ABL Review At-A-Glance
Ø Title: The Daughter’s Tale
Ø My Rating: 3.75
Ø Genre: Historical Fiction
Ø Author:
Armando Lucas Correa
Armando Lucas Correa
Ø Format:
ARC paperback
ARC paperback
Ø Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Compare To:
Synopsis
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.
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.
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.
perpetrated by the Nazis during the war. Heartbreaking and immersive, it is a
beautifully crafted family saga of love, survival, and redemption.
My Thoughts…
The Daughter’s Tale is WWII historical fiction, but
I would not call it another WWII historical fiction novel. Armando Lucas Correa does a brilliant job of setting his
work apart from other books of this genre.
There is a starkness about the quality of writing that kept me from
romanticizing the events. The characters
have to make some really tough choices, some of which I don’t believe I would
be able to make.
I would not call it another WWII historical fiction novel. Armando Lucas Correa does a brilliant job of setting his
work apart from other books of this genre.
There is a starkness about the quality of writing that kept me from
romanticizing the events. The characters
have to make some really tough choices, some of which I don’t believe I would
be able to make.
There were a few things that kept TDT from becoming a great
book for me. I needed more clear
transitions between points of view.
Sometimes a new paragraph would start and we would be reading from a
different person’s perspective, but there wasn’t anything to signal to the
reader that a change was coming. I also
had trouble, at times, following the action.
Sometimes, in certain scenes, it would feel almost as if sentences were
missing. A few times, I actually reread
pages to see if I missed something.
book for me. I needed more clear
transitions between points of view.
Sometimes a new paragraph would start and we would be reading from a
different person’s perspective, but there wasn’t anything to signal to the
reader that a change was coming. I also
had trouble, at times, following the action.
Sometimes, in certain scenes, it would feel almost as if sentences were
missing. A few times, I actually reread
pages to see if I missed something.
If you like historical fiction, you will definitely
like this book, especially if you enjoy WWII HF. For anyone picking up this book, I would
suggest reading the back cover. The
author explains the inspiration for the book, and it is a grave reminder that
while this book is technically fiction, it is based on real events that
happened to real people. It’s a sobering
and grounding reminder.
like this book, especially if you enjoy WWII HF. For anyone picking up this book, I would
suggest reading the back cover. The
author explains the inspiration for the book, and it is a grave reminder that
while this book is technically fiction, it is based on real events that
happened to real people. It’s a sobering
and grounding reminder.
* Special thanks to Armando Lucas Correa, Atria Books, and TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of The Daughter’s Tale in exchange for an honest review.
I'm really loving all of these fiction stories based on real events, it's such a breath of fresh air. Thanks for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours