20190421_144806.jpgWelcome to my stop on the The Daughter’s Tale blog tour sponsored by TLC Book Tours! Thanks to TLC for the invitation!

About the Book:

“The Daughter’s Tale is immersive, both heartbreaking and redemptive, steeped in harrowing historical events and heroic acts of compassion that will have you reflecting on the best and worst the human heart has to offer. Fans of WWII history and book clubs will find depth and skillful storytelling here, but on a deeper level, searing questions about life, love, and the choices we make in the most impossible of circumstances.” —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

From the internationally bestselling author of The German Girl, an unforgettable family saga exploring a hidden piece of World War II history and the lengths a mother will go to protect her children—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.

BERLIN, 1939. The dreams that Amanda Sternberg and her husband, Julius, had for their daughters are shattered when the Nazis descend on Berlin, burning down their beloved family bookshop and sending Julius to a concentration camp. Desperate to save her children, Amanda flees toward the south of France, where the widow of an old friend of her husband’s has agreed to take her in. Along the way, a refugee ship headed for Cuba offers another chance at escape and there, at the dock, Amanda is forced to make an impossible choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Once in Haute-Vienne, her brief respite is inter­rupted by the arrival of Nazi forces, and Amanda finds herself in a labor camp where she must once again make a heroic sacrifice.

NEW YORK, 2015. Eighty-year-old Elise Duval receives a call from a woman bearing messages from a time and country that she forced herself to forget. A French Catholic who arrived in New York after World War II, Elise is shocked to discover that the letters were from her mother, written in German during the war. Despite Elise’s best efforts to stave off her past, seven decades of secrets begin to unravel.

Based on true events, The Daughter’s Tale chronicles one of the most harrowing atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis during the war. Heart­breaking and immersive, it is a beautifully crafted family saga of love, survival, and redemption.

My Thoughts:

Told in two timelines, The Daughter’s Tale is another captivating story involving WWII. 

The first timeline is Berlin in 1939. Amanda and Julius Sternberg have big dreams for their daughter that are dashed when the Nazis take over Berlin. Their bookshop is burned to the ground, and Julius is sent to a concentration camp. 

Amanda is fighting for her daughters’ lives, so she heads towards the south of France where a family friend has offered to take them in. 

But before she arrives there, Amanda is offered the chance to board a ship filled with refugees headed for Cuba. Should they board the ship, or stay in France? This decision could mean their lives. 

The second timeline is New York in 2015. Elise Duval is eighty-years-old and is called by a woman who knows many things about a time Elise has done her best to forget. Elise came to New York after World War II, and she finds out this woman has letters from her mother written to Elise. 

The Daughter’s Tale encompasses another atrocity carried about the Nazis of which I had no idea prior. It seems the list is endless, and so are the perspectives and stories to tell from the war, and I’m always grateful for those who choose to write them. This is a horrific time we can never forget. 

I was immediately drawn to Amanda as a character. My stomach turned as she had to make decisions with her daughters’ lives in the balance. There was no way to know which was up, much less which was route was the safe one. 

I also have to mention the books and the horrible acts related to them. That made my heart ache as well, and you just have to read about it. 

The Daughter’s Tale is inspired by true events. Overall, it is a story told in sparse prose with a powerful message. A mother’s sacrifice and guilt, redemption, and love for family. It’s all here. 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

Armando Lucas Correa is a Cuban writer. He lives in Manhattan with his partner and their three children.

Correa is the recipient of various outstanding achievement awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications and the Society of Professional Journalism.

His book En busca de Emma (In Search of Emma: Two Fathers, One Daughter and the Dream of a Family) was published by Rayo, Harper Collins in 2007 and for Aguilar, Santillana (Mexico) in 2009. It will be available in English, Spring 2020.

His first novel The German Girl/La niña alemana was published in October, 2016, in English and Spanish by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. The German Girl is an international bestseller and It has been translated to 14 languages and it is in more than 20 countries.

His second novel The Daughter’s Tale/La hija Olvidada will be published in May 7th, 2019.

Have you read The Daughter’s Tale, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR