The Hours Count

by Jillian Cantor

A spellbinding historical novel about a woman who befriends Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, and is drawn into their world of intrigue, from the author of Margot.

Look out for Jillian Cantor's new book, The Lost Letter, on sale now!

On June 19, 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed for conspiring to commit espionage. The day Ethel was first arrested in 1950, she left her two young sons with a neighbor, and she never came home to them again. Brilliantly melding fact and fiction, Jillian Cantor reimagines the life of that neighbor, and the life of Ethel and Julius, an ordinary-seeming Jewish couple who became the only Americans put to death for spying during the Cold War.

A few years earlier, in 1947, Millie Stein moves with her husband, Ed, and their toddler son, David, into an apartment on the eleventh floor in Knickerbocker Village on New York’s Lower East Side. Her new neighbors are the Rosenbergs. Struggling to care for David, who doesn’t speak, and isolated from other “normal” families, Millie meets Jake, a psychologist who says he can help David, and befriends Ethel, also a young mother. Millie and Ethel’s lives as friends, wives, mothers, and neighbors entwine, even as chaos begins to swirl around the Rosenbergs and the FBI closes in. Millie begins to question her own husband’s political loyalty and her marriage, and whether she can trust Jake and the deep connection they have forged as they secretly work with David. Caught between these two men, both of whom have their own agendas, and desperate to help her friends, Millie will find herself drawn into the dramatic course of history.

As Millie—trusting and naive—is thrown into a world of lies, intrigue, spies and counterspies, she realizes she must fight for what she believes, who she loves, and what is right.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Book Club, Jewish, Adult Fiction, New York

364 pages, ebook

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Jillian Cantor is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of fifteen novels for teens and adults, which have been chosen for LibraryReads, Indie Next, Amazon Best of the Month, and have been translated into 15 languages. Born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Cantor currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Candi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of learning more about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, two Americans executed for espionage during the 1950's, was quite intriguing. Author Jillian Cantor based this novel on the true story of their lives and the years preceding their executions as told from the point of view of a fictional neighbor, Millie Stein. As a result of this first person narrative, we glean more about Millie's life and what it was like to live as a stay at home mother during this time period. Millie is raising a son with developmental disabilities; she lacks the support of her husband, Ed, a Russian immigrant. Living isolated in a large city without a television or close friends, Millie does not seem happy but is completely devoted to her son, David. When she meets Ethel Rosenberg, she finally finds a connection she desperately needs. She also begins to obtain help for her son from a somewhat mysterious psychologist, Jake.

We obtain little glimpses of the Rosenberg's lives as Millie interacts with them. The family-oriented and human side of these two are highlighted and some of their acquaintances and family members are briefly introduced. We learn about the fear of the Communists and the Russians and the paranoia that existed during the Cold War. What I hoped for from this novel, however, was a closer scrutiny of the Rosenbergs themselves. It would have appealed to me to hear more of their story following their arrest; a peek into the courtroom would have been quite fascinating! However, this was not the case. I did think this book was very well written, it had a decent pace and I was interested in Millie's life. I can't imagine being so closed off as a mother during these times – it would have been difficult to get by without social connections or the emotional support needed when raising a child with disabilities. However, I was a bit disappointed that the Rosenbergs were not really the focal point of this book. There is an author's note at the end that provides more information about this couple than perhaps does the rest of the narrative. 3.5 stars - The Hours Count did not deliver quite as much as I had hoped, but still I found the story to be engaging.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of 'Margot'... (The Holocaust story about Anne Frank's sister)....with the famous Cardigan Sweater.

Yet "The Hours Count" is 'pleasing-as-can-be' to listen to. The audiobook was terrific!
I really enjoyed the voices....which enhanced the storytelling with their accents and their range of emotions portrayed.

