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The Baker of Lost Memories: A Novel
From the author of
A Castle in Brooklyn
comes an epic novel spanning decades about the broken bonds of family, memories of war, and redemption and hope in the face of heartbreaking loss.
Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness—and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness—and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
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Published June 1, 2025
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June 10, 2025
EXCERPT: Of course, her true passion, the thing she wanted to spend her days doing, was baking. Since the honey cake fiasco years earlier, Lena had continued to keep a watchful eye on her mother whenever she baked her rugelach for the Jewish New Year or the hamantaschen when Purim came around. Between those occasions, Lena would make versions of her own baked goods, even creating a few original recipes like a chocolate layer cake with strawberries or peanut butter nougats. Sometimes, if the finished product was good enough, she would share it with her friends and even her parents. If, however, the dish lacked the right amount of flavoring or was oversalted, before anyone could see it, she would secretly toss it into the garbage with all the other failures. For their part, Anya and Josef largely ignored her efforts, deeming some of her creations "very good", holding back their praise as they cautioned her to pursue a more solid, profitable career. And even though Lena wished that baking could possibly become a full-time career, even though when she was a girl, she had coveted the idea of owning a bakery just as her parents had prior to the war, she knew the real reason they discouraged her. There were too many memories. Memories of another daughter who had been a baker, possibly the best baker in the world. as a result, for Lena, baking remained a hobby.
ABOUT 'THE BAKER OF LOST MEMORIES': Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness—and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
MY THOUGHTS: In a nutshell - too much telling and not enough showing.
I found it difficult to maintain interest in what could have been a touching and heart wrenching story but instead was labored and distanced.
There was a lack of momentum, and I could not form any sort of connection with any of the characters. The 'Pearl aspect' was obvious and irrational from the start and I found the continuation of it irritating.
Just as irritating is Lena's lack of self-confidence, her antipathy towards her parents, and her constant bending to Luke's will.
For a book of less than 300 pages, this seemed much longer. There are far better books out there chronicling the generational trauma suffered by the families of those interred in concentration camps.
⭐⭐.3
#TheBakerofLostMemories #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: A daughter of Holocaust survivors, Wachtel was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a doctor of letters degree from Drew University and Professor Emerita of English at Middlesex College in New Jersey. The mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three precocious granddaughters, she currently resides in East Brunswick, New Jersey, with her husband, Arthur. (Source: shirleywachtel.com - abridged)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little A via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'THE BAKER OF LOST MEMORIES': Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness—and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
MY THOUGHTS: In a nutshell - too much telling and not enough showing.
I found it difficult to maintain interest in what could have been a touching and heart wrenching story but instead was labored and distanced.
There was a lack of momentum, and I could not form any sort of connection with any of the characters. The 'Pearl aspect' was obvious and irrational from the start and I found the continuation of it irritating.
Just as irritating is Lena's lack of self-confidence, her antipathy towards her parents, and her constant bending to Luke's will.
For a book of less than 300 pages, this seemed much longer. There are far better books out there chronicling the generational trauma suffered by the families of those interred in concentration camps.
⭐⭐.3
#TheBakerofLostMemories #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: A daughter of Holocaust survivors, Wachtel was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a doctor of letters degree from Drew University and Professor Emerita of English at Middlesex College in New Jersey. The mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three precocious granddaughters, she currently resides in East Brunswick, New Jersey, with her husband, Arthur. (Source: shirleywachtel.com - abridged)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little A via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 19, 2024
The story’s momentum failed to keep me hooked and my emotional journey with Lena and Pearl became lackadaisical and eventually disinterest caused it to peter out.
I appreciated the scenes where Wachtel gave me room for reflection and time to understand her characters’ world, but those were overshadowed by time spent waiting for something (dare I say it considering the setting) meaningful. The continuous use of flashbacks and florid descriptions caused me to lose focus and my connection to the characters.
For example, at the beginning, the girls are on a camp-out in the backyard. From the time they climb into the sleeping bags until the next mention of the camp-out, there are 640 words. Most of these words are descriptive flashbacks. After pages and pages of backstory, I had lost interest in what would happen at the camp-out.
