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The German Girl
A stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel, perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Schindler’s List, and All the Light We Cannot See, about twelve-year-old Hannah Rosenthal’s harrowing experience fleeing Nazi-occupied Germany with her family and best friend, only to discover that the overseas asylum they had been promised is an illusion.
Before everything changed, young Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But now, in 1939, the streets of Berlin are draped with red, white, and black flags; her family’s fine possessions are hauled away; and they are no longer welcome in the places that once felt like home. Hannah and her best friend, Leo Martin, make a pact: whatever the future has in store for them, they’ll meet it together.
Hope appears in the form of the SS St. Louis, a transatlantic liner offering Jews safe passage out of Germany. After a frantic search to obtain visas, the Rosenthals and the Martins depart on the luxurious ship bound for Havana. Life on board the St. Louis is like a surreal holiday for the refugees, with masquerade balls, exquisite meals, and polite, respectful service. But soon ominous rumors from Cuba undermine the passengers’ fragile sense of safety. From one day to the next, impossible choices are offered, unthinkable sacrifices are made, and the ship that once was their salvation seems likely to become their doom.
Seven decades later in New York City, on her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a strange package from an unknown relative in Cuba, her great-aunt Hannah. Its contents will inspire Anna and her mother to travel to Havana to learn the truth about their family’s mysterious and tragic past, a quest that will help Anna understand her place and her purpose in the world.
The German Girl sweeps from Berlin at the brink of the Second World War to Cuba on the cusp of revolution, to New York in the wake of September 11, before reaching its deeply moving conclusion in the tumult of present-day Havana. Based on a true story, this masterful novel gives voice to the joys and sorrows of generations of exiles, forever seeking a place called home.
Before everything changed, young Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But now, in 1939, the streets of Berlin are draped with red, white, and black flags; her family’s fine possessions are hauled away; and they are no longer welcome in the places that once felt like home. Hannah and her best friend, Leo Martin, make a pact: whatever the future has in store for them, they’ll meet it together.
Hope appears in the form of the SS St. Louis, a transatlantic liner offering Jews safe passage out of Germany. After a frantic search to obtain visas, the Rosenthals and the Martins depart on the luxurious ship bound for Havana. Life on board the St. Louis is like a surreal holiday for the refugees, with masquerade balls, exquisite meals, and polite, respectful service. But soon ominous rumors from Cuba undermine the passengers’ fragile sense of safety. From one day to the next, impossible choices are offered, unthinkable sacrifices are made, and the ship that once was their salvation seems likely to become their doom.
Seven decades later in New York City, on her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a strange package from an unknown relative in Cuba, her great-aunt Hannah. Its contents will inspire Anna and her mother to travel to Havana to learn the truth about their family’s mysterious and tragic past, a quest that will help Anna understand her place and her purpose in the world.
The German Girl sweeps from Berlin at the brink of the Second World War to Cuba on the cusp of revolution, to New York in the wake of September 11, before reaching its deeply moving conclusion in the tumult of present-day Havana. Based on a true story, this masterful novel gives voice to the joys and sorrows of generations of exiles, forever seeking a place called home.
559 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2016
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41477 people want to read
About the author
Armando Lucas Correa
10 books1,128 followersArmando Lucas Correa is a Cuban writer.
Correa is the recipient of various outstanding achievement awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications and the Society of Professional Journalism. Recently, he was awarded with the Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Creative Writing.
His book En busca de Emma (In Search of Emma: Two Fathers, One Daughter and the Dream of a Family) was published by Rayo, Harper Collins in 2007 and for Aguilar, Santillana (Mexico) in 2009. It will be available in English (In Search of Emma) by Harper One, October 12th, 2021.
His first novel The German Girl/La niña alemana was published in October, 2016, in English and Spanish by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. The German Girl is an international bestseller and it has been translated to 16 languages and it is in more than 30 countries.
His second novel The Daughter's Tale/La hija Olvidada was published in May 7th, 2019 and has been translate to German, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, Italian, Hungarian and Hebrew.
For his third novel, The Night Travelers (Atria, January 20th, 2023), Correa received the Creative Writing Award of the Cintas Foundation Fellowship (2022). The Night traveler/La viajera nocturna has already been acquired for translation into 10 languages.
He lives in Manhattan with his husband and their three children.
Correa is the recipient of various outstanding achievement awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications and the Society of Professional Journalism. Recently, he was awarded with the Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Creative Writing.