Millie Stein has many redeeming qualities... easy to relate to and emphasize with. Her husband,
Ed, a Russian immigrant, pays no attention to her or their "slow-to-develop" son David. Ed works all day... then comes home and sits down with his vodka. (Yucky-Grumpy-Ed).
Millie is lonely. Her 'beautiful & almost perfect older sister seems to manage everything better in life than Millie...and doesn't live nearby anyway.
Millie's one comfort, is her friend Ethel Rosenberg, who lives in the apartment building. Ethel has a little boy, John. We see Millie and Ethel become close friends - motherhood being a strong fit for their friendship...( taking their boys to the park, etc.).
The husband's have their own private connection too- ( political and work), but most of the story is about Millie's life: her worries with her husband, her son, and with a therapist, named Jake who helps David.
Not knowing about the true facts before listening to this audiobook ... I didn't know -for sure
who was going to executed for treason.
However - once we get to the end of the book..we see there is some controversy over
'What Happened'

I couldn't help but think back to another book: ..."Just Mercy", A story of Justice
and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. To execute an innocent person is so horrific and deeply sad... one could feel just 'sick'!!!
I'm left believing the authors point of view, in "The Hours Court", which she talks about at the end of the book. It makes sense to me. And sad! An innocent person was executed.

However...'most' of this story was not directly about The Rosenberg's .. Yet the punch is strong when it comes.

Good book!!!!
Great Audio ... one of the best!

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard about the Rosenberg in a history class long ago. The only two supposed Russian collaborators put to death by electric chair. At that time I was to young to have an opinion nor to question the accuracy of a textbook.

Using an imagined neighbor woman, Mille whose husband was also Russian the author takes is back to a time when our fear of the Russians, Communists and atomic bombs was at an all time high. When McCarthyism, a modern day witch hunt seemed to call out new, prominent names daily. A great job was done with the atmosphere in this novel. Felt like I was right back there.

The Rosenbergs did actually live in the apartment building portrayed in this novel, and the author imagines a fictional relationship between the two woman, both stay at home moms, which most did back then. Millie has a son, would be called autistic now, whom is a little younger than Ethel eldest son.. Both would go on to have another son, cementing their friendship as they helped each other, often providing company for the other. Ed, Millies husband is not a very nice man, and she envies Ethel the caring Julius. Soon the FBI enter the picture, but who Is FBI and who is really KGB? A love story will play in the backdrop and from Millie's life and voice we learn more about the Rosenbergs.

Found this book quite fascinating especially since so many of the known facts are accurately portrayed. Millie seems a little naïve at the beginning, seemingly knowing little about current events or the publics fears. I think some of this was because she had no television, was somewhat secluded and alone, could not even play the radio as her autistic did not like the noise it produced. A good book that kept me turning the pages, pacing was wonderful. The author note at the end explained things clearly and for that I was grateful.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What surprises me the most is the way the days sometimes feel so long and yet the years so short. It's all the hours between that count."

I knew basic history about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the only civilians in the United States executed for "conspiracy to commit espionage." They were parents of two small children, and many believe(d) they were innocent of the charges. As I read the book, the tension and suspense kept building because I knew what ultimately would happen but not the events surrounding it. I also was eager to read the author's note to find out which parts were fact/fiction. I was compelled especially by Mildred and Ethel and their relationships with their children, John and David. Each of them would be viewed today as having a disability (one with significant emotions and behaviors/one is school-age and not speaking), and it was interesting and heartbreaking at the same time to read about how disabilities were viewed during that time period and within their families. Mildred and Ethel's love for their children was immense and patient. The Hours Count was poignant, informative, important, and full of humanity and its stark contrast with inhumanity.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I enjoyed about this novel was its accuracy of the life of a housewife in the early 1950’s. To me, the Rosenberg’s were an excuse to write about that particular time. The United States was on edge. The whole country was paranoid that the Russians were going to bomb the USA. Primary school children were shown movies at school, telling them to hide under their desk in the event of a nuclear explosion. Paranoia was rampant.

Jillian Cantor bases her novel on the early 1950’s and the lives of the Rosenberg’s. In her author’s note, she based actual events of the Rosenberg’s lives while they were accused of espionage. Her imagined tale is of a naive neighbor, Millie, who befriends Ethel Rosenberg. It’s a story of Millie’s feelings as she gets to know Ethel and the chaos that follows. To make the story more interesting, Millie is the wife of another Russian who works for Julius Rosenberg, thereby somewhat entwining their lives.

