All She Ever Wished For: A Heartbreaking Family Drama Based on a True Story

by Sharon Ozan

In a life full of hardship and strife, all she ever really wished for was to be loved.

Ukraine, 1941. Ever since she was born, Bella Kaplan could not please her strict and unloving mother, Nina. Stubborn and wild, Bella was the exact opposite of her perfect older sister, Sofia. Life for Bella was already difficult, but everything took a turn for the worse when the Nazis entered her hometown, forcing her and her family to flee. Years later, returning home after the war, they discover a ruined house and a life they must rebuild from scratch.

Living in poverty and constantly berated by her mother, Bella learns not to expect much from life. But despite the hardships and cruelty she faces, deep down in her heart, she knows she deserves better. She knows she deserves to be loved.

Fed up with following Nina’s orders, Bella decides to leave everything behind and build a life for herself. She enrolls in a university in a faraway city and falls for Anatoly, a handsome young man her mother would never approve of, simply because he is not Jewish.

But just when Bella thinks she finally has it all, her life begins to unravel. Between an alcoholic husband and a son who resents her, Bella cannot escape her mother’s scathing judgment. Can Bella live the life she always wanted? Or will she always be haunted by the one thing she most desired—her mother’s love?

All She Ever Wished For is based on the true story of a woman’s journey toward self-acceptance, independence and forgiveness, perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer and Barbara Davis.

Genres: Historical Fiction

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2025

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to put down. The main character, Bella, fought to get where she was in Russia to live a better life and again in Isreal. I truly enjoyed this book and following Bella through her life.

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Self-Worth Amidst Family Trauma...

"All She Ever Wished For" is a moving depiction of overcoming adversity. Bella Kaplan's voyage from war-torn Ukraine to decades of emotional suffering is the subject of a captivating narrative by Sharon Ozan. Bella Kaplan's path from war-torn Ukraine over decades of emotional pain is brilliantly told by Sharon Ozan. The author creates an honest tale by deftly capturing the complexity of mother-daughter relationships against the backdrop of historical change.

The book's best quality is its analysis of how our pursuit of love and acceptance is shaped by family scars. As Bella seeks for independence through school and marriage, readers witness her internal conflict between defying her mother's criticism and gaining her favor. This truly affecting story of self-discovery reminds us that healing begins with accepting our own worth, even when people closest to us do not. A beautiful reminder that seeking love begins with self-acceptance. Highly recommended. I volunteered to review a complimentary copy of this book.

[PAMpublish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a long but comprehensive true story about Bella, now in a senior living facility in Israel, who relates her story of love and losses during their family's flight from Ukraine during WWII. Very young after losing her beloved father and the survival situation of her mother and older sister who meets up with an aunt during their flight to a safer Russian territory. Complicated family issues and conflicting personalities leads Bella to feeling emotionally ostracized from her family seeking love elsewhere. Extremely independent and smart, she's able to advance in her profession, until she and her new husband follows her sister's family to Israel where freedom abounds but not job opportunities. Yet, her resentment abounds at being left the responsibilities of their aging mother by her older sister. Included is her son by her first husband who causes an extreme rift between them. A excellent deep purview of a young woman attempting to survive the most difficult times for those who prefer a historical biography.

[Myrtle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complex and almost unlovable main character

I found Bella to be self-centered and driven, a woman waging a war with the world. Unyielding and almost selfish. I kept reading hoping she would soften and become human, but it’s a complex character and very reflective of some people’s real life personality. This isn’t a feel good book it’s simply someone’s life. It was worth my time.

[Betsy Fatzinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Especially with Ukraine so much in the news these days this was a very timely read. I related to this woman who never really knew her father and who had a tough life. I wanted to read the epilogue and lost it somehow in my kindle.

[Christine McClean · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book

I loved this book,I loved reading Bella's life story. Like everyone she made a lot of mistakes, but I loved the way she kept moving forward no matter what life threw at her.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had expected. Partly because the main character was not particularly sympathetic. Partly because I find reading about WWII very difficult in today's political atmosphere.

[Sheilia Stodder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting!

This book held my interest and I truly enjoyed reading it! I am sure you will enjoy reading it also!

[roberta kelleher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This book was a great read.read it in a couple of days. Reminded me of parts of my life. Hope you too enjoy this sweet story.

[Bayla H. Kolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were very real. I could feel their emotions. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

[Diana Muizniece · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting story and I enjoyed reading it but there were far too many editorial errors. I also didn’t connect with the main character as I found her outlook on life frustrating at times.