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Two Necklaces
In the beginning of 1933 after Adolf Hitler is appointed chancellor of Germany, fourteen-year-old Christa Becker of Ravensburg, Germany, attends meetings of the League of German Girls, an organization established to create dedicated wives whose role was to give birth to superior Aryan children. At home she eagerly shares the new regime’s ideology with her brother Jürgen, but he protests the threads of anti-Semitism that are weaving their way into German culture. He is attacked by a thuggish member of the Hitler Youth for refusing to distance himself from a close Jewish friend. The attack leaves him severely brain damaged. As the facts of the attack become known and Christa begins to question the regime’s teachings, she meets Paul, a Jewish jeweler. The events that bring them together throw her life and her family into turmoil. Determined to break loose from the tight leash of her father, an engineer doing work for the Nazis, Christa enlists the help of her grandmother to navigate her developing relationship with Paul.
As the years advance, Jewish shops and businesses are boycotted, concentration camps are established and laws passed barring Jews from holding government or university positions. Jews are no longer considered German citizens nor can they marry Aryans or fly the German flag. A lull in these escalating anti-Semitic measures occurs in 1936, as Hitler, bent on creating an image of a new strong and united Germany, masks the targeting of Jews while readying the country for the summer Olympic Games. The lessening of overt hostilities gives Christa a false sense of security that the persecution of Jews has calmed causing her to take risks that set her and everyone she loves in the path of Nazi destruction. Hair-raising, nail-biting turmoil ensues but she refuses to back down from her burning desire to be with Paul.
Written by award winning, international best-selling author, Paulette Mahurin, Two Necklaces is not an ordinary love story. It is a story of a German girl’s coming of age and daring to think for herself at a time when that very act was dangerous, even life-threatening. No, this is not an ordinary love and resistance story. It is much more complex, delving into the very nature of the human condition, prone to change, invested with frailty and strength and the struggle of mind and heart. It is a story that will keep the reader guessing to the very last page what the outcome will be.
As the years advance, Jewish shops and businesses are boycotted, concentration camps are established and laws passed barring Jews from holding government or university positions. Jews are no longer considered German citizens nor can they marry Aryans or fly the German flag. A lull in these escalating anti-Semitic measures occurs in 1936, as Hitler, bent on creating an image of a new strong and united Germany, masks the targeting of Jews while readying the country for the summer Olympic Games. The lessening of overt hostilities gives Christa a false sense of security that the persecution of Jews has calmed causing her to take risks that set her and everyone she loves in the path of Nazi destruction. Hair-raising, nail-biting turmoil ensues but she refuses to back down from her burning desire to be with Paul.
Written by award winning, international best-selling author, Paulette Mahurin, Two Necklaces is not an ordinary love story. It is a story of a German girl’s coming of age and daring to think for herself at a time when that very act was dangerous, even life-threatening. No, this is not an ordinary love and resistance story. It is much more complex, delving into the very nature of the human condition, prone to change, invested with frailty and strength and the struggle of mind and heart. It is a story that will keep the reader guessing to the very last page what the outcome will be.
279 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2024
159 people are currently reading
6716 people want to read
About the author
Paulette Mahurin
13 books249 followersPaulette Mahurin is a best selling literary fiction and historical fiction novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science.
Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the top ten bestseller lists on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, was released in 2017 to rave reviews. Her sixth book, A Different Kind of Angel, was released in August, 2018.
Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.
Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the top ten bestseller lists on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, was released in 2017 to rave reviews. Her sixth book, A Different Kind of Angel, was released in August, 2018.
Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
March 7, 2025
Not only does this book have a beautiful eye catching cover but the story is the best one I’ve read so far this year. From the first chapter I was so drawn into the story that I didn’t want to put the book down. I read it every opportunity I had to sit down with a book. This author is new to me and I will be searching out more of her books in the future.
WWII fiction is one of my favorite genres. I found that this book was well researched. It felt like it was really happening and I felt the characters anguish from the current events in the prewar years. This story takes place in Germany and starts in 1933. Not every German citizen agreed with Hitlers opinion of the Jews. Many secretly helped the Jews to escape the threat of being sent to concentration camps. Life certainly wasn’t easy for German citizens during the prewar years or the war years. For the most part this story is about the prewar years. Romance between a German girl and a Jewish young man will have your stomach in knots as the story progresses. What can be the outcome of a secret and forbidden romance between a Jew and a German? What part did the two necklaces play in this story? Find out when you read this intriguing story.
I highly recommend this book to readers of WWII fiction, Romance fiction and historical Romance.
This book is available now at most book retailers sites.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are solely my own
#TwoNecklaces #NetGalley
WWII fiction is one of my favorite genres. I found that this book was well researched. It felt like it was really happening and I felt the characters anguish from the current events in the prewar years. This story takes place in Germany and starts in 1933. Not every German citizen agreed with Hitlers opinion of the Jews. Many secretly helped the Jews to escape the threat of being sent to concentration camps. Life certainly wasn’t easy for German citizens during the prewar years or the war years. For the most part this story is about the prewar years. Romance between a German girl and a Jewish young man will have your stomach in knots as the story progresses. What can be the outcome of a secret and forbidden romance between a Jew and a German? What part did the two necklaces play in this story? Find out when you read this intriguing story.
I highly recommend this book to readers of WWII fiction, Romance fiction and historical Romance.
This book is available now at most book retailers sites.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are solely my own
#TwoNecklaces #NetGalley
October 15, 2024
Over the last few days, I have been deeply engrossed in Paulette Mahurin’s affecting narrative, “Two Necklaces.” Set in the 1930s, the text winds its way back into a bleak time in history hardly written about; a forbidden and dangerous relationship of two kindred souls whose resilience and courage stand out in the darkest of times.
The majority of German citizens, as with any other citizen in countries across Europe at the time were a strong and kind lot, wishing nothing more than to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. When Hitler rose to power and took the title Fuhrer, or leader in all of Germany, he began exploiting people’s frustrations and fears through the Gestapo, a police unit established to create terror among the people while spreading antisemitic ideologies.
Young Crista, fifteen at the time and coming from a modest family, had joined The League of German Girls (BDM), as was a requirement, that indoctrinated young women. She often shared the Nazi ideas with Jürgen, her brother, who expressed his open criticism of the regime. But when he is snatched away from their family for good after being termed a Jewish sympathizer for maintaining his loyalty to his Jewish friend, Arthur, Christa’s former beliefs about the Nazis are pried from their foundation as her eyes open to the realities of the atrocious dictatorship government.
Years later, she meets Paul, a Jewish jeweler, and they begin a forbidden relationship in a hostile environment, putting their lives in constant peril. As the hateful wrath against Jews spreads across the country through propaganda and oppressive and discriminative laws, Christa must decide whether she will be brave and risk her life for Paul or sit back and let the repressive German policies take away a part of her that she holds dear.
“Two Necklaces” is an utterly convincing and unforgettable love story that shares the surprising potential of two people who engage in vulnerable interactions amid a sea of darkness and despair. Paulette Mahurin does a superb job in her exposition of racism, the Nazi use of propaganda to spread German superiority ideas, and the intrinsic evil that illustrated Hitler’s regime. At its core is an unwavering tale of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood who dares to defy political conformity and refuses to be subdued.
Well-researched and carefully written, the text takes you back in history to experience a human connection that defied all barriers in one of the most infamous periods in Germany. I loved how the author uses a slow and gentle pace, allowing readers to connect with the characters, especially those whose actions are inspiring and moving, to feel the mood of the story, and convey their personality traits, which one might easily miss if the book took on a fast pace.