His book En busca de Emma (In Search of Emma: Two Fathers, One Daughter and the Dream of a Family) was published by Rayo, Harper Collins in 2007 and for Aguilar, Santillana (Mexico) in 2009. It will be available in English (In Search of Emma) by Harper One, October 12th, 2021.
His first novel The German Girl/La niña alemana was published in October, 2016, in English and Spanish by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. The German Girl is an international bestseller and it has been translated to 16 languages and it is in more than 30 countries.
His second novel The Daughter's Tale/La hija Olvidada was published in May 7th, 2019 and has been translate to German, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, Italian, Hungarian and Hebrew.
For his third novel, The Night Travelers (Atria, January 20th, 2023), Correa received the Creative Writing Award of the Cintas Foundation Fellowship (2022). The Night traveler/La viajera nocturna has already been acquired for translation into 10 languages.
He lives in Manhattan with his husband and their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,916 reviews
November 19, 2016
Wow, talk about a heart wrenching read! This is the most involved in a historical fiction novel I have ever been. The first sentence gripped me and I found myself clenched throughout the entire read. The most moving factor for me was the complete list at the end of the book that stated the names of all the passengers on board the St. Louis. I found myself choking back tears while reading the horrible history described in the author's note; reflection on such torture seemed not important enough an action to take, yet it's all we can do. I'm hoping books such as this one can help us remember the injustices done in our world history as to not repeat them again. Highly recommended to fans of WWII historical fiction; this stated it was recommended to fans of The Nightingale which makes me eager to pick it up and read it as well.
*Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway for providing my copy in exchange for an honest review!
*Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway for providing my copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 25, 2016
3.5 rounded up
I have read a good number of holocaust stories and I'm always amazed how much there is to learn, and as I always say when reviewing these books, it is so very important, no not just important, but imperative that we remember. This is a heartbreaking story about an incident that occurred in 1939 that only some may know about and that is precisely why this book is one that should be read. In 1939 over 900 German Jews fled on the ship the Saint Louis leaving Germany for asylum to Cuba , many of them with plans to further move to the United States. The shockingly awful refusal by Cuba and the US to accept these people is told though one of the alternating narratives of two twelve year old girls, one in Berlin in 1939 and one in New York in 2014.
Hannah from a well to do family must leave her comfortable home but is accepting of it since she is leaving with her loving parents and her friend Leo. But the situation turns and only 28 people are allowed to embark in Cuba and while Hannah and her mother are among them, her father, Leo and his father are not . Anna, living in New York with her mother in 2014, thinks her father has disappeared and but then it becomes painfully clear to her that he died on that day in September and to the reader as her school commemorates those lost on 9/11. She's never met her father. An envelope arrives from Cuba with negatives to be developed, a German magazine with a cover photo of a young girl who looks like Anna- a mystery to be pieced together with these things sent from Hannah, a woman who says she is the aunt who raised Anna's missing father. A link between these two who have both lost fathers becomes a bond of hope.
This is a heartbreaking story which felt somewhat simplistic in the writing ; it is understandable since the bulk of the narratives are from the perspective of two young girls . It's a little light on the treatment of the holocaust and I would have thought that this should have been described as geared to a YA audience. Yet it is impactful. It's about horrific things that happened to people, represented by these two voices and about the resilience of the human spirit.
I received this ARC from Atria Books through NetGalley.
I have read a good number of holocaust stories and I'm always amazed how much there is to learn, and as I always say when reviewing these books, it is so very important, no not just important, but imperative that we remember. This is a heartbreaking story about an incident that occurred in 1939 that only some may know about and that is precisely why this book is one that should be read. In 1939 over 900 German Jews fled on the ship the Saint Louis leaving Germany for asylum to Cuba , many of them with plans to further move to the United States. The shockingly awful refusal by Cuba and the US to accept these people is told though one of the alternating narratives of two twelve year old girls, one in Berlin in 1939 and one in New York in 2014.
Hannah from a well to do family must leave her comfortable home but is accepting of it since she is leaving with her loving parents and her friend Leo. But the situation turns and only 28 people are allowed to embark in Cuba and while Hannah and her mother are among them, her father, Leo and his father are not . Anna, living in New York with her mother in 2014, thinks her father has disappeared and but then it becomes painfully clear to her that he died on that day in September and to the reader as her school commemorates those lost on 9/11. She's never met her father. An envelope arrives from Cuba with negatives to be developed, a German magazine with a cover photo of a young girl who looks like Anna- a mystery to be pieced together with these things sent from Hannah, a woman who says she is the aunt who raised Anna's missing father. A link between these two who have both lost fathers becomes a bond of hope.
