the refugees, and even the government has second thoughts. Soon after, they state that they refuse to give the passengers of the arriving ship entry to Cuba (and also the United States and Canada refuse them entry_ and that the ship may not even stop on their coast. Later on, only some passengers are granted entry and this means that Hannah and her mom have to say farewell to their husband and father and to Leo, who are both sent back to war torn Europe, they will never see them again and have to settle and survive by themselves in their new homeland.

New York 2014: Anna and her mom receive a letter from a certain Hannah from Cuba. They learn that Hannah was the great aunt who raised Anna's father. Anna's father went missing on September 11 2001, when he was on his way to his work in Lower Manhattan. Anna and her mother travel to Havana to meet Hannah, and there Anna learns more about her father and about Hanna's history.Bringing together the pain of the past with the mysteries of the present, Hannah gives young Anna a sense of their shared histories, forever intertwining their lives, honoring those they loved and cruelly lost.

Just in search for my next read, I browsed on my e-reader and found out that I had an egalley of this one. I truly liked the synopsis so decided to give this one a go. And I am glad I did as this book was outstandingly good! From the beginning till the last page it had me hooked. The plot is full unexpected events happening, and you can just feel the horror the passengers on the ship had to face when they where denied entrance everywhere. The ship that had to bring them luck now turned out to be their death sentence.

Another thing that I liked was that it was set in two different time periods. Hannah and Anna face both in different era's the same type of loss, and that really bounds them together when Anna visits Hanna in Cuba.

The writing is just beautiful and together with the amazing and moving plot it forms book that I highly recommend reading!!

This debut novel by Armando Lucas Correa is a wonderfully written historical fiction book about a little known event in the late 1930s. The Nazi’s already controlled Berlin and had begun their ethnic cleansing. This book tells the story of what happened to one wealthy, aristocratic Jewish family at the time and throughout several decades following the event. The story is told in two alternating narrations that flow seamlessly together.

The first is Hannah Rosenthal who is living in Berlin in 1939. She is happy and loves spending time with her friend Leo. She is documenting the changes in the city using her trusty camera as she and Leo sneak around. Hannah, who has blue eyes and blonde hair, is able to travel around much easier than Leo as she looks pure. When the Rosenthals are finally stripped of the apartment house that they own and Max is arrested, they realize it is time to leave and find a safe place to live. Because of their wealth, they are able to secure passage on the St. Louis, a luxury liner, that will take them to Cuba where they have been promised a new life after buying papers from the government that they are told will grant them asylum in Havana. The plan is to move to the United States after that. The Rosenthals, Martins (Leo and his father) and many other families are looking forward to a new life. When they finally arrive in the port of Havana they are told that their papers are no longer valid. Only 28 of the 937 passengers are allowed to stay in Havana, Hannah and her mother Alma are two of them. Her father and Leo and his father are turned away.

The second narrator is Anna Rosen, a young girl whose father was killed in the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers while her mother was pregnant with her. Anna’s mother has been extremely depressed and Anna is pretty much caring for herself and her mother when a letter appears one day from an aunt of her father, still living in Cuba. The letter also contains unprocessed photo film that appears to be from her father's grandparents. Anna shows her mother and this seems to rouse her. They begin to investigate and head off to Cuba to meet this mysterious and unknown to them relative.

I really enjoyed this story. I listened to part of it on audiobook and read the rest. The writing was beautiful. It was easy to read and listen to and drew you into the story. It flowed smoothly and there was no problem following who was telling the story. The event was one that I had not heard of before and it was very sad to find out about as well as to learn the part Canada and the United States played in this horrible event. The voices of Hannah and Leo, were particularly well written. This friendship and their stories were a part I looked forward to reading about. The other characters from both the present and past are well described and touched me in many ways. The despair of Alma was palpable and Hannah's sorrow was so real. Make sure you read the author's note as it gives some more facts about this terrible event. I'm hoping books such as this one can help us remember the injustices done in our world history so we do not repeat them. This is a must read for anyone interested in the history surrounding this WWII time-frame as well as anyone who loves historical fiction.

The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa is one of the best crafted novels I have read in sometime. What is more amazing is that this is a debut novel. Correa tells the story of a family lost to the ravages of war and bigotry, yet still with the hope of someday coming together. It is the story of two young girls, separated by countries and time, who share the common bond of loss and loneliness. Together, they will find strength, hope and family.

"...Aunt Hannah tells the story rapidly in a low voice, as if she herself did not want to hear it. She mentions figures and dates so coldly it surprises Mom. Aunt Hannah's smile starts to fade, and her eyes are now a misty blue.
'On the night of July 16, 1942, my father was one of the victims of the infamous Velodrome d'Hiver roundup when all the impure were arrested by the French police. He was transported to Auschwitz, the death camp....' She sighs. 'He didn't survive. He was very weak., and I'm sure he let himself die. In our family, we don't kill ourselves, we let ourselves die..."