Millie is lonely. Her Russian born husband is, what in today’s standards would be called cold and physically abusive. But this is in the 1950’s, and men could manhandle their wives, in public, and no one raises an eyebrow. Millie also has an “odd” child who doesn’t speak. As a reader of today, it’s easy to realize that the child is on the Autism spectrum. This child further isolates Millie because no mother wants to socialize with her and her “strange” child. Even Millie’s husband doesn’t like the boy. What we forget is back then, a man could, without his wife’s consent, institutionalize that child. Remember Joe Kennedy Sr. had his daughter Rose lobotomized without his wife’s consent. Men could do what they wanted. Women had no voice. For me, this novel reminds us of the struggles of women in that time period. Our society has come a long way from that time.

At the end, Cantor was able to add a bit of unexpected suspense that I appreciated. There are many critics of this novel focusing on the Rosenberg’s and whether the novel is too kind to the Rosenbergs. For me, I found the beauty of the novel in it as a period piece. The Rosenbergs were a sideshow.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hours Count is a historical, fiction novel about another viewpoint into Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Instead of being told through their points of view, it's told through an outsider's head, the neighbor and friend Millie Stein.

Millie is likeable enough, even if her intelligence wouldn't win any awards. She's with a horrible husband I'd end up murdering in my sleep, has a sweet child who would be considered autistic today, and kind of goes through life trying to find herself. Her one friend, Ethel, is a solace in time of trouble; they share the joys and pains of motherhood, bringing forth a realistic struggle books aren't always honest about.

The book skips around slightly - from the time of the Rosenberg's trial and execution - back to present day woes and adventures of Millie. It's done subtly and sparingly, so this doesn't get annoying or confusing.

Jillian Cantor's writing style is wonderful. She is able to portray the motivations and personalities of all well, even though it's a first person POV. Millie is made sympathetic, where the author paints a picture of a struggling young woman trying to adapt to a world that isn't always friendly.

Overall the story isn't so much about the Rosenbergs - it's about love, motherhood, women banding together for their families, trusting the wrong people, and how fear molds horrors in our society. There's some surprises along the way, things that keep a reader turning the page, but overall it's a character painting that holds true.

I know little about the Rosenbergs and that time period, it's not something I've researched much. The author goes in with her view that Ethel was likely innocent, and backs this up with some research at the end showing why she feels this way. Whether she's right or not, this wouldn't surprise me, as fear has painted many shadows over the innocent before.

Thanks to Penguin's First to Read program for an ARC of this stunning book.

[Melissa Crytzer Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cantor’s second historical fiction novel is a quiet but impactful story about the only two civilians (the married couple Julius and Ethel Rosenberg) who were executed in the U.S. for conspiring to commit espionage. The story will resonate, particularly I think, with mothers. In fact, in the author’s notes, she indicates that her intention in writing this story was to “reimagine Ethel as a person, a woman, the mother whom I pictured her to be.”

Through Cantor’s skillful weaving of fact and fiction, we live through the documented “Red” paranoia of the 1940s/50s, but in so doing, we also meet fully formed fictional characters: next-door neighbor and friend of Ethel’s – Millie Stein; her learning/emotionally disabled son David; her questionable husband Ed; and psychoanalyst Dr. Jake Gold.

Cantor does an incredible job of sketching light traces of doubt in the reader’s mind regarding the intentions of multiple characters. The result? A roller-coaster ride of emotion and adrenaline toward the last 100 pages as the reader wonders who really IS a good guy and who is a bad guy?

I continue to believe that historical fiction – such as Cantor’s The Hours Count – is one of the most engaging ways to teach American history. The particular case highlighted in this novel is a piece of our history that is glossed over in high school and college classrooms, but is so important to understanding (or NOT understanding) the actions and emotions and shortcomings of communities during political unrest, as well as the role – rightly or wrongly – of government intervention throughout history.

