Synopses & Reviews
Nineteen-year-old Emma Bau has been married only three weeks when Nazi tanks thunder into her native Poland. Within days Emma's husband, Jacob, a fiery and independent scholar, is forced to disappear underground, leaving Emma and her parents imprisoned within the city's decrepit, moldering Jewish ghetto. But then, in the dead of night, she is smuggled out of the ghetto. Taken to Krakow to live with her husband's Catholic cousin, Krysia, Emma takes on a new identity as Anna Lipowski, a gentile.
Emma's already precarious situation is complicated by her introduction to Kommandant Georg Richwalder, a high-ranking Nazi official who insists that Emma come work for him a job she cannot refuse without arousing suspicion. Urged by the Resistance to use her position and the kommandant's obvious romantic intentions to gain access to details of the Nazi occupation, Emma must become perilously close to her enemy and, now is perpetual danger of being discovered, finds herself questioning loyalty and duty, fearful of risking here life and the lives of those she loves.
Based in part on actual events, Pam Jenoff 's astonishing debut novel delivers unrelenting tension in an achingly beautiful account of a young woman forced to bend loyalties, deny truths and betray her own beliefs a woman almost powerless against her extraordinary circumstances, who must decide which risks are worth taking and which vows are worth breaking.
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
Synopsis
Becoming a spy for the resistance after the Nazi's invade Poland, Emma Bau, taking on a new identity as a gentile, becomes a high-ranking Nazi official's assistant and, leading a double life, compromises her marriage vows, her safety, and the lives of those she loves for the cause. Original.
Synopsis
In her luminous and groundbreaking debut, bestselling author Pam Jenoff shows the unimaginable sacrifices one woman must make in a time of war
Nineteen-year-old Emma Bau has been married only three weeks when Nazi tanks thunder into her native Poland. Within days Emma's husband, Jacob, is forced to disappear underground, leaving her imprisoned within the city's decrepit, moldering Jewish ghetto. But then, in the dead of night, the resistance smuggles her out. Taken to Krakow to live with Jacob's Catholic aunt, Krysia, Emma takes on a new identity as Anna Lipowski, a gentile.
Emma's already precarious situation is complicated by her introduction to Kommandant Richwalder, a high-ranking Nazi official who hires her to work as his assistant. Urged by the resistance to use her position to access details of the Nazi occupation, Emma must compromise her safety--and her marriage vows--in order to help Jacob's cause. As the atrocities of war intensify, Emma must make choices that will force her to risk not only her double life, but also the lives of those she loves.
Synopsis
In her luminous and groundbreaking debut, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shows the unimaginable sacrifices one woman must make in a time of war
Nineteen-year-old Emma Bau has been married only three weeks when Nazi tanks thunder into Poland. Within days Emma's husband is forced to disappear underground, leaving her alone in the Jewish ghetto. In the dead of night, the resistance smuggles her out and brings her to Krakow, where she takes on a new identity as Anna Lipowski, a gentile.
Emma's already precarious situation is complicated by her introduction to Kommandant Richwalder, a high-ranking Nazi official who hires her to work as his assistant. As the atrocities of war intensify, Emma must make unthinkable choices that will force her to risk not only her double life, but also the lives of those she loves.
Don't miss Pam Jenoff's new novel, Code Name Sapphire, a riveting tale of bravery and resistance during World War II.
Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff:
The Woman with the Blue Star
The Lost Girls of Paris
The Orphan's Tale
The Ambassador's Daughter
The Diplomat's Wife
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
The Winter Guest
About the Author
Presently an attorney in private practice, Pam Jenoff served as vice-consul for the U.S. State Department in Krakow, Poland, and as the special assistant to the secretary of the army at the Pentagon. She is an expert on Poland and the Holocaust, and has published several scholarly articles and been honored by a number of organizations for her work in this field. Ms. Jenoff lives in the Philadelphia area. This is her first novel.