This is a heartbreaking story which felt somewhat simplistic in the writing ; it is understandable since the bulk of the narratives are from the perspective of two young girls . It's a little light on the treatment of the holocaust and I would have thought that this should have been described as geared to a YA audience. Yet it is impactful. It's about horrific things that happened to people, represented by these two voices and about the resilience of the human spirit.
I received this ARC from Atria Books through NetGalley.
April 1, 2018
Library ebook
I gravitate towards WWII stories....yet for some reason I wasn’t pulled to read this book when it first came out last year....fearing it might be just ‘ok’.
My hunch proved right - it was an ‘ok’ read for me.
The saddest part of this book for me was the real history —- history that the United States - Cuba - and Canada - should have felt ashamed of — for their loathness and aversion in accepting and welcoming Jewish refugees. The President of Canada and the United States - both refused their entrance.
When the St. Louis sailed from Germany to Cuba with over 900 people - Germans and Jews - hopeful to begin a new life — one could only imagine the horrific devastation the people felt being turned away. Less than 50 people were granted sanctuary.
The storytelling narrated by Anna and Hannah - both 12 years old - time switching back and forth - 1939 Berlin/ 2014 Manhattan- lacked texture -range of moods and intensity - ....it was like a steady line of despondency from start to finish.
I often found it wearisome switching back and forth with the chapters and the characters. It became somewhat irritating and predictable- never changing styles in the crafting ....it just got tedious for me.
In concluding the actual history was shattering...but the delivery- storytelling through Anna and Hannah was mundane.
Many readers thought this was a beautiful book. I respect our differences. I didn’t hate it. It was ‘ok’ for me. Likeable enough at times... grating other times.
Perhaps the audience for this novel would be better targeted at young adults.
I gravitate towards WWII stories....yet for some reason I wasn’t pulled to read this book when it first came out last year....fearing it might be just ‘ok’.
My hunch proved right - it was an ‘ok’ read for me.
The saddest part of this book for me was the real history —- history that the United States - Cuba - and Canada - should have felt ashamed of — for their loathness and aversion in accepting and welcoming Jewish refugees. The President of Canada and the United States - both refused their entrance.
When the St. Louis sailed from Germany to Cuba with over 900 people - Germans and Jews - hopeful to begin a new life — one could only imagine the horrific devastation the people felt being turned away. Less than 50 people were granted sanctuary.
The storytelling narrated by Anna and Hannah - both 12 years old - time switching back and forth - 1939 Berlin/ 2014 Manhattan- lacked texture -range of moods and intensity - ....it was like a steady line of despondency from start to finish.
I often found it wearisome switching back and forth with the chapters and the characters. It became somewhat irritating and predictable- never changing styles in the crafting ....it just got tedious for me.
In concluding the actual history was shattering...but the delivery- storytelling through Anna and Hannah was mundane.
Many readers thought this was a beautiful book. I respect our differences. I didn’t hate it. It was ‘ok’ for me. Likeable enough at times... grating other times.
Perhaps the audience for this novel would be better targeted at young adults.
February 6, 2017
A life of pain and suffering. Of loss.
Told in parallel stories with decades between them, this story spans from 1939 to 2014 and is the story of Hannah and Anna.
Both lost a parent due to war - one during the holocaust; the other to 9-11. Anna is the namesake of Hannah- a great aunt who immigrated to Cuba from Nazi invaded Germany.
The stories draw out the journeys each girl makes. Hannah's is the focus from Germany to Cuba on a ship that poses it's own challenges for the 'impure'. Just when escape was almost a victory, only 36 of 942 passengers were able to disembark. The irony. The bitterness. The bleakness. I had no idea of Cuba's role and the exile The Jews faced from countries abroad trying to escape the land that was once home. The countries that denied them asylum in addition to Cuba were Canada and the U.S.
4**** for this one. I agree with other reviews that the ending was a touch over the top, but overall a well written and memorable read.
The reproduction of the passenger list with accompanying photos were a beautiful tribute.
Told in parallel stories with decades between them, this story spans from 1939 to 2014 and is the story of Hannah and Anna.
Both lost a parent due to war - one during the holocaust; the other to 9-11. Anna is the namesake of Hannah- a great aunt who immigrated to Cuba from Nazi invaded Germany.
