Karolina's Twins

Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart #3

by Ronald H. Balson

From the author of Once We Were Brothers comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to fulfill a promise, return to Poland and find two sisters lost during World War II.

Lena Woodward, an elderly woman, enlists the help of both lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart to appraise the story of her harrowing past in Nazi occupied Poland. At the same time, Lena’s son Arthur presents her with a hefty lawsuit under the pretense of garnering her estate—and independence—for his own purposes. Where these stories intersect is through Lena’s dubious account of her life in war-torn Poland, and her sisterhood with a childhood friend named Karolina. Lena and Karolina struggled to live through the atrocity of the Holocaust, and at the same time harbored a courageous, yet mysterious secret of maternity that has troubled Lena throughout her adult life. In telling her story to Catherine and Liam, Lena not only exposes the realities of overcoming the horrors of the Holocaust, she also comes to terms with her own connection to her dark past.

Karolina’s Twins is a tale of survival, love, and resilience in more ways than one. As Lena recounts her story, Catherine herself also recognizes the unwavering importance of family as she prepares herself for the arrival of her unborn child. Through this association and many more, both Lena and Catherine begin to cherish the dogged ties that bind not only families and children, but the entirety of mankind.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Mystery, Historical, Audiobook

320 pages, ebook

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

When he’s not writing books, Ron is a practicing attorney with the firm of Stone, Pogrund & Korey in Chicago. He has been a civil litigation attorney for forty-three years. He was an adjunct professor of business law at the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business for twenty-five years and was a frequent lecturer in the federal bar certification course and in trial advocacy seminars.
The demands of his legal practice have taken Ron into courts all across the United States and Canada, and for deposition testimony all across Europe and Asia. A few years ago, Ron became involved in a commercial dispute concerning telephone service in Poland. Numerous trips to Warsaw and southern Poland provided the inspiration for his first novel, Once We Were Brothers. Ron’s love of history and his travels to the Middle East provided the motivation for his second novel, Saving Sophie.
During the Once We Were Brothers book tour, Ron was introduced to several survivors of the World War II concentration camps. Of all the stories of courage and determination, one woman’s story was so moving that it formed the basis for Karolina’s Twins, Ron’s third book due out in 2016.
Ron was a finalist for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction in 2014 and a finalist for the Premio Bancarella Italian Literature Award in 2014. He was an honoree at the Chicago Public Library Foundation’s Carl Sandburg Literary Award dinner.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena Woodward, 89 year old holocaust survivor wants to keep a 70 year old promise to her best friend. Her selfish son, Arthur wants to declare her unfit and delusional about the existence of her friend Karolina's twins and take over her fortune and control her life. Husband and wife team, Liam and Catherine, a private investigator and attorney respectively are solicited by Lena to help her. Her mission is to keep her promise and find the twin daughters of her best friend Karolina. She also has a secret that isn't revealed until the end, but for me it was obvious throughout. Lena tells her story to them and when she tells it, you feel as though you're reading a memoir. Perhaps that's because Lena's character is based in a real person who told the author her story . This makes its all the more moving .

As a young girl in Chrzanow, Poland, Lena lived a comfortable life in a loving family until the Nazis came. I was so drawn to this strong, amazing woman who survived the holocaust, enduring so much - loss of her family , life in the Polish ghetto living in abominable conditions, working under awful conditions sewing coats for the Nazis, and then the work camp. Yet having the courage to work for the resistance.

The writing was a little flat, a little matter of fact, for lack of a better way to describe it. It definitely wasn't the language that pulled me in, but the story did . This is of course about the unbelievable strength and courage of people under horrific conditions, as their lives are destroyed,about the vile sins of the Nazis against humanity, but also about the depth of friendship and love. Once again reading a holocaust story gives me pause, to reflect once again on the importance of never forgetting that this happened.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Lena's story is an important one, one based on actual events and it is in the telling of this survivor's story that Balsn's writing is the strongest. The modern day story, though I do like the husband and wife team as characters is not as strongly written. In truth, the dialogue is at times clunky, the trial, overdone and I often found myself skimming over these parts to get to the stronger parts of the past. A story of love and sacrifice, bonds between women, mothers and children, all worthy messages, all conveyed within. f I could rate just this, it would be an unequivocal four stars but I just can't dismiss the parts I found lacking. So definitely read this for the story, it deserves to be known and you might be able to put out of your mind the parts I couldn't.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in a series by the author. If you have not read the author’s first two novels, it will not affect reading this book as a stand alone. In the story, the author brings back the lawyer/ private detective team, Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart, that we met in the author’s previous two books.