This book would offer a great deal of discussion for book clubs as well. I look forward to Cantor’s next historical fiction novel.

[Mary Kubica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved MARGOT, and was so excited to get my hands on an ARC of THE HOURS COUNT. Jillian has a magical ability to tell stories that are hauntingly beautiful and suck me right in, and that's exactly what this book did. I loved the story and the characters (especially the relationship of Millie Stein and her young son, David), and, although rooted in fiction, I learned quite a lot about the real lives of Julius and Ethel through this novel, forcing me to question what I knew - or thought I knew - about the Rosenbergs. THE HOURS COUNT is a story I won't soon forget, and Jillian is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Must read!

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Knew nothing about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and found this book and their story very interesting. The book is told through the eyes of Millie Stein who lives on the same floor as the Rosenbergs and is introduced to them by her husband. She has a son, David, who doesn't speak and she meets Dr. Jake Gold who says he will help her get David to talk. Things heat up and she soon finds out Jake is FBI. I found Millie a little naive and innocent. She could only see the good in people and wouldn't believe Ethel and Julie were guilty even after they are executed. The only person she didn't trust was her husband Ed and he was more of a convenient marriage. Jillian did a really good job of bringing all these characters to life. I was so invested in these characters that I did a little research to learn more. I highly recommend this literary fiction. It's well worth your time.

[Pam Jenoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, the husband and wife put to death for spying during the Cold War, as told from the point of view of their neighbor. Wonderful illumination of a unique and troubling moment in 20th century

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing fictional account of a young mother who befriends Ethel Rosenberg. I felt it to be quite an original way of portraying Ethel as a loving wife and mother and gave a new insight into the lives of both Ethel and her husband, Julius. The neighbor, Millie, and her family are completely fictitious but the author does weave the story around true facts.

I recently read and reviewed "A Place We Knew Well" and like that book, "The Hours Count" brought me back to that time in history when Americans lived with the fear of being bombed by Russia on a daily basis, this time focusing on the threat to Manhattan. A reader of my blog commented on my review of "A Place We Knew Well" that it was beyond him how anyone could keep a level head under that threat. I think that "The Hours Count" proves that we always didn't.

The neighbor Millie is often naive about the world around her. She's a very likable character and my heart ached for her as she struggled with her love for her mute child and her life with an unaffectionate husband. The one downside I found in the book was the love angle with Jake. I found him to be a very confusing character, one who kept deviating from what I expected of him.

Please do know that this is a very fictionalized and slanted portrayal of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. What this novel does do is give you an intimate look at the lives and fears of those living during that time period and it will make you want to read more about these people and the true facts surrounding their execution. It's a suspenseful book, even knowing the ending, due to the fictionalized story revolving around Millie. I recommend it to those interested in that time period as it will give you a good insight into the tense atmosphere Americans lived with. But I would recommend reading a factual based book if you're specifically interested in the Rosenbergs.

This book was given to me by the publisher through First to Read in return for an honest review.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when books live up to the high expectations I place on them. My library doesn't have a copy of The Hours Count, and I'd never read Jillian Cantor before, but I decided to ask for it for Christmas even though it was kind of an unknown quantity. It just sounded so good! A fictionalized story about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, told from the perspective of their neighbor lady? I ask you, how could I pass that up?

It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It's been a while since I was able to sit down with a book and just cruise. A lot of my reading in 2015, for whatever reason, felt very effortful. So it was a relief to immerse myself in Millie Stein's life in Knickerbocker Village, which is terribly mundane and housewiferly—until suddenly, it isn't.

The first-person narration is a great choice, even though it drastically limits the flow of information. Millie isn't stupid, but there's so much going on that she doesn't understand. You're wondering who is who, who's on which side, who's guilty of what, and who might be falsely accused. And because Millie is a wife and mother and her days center around caring for her son, there's a really interesting element of family and domestic drama. Highly recommended, especially for fans of historical fiction.