The stories draw out the journeys each girl makes. Hannah's is the focus from Germany to Cuba on a ship that poses it's own challenges for the 'impure'. Just when escape was almost a victory, only 36 of 942 passengers were able to disembark. The irony. The bitterness. The bleakness. I had no idea of Cuba's role and the exile The Jews faced from countries abroad trying to escape the land that was once home. The countries that denied them asylum in addition to Cuba were Canada and the U.S.
4**** for this one. I agree with other reviews that the ending was a touch over the top, but overall a well written and memorable read.
The reproduction of the passenger list with accompanying photos were a beautiful tribute.
September 16, 2016
We first meet Hannah in Berlin, 1939, when her family is planning to escape Hitler's Germany while he is still letting Jews that can afford it, to leave. Her days are spent running around with her friend Leo, two eleven year olds that are trying to find understand what is happening to their country, find out their parents plan. They will leave on a ship to Cuba, the St, Louis.
Anna, and her mother will receive a packet in the mail, pictures of her Aunt Hannah, a look into her Father's past. Her father who never knew she had been born and this is the opportunity to find out about her Father's life. In present time, she and her mother will travel to Cuba to meet Hannah and find out about the father she never knew.
Such a good read, the scenes in Berlin and on the St, Louis are so vivid, so heartfelt, wonderfully told. Hannah and Leo are amazing characters, memorable, heartbreaking. Life in Cuba where very few passengers are allowed to disembark, never feels like home for Hannah and her mother. The heat, the customs, their losses, what this country took from them. Later we will get a glimpse of the Cuban revolution, another event that will turn on its own country's people, another event that will effect this small family. The ending was a little too sentimental in my view, but I am not sure how else it could have ended. The best written parts were Hannah and Leo's story, this part is unforgettable.
I have come to the conclusion that I can continually read books about Hitler and his terrible programs and still find out new and cruel things, never ending. I applaud the author for bringing another little know event, the fate of the Jews on the St. Louis, into the public's eye. Her author's note tells us exactly what happened and why.
ARC from publisher.
Anna, and her mother will receive a packet in the mail, pictures of her Aunt Hannah, a look into her Father's past. Her father who never knew she had been born and this is the opportunity to find out about her Father's life. In present time, she and her mother will travel to Cuba to meet Hannah and find out about the father she never knew.
Such a good read, the scenes in Berlin and on the St, Louis are so vivid, so heartfelt, wonderfully told. Hannah and Leo are amazing characters, memorable, heartbreaking. Life in Cuba where very few passengers are allowed to disembark, never feels like home for Hannah and her mother. The heat, the customs, their losses, what this country took from them. Later we will get a glimpse of the Cuban revolution, another event that will turn on its own country's people, another event that will effect this small family. The ending was a little too sentimental in my view, but I am not sure how else it could have ended. The best written parts were Hannah and Leo's story, this part is unforgettable.
I have come to the conclusion that I can continually read books about Hitler and his terrible programs and still find out new and cruel things, never ending. I applaud the author for bringing another little know event, the fate of the Jews on the St. Louis, into the public's eye. Her author's note tells us exactly what happened and why.
ARC from publisher.
March 3, 2023
4.5 Stars
The Rosenthal family lived a life most would have envied before their world was turned upside-down in 1939. Formerly among Berlin’s uppermost of society, their family was no longer welcome, they are seen as the “unclean.” Scorned. Hannah, an eleven-year old girl, was used to a life wrapped in loveliness. Hannah’s only solace is now found with her friend Leo. Together, they must find a future together.
Leaving Germany seemed difficult at first, to leave behind the life they once loved, but it’s no longer that life. The one chance they have is a ship, the Saint Louis. They need to get all their papers signed, all the arrangements made, and then they will, hopefully, be able to join the other families going to Cuba. It is the only place to go. No other country will allow them to come. No one else wants them. Visas in hand the Rosenthals and Leo’s family, the Martins, leave their home, their life, everything, for Havana. The gloom of the last days of their life in Berlin, for them, begins to lift a little as the ship begins the journey.
Hannah and Leo enjoy many days of hope, and their playful nature fills their days. Their coming-of-age story is sweet, and then fraught with the potential for loss. Little by little, news filters in. There will be no admittance to Cuba for most of these 937 passengers.
Hannah’s father spends days with the ship’s Captain in deep conversation, trying to find solutions. Neither the US or Canada will admit them, their only chance is Cuba, there, at least, their papers are in order. Or were, before Cuba decided to add on a new condition impossible to fill after their departure.
Decades have passed, it’s Anna Rosen’s eleventh birthday. She receives an envelope from a great Aunt she’s never met, the woman who raised her father. Anna’s mother has rarely spoken of her father, never of his death. Hannah is intrigued by this news. Finding a relative of this father she never knew, a woman she now knows she was named after. She’s desperate to meet her, to find out more, Hannah will soon be eighty-seven years old; there is no time to waste.
Loosely based on the 1939 journey of the Saint Louis, the fictional lives of some of the 28 allowed to disembark in Cuba, and the lives of the others who left Germany on this ship only to be turned away by Cuba, a disaster averted by those few who were allowed to remain in Cuba, and the disaster of the lives for those who were turned away.
Alternately told through the stories of Hannah and Anna, their journeys and their joys, heartbreaks and happiness. There’s plenty of tragedy in Hannah’s half of the story alone, but add the tragedy of Anna’s father’s death into the mixture, and it sounds as though it would be an overwrought, depressing story. It isn’t. It’s often dismal, but there is also joy that finds its way through.
An unforgettable debut novel.
Pub Date: 18 Oct 2016
Many thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley and to the author Armando Lucas Correa for this lovely debut novel
December 5, 2017
The German Girl was a nice surprise taking on a different perspective than other books set around the Second World War and I was quickly swept into the two worlds of Hannah and Anna. The dual timelines successfully meld to bring the past and future together. Set in Germany, Cuba and New York this book describes the sense of loss of displacement and isolation from a country that no longer sees you as desirable into another country that never feels like you belong. The sense of loss permeates through the generations where only memories and promises remain. The ending is beautifully bittersweet and also tear inducing but I couldn’t think of a better finale.
May 20, 2019
“Aprendí que, para sobrevivir, lo más conveniente era vivir en el presente.”
Que historia tan desgarradora, ya antes de pasar la mitad iba llorando en varios capítulos, me dejó destrozada en todos los sentidos, a tal punto que muchas páginas quedaron grabadas con mis lágrimas cayendoles encima.
La historia esta contada por dos puntos de vista Hannah Y Anna, pero la protagonista seria Hannah, ella nos cuenta cómo cambia su vida al principio de la guerra en 1939, en Alemania, cambia todo respecto a su familia, su destino y su libertad. Y por otra parte tenemos a Anna en el año 2014, relatandonos su vida con su madre, sin su padre, que un día despareció. Las dos empiezan a conectarse cuando una tarde le llega a Anna y a su madre una caja con fotos del año 1939, Anna ve a una niña de 12 años muy igual a ella, con el pelo rubio y ojos azules, en donde Lee su nombre y se da cuenta que es Hannah a sus 12 años la niña de la foto. Hannah fue la tía abuela que crío al padre de Anna. Y como ellas quieren conocer el pasado del padre de Anna, van a visitar a Hannah que ya es una persona mayor a Cuba. Donde vive hace más de 70 años. Y ahí descubrirán todo el pasado de los Roshental y todo lo que tuvo que pasar Hannah y su familia.
Este libro me lo recomendó mi hermana y desde que me contó como empezaba la historia no dude en leerlo. Esta muy presente en la historia lo que pasó con el barco de Saint Louis que llevaba a más de mil personas y que pasó con esas personas.
La narración fue espectacular, amé a Hannah, sufrí.con ella en todo momento, y leyendo a Anna me contagiaba su curiosidad por querer conocer todo. Ambas tienen algo muy en común, ambas crecieron sin su padre.
También está Leo, que fue un amigo de la infancia de Hannah, y yo amé a ese niño apenas lo conocí. Era un amor y me encantaba como era cuando estaba con Hannah, los shippeaba a los dos a mil. Y me rompí con su final, no pude aguantar, con las lágrimas en los ojos no podía ni descifrar las palabras, no podía leer, tuve que parar un rato, llorar, limpiarme la cara y ahí pude seguir leyendo.
No sé qué más decir, fue doloroso, y mas saber que esto paso en la actualidad en aquella época, y eso lo tuve muy presente. Sucedía desgracia tras desgracia. Siempre teniendo presente la angustia y la muerte. Y como bien dice el libro, alguien tendrá que pagar por todo lo que sufrieron esas personas.
Además, Hannah ha tenido que madurar a temprana edad y a pensar y a razonar como una persona mayor.
La escritura me encantó, el autor supo llevar muy bien todas las situaciones, por qué te adentra en aquella época y con esas personas.