There are two stories in this engaging book. An 89 year old widowed woman, Lena Woodward, walks into offices of a private investigator/ lawyer team, Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart. She needs to fulfil a promise she made. Lena promised to help find her best friend Karolina’s twins that were born during the Holocaust. While Lena is sharing her story with Catherine, we learn about Lena’s life story which entails surviving Nazi occupied Poland before, during and after WWII. She shares stories about her family and childhood friends along with life in the Jewish ghetto and her time in a concentration camp.

The other story is about Lena’s grown son Arthur. Arthur, also her only child, wants the investigation of the twins stopped. He believes his mother is obsessed with imaginary twins, and will waste all her money searching for them. Arthur begins a legal battle against his mother questioning her mental status and control of her estate.

The story gripped me from the first few pages. It is written in such a sad yet beautiful way that I didn’t want to put the book down. The narration of Lena’s story flowed well and I definitely felt an emotional connection. Although the book is a work of fiction, the story is inspired by the life of a Holocaust survivor, Fay Scharf Waldman.

I am looking forward to more novels from this author.

2 book giveaway on my blog until 2/26 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading Karolina's Twins. I found it moving and hard to put down. I gather it's the third in a series featuring husband and wife team Liam and Catherine, who are respectively a private investigator and a lawyer. You absolutely don't need to read the previous books in the series to get into this one. The story has two time lines. In present day, 89 year old Lena -- a Holocaust survivor -- hires Catherine and Liam to help her find "Karolina's twins". In order to do so she must tell them the story of her early life in Poland and survival of the Holocaust. In parallel, in contemporary Chicago, Lena's son brings a court challenge to prevent his mother from pursuing unresolved issues from the past. Most of the book is taken up with Lena's story, and I found it to be by far the most engaging part of the book. Her story is not unfamiliar -- to the extent that the horrific inhumanity of the Holocaust can ever become familiar. But it is a very moving and rich story about about acts of strength and courage in the face of horrible circumstances and choices. In contrast, the contemporary courtroom drama often had the air of a bad farce. I'm still willing to go with a 4 star rating, because Lena's story is really the focus of the book and had me all stirred up. Interestingly, in the Acknowledgment section at the end, the author mentions that Lena's story is based on a true story, while the contemporary story is entirely fictitious. This is not surprising and Lena's story is definitely worth reading. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erneut ein Highlight für mich....ich liebe die Personen,die hier erschaffen werden, ihre dramatische Geschichte geht so ans Herz und man fiebert so mit. Absolute Empfehlung,gerade das Hörbuch begeistert mich sehr .

[Darryl Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ronald H. Balson’s novel, "Karolina’s Twins", Lena Woodward is a Holocaust survivor who enlists the help of lawyer, Catherine Lockhart and her partner, Liam Taggart, a private investigator, to trace the twin daughters of her friend, Karolina who perished in a Nazi death camp. At first, Catherine is hesitant to take on such a case. She is an attorney and not in the habit of tracking down missing persons. Liam is not keen because it appears from initial discussions that the twins went missing in Nazi occupied Poland about seventy years ago and information regarding their possible whereabouts is thin on the ground. But Lena is an engaging – and insistent – old lady and eventually they agree to do what they can. Soon after they are formally instructed, Lena’s son, Arthur, an aggressive, bullying character, comes on the scene, and carries out his threat to launch proceedings against his mother, alleging she is mentally incompetent and that Catherine and Liam are out to fleece her of her considerable wealth. Lena’s story is harrowing, as she recounts the horrors of what she and Karolina were subjected to at the hands of the Nazis. But, seventy years down the line, reliving the nightmare of her experiences so that she can properly instruct Catherine and Liam is exacerbated as Arthur relentlessly pursues his case against her.