More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com

[Jenny Belk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book. It was recommended to me by a good friend. It is a novel but reads like it's the true story of the Rosenbergs.
Meet Millie Stein, neighbor of Ethel & Julius Rosenberg. She lives in a loveless marriage and she has a son who does not speak. Her naivete' leads her into a period of strange behaviors both from her neighbors and her husband. The story takes place in late 40's early 50's when Communism was feared and espionage was the topic of conversations. Millie meets Jake, who wants to help her with her son. He's mysterious but she is drawn to him. Who is he really? Does she even know her own husband? What is happening to Ethel and Julius? Who can she really trust.
This books is loaded with twists and turns. You won't know who can be trusted till the last chapter. I highly recommend.

[Victoria (RedsCat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hours Count by Author Jillian Cantor, is a re-imagining of the last years in the lives of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Told from the first-person point of view of (fictional) neighbor Millie Stein, the story captures the era perfectly.

I adore good historical fiction and this novel doesn't disappoint: well-researched and well-written, it captures the ominous oppression of the McCarthy era. My heart went out to over-burdened and exhausted Ethel.

Not only did this novel earn a solid five-star rating from me, I can't say enough how timely it is. A standout gem for 2015.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie Kauffman, getting older and not wishing to be a spinster, marries Ed Stein, a Russian immigrant. Theirs is not a marriage based on love, more so of convenience. Ed ignores their son, David, when it becomes apparent that David is different and does not speak. Millie loves David deeply, but is lonely for companionship. A move to a better apartment has them living down the hall from Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Circumstances and close proximity draw the two families together, and a friendship blossoms between Millie and Ethel. As the fear of Communism escalates, Millie is forced to make some difficult choices. With whom do her loyalties lie?
While the book is about the Rosenberg's, the focus and voice of the novel is that of Millie. It does capture the atmosphere and culture of the late 1940's and early 1950's. I was drawn into the life of Millie and the struggles she faced. Once I was hooked, the book was difficult to put down. I will be watching for more by Jillian Cantor.

[Deacon Tom F. (Recovering from a big heart attack) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic! A perfect blend of both historical and fiction. It read like a nonfiction with fast paced and engaging writing.

This was one of my favorite books thus far. The characters were so well crafted that I truly associated with them.

A real gem for me.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalized account of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's last few years as seen through the eyes of a fictionalized neighbor, Millie Stein.

Millie is married to a Russian immigrant, Ed, 15 years her senior.

They have a son David, who is three and does not talk yet. Ed spurns David because of this oddity/sickness.

Ethel, too, has children: John and Richie. John is a handful. Ethel and Millie bond over their shared motherhood woes.

"Sure, other children had problems. Other mothers got worn down. I saw that with Ethel and with John, in their own way."

From https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...

The roughly first half of the novel portrays Millie’s daily life and her growing bond with Ethel. Cantor transports the reader into that time and place through vivid details, true human interactions, some poetic lines, and an author’s voice that fits. Millie and the Rosenbergs elicit understanding and empathy. These aspects reflect Cantor’s deep research (summarized nicely in the Author’s Notes) into the Rosenbergs and the likely grave injustice of their incarceration, trial and sentencing.

4 stars

[Belinda Carvalho · Rating 1 out of 5]

(I received this as a free Net Galley advance copy in exchqange for a review) Let's start with the good...this is a good portrait of Cold War era New York from the view of a stay at home wife, Millie, coping with a disabled son. The domestic role of women during this time is well examined through Millie, her female relatives and through her friendship with Ethel Rosenberg who lives in an apartment down the corridor from her. We get a glimpse of Millie's Jewish culture, her background, her marriage to a Russian immigrant and her passion to help her son develop.

The book became more and more illogical as it went on, maybe this was because I had an advance copy? I hope the final one is clearer. Millie begins an emotional affair with a doctor who she meets at Ethel. He comes across as as a shady FBI agent form the beginning. I think this was the start of the downward spiral the book descends into. Millie is constantly portrayed as a victim, never equal to the male characters and as it went on I began to almost sympathise with her estranged husband Ed more and more as it became impossible to understand the choices she made.

