A Master Plan for Rescue

by Janis Cooke Newman

A magical novel about the surprising acts we are capable of in the name of love.

Set in 1942 New York and Berlin, A Master Plan for Rescue is an enchanting novel about the life-giving powers of storytelling, and the heroism that can be inspired by love. In essence, it is two love stories. It is the story of a child who worships his parents, then loses his father to an accident and his mother to her resulting grief. And it is the story of a young man who stumbles into the romance of his life, then watches her decline, forever changing the arc of his future. Each is propelled by the belief that if he acts heroically enough, it will restore some part of what -- or whom -- he has lost.

But when they meet, this boy and this man, their combined grief and magical thinking will allow them to dream the impossible. Sharing stories of the people they have lost, they are inspired to join forces and act in their memory. To do something so memorable that it might actually bring their loved ones back -– even if only in spirit.

A Master Plan for Rescue is a beautiful tale, propelled by history and imagination, that suggests people's impact upon the world doesn't necessarily end with their lives, and that, to some degree, we are the sum of the stories we tell.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, New York, Literary Fiction, War

Audible Audio

First published July 14, 2015

About the author

Janis Cooke Newman is the author of A Master Plan for Rescue , a magical novel about the surprising acts of heroism that can be inspired by love. She is also the author of Mary , a historical novel about Mary Todd Lincoln. Mary was chosen by USA Today as the best historical fiction of 2006 and was a finalist for the LA Times First Fiction award. She is also the author of The Russian Word for Snow, a memoir about adopting her son from a Moscow orphanage. Both books are available in paperback. Newman is the founder of the Lit Camp writers conference.

Author photo copyright Ian Tuttle.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most powerful aspects of this book for me was the number of surprises.
The novel was not what I thought it would be and I was constantly being astonished.
I've read more than dozens of books on the Holocaust ...( they all leave a mark), but only a
handful are absolutely impossible for me to forget.
In the ways that "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak left a lasting impression on me ... so did this story.
And....in ways that Jonathan Safran Foer wrote his story about a grieving boy for his father in
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", .... (young boy wanders through the city and the subways, in both stories), I felt some nostalgic warmth.

This book is for adults, but would also be an fantastic read for teenagers.
NOTE: I PROMISE NOT TO GIVE ANY MAJOR SPOILERS AWAY...or even half of the
charming gemstones....from storyline/plot/... To the authors wonderful writing.

Jack is "so close to turning twelve". He lives in New York with his Iris-American family.
His eyesight suddenly goes bad the same day they get news of Pearl Harbor.
His new eye glasses turn out to be much thicker than expected.
When his mother got up in the middle of the night to clean Jack's lenses--a woman who put
so much faith in signs---Jack figures she made the connection between "clearing the lenses
and clearing his vision".
Jack felt - his eyesight was knocked out of focus at the same time the Japanese bombs hit.
Even with his new glasses...(thick enough to be teased by kids), he still can't see things at a close distant very well. Everything is still blurry.
At school- with his new 'coke-lenses'.. Jack's teacher has him sit in the front row.
Jack thinks, "only the defective sit in the front row".
Declan couldn't move his left leg very well because of the polio brace. France's had to wear an eye patch to help correct his other lazy eye. And
and Rose...( the girl Jack sat next to and becomes friends with), had a hearing aid and still had trouble hearing.
The teacher asks Jack to help Rose with hearing--- and Rose is to help Jack with seeing.

School has its own set of challenges...
But when a sudden tragedy hits at home.....
This is when the book starts to make a sudden change... (I had no idea where the story was headed.....with about 70 percent 'more' to read).
The many wonderful bittersweet surprises begin.
Jack will meet a man named Jakob.... (When he is out looking for Nazi spies)
Jakob tells a story that is sooooo touching - I had to remember to 'breathe'.
A few times when reading the second half of this story..( I was SO ENGAGED from the start of the book), ... that all of a sudden I found myself speak out loud... "wow"...then..."wow" again!!!
I went back to read THE TITLE of the book. I wasn't even aware of 'a master plan'. ...
because I was just fully present - in the moment- enjoying the unfolding of the story. I wasn't even trying to figure anything out. Even if I had.. I couldn't have guessed 'the plan' in a million
years... ( but damn, if I'm not touched).