Ronald H. Balson, a Chicago trial attorney no doubt used to carrying out extensive research, has done just that in order to recount, in minute detail, Lena’s wartime experiences in Nazi occupied Poland. According to the author’s note at the end of the book, although "Karolina’s Twins" is fictional, it is based on the experiences of a particular person. Balson’s attention to detail in describing those experiences, and Polish wartime history is extraordinary. A lot of readers might consider some of it a little too detailed; some, rehashed historical narrative that has been told time and time again. But Holocaust stories need to be told and retold as, it seems, humanity has failed to learn anything from its history. Unsurprisingly, the court room scenes are authentic. The writing itself is immaculate, the story gripping, with impeccable characterisation and believable, realistic dialogue. And the surprise at the end is worth waiting for.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the actual WW II story line of Karolina's Twins is interesting, I found the writing style to be off putting. It reads like a YA novel. And, it contains far too many worn out cliches and coincidences. The characters aren't fully developed and lacked depth. In other words, this is a plot driven novel. Karolina's Twins will work for those who prefer heavy subject matter dealt with rather lightly.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-telling your nightmare of living in occupied Poland during WWII would stir up emotions that I would want to forget, but Lena Scheinman Woodward wanted it told.

Lena Woodward lived in Poland during the holocaust, lost her entire family, but did find her best friend, Karolina, in the factory where they were required to work and make coats for the Germans.

We are there as Lena tells of her experiences to an attorney and private investigator in hopes of getting the help she needs to fulfill the promise she made to her friend Karolina to find her twins.

Lena Woodard made a promise to her friend 70 years ago, and now at the age of 89 decided to tell her story and to try to find Karolina's children that sadly had to be abandoned because of the situation they were in.

When Lena's son finds out she is telling her story, he causes problems because he is worried about his inheritance being taken by the attorney and the investigator even though he indicates his concern is only with his mother's welfare.

As Lena's story unfolded for her attorney, Catherine, we re-lived with her the terror and atrocities committed by the Nazis, and we learned that there was a secret Lena had been keeping for 70 years.

Lena and Catherine were two characters I loved. They were strong, determined women. Liam was fun. Arthur, Lena's son, was not pleasant. I truly enjoyed the interaction of the characters both present day and past as Lena told her story.

KAROLINA'S TWINS flowed very nicely, and was another well-researched book by Mr. Balson. Mr. Balson has a marvelous writing style and a knack for keeping readers interested by combining facts with human interest.

Mr. Balson indicated that his book is fiction, but it is similar to the life of Fay Scharf Waldman whom he met after writing his first book.

World War II buffs will add yet another layer to their interest and desire to learn the truth. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Karen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Through the years, I never told a soul what really happened. Not even my husband. No one knew the details. Once the war was over, I closed the door. And locked it. Now, as painful as it is, I must open it.” Lena Scheinman

Attorney Catherine Taggart and her husband Liam are drawn into a World War II mystery when Lena Scheinman, a woman in her late 80’s and a Jewish Polish survivor of the Holocaust shows up on their doorstep asking for help in finding the twins of Lena’s deceased best friend, Karolina. She had made this promise to Karolina in 1943 and insists in fulfilling it.

Lena sits down over multiple sessions with Catherine to tell her story of how it came to pass that these two newborn baby girls were thrown out of a moving Nazi transport train in 1943 by desperate women headed to a concentration camp. So many questions but the glaring one - why now after 70 years?

In the meantime, Lena’s son has petitioned the court to declare her incompetent. She only recently began talking about Karolina and the twins and he alleges they are imaginary and that Lena is delusional. If he wins his case, he gains financial control of her money. The search is on for Catherine and her private investigator husband Liam to find someone from Lena’s past who will corroborate her story.

I’ve read numerous novels revolving around the Holocaust and wasn’t sure if I could read another one. But a friend recommended it so I read. Lena’s survivor story is stunning. The author paints her as extraordinarily courageous and willful. What took this novel a few notches above others for me, is that it isn’t just a great fictional story; it was inspired by a real Auschwitz survivor, Fay Scharf Waldman, who passed away last year at the age of 89 and who shared her story with the author.