I’m a big historical fiction reader and noted that Wachtel was skilled in imparting the heartbreaking nature of this catastrophic history and in showing how it transformed her characters and generations following. There’s no doubt this is due to her parent’s legacy. I appreciated a well-researched novel, the ease with which I slipped into the setting, the focus on the importance of family, and the resilience of her well-crafted characters.
Unfortunately, I wanted more. Faster.
I was gifted this copy by Little A and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I appreciated the scenes where Wachtel gave me room for reflection and time to understand her characters’ world, but those were overshadowed by time spent waiting for something (dare I say it considering the setting) meaningful. The continuous use of flashbacks and florid descriptions caused me to lose focus and my connection to the characters.
For example, at the beginning, the girls are on a camp-out in the backyard. From the time they climb into the sleeping bags until the next mention of the camp-out, there are 640 words. Most of these words are descriptive flashbacks. After pages and pages of backstory, I had lost interest in what would happen at the camp-out.
I’m a big historical fiction reader and noted that Wachtel was skilled in imparting the heartbreaking nature of this catastrophic history and in showing how it transformed her characters and generations following. There’s no doubt this is due to her parent’s legacy. I appreciated a well-researched novel, the ease with which I slipped into the setting, the focus on the importance of family, and the resilience of her well-crafted characters.
Unfortunately, I wanted more. Faster.
I was gifted this copy by Little A and was under no obligation to provide a review.
June 10, 2025
Anya and Joseph lived in Loz, Poland and survived Auschwitz and the holocaust and travel to America due to the generosity of a long lost cousin. Now they live in Brooklyn with their teenage daughter Lena, she doesn’t feel very close to them and like many people who experience extreme hardship and trauma they don’t talk about the past.
I think Lena’s character at times portrays what it was like to be a child of survivors of concentration camps, nothing she does seems to get through the wall her parents have built around their hearts and lives up to the memory of her deceased older sister Ruby. Lena knows her parents owned a successful bakery in their homeland, Lena wanted to go to college and be a lawyer and this all changes when she meets Luke and they marry and open a bakery.
I received a copy of The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel from NetGalley and Little A Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review. I found the narrative confusing, it starts with Lena and her best friend Pearl camping out in the front yard on a holiday in the Catskills and Pearl disappears, and Lena starts and stops so many things and is very inconsistent.
I must admit I didn’t like Lena’s attitude towards her parents, how she found them embarrassing, yet she wanted to make them proud by opening a bakery with her dysfunctional and lazy husband.
Three things stopped me from not finishing this book, I liked Kenny’s character and Lena did finally see the light and helped her mum and I thought it would have to be better than the author’s previous novel A Castle in Brooklyn. I suggest reading this novel for yourself and I might have missed the true meaning and message the author was trying to convey and three stars because I don't go any lower than that.
I think Lena’s character at times portrays what it was like to be a child of survivors of concentration camps, nothing she does seems to get through the wall her parents have built around their hearts and lives up to the memory of her deceased older sister Ruby. Lena knows her parents owned a successful bakery in their homeland, Lena wanted to go to college and be a lawyer and this all changes when she meets Luke and they marry and open a bakery.
I received a copy of The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel from NetGalley and Little A Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review. I found the narrative confusing, it starts with Lena and her best friend Pearl camping out in the front yard on a holiday in the Catskills and Pearl disappears, and Lena starts and stops so many things and is very inconsistent.
I must admit I didn’t like Lena’s attitude towards her parents, how she found them embarrassing, yet she wanted to make them proud by opening a bakery with her dysfunctional and lazy husband.
Three things stopped me from not finishing this book, I liked Kenny’s character and Lena did finally see the light and helped her mum and I thought it would have to be better than the author’s previous novel A Castle in Brooklyn. I suggest reading this novel for yourself and I might have missed the true meaning and message the author was trying to convey and three stars because I don't go any lower than that.
May 20, 2025
What the heck was that? This story made no sense. Unhappy people moping around unhappily for hundreds of pages. Family not talking to each other for no apparent reason. Too many plots of no use or resolution. A book supposedly about a family of bakers: you don't KNEAD dough for chocolate chip cookies and you don't make cake dough, you make cake batter. Was this even edited? A small child carried off by a BEAR in a backyard? WTAF? Terrible. Don't waste your time.