Berlin, Germany, 1939, before the world changed forever. The Rosenthal's lived a privileged life. Opera, the best food, property and prestige. But that all changed when the Brown Shirts descended and their name and their heritage made them outcast in their own country.

Hannah Rosenthal was an undesirable. A Jew. Unclean in the eyes of the pure Germans. With her one true friend Leo, she dreamed of a better land and a better place for her family. Her father had been a Professor in the University and her mother a rich and fashionable woman. All that changed in an instant. Only Hannah did not look like an undesirable. In truth, she looked exactly like what the German people wanted. She looked the part of the German Girl. This simple fact separated her from her own people and from the Germans who blamed and despised her for their lot in life.

Aboard the transatlantic liner the Saint Louis, Hannah's and Leo's family travels to the new world. A stop off in Cuba before they head to a new life in New York City. What they find instead is one of the most horrifying acts in pre war time history as the Saint Louis is not allowed to dock in Cuba and the passengers are denied passage to Cuba and the United States.

Decades later, in New York City, eleven year old Anna Rosen recieves a package. It comes from Cuba with untold secrets of her deceased father. A death her mother never had the courage to tell her about and instead let her believe, that one day her father just walked out the door and never came back. Instead she would learn that her father died a heroic death on September eleventh. A death her mother could not face and so hid from her. She would rather let her daughter believe that he had simply deserted them.

Now with this package, Anna will travel to the island of Cuba to meet your Great Aunt Hanna and in doing so will learn of a past that at once has haunted her and molded her. For the history of Cuba and its revolution will mirror too closely the past that was Nazi Germany.

"....In her despeair, Esperanza visited all the local police stations, but with no success. The next day, she learned that they were rounding up all the young males, sixteen years old and up, of their faith and taking them to a stadium in the Mariano district. When she understood what was going on, she threw herself onto the floor at home and burst into tears. She cursed herself, blaming herself for the religious fervor with which she had brought up her son. Rafael was a boy who knew only good and was incapable of doing anybody harm. They had been trying to leave Cuba for a long while, but it had become impossible for them to obtain an exit visa ever since the "great leader" had accused their religious group of being a "terrible blight on society..."

In visiting her great Aunt Hanna, Anna learns the history of the family she never knew. The horror of Nazi Germany and even worse, the ambivalence of Cuba and the United States. Refugees extorted for money they did not have to offer asylum. This is a dark time in the history of the greatest nation ever. The land of the free. The fate of the passengers of the Saint Louis is one that history and your Civics classes would like to forget. But before you decide to wage war on the Capitalist country that denied entry to these refugees; look into their fate in the Socialist regimes that finally took them in . There is enough blood to go around.

At its heart this is a novel about family. It is a novel about daughters and mothers and the burdens and choices that they plague one another with. It is at its core, a novel about horror and tragedy and the sickening reality that they are all human.

The German Girl will take your heart, your soul, your core and wrench it from that safe place of denial that you have laid it in and force it to look at the world at large. In a real lens. You will not walk away from this book in the same way that you walked in.

Its just that damn good. (less)

I started this book but did not finish it. I honestly just couldn't get it to it. Too much jumping back and forth.

Loved the story of how Hannah and her mother, father, and friends family fled on the SS St. Louis from the Nazi's. Even arriving in Cuba and being safe from the Nazi's didn't save her from a life of tragedy though. A very fast read!

3.5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I've read several books about the Holocaust but hadn't heard much about Jew attempting to emigrate to Cuba, so this book was a good learning experience for me.
This book tells the story of 12 year old Hannah who lives a privileged life in Berlin until the time that Jews became outcasts in their own country and everything changed for Hannah and her family. She spends her days with her best friend Leo wondering what might happen to them if they stay in Germany. As their families make plans to depart Germany for Cuba, nothing turns out the way they thought it was supposed to.
In present time 11 year old Anna is dealing with the death of a father she never knew and the overwhelming grief that has taken over her mother. Then one day she gets a mysterious package from her great Aunt Hannah, who she has never met. This package sets Anna and her mother on a trip to Cuba and leads them to uncover the long held secrets Hannah holds regarding her trip from Germany to Cuba.
A story spanning time and places, this was an interesting read about shard family histories and what people will do to survive all the heartache and grief life can sometimes bring.

I desperately wanted to like this book. It's a historical novel based on a real event that took place during the Holocaust. It's an important story that needs to be told. However, I've completed 25 percent of the book, and I find that I'm dreading picking it up again.

The story features two protagonists, each 12 years old. One lost her father in the Holocaust; the other, on Sept. 11. It's told in the first person and presents the viewpoint of each pre-teen. I just found the perspective of a 12-year-old to be tiresome after a while. I actually went back to look at the information about this book to see if it is a Young Adult novel, but it doesn't appear to be.

I know lots of people have given this book more stars than I will. And I definitely think that it would appeal to young adults. But I just couldn't view historical events through the eyes and dialogue of a child any more.