This is a deeply moving novel from author/practicing attorney Ronald H. Balson. The story is getting a lot of well-deserved buzz. Is it the best WWII novel I’ve ever read? No, but it is near the top of my list. For those who have become weary reading this kind of story, make an exception and read this one.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

89 year old Lena Woodward is insistent about engaging the services of husband and wife team, Catherine Lockhart, a lawyer, and her private investigator husband, Liam Taggart. Exactly why she needs to see both of them is unclear initially to them. When Catherine and Liam meet her and Lena begins to tell her story, they are drawn into uncovering the story behind the promise to her friend, Karolina which has haunted Lena for the last seventy years. There are questions that need to be asked, answers that need to be uncovered and a secret that needs to be revealed. Meanwhile, Lena’s son Arthur is incensed at the quest his mother is on. He has filed charges that she is unfit and delusional. He insists Karolina and her twins are nothing more than a figment of his mother’s imagination.
Lena recounts her experiences growing up in Poland with a comfortable existence and a loving family until the Nazis invaded. Then her life changed tragically. Lena’s story reads very much like a memoir as she tells it. There is good reason for that as the story, though fictional, is based on the real life experiences of a Holocaust survivor. Like many books about the Holocaust it is at times hard to read, as the horrors of those times are recounted. What I liked was when it started to get to the point where this reader might want to put the book aside for a while, the narrative often flipped back to Catherine and Liam or to the ongoing conflict with Arthur Woodward.
It is a story of suffering and the brutality of the time but also of friendship, love, loss, sacrifice and of standing up for one’s convictions. But ultimately it is a story of survival. I was thoroughly involved throughout, although I did think some aspects of the ending were a bit too neatly brushed over. But still an excellent read. My first by this author, I would be interested to read more of his books. If historical fiction and stories set during World War 2 are your thing, you should appreciate this one. I found it an extremely interesting read.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is almost entirely set in Poland during WWII. The book’s leaflet claims, “Just when you think there could not be anything new to unearth from World War II…” and I couldn’t agree more. For the first time I came across a mention of one of the greatest wartime heroes, Witold Pilecki, who was awarded the Cross of Valor twice, and the highest award posthumously of the Order of the White Eagle in 2006.

It is a very vivid story of one’s woman ordeal during the horrific anti-Semitic war. When Germany invades Poland on September 1st 1939, Lena Scheinman is 15 and lives with her family in Chrzanow, about 13 miles from Oswiecim, the horrendous camp known as Auschwitz. With each day more restrictions are put on Jews. She no longer is able to go to school, listen to the radio, or shop where she chooses. Two years later, her family is taken by Nazis. She hides in the attic, only to fall into the hands of Nazi colonel a month later. She is taken to the Shop, where she sews uniforms for Germans. At the Shop, she reunites with her best friend Karolina. During the winter time, Lena catches pneumonia. There are no antibiotics for Jews. Karolina does what is needed in order to get the antibiotic. Lena’s restless soul wants to make a contribution to this terrible war. She learns about the Secret Polish Army (started by Witold Pilecki), about its first reports of Auschwitz being turned from a prisoner-of-war camp to a death camp with gas chambers and gets involved with them. Once the Chrzanow’s Shop gets closed, they get send from one camp to another. The words, “You can do this,” become her mantra and get her through the war.

The story of the war told by Lena is very interesting. I didn’t care for the story of her lawyer and her detective, who get into bickering with another lawyer and court proceedings. Nevertheless, overall the story is very engrossing and well-written.

@FB/BestHistoricalFiction

[Bon Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

One more incredible book in the super interesting and readable series. All the trademarks are here, including the satisfying ending and unexpected, even shocking twist. Simply great.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

KAROLINA’S TWINS is the third book in a series. It can be read as a stand alone, but the character’s investigating the story are featured in two other books. This story is mostly about Lena, and 89 year old widow. She comes into Liam’s private detective office, but she demands that his wife, Catherine, be present to hear the story. Catherine is a lawyer and she sometimes helps her husband with investigations. Lena wants Catherine and Liam to help her find a friend’s twin children who were lost in Nazi occupied Poland during WWII. In the telling of this story, Catherine is very pregnant. Lena’s son, Author, questions his mother’s sanity and ability to make decisions for herself. Catherine must get to the information needed for Liam to find the children and/or prove they actually existed.

The main story is Lena telling her survival story. Her story was inspired by a real person the author met and interviewed, Fay Scharf Waldman. She is a survivor from war torn Poland. The story uses actual places and people who were there to give it an absolutely authentic feel. Lena’s story is gripping and heartbreaking. Every time I hear a story about survivors from WWII I am reminded that the hatred started off slowly. It was a systematic eradication of a people group that began with little prejudices.