The story puts forth perennial themes along with revealing the fragile but defiant nature of love. “Two Necklaces” by Paulette Mahurin will have you experience many types of emotions, providing a suitable tonic for historical fiction enthusiasts. Its basis on reality, done with ardor and power, adds profound meaning to this work, inviting us to reflect and ponder on a more complex truth that lies beyond the evident, the nature of the human heart. Easy to read yet powerful, this tale is bound to capture even the pickiest of readers.
The majority of German citizens, as with any other citizen in countries across Europe at the time were a strong and kind lot, wishing nothing more than to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. When Hitler rose to power and took the title Fuhrer, or leader in all of Germany, he began exploiting people’s frustrations and fears through the Gestapo, a police unit established to create terror among the people while spreading antisemitic ideologies.
Young Crista, fifteen at the time and coming from a modest family, had joined The League of German Girls (BDM), as was a requirement, that indoctrinated young women. She often shared the Nazi ideas with Jürgen, her brother, who expressed his open criticism of the regime. But when he is snatched away from their family for good after being termed a Jewish sympathizer for maintaining his loyalty to his Jewish friend, Arthur, Christa’s former beliefs about the Nazis are pried from their foundation as her eyes open to the realities of the atrocious dictatorship government.
Years later, she meets Paul, a Jewish jeweler, and they begin a forbidden relationship in a hostile environment, putting their lives in constant peril. As the hateful wrath against Jews spreads across the country through propaganda and oppressive and discriminative laws, Christa must decide whether she will be brave and risk her life for Paul or sit back and let the repressive German policies take away a part of her that she holds dear.
“Two Necklaces” is an utterly convincing and unforgettable love story that shares the surprising potential of two people who engage in vulnerable interactions amid a sea of darkness and despair. Paulette Mahurin does a superb job in her exposition of racism, the Nazi use of propaganda to spread German superiority ideas, and the intrinsic evil that illustrated Hitler’s regime. At its core is an unwavering tale of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood who dares to defy political conformity and refuses to be subdued.
Well-researched and carefully written, the text takes you back in history to experience a human connection that defied all barriers in one of the most infamous periods in Germany. I loved how the author uses a slow and gentle pace, allowing readers to connect with the characters, especially those whose actions are inspiring and moving, to feel the mood of the story, and convey their personality traits, which one might easily miss if the book took on a fast pace.
The story puts forth perennial themes along with revealing the fragile but defiant nature of love. “Two Necklaces” by Paulette Mahurin will have you experience many types of emotions, providing a suitable tonic for historical fiction enthusiasts. Its basis on reality, done with ardor and power, adds profound meaning to this work, inviting us to reflect and ponder on a more complex truth that lies beyond the evident, the nature of the human heart. Easy to read yet powerful, this tale is bound to capture even the pickiest of readers.
February 4, 2025
This powerful rendition of living in Hitler’s pre-war Germany kept me turning every page!
As a survivor of WWII but from a different theater of the war than this story, I am often skeptical of WWII authors who have never experienced the reality of war. I can say without equivocation that Paulette Mahurin has captured the intense dilemma, fears, and terror of a middle-class family living in pre-war Germany. More especially because they had friendships with Jews.
Jurgen, the eldest child, became entangled in the Nazi regime’s mandates, thus causing a family crisis. It created an environment where the mother, father, grandmother, and teenage daughter, Christa, had to face a daily pretense of acknowledging the Nazi regime’s extreme anti-Semitism.
The author carefully illustrates each character’s different role in this unfolding drama. She describes no one more skillfully than Christa, whose impetuous youth requires constant cautioning against her attachment to Paul, a Jewish boy.
It is this youthful anguish of Christa that Paulette Mahurin so brilliantly portrays as she grows older and schemes to thwart the Nazi threat that would separate her from Paul, whom she loves. Interestingly, throughout the narrative, the author reveals Christa’s attachment to Max, her adopted canine companion, with such insight that the dog’s character and behavior warm the story. (It reminded me of my experience with a neighbor’s dog that I used to play with during the war. Max became to me as real as my own memory).
The story’s climax is full of drama and nail-biting tension right up to the end. I recommend this book for its authenticity and readability.
As a survivor of WWII but from a different theater of the war than this story, I am often skeptical of WWII authors who have never experienced the reality of war. I can say without equivocation that Paulette Mahurin has captured the intense dilemma, fears, and terror of a middle-class family living in pre-war Germany. More especially because they had friendships with Jews.
Jurgen, the eldest child, became entangled in the Nazi regime’s mandates, thus causing a family crisis. It created an environment where the mother, father, grandmother, and teenage daughter, Christa, had to face a daily pretense of acknowledging the Nazi regime’s extreme anti-Semitism.
The author carefully illustrates each character’s different role in this unfolding drama. She describes no one more skillfully than Christa, whose impetuous youth requires constant cautioning against her attachment to Paul, a Jewish boy.
It is this youthful anguish of Christa that Paulette Mahurin so brilliantly portrays as she grows older and schemes to thwart the Nazi threat that would separate her from Paul, whom she loves. Interestingly, throughout the narrative, the author reveals Christa’s attachment to Max, her adopted canine companion, with such insight that the dog’s character and behavior warm the story. (It reminded me of my experience with a neighbor’s dog that I used to play with during the war. Max became to me as real as my own memory).
The story’s climax is full of drama and nail-biting tension right up to the end. I recommend this book for its authenticity and readability.
October 24, 2024
TWO NECKLACES, by Paulette Mahurin, is a multidimensional story that layers an intriguing and compelling love story on a dynamically changing background of the devolution of German society after the First World War. The reader experiences the impact of the Nazi plan to regiment its citizens through the eyes of Christa, first when she’s 14 and over the next 6 years as she comes of age. What makes this story more fascinating is that it is based on a real-life experience related to the author by the woman who lived it.
The love story is a familiar tale of “forbidden” love, in this case a Christian girl and a Jewish boy. But the social barriers to their relationship pales in light of the Nazi regime’s war non-Aryan’s, especially Jews. We are introduced to the tenants of this war as Christa attends a compulsory meeting of the Band of German Maidens (BDM) where her obligations to the Third Reich are made clear: become a dedicated wife to an Aryan man and have lots of Aryan babies. At first, Christa is caught up in the enthusiastic reaction of the young women in attendance. But when the speaker insisted that it was their obligation to report anyone acting contrary to the rules of the regime, including family, Christa balks. It is this loyalty to family that guides her through the next six years, through family tragedies, and that establishes her values.
As the rules of the Nazi regime become more draconian, as the oppression of Jews and other ethnic groups becomes increasingly brutal, Christa finds herself in love with a boy her government wants to murder. The penalties for anyone objecting to these policies are severe. Watching her love story unfold made the book an enjoyable read. But for me, it wasn’t just the story of forbidden love that caught my attention, but the way the story reveals how a political force used fear to drive a society of good, moral people to support the polices of a madman. As Christa ages and the Nazi grip on society tightens, the individual’s right to self-determination is lost, not all at once, but incrementally.
Christa’s quest to be with the one she loves exposes what is lost when a society turns on its own. A lesson I hope isn’t too late for the learning.
A gripping and enlightening book. Well done.
The love story is a familiar tale of “forbidden” love, in this case a Christian girl and a Jewish boy. But the social barriers to their relationship pales in light of the Nazi regime’s war non-Aryan’s, especially Jews. We are introduced to the tenants of this war as Christa attends a compulsory meeting of the Band of German Maidens (BDM) where her obligations to the Third Reich are made clear: become a dedicated wife to an Aryan man and have lots of Aryan babies. At first, Christa is caught up in the enthusiastic reaction of the young women in attendance. But when the speaker insisted that it was their obligation to report anyone acting contrary to the rules of the regime, including family, Christa balks. It is this loyalty to family that guides her through the next six years, through family tragedies, and that establishes her values.