"A master plan for rescue dreamed up by a boy, I thought. Who had believed that it was a good idea? A man who had tried to make a pigeon fly across the ocean to deliver a message
to a dead girl?"

I *must* thank Allison Carney, from Penguin Random House, for sending me an e-mail that I was one of the lucky winners of the A MASTER PLAN FOR RESCUE Shelf Awareness Galley giveaway. ( I was approved on Netgalley). - so thank you Netgalley, also.
I have NO IDEA why I didn't request this book..,( or even read what it was
about when I first saw it on NG). I had to be crazy...( or it's possible I was still in the hospital having surgery on my foot)..,so I'm especially thankful to have won a copy. I would have hated to miss reading this wonderful book.
Do Not confuse this book with another: " All The Bright Places", by Jennifer Niven, ( with 'similar' book COVERS). Another book - I liked very much-- but these are NOT the same book.


For those who live in The Bay Area: The author, for
"The Master Plan For Rescue", Janice Cooke Newman, is speaking - Tues. night, July 21st, at Keplers Book Store in Menlo Park. ( just read this the morning!)

I hope to be there with bells on my toes! ( still can't walk without crutches yet- or drive...so anyone who wants to drive from Willow Glen, let me know)

[Jessica J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Comes really close to five.

I got this book as an ARC last summer. I picked it up and got through maybe 50 or 60 pages before leaving it in the office when I went on a week-and-a-half-long business trip to Canada. I don't know why I didn't pick it back up again until now, because this was a wonderful read. I'm somewhat mystified that it has fewer than 300 ratings here on Goodreads, because it seems tailor-made for audiences who made books like Sarah's Key or All The Light We Cannot See bestsellers.

It's yet another WWII novel, but it's not just another WWII novel. It's the beautifully constructed tale of Jack, a young boy in New York at the earliest stages of the war whose grief and naivete drive him to look for a way he can be hero. I don't really want to give away more plot than that because the best part of this book was the surprises that kept coming, surprises that could so easily be given away by carelessly written marketing copy.

I loved the pacing, the plotting, the narration. Newman doesn't so much alternate between narratives as she detours away from Jack's story into others, but she does so in a way that is much more deft than I was expecting. The first detour felt a bit clunky--and the book might have actually been a bit stronger without it, if the information had just been folded into the story in a simple way--but the second, primary detour was handled beautifully. Newman writes Jack's perspective with just the right amount of innocence and hopefulness that it's totally believable as a man looking back on his youth and explaining the thought process of his 12-year-old self. Newman swerves seamlessly into Jakob's story, in an impressive display of control over voice. The two narrative sound so distinct from each other and somehow remain so authentic to the characters, which is such a hard thing to do and Newman nailed it.

There are a couple of plot elements that force you to stretch your imagination of what's possible, but not enough that it bothered me too terribly. The writing is moving and the story was engaging. I have no idea why I didn't go back to it sooner. I definitely wish I had.

[Kristi | Hidden Staircase | · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really loved this book. It's a bittersweet tale of a boy who has lost his father during the early years of WWII.

The book begins with a glimpse into Jack’s seemingly perfect life, eating a meal with his mother and father in the warmth of their Manhattan apartment. But this is the last moment like this for Jack, his world is about to change. Pearl Harbor has been bombed, and then several months later he loses his father in a terrible accident that happens right in front of him. Thanks to the power of his radio programs, Jack convinces himself that his father did not die, but instead he is out there, somewhere, helping the government round up Nazi spies. Jack is determined to help his father by finding a Nazi spy too.

Jakob on the other hand, has a tale of great love and great loss. He must be in his early 30’s, yet the life he had already led makes him seem so much older. I love the way Ms. Newman weaves historical events into her story, particularly in Jakob's struggle of being a German Jew living in Berlin in the late 1930's. I really recommend A Master Plan for Rescue. This book was beautifully written, and very moving. Full of emotional highs and lows, it is the tale about a young boy who does whatever it takes to hang on to his belief in his father.