Lena’s story starts before the war and takes us into hiding, and then the ghetto, and lands us in the Auschwitz death march. I wasn’t sure how much of Lena’s story was based on fact, but all of it was emotional. Some of it felt far fetched, but the fact that anyone could survive any of the events described is pretty inspiring. I found myself reading furiously to get back to Lena’s story when the author tried to tell us what Catherine and Liam were doing between visits from Lena. The insertion of Author, Lena’s son, gives this memoir an impatience as we have to get to the part with the identity and possible location of Karolina’s twins. By the end of the story, I was pretty well invested in all the characters both historical and present day.

This story will appeal to certain type of reader who enjoys both mystery and historical writing. Lucky for me I fit both the criteria. Although parts of this are horrifying, this book is about hope and survival. I found myself deeply moved in the reading of this and read it all in one day. I had to follow this story through to the end and I feel completely happy with ending.

[Daniella · Rating 2 out of 5]

The amount of 5 star reviews this has received makes me question the education of our masses. While dealing with heavy subject matter, the writing is so flat I felt like I was reading a high school history paper. I feel this subject has been covered in a much richer and fulfilling manner by many others, and although it's "based on a true story" it just never grabbed me. I'd be more interested in reading an autobiography of the woman this is based on than this drivel.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't really grab me at the beginning. It starts from the standpoint of an elderly woman talking to a lawyer and PI about finding children lost during WWII. It treads over familiar territory of Jews in Poland without bringing anything new to the table. As the plot progresses, my interest picked up somewhat as the book details the Polish Secret Army. The problem is that for some reason, Lena’s telling of her story is flat. I found it difficult to connect. Maybe because her story is relayed to her lawyer so there isn’t that sense of immediate presence? I can’t put my finger on it.

The current portion of the book involves the fight of a mother to retain her independence against her son’s attempts to control the family estate. A bit of a cliche, but at least this portion of the plot grabbed my interest from the get-go.

I wish I had known from the beginning that the historical portion of the book was partially based on a real person. I can't say how much is real and how much was made up. Certain parts of the storyline didn't seem realistic, but now I'm wondering if they were.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s press for an advance copy of this book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter how many books I read about this period of history, I'm always amazed at how each author can put their own take on history and write an unforgettable novel. This is the first book I have read by Ronald Balson but after having thoroughly enjoyed this one I will definitely go back and read his other novels. Especially since I see that they again feature Catherine and Liam in the present day storyline as well as a story centered on WWII. His vivid descriptions of the atrocities of war were interwoven with a story that immediately drew me in.

Even though I figured out what the plot twist was before it was resolved, I must say that the plot was one that I found myself discussing with others every time I paused in my reading. I just couldn't help talking about this one. And I suppose that is the highest compliment you can give to an author, to let them know that their book was not only a great read but also one that provoked discussions. It is a perfect book club selection. Fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, Jenna Blum's Those Who Save Us will enjoy this book!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this World War 2 novel. The story alternates between present day and war torn Poland after the Nazi occupation. I loved the friendship of Lena and Karolina.
If you enjoyed The Nightengale, you'll probably like this as well.

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ronald H. Balson delivers his third book in his riveting series, KAROLINA’S TWINS (Liam and Catherine #3) after the riveting Saving Sophie (2015) --catching up with Liam Taggart and his attorney wife, Catherine—for another complex and emotional case.

As the book opens, Chicago private eye, Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart-Taggart are contacted by Lena Woodward, a wealthy widow in her late eighties. Lena wants to find the twin daughters of her friend Karolina, who perished during the Holocaust. She had made a promise to a very special person and she intended to keep it.

She was born Lena Scheinman in the town of Chrzanow, Poland in 1924. She had come from a referral from Ben, which they were able to help. The children are Karolina’s twins. Her dearest friend. The woman who saved her life, but in the end, she could not save hers.

It was during World War II in Poland some seventy years ago. A burden she has carried. She had lost her friend, and cancer had taken her husband. Her two dearest friends. After their death, Lena had one purpose in life. She wants to use her money to fulfill her promise. Her promise to Karolina. She has to find the girls.

While Lena is sharing her story with Catherine, we learn about Lena’s life story which details surviving Nazi occupied Poland before, during and after WWII. There were a lot of ifs and a lot of unknowns.