As the rules of the Nazi regime become more draconian, as the oppression of Jews and other ethnic groups becomes increasingly brutal, Christa finds herself in love with a boy her government wants to murder. The penalties for anyone objecting to these policies are severe. Watching her love story unfold made the book an enjoyable read. But for me, it wasn’t just the story of forbidden love that caught my attention, but the way the story reveals how a political force used fear to drive a society of good, moral people to support the polices of a madman. As Christa ages and the Nazi grip on society tightens, the individual’s right to self-determination is lost, not all at once, but incrementally.
Christa’s quest to be with the one she loves exposes what is lost when a society turns on its own. A lesson I hope isn’t too late for the learning.
A gripping and enlightening book. Well done.
January 20, 2025
Two Necklaces tells the tale of Nazi Germany through the eyes of Christa, a teenage girl, offering a unique perspective on the era. Fully aware of the risks involved in going against the regime, youthful hope pushes her to make choices a more seasoned and prudent woman might not have made in her same situation.
With rose-colored glasses, Christa pursues a forbidden relationship in a deadly time. Her inner desires compete with the sound advice of close family as she takes huge chances in the name of love, risking herself and her family in the process.
Follow Christa’s struggle with young adulthood under unimaginable circumstances. Her naivety just might save a life.
With rose-colored glasses, Christa pursues a forbidden relationship in a deadly time. Her inner desires compete with the sound advice of close family as she takes huge chances in the name of love, risking herself and her family in the process.
Follow Christa’s struggle with young adulthood under unimaginable circumstances. Her naivety just might save a life.
January 19, 2025
I received a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars
Such a beautiful story. This was extremely well written and the author did a wonderful job making the reader want to continue to know how everything comes together.
4 stars
Such a beautiful story. This was extremely well written and the author did a wonderful job making the reader want to continue to know how everything comes together.
December 27, 2024
Creating fear in the hearts and minds of the German people was a fear of Christa. Beginning to attend meetings of the league of German girls and trying to share their ideas and more with her brother turned into a family nightmare. He refuses to not say goodbye to Arthur his Jewish friend and it leads him to be seriously injured where he might not survive. This causes her to think about the regime and their intentions. When you hear her Oma and mother talk and fear and anger are front and center and her father gave her a beautiful necklace saying it’s from her brother plus money from Oma and mom. But classes become more intense and her friend Vera will be gone and the fate of her brother yet to come. But things change and her life is about to center around classes and a job she’s required to do. But the necklace is about to be fixed by a Jewish jewelry and here is where the story takes a powerful turn. How can a young girl coming of age during the 1930’s understand the ideology of the German regime and the lies, propaganda and censorship plus deaths of so many who they feel are inferior. Christ is 14 st the start of this novel and attends the League of German Girls (BDM) and is taught about her future role plus told who she will marry. Plus Jurge her brothers fate for defending a Jewish friend and hurt but sent off to a remote hospital but will he survive? Meeting Paul with her Oma her life will take on a sad and heartfelt story. The initial interactions on pages 66-67 let’s out know how open minded as they meet and the relationship might move ahead.
In the spur of the moment she decides to visit Paul and heartfelt words as she teaks of losing her brother and Vera is gone plus his father and his dog. A sad story but you feel the tension between them.
Her parents in Berlin her father with a special request as Christa takes on responsibilities at the box factory while her mother is Beginning to attend meetings of the league family nightmare. He refuses to not say goodbye to Arthur his Jewish friend and it leads him to. This causes her to think about the regime and their intentions. When you hear her Oma and mother talk you know things are getting tense and meeting Paul will put a strain on her but with the help of Oma it might work.
You imagine living during that time and experiencing it along with Crista as the research is historically accurate and the events caused by the cruelties of the Nazis is terrifying and brings back why my grandmothers told me about the tortures they endured. A true to life story told to the author by a friend .
Then her mother is placed in a hospital for defying the rules to visit her brother and things get worse. Paul is her goal but going to him they are being watched and the situation has her Oma in a frenzy as Christa send him messages and hopes he gets them.
Then things change and she takes a chance having him come to her office and stay there but her mother is in danger her father has to deal with the Games and chapter 22 is where both she and Paul talk but will they ever clean up
What they say about Jewish people and what they did to a mother. Then of course Herr Kong her boss will he wonder why she’s there late? How did she manage keeping him there and what about the Olympic Games ? Then the games and they took medals but Paul being there put them in danger and what will happen if she sends him away? Oma is not happy and dealing with her mother who was not happy and Paul hiding and then telling her boss she had a question for her mother. He left how would the rest go? Then taking out the dog and will her father return?
The love of a sister and brother plus the moral conflicts faced and the injustice but yet small acts of kindness runs the gamut but there’s more before the final words are spoken. Paul leaves her father returns and leaves again and she wants to go with him on his ride but first he yells at his wife for going to see their son. Hate is strong and the Germans deserve what they dealt to us who are Jewish. Life might have changed but attitudes have not and we still see the remnants of the war every day as anti semitism is very much in the news .
Then the unthinkable happens as you hear her father’s terrifying words and actions as Christa wants to understand but there’s much fear and he had to cover up what really happened but are they in danger and why so angry ?
Going with her father news of a suicide and other events told on pages 150-151 and his comments about Paul. Then going about while he went to work and going to Paul’s house and what she sees would bring chills and fear as she sees the death of the dog but where is Paul. Then an interaction that will bring tears to your eyes.
The necklace has its power and the two will overpower you as they both create a sense of unbreakable hope and love during a time of hate.
As Paul and Christa determine how they will handle their feelings they’re neighbor Gertrude has her own way if interference and why help with her wedding? Dealing with her and her father drove Christa crazy and remarks about getting the undesirable elements out of society why deal with her?
Anger and her father leaves and gives orders to follow but then she hopes to send a message to Paul but this time she says it could compromise him and those helping. But what happens next is critical as Austria is now under German control and Paul needs the papers but seeing her is not top priority for those helping. Then poor Gertrude you won’t believe why!
Then Ursula is the seamstress why does she need to see her? You have to hear what she thinks might help Paul but her mother’s reaction will change it all.
Seeing Ursula solves one pro but how will endear you to Oma because of what she gave Christa to give her in payment for the passport. Poor Gertrude what happy to her is sad and where she winds up heartless and unfeeling. Her sadness disappears as she learns that she might see Paul but her true feelings are expressed in the final paragraph page 213. Gertrude sad the box factory fine and then her mother’s feelings about her seeing Paul and the situation how she would be transported did not sound great. Twenty minutes talk and see him and how would she plan to free him from the enclosure? Then the necklace for good luck. Will she succeed? A plan you won’t believe or agree with but will they get someone to do it?
You won’t believe what she got someone to write for her and will it be enough for her to be with Paul? Secrets, lies, risks and determination as Christa defies it all and with Ona helping with dog things and the medical information to show her parents, and written coauthor her mother because her consent but will she turn her out? Plus who did the report really belong to?
The next few days would mark her journey but not to where she was supposed to go. Time lagged but the women protecting her finally took her to where she bought her ticket will it take her to Paul? What about the horrors now because of the pogroms and where will it all end for her and Paul plus her family?
Some endings are not quite you’d expect and where she winds up proves that love just might overcome the horrors of war and what one sick and sadist created and destroyed so many did, would endear you to America, family , friends and the magical powers if Two Necklaces.
One determined young girl allows us to embrace her family and life as this story of hope, despair and an ending that will give you an understanding of hope, courage and determination.
Only author Paulette Muhurin could take us back in time to where the horrors began as one man named Hitler took aim at a people that will bring tears, images of horror and hope that this will ensure that we Never Forget.