Hannah ha sufrido atrocidades, como muchísimas personas y como relata todo, incluso a sus 87 años recuerda cada momento vivido a flor de piel.
Al terminar con la lectura, cerré el libro y me lo quede mirando como por cinco minutos.
Y tiene algunos fallos, pero no los suficientes para que afecten a mi calificación. todo el libro es maravilloso.
El final fue doloroso y a la vez hermoso, pero al leer la nota del autor me volví a romper.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo. Y se va a la lista de mis favoritos del año.
Que historia tan desgarradora, ya antes de pasar la mitad iba llorando en varios capítulos, me dejó destrozada en todos los sentidos, a tal punto que muchas páginas quedaron grabadas con mis lágrimas cayendoles encima.
La historia esta contada por dos puntos de vista Hannah Y Anna, pero la protagonista seria Hannah, ella nos cuenta cómo cambia su vida al principio de la guerra en 1939, en Alemania, cambia todo respecto a su familia, su destino y su libertad. Y por otra parte tenemos a Anna en el año 2014, relatandonos su vida con su madre, sin su padre, que un día despareció. Las dos empiezan a conectarse cuando una tarde le llega a Anna y a su madre una caja con fotos del año 1939, Anna ve a una niña de 12 años muy igual a ella, con el pelo rubio y ojos azules, en donde Lee su nombre y se da cuenta que es Hannah a sus 12 años la niña de la foto. Hannah fue la tía abuela que crío al padre de Anna. Y como ellas quieren conocer el pasado del padre de Anna, van a visitar a Hannah que ya es una persona mayor a Cuba. Donde vive hace más de 70 años. Y ahí descubrirán todo el pasado de los Roshental y todo lo que tuvo que pasar Hannah y su familia.
Este libro me lo recomendó mi hermana y desde que me contó como empezaba la historia no dude en leerlo. Esta muy presente en la historia lo que pasó con el barco de Saint Louis que llevaba a más de mil personas y que pasó con esas personas.
La narración fue espectacular, amé a Hannah, sufrí.con ella en todo momento, y leyendo a Anna me contagiaba su curiosidad por querer conocer todo. Ambas tienen algo muy en común, ambas crecieron sin su padre.
También está Leo, que fue un amigo de la infancia de Hannah, y yo amé a ese niño apenas lo conocí. Era un amor y me encantaba como era cuando estaba con Hannah, los shippeaba a los dos a mil. Y me rompí con su final, no pude aguantar, con las lágrimas en los ojos no podía ni descifrar las palabras, no podía leer, tuve que parar un rato, llorar, limpiarme la cara y ahí pude seguir leyendo.
No sé qué más decir, fue doloroso, y mas saber que esto paso en la actualidad en aquella época, y eso lo tuve muy presente. Sucedía desgracia tras desgracia. Siempre teniendo presente la angustia y la muerte. Y como bien dice el libro, alguien tendrá que pagar por todo lo que sufrieron esas personas.
Además, Hannah ha tenido que madurar a temprana edad y a pensar y a razonar como una persona mayor.
La escritura me encantó, el autor supo llevar muy bien todas las situaciones, por qué te adentra en aquella época y con esas personas.
Hannah ha sufrido atrocidades, como muchísimas personas y como relata todo, incluso a sus 87 años recuerda cada momento vivido a flor de piel.
Al terminar con la lectura, cerré el libro y me lo quede mirando como por cinco minutos.
Y tiene algunos fallos, pero no los suficientes para que afecten a mi calificación. todo el libro es maravilloso.
El final fue doloroso y a la vez hermoso, pero al leer la nota del autor me volví a romper.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo. Y se va a la lista de mis favoritos del año.
February 13, 2017
Beautiful, Haunting and Gut-wrenching.
We cannot imagine the horror of those who experienced the atrocities of World War II. To read about them is extremely difficult and evokes such strong emotion. I, for one, can’t imagine going through it. The German Girl is based on a true story of what happened during that time.