May 8, 2025
I’m kinda bummed, it seemed to sizzle out in the middle of the story and just never regained its spark. I had higher hopes but was let ultimately let down.
April 11, 2025
"The Baker of Lost Memories" is enjoyable but loses steam around the halfway mark. Lena's constant indifference and annoyance of her parents coupled with Luke's narcissistic abuse and manipulation got to be tiresome. The ending was rushed and I had hoped for more of a storyline with Kenny.
**Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
**Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
May 21, 2025
Rich, poignant, and haunting!
The Baker of Lost Memories is a rich, heart-tugging tale that transports you to Brooklyn during the 1960s and into the life of one Jewish family, especially the youngest daughter Lena, who even though was born after the war, struggles to understand and overcome the family’s extreme loss and silent pain caused by the Nazis.
The prose is tight and intense. The characters are multilayered, vulnerable, and scarred. And the plot is a tender tale of life, loss, trauma, tragedy, grief, guilt, loneliness, desperation, familial drama, secrets, survival, redemption, and new beginnings.
Overall, The Baker of Lost Memories is a compelling, evocative, immersive story by Wachtel that I thoroughly enjoyed and which had just the right amount of intrigue, harrowing history, and palpable emotion to be a captivating tale for lovers like myself of the historical fiction genre.
The Baker of Lost Memories is a rich, heart-tugging tale that transports you to Brooklyn during the 1960s and into the life of one Jewish family, especially the youngest daughter Lena, who even though was born after the war, struggles to understand and overcome the family’s extreme loss and silent pain caused by the Nazis.
The prose is tight and intense. The characters are multilayered, vulnerable, and scarred. And the plot is a tender tale of life, loss, trauma, tragedy, grief, guilt, loneliness, desperation, familial drama, secrets, survival, redemption, and new beginnings.
Overall, The Baker of Lost Memories is a compelling, evocative, immersive story by Wachtel that I thoroughly enjoyed and which had just the right amount of intrigue, harrowing history, and palpable emotion to be a captivating tale for lovers like myself of the historical fiction genre.
September 26, 2024
The Baker of Lost Memories
By: Shirley Russak Wachtel
Pub Day: April 8, 2025
This was my first book by Wachtel and I loved her story telling. The rich details and development of her characters had my fully invested in this novel.
Brooklyn in the 1960’s tells the story of Lena who wants to follow in her mothers footsteps as a baker. Times have been tough.
Lena’s journey into her family’s history is emotional. She discovers so much about her family during WWII in Poland and finds out she has a sister she knew nothing about.
Pearl is Lena’s best friend and their connection is important and Lena deals with a selfish husband. Lena and her husband have a complicated relationship. Pearl's disappearance is part of the story and gravitates the reader to wonder why she disappeared.
A unique historical fiction novel. I look forward to more of her books.
By: Shirley Russak Wachtel
Pub Day: April 8, 2025
This was my first book by Wachtel and I loved her story telling. The rich details and development of her characters had my fully invested in this novel.
Brooklyn in the 1960’s tells the story of Lena who wants to follow in her mothers footsteps as a baker. Times have been tough.
Lena’s journey into her family’s history is emotional. She discovers so much about her family during WWII in Poland and finds out she has a sister she knew nothing about.
Pearl is Lena’s best friend and their connection is important and Lena deals with a selfish husband. Lena and her husband have a complicated relationship. Pearl's disappearance is part of the story and gravitates the reader to wonder why she disappeared.
A unique historical fiction novel. I look forward to more of her books.
July 9, 2025
A complex story of a family who survived the Holocaust, it was difficult to get through it.
May 15, 2025
My thanks to Net Galley and Little A for this arc to review.
I liked this book. Josef and Anya were very likeable characters that you felt something for with the fate of their first daughter, escaping to America , having their second daughter, and the bakery. Great family saga.
My issues. Pearl. Where did she go when she appeared later in the story? The explanation her father gave of Pearl...then the end chapter of Pearl. What was all that about? Then Lena. How she treated her parents. Lol....then Luke. Don't get me started with him. Good book though.
I liked this book. Josef and Anya were very likeable characters that you felt something for with the fate of their first daughter, escaping to America , having their second daughter, and the bakery. Great family saga.
My issues. Pearl. Where did she go when she appeared later in the story? The explanation her father gave of Pearl...then the end chapter of Pearl. What was all that about? Then Lena. How she treated her parents. Lol....then Luke. Don't get me started with him. Good book though.
May 29, 2025
WOW! Shirley Russak Wachtel, the Author of “The Baker of Lost Memories” has written a powerful, poignant, captivating and memorial Historical Fiction Novel. The Genres for this novel are :Historical Fiction, Historical World War Two Fiction, Friendship Fiction, and Women’s Friendship Fiction, In this well written and well researched novel, the author uses two set of timelines, and family. It feels like the author is pounding out dough for a recipe and places the different pieces in different containers. Ultimately all the ingredients fit and connect to fit in one bowl to make a unified final creation. The timelines for this story are set in 1940, during World War Two, when Jewish people were discriminated against, (in Poland) and 1960 in New York.
I appreciate how the author vividly captures the tragedy of war, the landscape, and the dramatic and complex characters. In 1940, Anya and Joseph suffer tragedy when the Germans take over. Eventually they are able to come to the United States, and be sponsored by relatives. Anya, once loved to bake, and now is surviving. Anya and Joseph have a daughter Lena in America. Can you imagine after the many losses, betrayals, and danger, how difficult it is to deal with past memories?
In 1960, Lena is searching for what she would like to do. There are secrets that go back generations, and Lena and her mother Anya aren’t close. Lena marries Luke, who is instrumental in encouraging her to open a bakery. Only Lena has viewed baking as a hobby.
I appreciate that Shirley Russak Wachtel discusses the importance of family, forgiveness, honesty, the tragedies of war, the danger of secrets, and love and hope. This is such a powerful, heartfelt and emotional book, that I highly recommend this thought-provoking book to others.
I appreciate how the author vividly captures the tragedy of war, the landscape, and the dramatic and complex characters. In 1940, Anya and Joseph suffer tragedy when the Germans take over. Eventually they are able to come to the United States, and be sponsored by relatives. Anya, once loved to bake, and now is surviving. Anya and Joseph have a daughter Lena in America. Can you imagine after the many losses, betrayals, and danger, how difficult it is to deal with past memories?
In 1960, Lena is searching for what she would like to do. There are secrets that go back generations, and Lena and her mother Anya aren’t close. Lena marries Luke, who is instrumental in encouraging her to open a bakery. Only Lena has viewed baking as a hobby.
I appreciate that Shirley Russak Wachtel discusses the importance of family, forgiveness, honesty, the tragedies of war, the danger of secrets, and love and hope. This is such a powerful, heartfelt and emotional book, that I highly recommend this thought-provoking book to others.
June 4, 2025
I’m giving this 2 stars cause the first 70 pages or so of this book was Lena’s parents experience in Poland during the Holocaust and I was more emotionally moved by this than Lena’s story.
I just couldn’t connect with the main character, Lena. Her selfishness and emotional detachment—especially in the face of her parent’s heartbreaking Holocaust experiences—was difficult to read. She often felt harsh and dismissive of their pain, and it made their story invalided. She honestly made me mad on multiple occasions during this book.
I think the story had potential, but ultimately, this just wasn’t the right fit for me.
I just couldn’t connect with the main character, Lena. Her selfishness and emotional detachment—especially in the face of her parent’s heartbreaking Holocaust experiences—was difficult to read. She often felt harsh and dismissive of their pain, and it made their story invalided. She honestly made me mad on multiple occasions during this book.
I think the story had potential, but ultimately, this just wasn’t the right fit for me.
May 22, 2025
had to DNF, unfortunately, I just couldn't seem to get into this. Sadly , I made it to 100 pages today and had to set it down. maybe I'll try again in the future . it was a first reads pick, so I was able to read it free on the Kindle.
June 22, 2025
Do not waste your time on this bizarre book. It never gets any better. And so much of it just does not make any sense. Even when you come to the end with another bizarre plot twist ending.