Fran Lewis just reviews
April 14, 2025
Such a touching young adult novel set in Germany during the years of Hitler's ascension and into World War II.
Fifteen year old Christa, is an aspiring member of the BDM - Bundes Deutsche Mädel (League of German Girls). She enjoys camaraderie of her friends as they hike, learn life skills of good wives, and generally soak up the propaganda to which they are subjected. All is well, until her brother is injured and sent away for "recovery". As Christa matures, her eyes are opening and she makes a risky decision which involves her heart and soul and may well put her entire family at risk. Can Christa do the right thing, follow her heart, and protect those whom she loves?
Author Paulette Mahurin has delivered a touching tale rich with historical detail and thoughtful dialogue. The writing is solid; the characters well developed; and her historical research well incorporated into the story. The grizzly details of the Anschluss and of war are carefully rendered suiting it well for young minds. So many stories of World War II Germany focus on the sufferings of the "undesirables" (Jewish, Romany, Gay and Objectors). Yet, so seldom are we led to understand the fears and challenges endured by the German people themselves. That is a perspective which must also be examined if one wishes to better understand the dynamics.
I am grateful to Black Rose Writing for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: November 20, 2024
Number of Pages: 279
ISBN: 978-1685135133
Fifteen year old Christa, is an aspiring member of the BDM - Bundes Deutsche Mädel (League of German Girls). She enjoys camaraderie of her friends as they hike, learn life skills of good wives, and generally soak up the propaganda to which they are subjected. All is well, until her brother is injured and sent away for "recovery". As Christa matures, her eyes are opening and she makes a risky decision which involves her heart and soul and may well put her entire family at risk. Can Christa do the right thing, follow her heart, and protect those whom she loves?
Author Paulette Mahurin has delivered a touching tale rich with historical detail and thoughtful dialogue. The writing is solid; the characters well developed; and her historical research well incorporated into the story. The grizzly details of the Anschluss and of war are carefully rendered suiting it well for young minds. So many stories of World War II Germany focus on the sufferings of the "undesirables" (Jewish, Romany, Gay and Objectors). Yet, so seldom are we led to understand the fears and challenges endured by the German people themselves. That is a perspective which must also be examined if one wishes to better understand the dynamics.
I am grateful to Black Rose Writing for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: November 20, 2024
Number of Pages: 279
ISBN: 978-1685135133
February 14, 2025
Young Christa is a member of Hitler’s Youth Group for Girls. She and her friends enjoy the hiking, camping, and exercising they get to do as a group. Lately, though, since becoming teenagers, the girls are being taught about becoming good wives and bearing Aryan babies for the glory of the Fuhrer. And also about how Jews are responsible for all the problems that exist in Germany. Christa’s brother has a close friend that is Jewish, so she doesn’t really understand why so many Germans hate them. As Hitler’s regime grows ever stronger, and the Jews become relentlessly persecuted, the Nazi ideology began to affect Christa’s and her families’ lives in very personal, and very tragic ways…
An unputdownable novel about Nazi atrocities in Germany during the WW2, and about the choices that ordinary citizens had to make to keep loved ones and friends alive and safe through that time of terror.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
An unputdownable novel about Nazi atrocities in Germany during the WW2, and about the choices that ordinary citizens had to make to keep loved ones and friends alive and safe through that time of terror.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
January 25, 2025
Two Necklaces by Paulette Mahurin is a profoundly powerful story of struggles in nurturing of romantic young love between Christa, a young German woman, and Paul, a Jewish young man whose presence in Germany was life-threatening both for him and Christa and her family during the dangerous years of the rise of Nazism in 1930’s Germany. This fact-based novel is infused with steadfast heartfelt love that existed between Christa’s immediate family members so naturally deep that it transcended and conquered even the most horrifying adversities life can bring. And the Nazi regime developed into a blood-thirsty monster to whom nothing was sacred. Jews, in particular, suffered untold cruelties, persecution and injustices and Paul was no different. Those who helped Jews avoid death and concentration camps were treated as dangerous enemies of the state that must be exterminated like some vermin. Not human beings. And so, the secretive and furtive activities, the tricks, the barriers that needed to be raised between even bosom friends that were required in order to successfully help a Jew stay alive or flee Germany required utter determination in retaining one’s humanity even to own peril. It is through these activities, protected by human love within family members, despite it being threatened daily by the increasingly oppressive Nazi regime, to which many Germans surrendered in order to survive, that Christa succeeded in bringing herself and Paul to safety outside Germany, despite the grave dangers on that path. Within her family a constant deep respect and support for Jewish people remained despite her father becoming involved with the Nazi regime – in order to protect his family after having lost a young son when the Nazi regime murdered him because of his friendship with a Jewish boy. The book very ably takes us through countless moments of rescue-intent activities, some nail-bitingly tense, some anger-provoking at the regime, some heart-warmingly tender, in salvaging the humanness inherent to her family members amidst constant threats of peril. Hiding the helping of Jews viciously sapped her life energy like a hungry wolf feasting on prey, and her loving grandmother held her hand through most of it. Paul and Christa managed to flee Nazi Germany, happily ending up in the United States of America. Their enduring love for one another is the stuff of human tenacity amidst tragedy, persecution and unleashed evil many people can act upon. If a reader is in search of the extraordinary reasons why many have made it to the list of Righteous Among the Nations go no further. Read this book! It will bring home the truth in the phrase “love conquers all”! Ina Vukic, Prof. psych. (ZGB); B.A., M.A.Ps. (SYD), Sydney, Australia
December 6, 2024
A Tale of Yesterday That’s for Today
In Two Necklaces, Paulette Mahurin weaves an engrossing tale of pre-WWII Germany that takes the reader on a bitter journey from the early days to the post-war period. It’s the story of a young girl living in a remote village in southeast Germany who grows to maturity under the harsh strictures of the Nazi government.
The story begins on the eve of her fifteenth birthday as she is expected to attend meetings of the Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM or Band of German Maidens) where she is being taught the beliefs and behavior appropriate to proper young German girls under the new regime. Like other sufficiently pure German girls of her age, she will be expected to wed a blond, blue-eyed Aryan hero and produce a sizeable brood of unpolluted Aryan offspring.
As events unfold, she begins to see the horror of what she is being taught and what is being done. It becomes a tale of forbidden love fraught with danger as the tension increases and the reader is compelled to keep the pages turning. But above all, it is a masterful telling of the rise of fascism and the policies and organizations that enabled Nazism to exist and thrive. One cannot read it without drawing parallels to our current political environment. It’s a bleak reminder of how it happened in Germany and a blaring warning for us today.
In Two Necklaces, Paulette Mahurin weaves an engrossing tale of pre-WWII Germany that takes the reader on a bitter journey from the early days to the post-war period. It’s the story of a young girl living in a remote village in southeast Germany who grows to maturity under the harsh strictures of the Nazi government.
The story begins on the eve of her fifteenth birthday as she is expected to attend meetings of the Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM or Band of German Maidens) where she is being taught the beliefs and behavior appropriate to proper young German girls under the new regime. Like other sufficiently pure German girls of her age, she will be expected to wed a blond, blue-eyed Aryan hero and produce a sizeable brood of unpolluted Aryan offspring.
As events unfold, she begins to see the horror of what she is being taught and what is being done. It becomes a tale of forbidden love fraught with danger as the tension increases and the reader is compelled to keep the pages turning. But above all, it is a masterful telling of the rise of fascism and the policies and organizations that enabled Nazism to exist and thrive. One cannot read it without drawing parallels to our current political environment. It’s a bleak reminder of how it happened in Germany and a blaring warning for us today.
July 14, 2024
This is the first time I’ve read a book by Paulette Mahurahn and I’m a fan. There are many pre-WWII novels, but Two Necklaces is written from the unique point of view of Christa, a teen girl with a close family and a foursome of her friends Gertrude, Brigitte, and Vera. Readers follow Christa's journey from the early stages of Hitler rule in Germany through the end when she’s an adult. We watch her innocence shattered when friends and family are taken away. Families crumble among distrust. Hate overtakes a nation. The author navigates us with Christa through authentic settings and heartbreaking situations. We feel her joys and sorrows and experience her forbidden love. Will he escape? Will her family survive? The close and honest relationship Christa has with her grandmother is truly special. The author skillfully weaves the thread about two necklaces throughout the story to symbolize unbreakable relationships between loved ones. Two Necklaces is a story readers won’t soon forget.
July 3, 2024
Two Necklaces follows Christa, a young German woman, during the years leading up to World War II. As Hitler rises to power and the Nazi Party grows in influence, tensions grow within Christa’s family, especially after her brother is injured while defending a Jew against an anti-Semitic attack. When Christa falls in love with a Jewish man, she faces an impossible choice: risk the lives of herself and everyone she cares about to be with the man she loves or protect her family, knowing she may never see her love again.
Writing with a keen eye for detail and a sense of compassion, Paulette Mahurin examines Nazi Germany from a unique perspective. With its well-drawn characters and intriguing plot, Two Necklaces will keep you immersed in the story long after the final page. Don’t miss this book!
Writing with a keen eye for detail and a sense of compassion, Paulette Mahurin examines Nazi Germany from a unique perspective. With its well-drawn characters and intriguing plot, Two Necklaces will keep you immersed in the story long after the final page. Don’t miss this book!
December 29, 2024
Must read
Two Necklaces is an important perspective on the rise of fascism in Germany during the 1930’s. How citizens can be unbelievably cruel to their neighbors under a system that encourages scapegoating and discrimination. It’s almost similar to times we’re living through right now and a warning for how awful things could become if hatred is nourished rather than discouraged.
Christa is great. She has a big heart and tremendous empathy. She understands right from wrong even in a world that praises wrong over right. I loved Oma, she stands on business:) and is the perfect support system for Christa. Their mission to save Paul personalizes the important struggle of the time.
Two Necklaces is incredible and a must read.
Two Necklaces is an important perspective on the rise of fascism in Germany during the 1930’s. How citizens can be unbelievably cruel to their neighbors under a system that encourages scapegoating and discrimination. It’s almost similar to times we’re living through right now and a warning for how awful things could become if hatred is nourished rather than discouraged.
Christa is great. She has a big heart and tremendous empathy. She understands right from wrong even in a world that praises wrong over right. I loved Oma, she stands on business:) and is the perfect support system for Christa. Their mission to save Paul personalizes the important struggle of the time.
Two Necklaces is incredible and a must read.
January 20, 2025
Based on actual events this book reminds us that compassion and desire to do what's right is most important when facing evil.
Set in Germany in the 1930's, with the backdrop of the rise of Nazism, the book tells the story of Christa, a catholic young woman, who falls in love with a Jewish man and their relationship during these tumultuous times in history.
The author has given us an amazing very well researched story that embodies an historical fiction book, one that will grab you from beginning to end.
Set in Germany in the 1930's, with the backdrop of the rise of Nazism, the book tells the story of Christa, a catholic young woman, who falls in love with a Jewish man and their relationship during these tumultuous times in history.
The author has given us an amazing very well researched story that embodies an historical fiction book, one that will grab you from beginning to end.
March 23, 2025
Christa is a lovely German girl living at home with her parents and grandmother. Her father is a distinguished business man and her mother owns a box company. And her Oma, her beloved grandmother, all play roles in this gripping story of oncoming war and Hitler’s hate for the Jews.
The story begins in 1933 Germany when Hitler steals power and begins his lying insinuations about Jews being insignificant. Young girls like Christa are sent to BDM classes to learn how to hate, and to be groomed for marrying, or plainly, getting impregnated by German soldiers to produce more Aryan children.
Christa has three friends who attend these classes – Gertrude, Vera and Brigit. Of the three, Gertrude and Brigit are proud Germans and Jew haters, while both Christa and Vera are very uncomfortable with what they are learning and witnessing.
Christa’s brother gets ‘sent away’ for being seen with a Jew, and her parents are adamant about Christa not talking to or showing any concern for Jews. But Christa and her Oma are both compassionate people, and as the story unfolds, take on some very scary situations as their compassion cannot help but help a young Jewish man, Paul, who Oma knows well.
For Christa’s birthday, Oma gives her a pendant necklace, which somehow gets broken, and there the real story begins. Oma offers to take Christa to a distant town where she knows a jeweler who can repair it, but upon their arrival to her friend, Nahum’s house, learns he’s no longer alive, but his son Paul, now running the business out of his house, is. Christa feels an immediate attraction to Paul, and later sneaks out of her house to pay him another visit. He is forlorn and opens up to her about the neighbors terrorizing him and gives him her necklace because she says it’s lucky.
Christa’s friend Gertrude becomes a true nazi, not surprising as her father is the brother of the famed Rudolph Hess. Gertrude visits Christa and tells her how she snoops in her father’s briefcase and finds plans for the removal of Jews after the 1936 Olympics. Christa’s dad is hired by the Reich, against his will, to help with the architectural plans to eliminate Jews, while her mother is steeped in grief at what has happened to her brother.
Paul stows away to Ravensburg where Christa lives after his home was set ablaze and underground resistance alerts Christa, who helps to hide Paul. It is Oma who has contact with Paul’s German neighbor who gets the action going to try and save Paul amongst the fear and angst going on in the new nazi Germany. Christa’s growing fondness for Paul puts her in some dangerous situations as her and Oma plot to get Paul out of Germany, as Christa’s relentless desires sometimes has her forgetting that she is putting her own life on the line, while her father is away from home months at a time working on plans for SS Himler to build concentration camps. As Oma’s plan to help save Paul puts the family in peril, a second necklace comes into play to help save Paul’s life.
I couldn’t put this book down in this gripping tale of good German’s risking their own lives to save one Jew from the likes of Hitler and his monsterous nazi regime. I’ve read many books and watched many documentaries on the horrors of the nazis and their capabilities and their zero regard for human life, but this story takes us on a journey through the other side of things – compassionate Germans who are against the regime, risking their own lives in secret to save the lives of others.
This book is a fast-paced page-turning read as we get a glimpse of war and hatred from the view of citizens who are unwillingly trapped in it, and a good look at human compassion that can still exist in a time where that alone could get one killed.
The story begins in 1933 Germany when Hitler steals power and begins his lying insinuations about Jews being insignificant. Young girls like Christa are sent to BDM classes to learn how to hate, and to be groomed for marrying, or plainly, getting impregnated by German soldiers to produce more Aryan children.
Christa has three friends who attend these classes – Gertrude, Vera and Brigit. Of the three, Gertrude and Brigit are proud Germans and Jew haters, while both Christa and Vera are very uncomfortable with what they are learning and witnessing.
Christa’s brother gets ‘sent away’ for being seen with a Jew, and her parents are adamant about Christa not talking to or showing any concern for Jews. But Christa and her Oma are both compassionate people, and as the story unfolds, take on some very scary situations as their compassion cannot help but help a young Jewish man, Paul, who Oma knows well.
For Christa’s birthday, Oma gives her a pendant necklace, which somehow gets broken, and there the real story begins. Oma offers to take Christa to a distant town where she knows a jeweler who can repair it, but upon their arrival to her friend, Nahum’s house, learns he’s no longer alive, but his son Paul, now running the business out of his house, is. Christa feels an immediate attraction to Paul, and later sneaks out of her house to pay him another visit. He is forlorn and opens up to her about the neighbors terrorizing him and gives him her necklace because she says it’s lucky.