Hannah Rosenthal is the German Girl. She is a twelve-year-old, blond hair, blue-eyed German Girl. And she is also a Jew. The year is 1939 and the place is Berlin. All Hell starts to break lose as Nazis invade Berlin and other parts of Germany and Europe. Some of their friends are taken in the night, never to return. Hannah’s life as well as that of her best friend Leo, and their families are caught in the cross fire. They hide in their homes or slink around when they have to go out, hoping they don’t get snagged. They fear for their lives and work to find a way out of Berlin. Eventually they obtain visas to travel on the St. Louis, a ship offering Jews safe passage to Cuba. The ship and the voyage is unlike anything they have ever experienced and they all believe their futures to be bright but upon arrival in Cuba they are told that the government has rescinded their offer and that passengers will no longer be allowed to disembark and will need to return to Europe. All hope is lost for Hannah and Leo, (who promised themselves to each other) as well as their families and everyone else on the ship. After tense negotiations, only 27 passengers are allowed to disembark, Hannah and her mother are two of them, leaving Hannah’s father and Leo on the ship, to return to France, Great Britain and other parts of Europe, where there is little hope for their futures.
Years later, in New York, Anna Rosen receives mail from Hannah Rosenthal, an Aunt she never knew she had. Anna’s father, passed away on September 11th leaving no known family. The mail contains photographs to a history that Anna yearns to know about, including a photograph taken for a magazine of “A German Girl.” In analyzing the photographs, Anna and her mother search for Hannah and discover family they never knew they had and aide to help Hannah heal from the pain of the past and find peace.
The German Girl is based on the true story of the St. Louis. It honors the lives lost in World War II. Armando Lucas Correa wrote such an incredibly beautiful story, and he told it with such sensitivity. The novel switches between the past and present day, with Hannah narrating her side of the story and the past up to the present day and Anna narrating her side of the story in the present day. Hannah and Anna are both such incredibly strong young women and both touch me in immeasurable ways.
Though the novel was hard to read at times, it was incredibly well told, is a stunning book and I enjoyed it immensely. I can’t recommend it highly enough and think it would be great for a book club read or those who enjoy true literature.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Armando Lucas Correa for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 9/6/16.
**Will be Published on Amazon on 10/18/16.
April 3, 2017
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The author of The German Girl, Armando Lucas Correa, was a recent guest at a writers festival held in Perth, Western Australia, where I live. Although I was unable to see Armando Lucas Correa, I highly endorse his novel, The German Girl. It is a fitting testament to another sad chapter to World War II’s history and the Jewish people.
The German Girl is a fictionalised account of the events that took place before, on board and after the German ship St Louis set sail in May, 1939. The St Louis departed from Hamburg, Germany and was bound on a voyage to Havana, Cuba. With more than nine hundred passengers on board, mainly German Jewish refugees, these people were hoping to escape the oppressive Nazi regime. Many were in search of freedom from persecution of the Third Reich in a new world, Havana. However, a tragic turn of events occurred and when the St Louis reached the waters of Havana, the ship was refused entry, unable to dock. While a selected few are allowed to disembark and enter Havana, the majority of the ship’s occupants remained on board. The ship was forced to sail on, hoping to find sanction elsewhere but this is an impossible task. Correa chooses to zone his story into one girl, Hannah Rosenthal’s personal experience aboard the St Louis. We follow Hannah and her family as they take a huge fall from grace. In the opening of the novel, the reader learns that the Rosenthals are a wealthy Jewish family. The increasing dominance of the Nazi regime and their hatred for the Jewish people forces this family to flee their home. This leads them to the fateful voyage on the St Louis. The family is torn apart by their decision to travel on the St Louis, a decision that echoes across the decades, impacting on the descendants of the Rosenthal family. We discover this through a package that is discovered by Hannah Rosenthal’s grand-niece years later, which holds the key to the Rosenthal family’s final fate.
The German Girl is a touching and ambitious novel. It is expansive, crossing the continents, as the setting moves effortlessly from Europe, to Cuba and finally the US. It also spans time, covering an era of over seventy years. The German Girl employs the use of two young narrators to unfurl the main events of the story. Hannah Rosenthal is our narrator in the 1939 storyline and Anna, a twelve year old girl and direct descendant of Hannah’s, living in New York in the present day takes on the other storyline. The two stories are separate but eventually they become intertwined, as the tale of the St Louis is revealed. I thought the package delivered in the present that kick starts Anna’s search for the truth to her family’s history was compelling. This signalled Anna’s quest to develop a better understanding of her family’s heritage, which leads her to take a trip to Cuba. This section of the story is emotional and tugs at the heartstrings, I also enjoyed the coming of age tale that emerged from Anna’s journey.