May 27, 2025
Here are five main takeaways from The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel:
1. The Lasting Impact of Trauma: The novel explores the enduring effects of Holocaust trauma on survivors and their descendants. Lena’s parents, Anya and Josef, carry deep emotional scars from their experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland, including the loss of their first daughter, Ruby. This trauma creates emotional distance in their relationship with Lena, illustrating how historical atrocities shape family dynamics across generations.
2. The Power of Memory and Family Bonds: The story emphasizes the role of memory in healing and rebuilding family connections. Lena’s journey to uncover the truth about her parents’ past and her unknown sister, Ruby, allows her to bridge the emotional gap with her parents, fostering reconciliation and understanding. The narrative underscores that confronting painful memories can strengthen familial ties.
3. Pursuing Dreams Amid Challenges: Lena’s aspiration to become a baker like her mother reflects her desire to connect with her heritage, but her journey reveals the complexities of chasing dreams. Her eventual ownership of a bakery, driven partly by her husband Luke’s encouragement and her need to prove herself, comes with sacrifices and doubts, highlighting the tension between personal ambition and external expectations.
4. Loss and Resilience: The novel portrays multiple losses—Lena’s friend Pearl’s disappearance, the death of her sister Ruby, and the collapse of her marriage—yet it emphasizes resilience. Lena’s ability to move forward through college, marriage, and her career shift to law demonstrates her strength in navigating heartbreak and rebuilding her life.
5. Redemption Through Truth: A key takeaway is the redemptive power of uncovering hidden truths. Lena’s discovery of a startling truth about her own past enables her to understand her parents’ anguish and move toward healing. This revelation allows the family to overcome the “heart-wrenching memories” that have divided them, offering hope and closure.
These takeaways reflect the novel’s themes of memory, family, trauma, and personal growth.
1. The Lasting Impact of Trauma: The novel explores the enduring effects of Holocaust trauma on survivors and their descendants. Lena’s parents, Anya and Josef, carry deep emotional scars from their experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland, including the loss of their first daughter, Ruby. This trauma creates emotional distance in their relationship with Lena, illustrating how historical atrocities shape family dynamics across generations.
2. The Power of Memory and Family Bonds: The story emphasizes the role of memory in healing and rebuilding family connections. Lena’s journey to uncover the truth about her parents’ past and her unknown sister, Ruby, allows her to bridge the emotional gap with her parents, fostering reconciliation and understanding. The narrative underscores that confronting painful memories can strengthen familial ties.
3. Pursuing Dreams Amid Challenges: Lena’s aspiration to become a baker like her mother reflects her desire to connect with her heritage, but her journey reveals the complexities of chasing dreams. Her eventual ownership of a bakery, driven partly by her husband Luke’s encouragement and her need to prove herself, comes with sacrifices and doubts, highlighting the tension between personal ambition and external expectations.
4. Loss and Resilience: The novel portrays multiple losses—Lena’s friend Pearl’s disappearance, the death of her sister Ruby, and the collapse of her marriage—yet it emphasizes resilience. Lena’s ability to move forward through college, marriage, and her career shift to law demonstrates her strength in navigating heartbreak and rebuilding her life.
5. Redemption Through Truth: A key takeaway is the redemptive power of uncovering hidden truths. Lena’s discovery of a startling truth about her own past enables her to understand her parents’ anguish and move toward healing. This revelation allows the family to overcome the “heart-wrenching memories” that have divided them, offering hope and closure.
These takeaways reflect the novel’s themes of memory, family, trauma, and personal growth.
May 28, 2025
Slow read, not enough to keep me hooked.
June 6, 2025
The Baker of Lost Memories is an intriguing story of trauma, grief, family, survival and the pursuit of happiness.
There are numerous elements to this story, some of which are more coherent than others. Josef and Anya are my favourite characters who so clearly struggle with the traumatic, lasting effects of the Holocaust; and this in turn impacts their relationship with their daughter, Lena, who isn’t fully aware of what her parents experienced in Poland. Lena’s journey to pursuing her own dreams; building bridges and reaching an understanding with her parents is not without its momentous challenges.
The flow of this story feels a little disjointed, particularly in relation to the Pearl aspect. The ending provides some clarity, but it almost feels like Pearl is a surplus character who doesn’t really add anything of consequence to the story. The Baker of Lost Memories is a fairly slow paced story but the audio narration is excellent and certainly held my attention.