This book fails as it is supposed to be an account of the Rosenberg family and their trial but the writer does not let us get close enough to them to understand why they were put on trial and becasue she does this it is hard to care about the character's execution. All we really learn about Ethel is that she has a few bad dresses, wanted to be an actress rather than a mother and has a keen interest in psychoanalysis. Julius is described as a goood father a few times.

The ending was completely schmaltzy, again hopefully this will be modified in the final copy. This is a pity as Jillian Cantor is a decent writer and I think the material was really good. If only she had focussed on the Rosenberg's themselves.

[Melanie Coombes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical novel about a neighbor named Millie who befriends Ethel Rosenberg, the wife of Julius Rosenberg. Both Ethel and Julius became the only Americans put to death for spying during the Cold War in the 1950s.

I knew little of the Rosenberg story, only that they were guilty and executed. I never gave any thought to if they actually were really guilty. This book made me wonder.

I also thought the story would be mainly centered on Ethel and Julius, however, the book is told from the point of view of Millie. We learn about Millie and her unhappy marriage and her struggles with a autistic son, whose behavior is not accepted or understood at this time. Millie befriends Ethel who also has children. We are introduced not to a traitor, but rather, a mother who loves her husband and children, but sometimes yearns for a different life.

The story was excellent and I can't wait to read more by this author. I received a complimentary copy via the Goodreads giveaway program.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that the book blurb for this novel to be quite misleading. I was expecting to read a story about the Rosenberg's, the only American civilians ever executed for treason during the Cold War. Instead we get a novel that is focused on the fictional neighbor Millie, and her personal struggles as well as her possible connections to the spy ring. The Rosenberg's are an afterthought for most of the novel and I kept wondering when the author was going to get to them. However, the book was well written and the author did do a good job of depicting what it was like to live during these tumultuous times, when fear of the Russians and Communism were prevalent and the paranoia that went along with that, perpetuating McCarthyism. Overall, a decent book but I believe some of the disappointment to the reader could be averted by changing their expectations by editing the book blurb.

[Martha Anne Toll]

Here's a piece I published about this book and the time period. http://www.themillions.com/2015/10/th...

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

On July 19, 1953 Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed for conspiring to commit espionage.

The story was more about their neighbors Ed and Mildred Stein. Millie and Ethel were best friends and their sons played together.

The events were so spellbinding, it was hard to put down the book.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatever else you know about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, one thing is true: they were the parents of two young sons. Julius had already been arrested when Ethel was called to testify before the Grand Jury on 11 August 1950. She was not given so much as a minute to make arrangements for the care of their two young sons when she was arrested immediately after testifying. One minute, she was a proper Jewish housewife and mother, wearing white gloves. The next minute, she was in custody, charged with typing her husband's notes. Whatever else you know, going into this book, realize this: ultimately, she was executed for typing. Not stealing or passing atomic secrets to the Russians. Typing.

The story is told by Millie Stein, a fictional neighbor in the apartment complex where the Rosenbergs last lived. Millie is married to Ed, a brutal Russian Jew, whose indifference to their son (probably autistic, lacking language skills) contrasts cruelly to the love and warmth in the Rosenberg family. Although Millie knows that her husband attends political - probably Communist - meetings, she is shocked to learn that he has known the Rosenbergs for years.

Ed grudgingly allows her to accept an invitation to a party at the Rosenbergs' apartment after she and Ethel become friendly, bonded by their children and shared concerns. Ethel has secretly steered Millie to Planned Parenthood for birth control, which would enrage Ed, who threatens to institutionalize their son unless she has another, "normal" child. Millie has kept secrets for Ethel to protect her privacy in the neighborhood.

Secrets are in the air at the party, where spying, lying, and politics are discussed by partygoers, including David Greenglass (Ethel's brother), his wife Ruth, and Morton Sobel, all of whom figure in the betrayal and death of the Rosenbergs. Millie also meets another (fictional) character there, a psychologist named Jake, whose promise to help her son develop language skills leads her down yet another dangerous, secret path.

Since the events that lead to the arrests, trials, and executions are only glimpsed by Millie, it can be frustrating to pick them out of the narrative. Both her husband and the therapist advance the plot without significantly enlightening the reader, since each has his own agenda, and the reader is as bewildered as Millie. Some of those glimpses are so ordinary, yet so meaningful - Julius playing with his son in the park, Ethel cooking a chicken. Others, just as true, are horrific, such as the government agents scooping evidence out of the apartment as Ethel pleads with them to spare the recording she had made of her voice, hoping they would know what she sounded like if she was gone.

Millie's plight as an abused woman who puts her trust in anyone who is kind to her and her son is vivid and heartbreaking, but her moments of clarity and insight into her husband's true business are made less believable by her ignorance of the world. Still, this detailed look at the last free days of the doomed couple is gripping and thought-provoking. The author provides a reading list. I care enough about the disquieting evidence of official malfeasance to learn more.

3 1/2 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley; this is a fair review.

[Book Club Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Millie Stein agrees to watch Ethel Rosenberg’s two young boys one summer morning, she has no idea that her neighbor and good friend will not return; and she cannot imagine how her own life will change or understand the decisions she will have to make. Millie is the fictional neighbor of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who in 1950, during the height of the Red Scare, were arrested for conspiring to commit espionage against the United States. The Rosenbergs were executed in 1953, the only civilian Americans to be killed for spying for the Russians. Jillian Cantor has written a terrific historical fiction novel about the Rosenbergs, imagining what their lives were like in the Jewish community of Knickerbocker Village in lower Manhattan.

Millie hopes for a happy family life when she marries Ed Stein, a Russian immigrant, but Ed has many secrets about his job and his association with the Communist party. And what should be the shared joy of raising a baby boy creates a further divide instead, because something is wrong with David. At two years old, he’s still not talking. Ed wants a normal son and rejects David; and although they share an apartment and a bed, Millie is left alone to raise their son. She loves him dearly, yet she thinks she has failed as a mother. Millie dreads the idea of having another child, and failing again, but Ed wants a normal boy to carry the family name.

Shunned by the other young mothers because of David’s antisocial behavior, Millie feels isolated in their small apartment. She meets her neighbor Ethel, who has a young boy and is pregnant with her second child. The two women become friends, but Ethel seems to have her own secrets. Perhaps Millie worries about Julius’ meetings with other communists, or about her discovery that Ed has known Julius for years. Or maybe it’s Ed’s heavy drinking and his mysterious late-night telephone calls, but Millie senses there’s a whole lot going on in her small world. Ethel tells Mille to just “let the men be the men. Who knows half the reasons why they do the things they do,” she adds.

Millie is hopeful when she meets a mysterious doctor at one of the Rosenbergs’ parties. Dr. Jacob Gold is a doctor of psychotherapy and says he can help David, the beginning of a confusing and dangerous relationship.

As the FBI closes in on anti-American spies, Millie’s small world begins to fall apart. Trusting no one, least of all Ed, she must act on her own to save herself and her children.