Christa’s friend Gertrude becomes a true nazi, not surprising as her father is the brother of the famed Rudolph Hess. Gertrude visits Christa and tells her how she snoops in her father’s briefcase and finds plans for the removal of Jews after the 1936 Olympics. Christa’s dad is hired by the Reich, against his will, to help with the architectural plans to eliminate Jews, while her mother is steeped in grief at what has happened to her brother.
Paul stows away to Ravensburg where Christa lives after his home was set ablaze and underground resistance alerts Christa, who helps to hide Paul. It is Oma who has contact with Paul’s German neighbor who gets the action going to try and save Paul amongst the fear and angst going on in the new nazi Germany. Christa’s growing fondness for Paul puts her in some dangerous situations as her and Oma plot to get Paul out of Germany, as Christa’s relentless desires sometimes has her forgetting that she is putting her own life on the line, while her father is away from home months at a time working on plans for SS Himler to build concentration camps. As Oma’s plan to help save Paul puts the family in peril, a second necklace comes into play to help save Paul’s life.
I couldn’t put this book down in this gripping tale of good German’s risking their own lives to save one Jew from the likes of Hitler and his monsterous nazi regime. I’ve read many books and watched many documentaries on the horrors of the nazis and their capabilities and their zero regard for human life, but this story takes us on a journey through the other side of things – compassionate Germans who are against the regime, risking their own lives in secret to save the lives of others.
This book is a fast-paced page-turning read as we get a glimpse of war and hatred from the view of citizens who are unwillingly trapped in it, and a good look at human compassion that can still exist in a time where that alone could get one killed.
July 29, 2024
This was one of those ‘read-in-one sitting’ books for me.
What must it be like to be a teenager in a country on the brink of unimaginable political and societal change? Paulette Mahurin’s powerfully empathetic re-imagining of a young girl’s coming of age in 1930s Germany explores existential questions that will strike a chord with many readers - the growing tolerance of the intolerable through relentless propaganda, inflammatory political rhetoric, and increasing censorship, the courage to follow individual conscience in the face of ideological conformism, the anguish caused by conflicting loyalties and the consequences of our actions on others.
The book opens in 1933 in the beautiful countryside of Ravensbruck where 14-year-old Christa, attending meetings of The League of German Girls (BDM), is instructed in her future role - that of dutiful wife to a suitable man and producer of Aryan babies for Hitler’s Third Reich. She is also instructed in her duty to report to the authorities anyone not toeing the party line, even members of her family.
Her growing unease about the moral credibility of these new guidelines is swiftly borne out by what happens to her brother Jurgen, courageously trying to defend a Jewish friend. After being injured, Jurgen is bundled off to a remote 'hospital', his fate unknown. When the truth emerges, fault lines appear in the previously united family, leaving Christa with her defiantly non-conformist grandmother (loved her!) as her only confidante. It is through her that Christa discovers some astonishing family secrets, one of which sparks the book’s romantic theme, a story of a forbidden love set against a background of terrifying antisemitism which will test the family unity even further and engross the reader until the end.
Two gifts, two necklaces that will change a young girl's destiny. The inestimable comfort of a loving pet in an incomprehensible world. The kindness of strangers. The way the book's themes resonate with our world today. The ray of hope at the end that is the author’s signature. These are just some of the touches that make this book, based, like 'The Seven Year Dress', on a true story, another terrific read from a rightly acclaimed chronicler of historical fiction. Highly recommended.
(An aside – readers of Ms Mahurin’s blog will know profits from her books go to rescue dogs from kill shelters. In a rare personal touch, one of the wonderful characters in 'Two Necklaces' is Max, a Rottweiler with melting eyes, a stubby tail and a heart full of love.)
What must it be like to be a teenager in a country on the brink of unimaginable political and societal change? Paulette Mahurin’s powerfully empathetic re-imagining of a young girl’s coming of age in 1930s Germany explores existential questions that will strike a chord with many readers - the growing tolerance of the intolerable through relentless propaganda, inflammatory political rhetoric, and increasing censorship, the courage to follow individual conscience in the face of ideological conformism, the anguish caused by conflicting loyalties and the consequences of our actions on others.
The book opens in 1933 in the beautiful countryside of Ravensbruck where 14-year-old Christa, attending meetings of The League of German Girls (BDM), is instructed in her future role - that of dutiful wife to a suitable man and producer of Aryan babies for Hitler’s Third Reich. She is also instructed in her duty to report to the authorities anyone not toeing the party line, even members of her family.
Her growing unease about the moral credibility of these new guidelines is swiftly borne out by what happens to her brother Jurgen, courageously trying to defend a Jewish friend. After being injured, Jurgen is bundled off to a remote 'hospital', his fate unknown. When the truth emerges, fault lines appear in the previously united family, leaving Christa with her defiantly non-conformist grandmother (loved her!) as her only confidante. It is through her that Christa discovers some astonishing family secrets, one of which sparks the book’s romantic theme, a story of a forbidden love set against a background of terrifying antisemitism which will test the family unity even further and engross the reader until the end.
Two gifts, two necklaces that will change a young girl's destiny. The inestimable comfort of a loving pet in an incomprehensible world. The kindness of strangers. The way the book's themes resonate with our world today. The ray of hope at the end that is the author’s signature. These are just some of the touches that make this book, based, like 'The Seven Year Dress', on a true story, another terrific read from a rightly acclaimed chronicler of historical fiction. Highly recommended.
(An aside – readers of Ms Mahurin’s blog will know profits from her books go to rescue dogs from kill shelters. In a rare personal touch, one of the wonderful characters in 'Two Necklaces' is Max, a Rottweiler with melting eyes, a stubby tail and a heart full of love.)
December 3, 2024
On one level, Two Necklaces is the story of a forbidden love, but on a deeper level, it shows us how easily we can be led down the dark path of suspicion and hatred while believing in our hearts of hearts that we’re taking the moral high road. It’s what Hitler excelled at, and the propaganda machine worked unceasingly in the early days of his power, brainwashing and conditioning the populace to believe without question what they were told. It’s a frightening scenario, and one that Paulette Mahurin reveals with expertise in this well-crafted reminder of what we lose when we surrender who we are. The process begins slowly, but like a drop of water on a blotter, the stain of hatred spreads unless and until a barrier arises to stop its progress.
No one is safe. The family, which should be a refuge from the travails of the world outside, becomes just another battleground as children betray their parents and parents their children. The barriers, however, do exist. Individuals who are willing to risk everything, including their lives, to save others are all that stand between Hitler and his goal of world domination.
The story is told from the point of view of Christa, a teenaged girl living in a well-to-do family in Ravensburg. As she watches the world fall apart around her, her father become distant and troubled, and her mother overcome with grief over an incalculable loss, Christa discovers that not everyone has fallen under Hitler’s spell. Goodness still exists, although it’s gone underground. It’s the Resistance, and those who’ve chosen this path are the true heroes of this time. Some are family. Others are strangers. Many didn’t survive the war, but they kept hope alive. In her own small way, Christa finds her place with them as she works to free the one she loves and build a future without hate. It’s a book for our time.
Highly recommended.
No one is safe. The family, which should be a refuge from the travails of the world outside, becomes just another battleground as children betray their parents and parents their children. The barriers, however, do exist. Individuals who are willing to risk everything, including their lives, to save others are all that stand between Hitler and his goal of world domination.
The story is told from the point of view of Christa, a teenaged girl living in a well-to-do family in Ravensburg. As she watches the world fall apart around her, her father become distant and troubled, and her mother overcome with grief over an incalculable loss, Christa discovers that not everyone has fallen under Hitler’s spell. Goodness still exists, although it’s gone underground. It’s the Resistance, and those who’ve chosen this path are the true heroes of this time. Some are family. Others are strangers. Many didn’t survive the war, but they kept hope alive. In her own small way, Christa finds her place with them as she works to free the one she loves and build a future without hate. It’s a book for our time.