She did not want to meet up with the Germans who had burst into her house and was worried about her family. She had been worried about Karolina. She had not seen or heard from her since the Germans came for her family. Her house was her safe harbor. Her father was missing, and her mother as good as missing. Karolina’s mental state was fragile and she was worried.

She begins to recount a tale, going back to her harrowing past in Nazi-occupied Poland, of the bond she shared with her childhood friend Karolina. Is there a hidden story?

In the present, Catherine and Liam receive a phone call from Arthur, Lena’s son and warns them to stay away from his mother. He says she is nuts and there are no children. He says she is a senile, delusional old woman, wasting her money.

Catherine and Liam come to her defense stating she is not mentally impaired, and her narrative is well structured, organized, and details. Arthur seems to be more concerned with his mom’s money than her mental condition. And his sizable inheritance.

Had they found one another at last in 1941, to be separated again? The Natzis’ principle killing machine was attrition. Death by starvation, malnutrition, parasites, disease, and lack of medical care took dozens and in the winter they froze to death. From unsanitary living conditions, the areas were surrounded by disease and pestilence. A constant battle. So many people were forced to live in small areas, not just Jews from Chranow, but refugees from other towns.

From black markets and food becoming scarcer. The Nazis would shoot anyone found engaging in black market commerce. They confiscated their valuables. There were beatings. A horrible life in 1941. They did not know what was in store for them.

Karolina was pretty, and she knew how to flirt. She was a great listener and conversationalist. She had a protector. Giving food to Jews was strictly prohibited. Germans were forbidden from having relations with the Jews. Throughout Poland, young women were seized off the streets and forced to be prostitutes or sex slaves.

The winters were brutal. Karolina sacrificed for her. Her goodness and selflessness warmed her soul and because of her she survived. She had to repay her. The Nazis cruelty was beyond comprehension.

From Lena’s story -past to present, and Arthur’s allegation his mom is delusional. They need proof of the children to develop a factual defense. Arthur has a petition. This is where the story turns to a strong legal/historical fiction, a place where the author has proved he can handle both sides like a pro!

With surprises, twists and turns a compelling tale which grabs you from the first page to the last- a journey of survival and a connection to a dark past and the secrets of two twin girls. A moving tale of the strong bonds of friendship and motherhood.

KAROLINA’S TWINS is a well-written work of fiction; however, as the author notes, it was a story inspired by a woman of extraordinary courage, determination, and wisdom.

With a mix of courtroom drama (well-drawn), an infusion of fact and fiction, well-researched historical events, and emotional accounts of courageous survivors. As I have mentioned previously, attorneys make great authors (my favorites).

I enjoyed catching up with Catherine and Liam and their personal news. Highly recommend all the books in the series! Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, Martha Hall Kelly’s The Lilac Girls, and Peter Golden's Wherever There is Light, will delight.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

JDCMustReadBooks

[Monica Hills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was like eating a bag of potato chips where you can't stop eating them. I couldn't stop reading it. Lena Woodward, a holocaust survivor asks Catherine and Liam Taggart to help her find two twins that her best friend lost during the war. Part of the novel is Lena telling her story of what happened to her during the war. It flashes back in time to Poland in the late 1930s and early 1940s. She is Jewish and from a influential and wealthy family. Her best friend Karolina has been like a sister to her most of her life. Their two stories intertwine. This is a completely captivating tale about survival. The other part takes place in the present because Lena's son Arthur does not want her to find Karolina's twins. He thinks she is making them up and that she will waste all of her money on lawyer and investigator fees so he wages a legal battle against his mother. Catherine who is Lena's lawyer helps her with this as well. Both stories were very engaging.

I have read quite a few novels recently on WWII but I still learned new information based on real events. I was completely caught up with Lena's story. This is the third book in this series but I had not read either of the previous novels. I was able to follow this book without any problem. This was a Goodreads' giveaway and I feel very lucky to have been chosen to read this novel because it was so good. I read almost the entire book in one day. I look forward to reading the other novels in this series. I definitely recommend this novel! It was an excellent story!!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a goodreads giveaway winner of "Karolina's Twins. I have an advanced readers edition. This is a very well written book. I found myself reluctant to put it down. Karolina's Twins. Starts with the Holocaust survivor Lena Woodward in present day. She is in her late 80s. She hires a lawyer and a private investigator to help find her friend Karolina's twins that were born during the Holocaust . They had to make a quick decision to save the babies during this horrible time. Now Lena wants he lawyer and investigator to see if girls are still alive. They would be 70 by now. First Lena has to spend time telling Catherine the lawyer and Liam the investigator the story of her life during those years of the Holocaust. Meanwhile Lena's grown son Arthur is trying to stop the investigation. He is insisting his mother is senile and making stuff up. This is a very interesting book. I liked that Lena tells her story of the years during the Holocaust and what she went through to survive. Lena has lived in Chicago with her husband since a couple years after the Holocaust so going back in time to recall those terrible years is very painful for her. Lena' s husband has died two years earlier and she can no longer wait to see what happened to her friend Karolina's twins. A very good read. So glad I got the chance to read this well done book.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story is entirely implausible. Maybe I just know too much about WWII history and the Holocaust, but the fact the twins were still alive and knew they had the same mother seventy years later is ridiculous. The author relates Holocaust history to the reader as if we knew absolutely nothing about it, and the protagonist Lena seems to be a real intellect about Cold War governments in the Eastern Bloc. Throw in the simpering relationship between the attorney and her investigator husband, and you've got one ridiculous story.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I think I've read every aspect of the holocaust, another one comes along. This is set in current times in Chicago with a survivor telling a lawyer and private investigator her story. Storytelling switches back and forth between holocaust times and present times. The holocaust aspect was very compelling. The lawyer/present time was written weaker without as much depth. Still, the overall experience was worth the read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready, because this novel is not just another WWII Holocaust story. And truly, when well written and developed, you can’t compare any of the well written stories of the sick reality of what occurred in Europe prior to and during WWII.

This novel is so beautifully imagined and presented. It begins with two non Jews, one of whom is an elderly woman named Lena, which is set in my hometown of Chicago. It tells a mystery set in the 1930-40’s in Europe (Poland), and the telling is so carefully and wonderfully done that there’s the reality of feeling inserted into the story. The metaphor of course is similar to an onion slowly and methodically unpeeled as the story and characters develop.

The main character Lena hires a lawyer and PI duo and we are riveted. We learn more of the atrocities that took place in the lives of Jews in Poland in the late 1930’s/early 1940’s, at the hands of the Nazis.

The story itself is character driven and very well done at that. And it also brings so many new insights of the fate and tragedies that Jewish Poles and supportive Poles endured at the hands of the Nazis.

And there is a mystery and a reveal along the way as we learn about our main character, Lena, her pain going backward and forward, her loved ones, and her devotion to finding children.

Lena, this shining and brave surviving woman, may drive you crazy at times, but we have to honor her pain, struggles and secrets as we would and should honor all survivors, fictional and not.

This is my first read by this author, and I realized how much a fan I was of his Band of Brothers. It is apparently one of a series involving the PI/lawyer duo we meet above. . I’m completely on board for another in the series

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

GNAB I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Ronald H. Balson, and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your work with me.

Lena Woodward is an elderly, widowed Polish holocaust survivor. She involves Chicago private investigator Liam Taggard and his lawyer wife, Catherine Lockhard, in her search for twin babies lost from the train when she and her friends Karolina and Muriel were being shipped from the Chrzanow ghetto, where she, husband David and Karolina were forced labor in a Natzi coat and clothing factory, to the Gross-Rosen work camp. Karolina was shot soon after the transfer in Poland, attempting to escape. Lena and David were re-united after the war in the US and settled in Chicago, where they were successful in business, owning men's clothing stores and small neighborhood groceries.

Lena asks Liam and Catherine to help her fulfill a promise made to Karolina to find out what happened to those twins. Her son Arthur is disbelieving, not hearing of the twins at all, nor the promise Lena had made to Karolina to find the babies after the war until just 4 years before, shortly before the death of his father David. Thinking his mother is simply obsessing on the war experiences she never spoke of and is facing dementia, Arthur introduces a competency hearing and sues for guardianship of her estate.

I found this novel to be exceptional. Ronald Balson has portrayed this family history in a forthright, empathetic manner, including all the facts involved in the escape from the Natzi's terroristic reign.