The Hours Count is a great story written into a fascinating piece of history. Cantor’s characters allow the reader to imagine the lives behind these figures and suggest how beliefs and circumstances create suspicions and double lives. Up until the day they died, the Rosenbergs vehemently denied being spies and Ethel’s role in particular has been questioned. Cantor’s story shows what these people may have been like, as parents and as friends.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book to read on a winter’s day wrapped up in a blanket, just letting yourself travel inside the pages of this novel. The story began with a single letter and it developed into a full-blown novel, leading me down paths that I wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t a jaunting journey; it was a journey of two families, of mothers who loved their children, of husbands who had other ties and of knowing where your heart belongs. Millie suffers from mother guilt. I felt for her, for the doctors told her that her son was not developing properly because she did not love him enough. David, her two-year old son is not talking and maturing like other two-years and now Millie is dealing with emotional issues that the doctor placed on her. I had to remember it was 1947 when this novel took place as things were different back then. Her husband Ed wants to have another baby and Millie feels that one is enough. Ed ignores his family when he returns home from work as he’s frustrated with his wife’s decision and with his son’s behavior. Ed is passionate about having another child and I feel like Millie. Why should she have another child when she feels like she hasn’t done a good job with the first one? Why take a chance on another one? This tension of having another child runs through the whole novel, Millie holding the cards and her husband hammering at her. They’re fighting a silent war; they’re quietly going behind each other backs trying to bring each other down which only results in more retaliation. Unfortunately, someone has to lose. Soon Millie finds a tenant in the apartment building and their families become great friends. Crossing between work and home, there is more to this friendship than what meets the eye. Millie and David attend therapy, another one of Millie’s secrets. Millie has a talent for her secret life and I am happy to be a part of it even when things start to unravel. This novel was like a journey, the story weaving deeper and deeper with new circumstances occurring, I couldn’t quit reading now. I liked Millie, her character showed a variety of mannerisms. I loved her commitment and her determination, her lack of knowledge and her innocence gave me someone to cheer for. At times she was a lost soul and other times, she was strong and sure of herself. This novel was more than I hoped for.

[RoseMary Achey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael and Robert Rosenberg-the most famous orphans of the Cold War

In 1953 a husband and wife, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, were executed for delivering Atomic secrets to the Russians. This fictionalized account is told from the perspective of a woman living the same New York apartment building.

The Rosenbergs serve as the backdrop to the story of Millie Stein. Millie is the mother of an autistic boy named David. Autism was not understood or diagnosed in 1947 when this story opens. Millie is struggling with her three year old who refused to speak. Millie's husband is a questionable brute with little patience for their son.

The book's hook is the sentence "The day Ethel was arrested in 1950 she left her two young sons with a neighbor, and she never came home to them again." Millie is that neighbor, however the author acknowledges that there is no evidence to validate there was a neighbor.

This story sheds light on the incredible suspicions that existed during the cold war. It is an engaging read and I suspect will be popular with Book Clubs. This title will be published on October 20, 2015.

[Amanda Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the ordeal of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, told from the point of view of a fictionalized neighbor who befriends Ethel as everything unfolds. Millie is a housewife with a Russian immigrant husband and a son who displays behaviors that would now be considered autism. We follow Millie as she struggles with raising her son, with her strained relationship with her husband, and her friendship with the Rosenbergs, her neighbors down the hall. My heart broke for this woman as she tries to make her marriage work, to love and help her little son, and build a friendship with Ethel Rosenberg, the one woman in their apartment building who doesn't try to ignore her and her son. While the author makes a few liberties with historical facts, the story of the everyday life the Rosenbergs were forced to leave tugs at your heartstrings. It's a gripping read as the threat of Soviet espionage becomes greater, and Millie becomes more desperate to make her life what she wants. Jillian Cantor makes a great story, and I really must read her first book Margot before too long!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher.

[Fred Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing historical fiction account of the Rosenbergs, Julius and Ethyl, as told by a fictional neighbor. This book was well researched and written to keep you immersed in the story and not wanting to put the book down. The Rosenbergs were tried, convicted and executed for espionage in 1953. The story casts doubt on the Rosenburgs trial findings by the judge and jury, composed of members from a crazed society afraid of Communists, the "bomb" and the witch hunt tactics of Senator McCarthy and even FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover. Everyone it seemed was under a microscope to see whether there might be a "Communist" lurking. The author cleverly weaves the atmosphere of the country with the lives of the Jewish and Russian characters.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was provided to me free from the publisher.

Anyone familiar with American history knows who Julian and Ethel Rosenberg are. They're the scapegoats of the Red Scare, when America was scared to death of communists. This fictional account of Millie, a friend of Ethel Rosenberg provided a great insight to this historical event, even if it wasn't true. While I found the story boring at times, it was still fairly interesting and I would recommend it to history buffs.

[Maureen DeLuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good for a historical fiction. xx