Highly recommended.
December 13, 2024
Being a teenager is never easy, especially when one is a smart and independent thinker who questions authority. But being one in 1930’s Nazi Germany, is downright dangerous. “Two Necklaces” by Paulette Mahurin tells the story of Christa Becker. At the beginning of the novel, she is just fourteen-years-old and forced to attend meetings of the League of German Girls, which prepares young German woman for their futures as wives and mothers. Around them, civil society is falling apart with outbreaks of violent anti-Semitism and measures to get rid of other so-called detriments to society. The Becker family learns the hard way that standing up to social injustices causes even more harm the sympathizers. When Christa meets Paul, a Jewish jeweler sought out to repair a precious necklace, it is pretty much love at first sight for the two of them. Every aspect of this relationship is fraught with danger, but as often with young lovers, Christa is willing to risk everything as long as she can be with Paul.
This is a wonderful page turner that highlights what was going on in Nazi Germany before World War II and the events leading up to the Holocaust that continue to shock the world today. While “Two Necklaces” isn’t exactly a YA novel, I do think that teens and young adults who might be unfamiliar with this era in history would enjoy having a young protagonist they can relate to and that they’d find this book a real eye opener. In fact, I think this book should be on the shelves of every high school library in the United States.
This is a wonderful page turner that highlights what was going on in Nazi Germany before World War II and the events leading up to the Holocaust that continue to shock the world today. While “Two Necklaces” isn’t exactly a YA novel, I do think that teens and young adults who might be unfamiliar with this era in history would enjoy having a young protagonist they can relate to and that they’d find this book a real eye opener. In fact, I think this book should be on the shelves of every high school library in the United States.
June 26, 2025
In this emotional and tragic new World War II historical fiction novel, readers travel to 1930s Germany where Hitler has come to power and begun to transform society. Christa Becker begins attending the League of German Girls meetings and starts to share their ideology, but her brother Jurgen maintains a friendship with a Jewish friend and suffers the consequences. Witnessing this punishment, Christa begins to question the Reich and finds herself developing a relationship with Jewish jeweler Paul and the determination to maintain this relationship despite the risks she, Paul, and her family will face. The characters are the throughline of this powerful story, and their relationships are particularly well-written and pull readers into the story. The intense and dramatic background of Third Reich Germany adds a lot of tension and drama, and the looming dread and anticipation really help flesh out this novel’s stakes and the atmosphere of this vividly described setting. Christa’s transformation over the course of the novel is really well-done and offers a very interesting perspective on the historical events which transpire in the novel. Fascinating, emotional, and well-written, this historical fiction novel is a fascinating insight into German girlhood and young adulthood under the Third Reich.
Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the advance copy.
June 27, 2024
The Two Necklaces is a novel based on the true story of a German girl who falls in love with a Jewish man in the period just before WWII tares Europe apart, how her family protects him as they find a way to move him out of the country. Christa is a giddy young teen looking forward to one day falling in love when she and her girlfriends are forced to join the Bund Deutscher Mädel, a league of young women who will eventually be expected to have children with pure Aryan stock. Emotions flare when her brother goes missing, and girls are ordered to report anyone supporting Jews. What makes this story unique in the realms of escape from WWII Germany stories is the unrelenting persistence of love in the face of adversity, resiliency and family secrets, and the strength of three generations of women faced with the worst of all possible circumstances in modern history: watching their beloved country be torn apart by hate and fear. Mahurin’s heartfelt and detail rich storytelling keeps us engaged as the story unfolds. I loved the interaction between Christa, her Oma, and her mother as they navigate the heart wrenching terrain of conflict and despair and the hope for love’s survival. This is a 5 star read.
November 12, 2024
This is a young adult novel set in Germany in the days leading up to WWII, but it takes the unusual perspective of a German teenager in love with a Jewish man. She refuses to buy into the Nazi propaganda, and rebels against the “rules” imposed by the regime.
I found it unrealistic, notably the instalove and the accelerated relationship, given the very little time the lovebirds spent together. I also found it repetitive, for example, we repeatedly hear how much Crista loves Paul (who she barely knows). It was tiresome, as was her petulance. And I could have done without all the talk about her feelings for the dog too, (who she described as her teacher and her best friend, which I thought was odd). Finally, the dialog is not the best. For example, there was one line that went something like: Please live, Paul. We can reunite and make babies.
I suspect that the book would appeal more to the younger audience that I believe it was intended for, rather than a cynical middle-aged woman like myself. I would have given up on it if I hadn’t won the book and felt obliged to finish it for this review.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.
I found it unrealistic, notably the instalove and the accelerated relationship, given the very little time the lovebirds spent together. I also found it repetitive, for example, we repeatedly hear how much Crista loves Paul (who she barely knows). It was tiresome, as was her petulance. And I could have done without all the talk about her feelings for the dog too, (who she described as her teacher and her best friend, which I thought was odd). Finally, the dialog is not the best. For example, there was one line that went something like: Please live, Paul. We can reunite and make babies.
I suspect that the book would appeal more to the younger audience that I believe it was intended for, rather than a cynical middle-aged woman like myself. I would have given up on it if I hadn’t won the book and felt obliged to finish it for this review.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.
December 18, 2024
This moving story in Two Necklaces is set against the harrowing backdrop of 1930s Germany. The narrative pulls you into the life of Christa Becker, a young girl navigating the complexities of loyalty, love, and moral courage in a world darkened by hate. Christa’s journey is one of immense bravery, and her relationship with Paul, a Jewish jeweler, is as tender as it is heartbreaking.
Paulette Mahurin’s has a great attention to historical detail, immersing the characters and readers in the era without ever feeling overwhelming. Instead, the story’s heart lies in the human connections—the love between Christa and Paul, the bond with her brother Jürgen, and the moral conflict that shapes her growth. It’s a poignant reminder of how acts of kindness and defiance, no matter how small, can make an impact in times of profound injustice.
This book left me reflecting on the resilience and the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it feels impossible. If you enjoy historical fiction with emotional depth and characters who stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page, Two Necklaces is a must-read.
Five heartfelt stars for this beautiful, thought-provoking novel.
Paulette Mahurin’s has a great attention to historical detail, immersing the characters and readers in the era without ever feeling overwhelming. Instead, the story’s heart lies in the human connections—the love between Christa and Paul, the bond with her brother Jürgen, and the moral conflict that shapes her growth. It’s a poignant reminder of how acts of kindness and defiance, no matter how small, can make an impact in times of profound injustice.
This book left me reflecting on the resilience and the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it feels impossible. If you enjoy historical fiction with emotional depth and characters who stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page, Two Necklaces is a must-read.
Five heartfelt stars for this beautiful, thought-provoking novel.
February 19, 2025
I'm sad that I'm rating this book lower than it appears the average reader believes it deserves. I feel like I'm missing something important to appreciate the book. I admittedly haven't finished the book, I made it to 27% complete before I just couldn't keep going.
The writing style is strange and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to read it like a journal entry of the teenage main character. The phrasing and grammar is very journal like, train-of-thought. Up to where I am, the pace jumps from being too slow to too quick and back again. Sometimes a particular event will take an entire chapter to explain, making me think it must be important to the plot only for that event to never be brought up again or even cause a noticeable shift in the characters. Sometimes entire days will pass between sentences in one paragraph.
There must be some shift in the story after where I read to as everyone is describing a romance, but so far I'm 1/3 of the way in and just following a teenage girl around in her day to day life.
