Synopses & Reviews
A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the celebrateD author of The Kommandant's Girl
Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn't be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.
Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sama Jewbut Helena's concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them alland setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.
Review
"Fans of Kate Morton and Alyson Richman should reach for popular Jenoff's latest historical romance..."--Booklist
Review
"...Eloquent...a tale of surprise betrayals, unquenchable desire, and a necessary awakening; Jenoff's thorough and elaborate descriptions of character and setting makes for a satisfying period romance."-Publishers Weekly on The Ambassador's Daughter
Review
"Stirring...Historical romance fans will be well rewarded."-Publishers Weekly, starred review on The Diplomat's Wife
Review
"With luminous simplicity, Jenoff's breathtaking debut chronicles the life of a young Jewish bride during the Nazi occupation of Krakow, Poland, in WWII...This is historical romance at its finest."-Publishers Weekly starred review on The Kommandant's Girl
Review
"... In her moving first novel, Jenoff offers an insightful portrait of people forced into an untenable situation and succeeds in humanizing the unfathomable as well as the heroic."-Booklist
Review
"I have not been so moved by a book in quite some time as I was by The Kommandant's Girl ...The remarkably accurate account of a world at war, and the repercussions of that war make this a brilliant debut novel...I could not put the book down, yet was sad to see it end."-Historical Romance Writers
Review
"Successful and satisfying...[Jenoff] expertly draws out the tension and illustrates the danger and poverty of Eastern Europe as it falls under communism. Highly recommended for all fiction collections."-Library Journal
Review
"The Winter Guest is a must-read." -Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us
Review
"Woven with rich historical detail and heart-wrenching sensitivity... This is a novel not to be missed." -Alyson Richman, bestselling author of The Lost Wife
Review
"Jenoff has written a book that sweeps the reader into a whirlwind of love, tragedy, history and hope." -David Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women
Synopsis
A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale
Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn't be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.
Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam--a Jew--but Helena's concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all--and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.
Synopsis
A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale
Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn't be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.
Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam--a Jew--but Helena's concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all--and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.
Originally published in 2014.
Look for Pam Jenoff's new novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, an unforgettable story of courage and friendship during wartime.
Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.
The Lost Girls of Paris
The Orphans Tale
The Diplomat's Wife
The Kommandant's Girl
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
The Ambassador's Daughter
About the Author
Pam Jenoff is the author of several novels, including the international bestseller The Kommandant's Girl, which also earned her a Quill Award nomination. Pam lives with her husband and three children near Philadelphia where, in addition to writing, she teaches law school.