Publishing date Sept 6, 2016

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This book almost entirely focuses on Lena's story of her life as a Jewish Polish woman during the Nazi occupation. That part of the story is very enthralling and during the breaks from that narrative where it goes back to 'present day', I found myself wishing those breaks were not part of the book didn't as they weren't nearly as interesting. Also, I wish this was told from a first person narrative flashback instead of kind of passively being told via a conversation.

I still enjoyed the first book of this series the most, but this was good too. If you want to read a very interesting non-fiction account of a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz, I highly highly recommend Rena's Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz. It's the best book about this topic that I have read, either fiction or non-fiction.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not since I read Daniel Mendelsohn's Lost: A Search for Six of the Six Million have I been so moved by the poignant story of one person's unrelenting determination to locate displaced Holocaust survivors. At the beginning, we're presented with Cat, a lawyer, Liam, her husband who does inspections,, and Lena, an 89-year woman. The story unfolds from there.

I read this EARC courtesy of St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss. Pub date 09/06/16

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great historical fiction novel based on actual events. The characters are realistic, events well researched and written with emotion and brilliant descriptions. I will certainly be reading more from this author.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most extraordinary WWII books I have read yet. I literally have tears in my eyes. I love Ronald H Balson's book. This one is just over the top wonderful!

[Ruthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictionalized account of the true story of a survivor named Fay, and that is why it rates 4 stars vs 3. I applaud the author for bringing the heroic story of Fay to life. If this had been purely fictional I would have worried more about the lackluster writing and "telling vs showing" style that I really do not enjoy. The author had to respect the genesis of the story and use factual information and details and that may have led to the flatness (as other reviewers have noted) of the writing.
The author also gives a lot of details and facts about the life of Lena in Poland, and it is not a typical "shtetl" life. We see the progression of the restrictions the Nazi's inflicted, see how the round-ups progressed, learn about the slave labour used by many companies (Mercedes, Bayer, Bosch etc) and also see how some Gentiles were helpful while others were more than happy to turn Jews over to the Nazis.
There are two parts to the story, the recounting by Lena, of her experiences during the Nazi occupation and the court battle that she and her lawyer/detective team are undergoing in present time. Both are predictable and yet realistic. The recounting of Lena's story feels like a narration that the character may have completed for archival purposes, perhaps with a few more personal details. It drags a bit as the author has the lawyer interjecting from time to time.

Lena's story is reminiscent of the autobiography All But My Life: A Memoir. The character here becomes involved with the resistance movement while working in a ghetto factory and she also spends time in a death camp, but her/the author's recounting of details did not bring the horrors of the camp to life as well as other writers have.

The novel has a very happy ending (I assume based on fact) which is unusual for a Holocaust book. If you have read many novels of the Holocaust, you might pass on this one, if you have not it is a rare "uplifting" story of bravery and luck by a survivor.

There are many issues raised in the book that would make it a good choice for a Book Club, some regarding the modern day portions of the novel others about the historical behavior and issues discussed in the Holocaust portion.

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karolina's Twins by Ronald Balson is a different sort of Holocaust novel. It is a contemporary/historical legal thriller. It is also the third in a series dealing with the cases of private investigator Liam Taggart and lawyer Catherine Lockhart. It centers on locating a pair of twins who have been missing since WWII. I received a request to review this book through the publisher and downloaded it from Net Galley in return for this honest review.

Lena Woodward, the fictional client in Karolina's Twins, came from a Polish town that still exists. Her father was a tailor who was also a WWI hero. Due to his military background, he was highly regarded by local Poles. The family was Polish speaking rather than Yiddish speaking, and was very much integrated into Polish society. I had actually never read about Polish Jews who were so identified with Poland.

Lena's story was told to Catherine Lockhart as part of the investigation in the present. Normally, I would be very critical of a novel whose structure was so expository because it usually lacks immediacy. Yet Lena's narrative contained dialogue and other characteristics of flashbacks that made it more engaging, and lent it dramatic power. It allowed me to visualize events. This is a key difference that made expository storytelling more successful in Karolina's Twins. Ronald Balson also handled suspense very well. The plot was organized so that both the investigation and Lena's account reached a climax at the same time.

I thought that both Lena and Catherine were strong characters. I was impressed with both of them.

For the blog version of this review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...