However, the topic of Nazi Germany and how the everyday citizens interacted with changing policies, climate, and their relationships with targeted citizens is very interesting and educational.
The writing style is strange and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to read it like a journal entry of the teenage main character. The phrasing and grammar is very journal like, train-of-thought. Up to where I am, the pace jumps from being too slow to too quick and back again. Sometimes a particular event will take an entire chapter to explain, making me think it must be important to the plot only for that event to never be brought up again or even cause a noticeable shift in the characters. Sometimes entire days will pass between sentences in one paragraph.
There must be some shift in the story after where I read to as everyone is describing a romance, but so far I'm 1/3 of the way in and just following a teenage girl around in her day to day life.
However, the topic of Nazi Germany and how the everyday citizens interacted with changing policies, climate, and their relationships with targeted citizens is very interesting and educational.
June 19, 2024
Two Necklaces is a well-written WWII coming-of-age story. The stage is set when Christa, a German girl enters a BDM meeting (Translation—League of German Girls, the female section of the Hitler Youth group). As she attends more meetings, she feels her morals are being compromised, she is intimidated, and she becomes wary of the changes happening around her, including what has transpired within her own home. When a shocking blow strikes the family, her family is torn apart, not only physically, but emotionally. While on an errand with her steadfast grandmother, Christa meets Paul, a young Jewish man, whom she is immediately drawn to. Paul’s situation becomes ever more precarious as the German fascist government becomes increasingly aggressive toward Jews and ‘undesirables.’ With the love and support of her steadfast Oma, Christa will stop at nothing to keep Paul safe.
Loosely based on the life of the writer’s friend who lived through the trials of rising Nazism in Germany during the 1930’s, Mahurin weaves an intriguing tale of a forbidden love between a young German woman and her Jewish lover.
Loosely based on the life of the writer’s friend who lived through the trials of rising Nazism in Germany during the 1930’s, Mahurin weaves an intriguing tale of a forbidden love between a young German woman and her Jewish lover.
October 10, 2024
Two Necklaces is a very well written book, generally highlighting the changes in Germany from when the Nazi party came to power in 1933, with their ever increasing control over the people through fear and intimidation, turning otherwise good people against their families and neighbours. This story is about the ‘Becker’ family, told by Christa who dares to think for herself at a time when that very act was dangerous, even life-threatening. so highlights The League of German Girls (BDM), a female version of the Hitler Youth program but there is a lot more to this historical novel that I strongly recommend to every reader.
The story around which the novel was written is based on the life of this writer’s friend who lived in Germany during the 1930’s and is yet another excellent example of the persecution of ‘good people’ in a country under a dictatorship, fuelled by racial hate and evil ideals. This book also reminded me as the reader; of the ever present danger of authoritarian leaders using their power and influence with other like minded associates, to implement questionable, even undesirable policies on the populace of any country.
The story around which the novel was written is based on the life of this writer’s friend who lived in Germany during the 1930’s and is yet another excellent example of the persecution of ‘good people’ in a country under a dictatorship, fuelled by racial hate and evil ideals. This book also reminded me as the reader; of the ever present danger of authoritarian leaders using their power and influence with other like minded associates, to implement questionable, even undesirable policies on the populace of any country.
June 16, 2024
If you think you’ve read enough books about the rise of the Nazi party and their horrific persecution of the Jews, think again. The topic acquires freshness in the skilled hands of author Paulette Mahurin. The author distills this terrible chapter of history into a poignant coming-of-age story about a German girl named Christa and her family in the 1930s. At the outset, teenaged Christa is enthusiastic about Hitler and his new regime—but before long, this spirited and inquisitive girl finds herself disagreeing with their ideology. When she becomes enamored of a young Jewish jeweler named Paul, we fear nothing good can come of the attraction.
Where the story goes from there is sometimes frightening, often surprising, and always compelling. Mahurin brings us a family that’s likeable but flawed, stressed to the breaking point by their conflicting emotions of moral outrage and the will to survive. I especially liked the relationship between Christa and her delightful grandmother (Oma)—and of course, the romance between Christa and Paul. Recommended reading!
Where the story goes from there is sometimes frightening, often surprising, and always compelling. Mahurin brings us a family that’s likeable but flawed, stressed to the breaking point by their conflicting emotions of moral outrage and the will to survive. I especially liked the relationship between Christa and her delightful grandmother (Oma)—and of course, the romance between Christa and Paul. Recommended reading!
January 22, 2025
A Story of Love and its Ability to Overcome
TWO NECKLACES by Paulette Mahurin is a tale of star-crossed lovers who overcome unbelievable obstacles to be together. Christa, a teenaged Christian German, and Paul, a Jew, fall madly in love upon first they meet. The intensity of their attraction spurs Christa, who refuses to accept she may never see him again. This drives her to dangerous actions, not just for her, but for her whole family.
But what I found the most interesting about this book is the historical details about life for citizens of Germany during the Hitler Regime. Mahurin’s expert writing made me feel the stress and strain of their living in fear. It wasn’t only the so-called undesirables who suffered the threat of concentration camps or death if they didn’t do as they were told, the German population was also under the thumb of Hitler.
I couldn’t stop thinking about this story until I had finished it, but it will have a lingering effect on me for a long time.
TWO NECKLACES by Paulette Mahurin is a tale of star-crossed lovers who overcome unbelievable obstacles to be together. Christa, a teenaged Christian German, and Paul, a Jew, fall madly in love upon first they meet. The intensity of their attraction spurs Christa, who refuses to accept she may never see him again. This drives her to dangerous actions, not just for her, but for her whole family.
But what I found the most interesting about this book is the historical details about life for citizens of Germany during the Hitler Regime. Mahurin’s expert writing made me feel the stress and strain of their living in fear. It wasn’t only the so-called undesirables who suffered the threat of concentration camps or death if they didn’t do as they were told, the German population was also under the thumb of Hitler.
I couldn’t stop thinking about this story until I had finished it, but it will have a lingering effect on me for a long time.
May 27, 2024
One of Mahurin's best, a great prequel to The Seven Year Dress. A stark reminder of what so many countries face today heading to the cliff's edge of fascism, this remarkable story focuses on the early 1930s to the start of WW2 with Hitler's rise to power. Because he wasn't stopped, because millions feared speaking truth to power - and became brainwashed - millions others died. Centering around protagonist Christa, the reader is introduced to Hitler's lying propaganda and how a destitute nation bought into the lies. While millions were targeted, this story centers on Christa's breaking free from the mindset the Nazi' are enforcing. In her evolution to see what is true for herself, she meets and falls in love with a Jewish man. The story moves at a fast paced and I'm up into the night reading, wanting more, hoping for the best, but… no spoilers here. Reading this opened my eyes. Opened my heart. I'll read it again. And again. Highly recommend.
June 16, 2024
Two Necklaces is a beautifully crafted story that should be widely read and discussed. The author deftly weaves the story of forbidden love between a young man, Paul, who is Jewish, and a young woman, Christa, who is a Christian, and the special bond and love between Christa and her grandmother. This is a narrative that will resonate with readers of all ages. The setting is pre-WWII Germany, providing a cultural context to the story. It was a time when Germany was about to host the Olympic games in 1936, and Hitler wanted to show the world a different face and place from the one that would emerge after the games ended.
It is mainly through the rich dialogue that we learn how Hitler and the powerful SS, tried to manipulate and control the German people through fear and intimidation, turning otherwise good people against their family and neighbors, and how a few good people stood up to his tyranny and heinous crimes. A five-star book!
It is mainly through the rich dialogue that we learn how Hitler and the powerful SS, tried to manipulate and control the German people through fear and intimidation, turning otherwise good people against their family and neighbors, and how a few good people stood up to his tyranny and heinous crimes. A five-star book!
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