For my full review, please visit Hidden Staircase.
Thanks to First to Read for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Book Riot Community]

I do not think there will ever come a time when we run out of wonderful novels set during World War II. In A Master Plan for Rescue, we meet Jack, a young boy in NYC who loses his father early on in the war. He decides his father is not dead, but fighting Nazis instead. Across the ocean is Jakob, a German Jew living in Berlin, and struggling in his own way with the war. This is a touching story about war and grief. And, yes, almost all war stories are, but Newman's novel stands out because of her superb writing. This one will linger.


Do you get our New Books! Newsletter? You should: http://bookriot.com/2014/07/29/new-bo...

[Angie Reisetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are stories within this story. A boy who loses his distance vision, a man who grew up in New York with a Nazi sympathizer, a Jewish man who barely escaped Nazi Germany with his life, a young woman sneaked to New York from a refugee camp in western France. The boy's friends have fathers or brothers in the war. There are two mothers who are physically present but spiritually absent. Two boys construct elaborate stories around their departed loved ones. A man who can fix anything cannot fix his beloved's weak heart. Multiple love stories start with a wild, entrancing young woman with a faulty bicycle meeting a young man who can fix her bike.

Most enchantingly, the characters in this book have powers. Jack, the 12-year-old, can hear what people really mean, no matter what they say. His father can read people. Jakob, the Jewish-German-American, can make himself effectively invisible, attracting no attention to himself.

The plot is the stuff of dreams. Full of spies and secrets, these New Yorkers are far from the battlefield action, but thoughts of the war fill their minds. Jakob and Jack hatch a plan to rescue children from the French refugee camp, a plan that would never work, a plan that seems ludicrous, but they plan it and carry it out nonetheless. The story is very much of its place and time, but also very much of hope and dreams and love. It's a wonderful read.

I got a free copy of this from Panguin's First to Read program.

[Miranda Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming and unique story set in New York City during World War II.

It was so easy to fall in love with A Master Plan for Rescue. I didn't really know what to expect out of this book, but Newman's writing style was addictive, and I quickly finished this slow-moving book in only two days. Not so much a book with a strong plot or storyline, AMPfR was much more about the emotional connections between each of the characters, and how love can still manage to conquer all even in the most horrible of circumstances.

Although slightly predictable, this story is special because of its lovable and relatable characters. They each have depth, and I really enjoyed Newman's interesting narration style in which Jack told the majority of the story, but every so often one of the other characters would take over for a little while. It made for a really engaging read in which it was very easy to get to know so many of the characters.

I really liked this book a lot, but part of me wishes that it had had a stronger plot. The title "A Master Plan for Rescue" doesn't come into play until about 2/3rds of the way through the book, which I thought was confusing and kind of strange. The title also makes the book sound a lot more...exciting? Or adventuresome? There is some of that, but it's a very subtle, emotional book that does not have very much action. I think that it definitely could've been given a better name in order to accurately portray its contents.

But, overall, AMPfR was such a cute — yet actually pretty deep — novel that is totally different from any other WWII book I've read. I love reading about that time period, but often it's hard for books to surprise me with it, as I've surely read at least 100 books about it over my lifetime. But this was definitely a surprise. It's such an innocent little story that manages to pack a big punch. It was totally worth the read, and I definitely recommend it for fans of historical fiction.

[Jaymie Shook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a galley copy from First to Read, and I'll be recommending it to everyone. While the author sets the novel in the WWII era, it was almost hard for me to remember how many years separated me from the main character. The messages of love, loss, faith, and freedom ring through in every word and era.

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack is a twelve-year-old boy that idolizes his father and appears to have an idyllic childhood. However, when his family is struck with tragedy, Jack's world is brought to its knees. To deal with his heartache, Jack starts "hunting down" Nazis, convinced that that is how he can fix his problems. That is how he meets Jakob and their encounter will help them both heal their broken hearts.

To begin I must say that I was not aware this novel dealt with WWII or the early years of the Holocaust. Even towards the end, I did not know what to expect out of the novel and these surprises were welcome. The narrative is told by Jack and Jakob, both of whom experience tragedy in their lives. The prose is excellent, Janis Cooke Newman particularly shines in creating very distinct voices for her characters. On one hand, we have Jack whose innocence and hopefulness are palpable and his actions believable considering his circumstances. For me, this novel is part a coming-of-age story. Then there is Jakob, a man wiser beyond his years due to his painful past. At the risk of giving away the plot, I'll leave it at that. While novels about WWII are a dime a dozen, this one stands out because of its original approach. The story does not take place on a warfront or concentration camp. Rather, it plays out on the streets of NY through the imagination of a twelve-year-old Irish-American boy. Trust me, it works. The ending, while being very heartwarming, was a touch predictable. Still, this novel was a wonderful read and I already have my eye on another novel by Newman.

[BookishStitcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

World War 2 coming of age story. It was okay for me. It is the oldest book on my TBR so it's good to have read it.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1942 New York and Berlin, A Master Plan for Rescue is an enchanting novel about the life-giving powers of storytelling, and the heroism that can be inspired by love. In essence, it is two love stories. It is the story of a child who worships his parents, then loses his father to an accident and his mother to her resulting grief. And it is the story of a young man who stumbles into the romance of his life, then watches her decline, forever changing the arc of his future. Each is propelled by the belief that if he acts heroically enough, it will restore some part of what -- or whom -- he has lost.

But when they meet, this boy and this man, their combined grief and magical thinking will allow them to dream the impossible. Sharing stories of the people they have lost, they are inspired to join forces and act in their memory. To do something so memorable that it might actually bring their loved ones back -– even if only in spirit.

A Master Plan for Rescue is a beautiful tale, propelled by history and imagination, that suggests people's impact upon the world doesn't necessarily end with their lives, and that, to some degree, we are the sum of the stories we tell.

--My thoughts. My words can't do this book justice. Brilliant how it is woven together. I stopped several times to say yes, this is why I read. I could feel myself laying with him there, listening to the radio, it felt so real. Newman does an excellent job -- I was surprised to read this was her debut. When the truancy officer came... wow. Wow is all I can say. What a book. This is a must read. I adore the cover too. This book isn't your usual read by the beach book, you will not breeze through it and it will not make you happy. But you will have a deeper appreciation for people and this is why we read.

[cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a read where I slowed down because I didn't want it to end. It could easily have slipped into maudlin, predictable cliche but never never did even once. How do people react to loss? What worlds do children enter to protect themselves from their inability to deal with loss? How creative can your imagination become to convince yourself your lost one is in fact all right? How do you protect yourself from an avalanche of pain? These questions are explored with surprise and fantasy and the harsh light of reality. Brilliant and surprising.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another World War II novel, written from the perspective mostly of a 12 year old boy in New York City. Janis Cooke Newman seems to have captured the smells and sounds of NYC in the early 40s as life changed irrevocably for so many people. Tragic and redemptive, this novel of Worrld War II again told a story new to me in an interesting and charming way.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3:5 stars ...A book with stories within stories..very moving and beautifully written.A slow burn of a book for me and although I really enjoyed it I felt my mind wandering in parts but on the whole would recommend.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that stays with you ...and you find yourself thinking about days after you finish it. Beautifully written, wonderful images and a great story -- this is an original idea, transposed into moving, gripping writing. Highly recommend it!

[Lorri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a little after 1:00 a.m., and I just finished reading this beautifully presented story line. It is one of those stories where I could not put the book down until I had read the last word on the last page.

The novel takes place during WWII, and is a coming of age story of a young boy named Jack, who has lost his father due to a terrible accident. He is in denial that his father has died.

He imagines his father is still alive and helping the authorities find Nazi spies. With that in mind, Jack becomes involved with a man named Jakob. He initially thought Jakob was a spy, until he learned Jakob's background.

The two of them plot a unique rescue. That is as far as I will go with details regarding the novel.

Love, identity, death/loss and its stages, are all encompassing within the pages. The imagery is vivid, written with sensitivity, illuminating not only events, but Jack's mindset and thoughts.

I liked the unique perspective, and totally enjoyed the novel.

[Elaine Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is the story of a young boy living in NYC in 1942. It is his grief over his father's loss and the denial of his loss which leads him on a search for Nazis. His search leads him to a man he believes to be one but what he learns from this developing friendship changes his life and the lives of others. I highly recommend this book!

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this for too long, while cleaning my nightstand undecided to jump in, knowing nothing. I was surprised it was a war story, such a different slant and completely mesmerizing. The perspective will grab you instantly, loved it, was such an unexpected story that had my stomach gripped with fear and sorrow, extremely touching.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

For disclosure purposes, I received this book as a Goodreads First Reads book giveaway.

This novel focuses on two separate but entwined stories of love during World War II. It begins focused on a 12 year old boy named Jack and his father. Jack’s story is one of a beloved father and son who spend a lot of quality time together. For Jack, his father seems to make all his problems or concerns disappear and his world revolves around his father. Unfortunately, Jack’s world is completely changed when his father dies suddenly, leaving him without a guiding force and a devastated mother. As he struggles to find meaning in his life and to understand his father’s death he becomes almost obsessed with mysteries and finding Nazis in New York City. Instead of going to school like other kids his age, he wanders NYC trying to locate Nazis and bring them to justice. It is during these wanderings that he comes across Jakob, a recent immigrant from Germany. Jakob’s story and life will give meaning and purpose to Jack’s and he will have a lasting effect on this young boy life in ways he could never imagine.

Set in the 1940s, this novel predominately takes place in New York City; however, through flashbacks we are able to see how life in Germany changed from the mid 1930s on. This is a very well-written book about the effect of love on two people (one a young boy, the other a young man). This novel does an incredible job of portraying the life, culture and times of both of these characters and the world’s they “live” in. Ms Newman has written an incredibly well-developed novel with realistic characters. The perspectives of the characters drives the plot and action forward in an environment that comes across as very noir. This is not the New York City of commercialism, lights, and tourism – this city is dark, with hidden motives and dangerous people. I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read that takes place during World War II.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin First to Read for the opportunity to read this book and review it. I think this book will be well received by fans of The Bookthief, this was a truly a lovely, bittersweet story. Young Jack lives in New York with his parents during WWII. They live in a hardscrabble neighborhood and his dad works long hours as a portrait photographer and his mother does the accounts for a company. Each person has a hyper sense, mom can do all sorts of calculations in her head, dad is able to see things about people's internal selves and brings them out in his photos, Jack can hear if people are telling lies or the truth and Jakob can see the mechanics of things in his head. One day Jack and his dad are on their way back from the studio where they work. While waiting for the subway, his father leaps in front of the incoming train. Jack thinks his dad has managed to escape into the tunnel, where Jack thinks he's gone to hunt for Nazi's, which is what Jack thinks is his real job. Jack starts to leave secret messages for his father and seemingly gets replies.He decides to start searching for Nazi's himself in hopes of finding his father in the process. Instead he follows Jakob, who is not a Nazi, but Jakob enlists Jack in a master plan of rescue that is as dramatic as any case of espionage. With the help of Jack's schoolmates they pull off a major feat. I love how the author tied a bit of real history into the story. It really helped to authenticate it.

[Nancy Kho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janis Cooke Newman is one of my favorite historical fiction writers because of her skill at creating fully-realized characters who happen to be set in interesting time periods. At a recent reading for "Master Plan" I heard Janis say that she worries less about the historical fiction detail and more about the story, but I think that's unnecessarily humble: the way she creates the world of WWII New York through the eyes of a 12 year old boy is incredibly detailed and evocative. In her hands, two stories merge in a compelling, suspenseful, heartbreaking way, united by a need for redemption and hope.

I loved it.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, sad, creative Bildungsroman set in NYC during WWII. It reminded me a lot of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and a little of Nicole Krauss's The History of Love. Several characters had moving back stories that were told in detail as stories within the story- I loved those parts the most.
Maybe my only complaint is the forgettable title- it doesn't say much and doesn't suit the story that well. (We don't even get an inkling of the titular plan until more than halfway through the book.)

[Emily M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect plot pace throughout, and a really nice coming together of different story threads. Highly recommend for people interested in historical fiction.

[The Jewish Book Council]

Review by Julie Joseph for the Jewish Book Council.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found A Master Plan for Rescue reminiscent of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Each of them features a boy who has lost, and goes in search of, his father.