I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher, Brilliance Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There are numerous elements to this story, some of which are more coherent than others. Josef and Anya are my favourite characters who so clearly struggle with the traumatic, lasting effects of the Holocaust; and this in turn impacts their relationship with their daughter, Lena, who isn’t fully aware of what her parents experienced in Poland. Lena’s journey to pursuing her own dreams; building bridges and reaching an understanding with her parents is not without its momentous challenges.
The flow of this story feels a little disjointed, particularly in relation to the Pearl aspect. The ending provides some clarity, but it almost feels like Pearl is a surplus character who doesn’t really add anything of consequence to the story. The Baker of Lost Memories is a fairly slow paced story but the audio narration is excellent and certainly held my attention.
I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher, Brilliance Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 30, 2025
I have such mixed feelings about this book. It started out okay. I did listen to this in audible format. The "Brooklyn" accent of the author got to be a little too over-the-top for me. I'll given Anya a little leeway, given that she suffered at the concentration camps. Otherwise, she was a little too mousey to me, and it seemed that she withheld her love of Lena because she couldn't cope with the loss of her previous child.
Lena. Oy vey. I didn't like the Pearl story line. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending of her story line was a minor twist-- and the total ending of the story left me thinking "what"?
I would never put up with her husband. What a loser! How could an intelligent and hard working woman like Lena see in that guy?! I kept thinking "leave him"! "Dump him"! I can't stand women who are weak and allow a man to treat her the way that she did.
The story was okay, and I stuck with it until the end. It just left me wondering... what happened? The story lines didn't seem to wrap up very well.
Lena. Oy vey. I didn't like the Pearl story line. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending of her story line was a minor twist-- and the total ending of the story left me thinking "what"?
I would never put up with her husband. What a loser! How could an intelligent and hard working woman like Lena see in that guy?! I kept thinking "leave him"! "Dump him"! I can't stand women who are weak and allow a man to treat her the way that she did.
The story was okay, and I stuck with it until the end. It just left me wondering... what happened? The story lines didn't seem to wrap up very well.
May 10, 2025
Heartfelt story
This was an excellent read. Taking me back to Brooklyn for this journey. I will say the first 25% was hard to read. The torture of Jews is not easy to read and this, accurate telling, was difficult.
The family had quirks, like mine, secrets and not sharing was the biggest issue. Some things though are better left unsaid.
Lena's marriage, I get it. She did not want to be a failure. She allowed herself much too much slack because, I felt, she was not a quitter and saw the good in people. She had a little bit of attention when she desperately needed it.
Overall I loved it Pearl says hi
This was an excellent read. Taking me back to Brooklyn for this journey. I will say the first 25% was hard to read. The torture of Jews is not easy to read and this, accurate telling, was difficult.
The family had quirks, like mine, secrets and not sharing was the biggest issue. Some things though are better left unsaid.
Lena's marriage, I get it. She did not want to be a failure. She allowed herself much too much slack because, I felt, she was not a quitter and saw the good in people. She had a little bit of attention when she desperately needed it.
Overall I loved it Pearl says hi
May 19, 2025
Not the best written book I have ever read, but a great story that would make an awesome movie.
June 2, 2025
Overall, I really loved these flawed characters. The flow of the story was a little bumpy and the end kind of came abruptly. It left some questions unanswered, but I still enjoyed the book.
September 21, 2025
Not the book I expected it to be, but I enjoyed it and the mystery that is slowly revealed.
May 5, 2025
3.5
Lost interest 2/3 of the way through but did finish
Lost interest 2/3 of the way through but did finish
May 29, 2025
It is hard to rate this book as there are times when it seems to drag, especially as Lena and her husband struggle with their business, and with their relationship. Other times it seems so real and well written, as Lina and Luke make their way in life as newlyweds, and how she struggles with her own identity. The overarching story of two holocaust survivors, their lost daughter and the daughter born in the US is heartbreaking at times, and again seems very real. The mystery of Lena's old friend Pearl is ultimately resolved yet still open to interpretation.
An interesting read.
An interesting read.
December 5, 2025
Quite a ride through this family from WW11 to present day (1970’s). Loved all the Jewish traditions that were brought up throughout the story. Great read!!