From the beginning, Jack is an engrossing, sympathetic character. In his grief over the loss of his father, Jack engages in magical thinking that his father has not really died; and he resolves what he must do in order for his father to return to him. Then there is Jakob, a man who tells the story of how he met and lost Rebecca, the love of his live. He is man with a need to do something that is worthy of her love.

Incorporated within Jakob's story is his escape from Germany to Cuba on the SS St. Louis. Denied entry to Cuba, the U.S., and Canada, and ordered to return to Hamburg, the ship was ultimately allowed to dock at Antwerp. I found the description of his journey on this vessel, along with approximately 900 other Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, to be incredibly accurate and genuinely frightful.

How Jack and Jakob meet and how they concoct their "master plan for rescue" is a truly captivating tale. It intrigued me from the onset and had me hooked to find out how these two characters would work together to try to reach their desired goals.

This is an inspiring story, well worth reading.

[Joey Resciniti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Master Plan for Rescue is tells an interesting story of a 12-year-old boy that loses his father and goes on to participate in a somewhat unbelievable operation to rescue 23 Jewish children from the Nazis. The novel weaves several different stories together. It's descriptive, well written and thought provoking.

One of the important supporting characters, Rose, has hearing loss and uses a bone conduction hearing aid with a microphone she wears on her throat. I found these details to be distracting. My daughter has hearing loss and wears hearing aids. I've spent years learning about the technology and advocating for my daughter and other kids with hearing loss. I'd never heard of a bone conduction hearing aid like the one Rose wore during the 1940s, and was so put off by the continued role of the RadioEar device that I eventually had to look it up.

RadioEar did not sell a bone conduction hearing aid until 1950.

So that was disappointing. I did like that Rose was a strong character that was not held back by her deafness.

Overall, this book was a worthwhile read. It explored aspects of daily life during WWII that I hadn't thought about. It highlighted the feelings of helplessness and the desire to help with the war effort that must have been very common at the time.

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Master Plan for Rescue is an extraordinary book. On a 10 star scale, this book would be a 9. It is actually several stories interwoven into one but not the usual flashing back and forth between points of view that is so popular today.
As WWII rages on, a young Catholic boy in Manhattan strives to be a good American while the world and his personal life fall apart. The boy crosses paths with a Germany man who he suspects may be a Nazi and we are introduced to another powerful story. Their collective actions lead to an epic feat and we learn the story of a French orphan. The stories are interwoven beautifully and seamlessly.
The author, Janis Cooke Newman will be speaking in Dallas this spring and I can't wait to hear her speak.
This would also be a great book for mature teens. Highly recommended.

[BB · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad but marvelous story of a 12 year old Catholic boy in Brooklyn named Jack, his father, and Jakob, a German Jewish refugee. Peopled with well drawn characters the story is unlike any I have read before in the era of WWII.

"Over the years I have wondered why Jakob-for that was his name, at least all the name I ever learned-told me this.....My only guess is that he needed to tell the story. That he had kept it inside for too long, and that I--a twelve-year-old boy out in the middle of the night on a mission of his own imagination--seemed the safest place to put it."

[LJ Strauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly touching and heroic story and one that will stay with me for a very long time.

My Dad was a teenager in NYC during the Holocaust and enlisted in the Navy as soon as he possibly could - he served for 6 months before the war ended and never saw active duty. He very badly wanted to go overseas to help.

I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to be Jewish in the US during a time when our people were being innocently slaughtered in Europe. This book addressed exactly that through the eyes of an Irish boy and a Jewish refugee. Stunning.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two reasons it wasn't a 5 star book for me. One, reading the blurb describing what the book is about doesn't tell you it's about Hitler and the atrocities he inflicted on Jews. Don't know if I would have read this book knowing that. And two, it was difficult to believe the 12 year old main character was able to pull off the things he accomplished. Maybe if he was 17 or 18. So that ruined it a little for me.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story but needs editing. The book seems disjointed and as though there would have been several other ways to weave the stories of each of the characters and plot lines together, rather than clomping them onto eachother- in some cases almost as an after thought.

Still- great story and characters, I just wish that the story flowed better.