July 12, 2025
lost memories
This was a great book, simplistic and fun. I enjoyed every page, and found myself immersed in a family still needing to figure itself out.
This was a great book, simplistic and fun. I enjoyed every page, and found myself immersed in a family still needing to figure itself out.
July 16, 2025
Not what I thought
I feel like I should have stopped reading half way through. Not a great story and kind of a bust at the end.
I feel like I should have stopped reading half way through. Not a great story and kind of a bust at the end.
July 21, 2025
The premise of the story was good but at times it seemed disjointed. Other times a chapter began with sentences that I thought, didn’t I already read that! It was confusing.
Overall it kept my interest.
Overall it kept my interest.
October 17, 2024
Though short, this novel is completely absorbing. It is about a Jewish family in the 1960s and 1970s in Brooklyn. There are Anya and Josef who have lived through a world of pain and suffering before their move from Poland to America. Then there is their daughter Lena, who is the main character of the novel as she grows up, gets married, and pursues baking. The POV is third person and shifts back and forth between Anya and Lena.
I love the depth of the characters of Lena and Anya, and I cried during their heartbreaks. I did not expect the layers of World War II that would be involved in this story. Without giving too much away, Wachtel does an amazing job of weaving the trauma of the war in the daily lives of Anya and Josef. Lena was an interesting character, trying to juggle her husband, a career she does not like, and a contentious relationship with her parents. At times the parent-child relationship is frustrating, but this makes it far more realistic, adding layers to the story.
The description of the book made it seem like the central plot is a conflict surrounding her best friend Pearl, but when reading the novel, most of the pages are spent around Lena's marriage. This is not to say the mystery of Pearl does not lead to a plot twist, but it was a bit different than I expected. There are moments that are confusing for a few moments, which are likely a result of slight pacing issues. It is also a little unclear at times whether scenes are dreams or not, and while this could contribute to the twist, it didn't feel like that. However, the story was still interesting throughout and only docked one star from the novel.
This is the first novel I have read by Wachtel, but I will definitely be tracking down some of her other novels!
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me an ARC!
I love the depth of the characters of Lena and Anya, and I cried during their heartbreaks. I did not expect the layers of World War II that would be involved in this story. Without giving too much away, Wachtel does an amazing job of weaving the trauma of the war in the daily lives of Anya and Josef. Lena was an interesting character, trying to juggle her husband, a career she does not like, and a contentious relationship with her parents. At times the parent-child relationship is frustrating, but this makes it far more realistic, adding layers to the story.
The description of the book made it seem like the central plot is a conflict surrounding her best friend Pearl, but when reading the novel, most of the pages are spent around Lena's marriage. This is not to say the mystery of Pearl does not lead to a plot twist, but it was a bit different than I expected. There are moments that are confusing for a few moments, which are likely a result of slight pacing issues. It is also a little unclear at times whether scenes are dreams or not, and while this could contribute to the twist, it didn't feel like that. However, the story was still interesting throughout and only docked one star from the novel.
This is the first novel I have read by Wachtel, but I will definitely be tracking down some of her other novels!
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me an ARC!
October 13, 2024
3.5 stars.
I must admit that this book is a deviation from the usual for me. This book starts off strong where we get to meet Anya and Josef who live in Poland during the Nazi occupation.
The story revolves around the trauma of the Holocaust and how it affects generations after that. Lena, their daughter experiences the after effects of that trauma through her upbringing.
I liked the domesticity of the book and the deep dive into Jewish culture. What doesn't work is lack of communication from all sides which would have solved so many problems namely a disastrous marriage.
Overall the book was good although the pacing and length could have been better.
I thank NetGalley and Little A for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I must admit that this book is a deviation from the usual for me. This book starts off strong where we get to meet Anya and Josef who live in Poland during the Nazi occupation.
The story revolves around the trauma of the Holocaust and how it affects generations after that. Lena, their daughter experiences the after effects of that trauma through her upbringing.
I liked the domesticity of the book and the deep dive into Jewish culture. What doesn't work is lack of communication from all sides which would have solved so many problems namely a disastrous marriage.
Overall the book was good although the pacing and length could have been better.
I thank NetGalley and Little A for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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