The historical thread surrounding Hannah Rosenthal and her family held slightly more interest for me than Anna, the young narrator’s tale of events in the present. I am always on the hunt for stories to come of out of an era that fascinates me and Correa seemed to fill this void. Prior to reading The German Girl, I am ashamed to say I had not heard of the fate of the St Louis, so I am grateful to the author for raising my awareness to this shameful event in world history. Correa’s level of research in this part of the novel is faultless and I admired his ability to turn a set of real historical events into a profound work of fiction. Correa certainly drew my attention to the fate of these refugees and perhaps a message could be taken away from this terrible event in the past, regarding our treatment of refugees seeking asylum in the present day. My final word on The German Girl are the detailed historical facts and the appendix which lists the passengers aboard the St Louis, contained at the back of the novel. These additions worked to deepen my respect for this novel.
The German Girl is a moving piece of literature that serves to remind of us of the sorrowful incidents that occurred during the Holocaust. Armando Lucas Correa expertly ties together true life events, within an affective narrative. The German Girl is a novel that I imagine will stay with me and you for some time, long after the final page is turned.
The author of The German Girl, Armando Lucas Correa, was a recent guest at a writers festival held in Perth, Western Australia, where I live. Although I was unable to see Armando Lucas Correa, I highly endorse his novel, The German Girl. It is a fitting testament to another sad chapter to World War II’s history and the Jewish people.
The German Girl is a fictionalised account of the events that took place before, on board and after the German ship St Louis set sail in May, 1939. The St Louis departed from Hamburg, Germany and was bound on a voyage to Havana, Cuba. With more than nine hundred passengers on board, mainly German Jewish refugees, these people were hoping to escape the oppressive Nazi regime. Many were in search of freedom from persecution of the Third Reich in a new world, Havana. However, a tragic turn of events occurred and when the St Louis reached the waters of Havana, the ship was refused entry, unable to dock. While a selected few are allowed to disembark and enter Havana, the majority of the ship’s occupants remained on board. The ship was forced to sail on, hoping to find sanction elsewhere but this is an impossible task. Correa chooses to zone his story into one girl, Hannah Rosenthal’s personal experience aboard the St Louis. We follow Hannah and her family as they take a huge fall from grace. In the opening of the novel, the reader learns that the Rosenthals are a wealthy Jewish family. The increasing dominance of the Nazi regime and their hatred for the Jewish people forces this family to flee their home. This leads them to the fateful voyage on the St Louis. The family is torn apart by their decision to travel on the St Louis, a decision that echoes across the decades, impacting on the descendants of the Rosenthal family. We discover this through a package that is discovered by Hannah Rosenthal’s grand-niece years later, which holds the key to the Rosenthal family’s final fate.
The German Girl is a touching and ambitious novel. It is expansive, crossing the continents, as the setting moves effortlessly from Europe, to Cuba and finally the US. It also spans time, covering an era of over seventy years. The German Girl employs the use of two young narrators to unfurl the main events of the story. Hannah Rosenthal is our narrator in the 1939 storyline and Anna, a twelve year old girl and direct descendant of Hannah’s, living in New York in the present day takes on the other storyline. The two stories are separate but eventually they become intertwined, as the tale of the St Louis is revealed. I thought the package delivered in the present that kick starts Anna’s search for the truth to her family’s history was compelling. This signalled Anna’s quest to develop a better understanding of her family’s heritage, which leads her to take a trip to Cuba. This section of the story is emotional and tugs at the heartstrings, I also enjoyed the coming of age tale that emerged from Anna’s journey.
The historical thread surrounding Hannah Rosenthal and her family held slightly more interest for me than Anna, the young narrator’s tale of events in the present. I am always on the hunt for stories to come of out of an era that fascinates me and Correa seemed to fill this void. Prior to reading The German Girl, I am ashamed to say I had not heard of the fate of the St Louis, so I am grateful to the author for raising my awareness to this shameful event in world history. Correa’s level of research in this part of the novel is faultless and I admired his ability to turn a set of real historical events into a profound work of fiction. Correa certainly drew my attention to the fate of these refugees and perhaps a message could be taken away from this terrible event in the past, regarding our treatment of refugees seeking asylum in the present day. My final word on The German Girl are the detailed historical facts and the appendix which lists the passengers aboard the St Louis, contained at the back of the novel. These additions worked to deepen my respect for this novel.
The German Girl is a moving piece of literature that serves to remind of us of the sorrowful incidents that occurred during the Holocaust. Armando Lucas Correa expertly ties together true life events, within an affective narrative. The German Girl is a novel that I imagine will stay with me and you for some time, long after the final page is turned.
April 11, 2019
**New book by this great author, "The Daughter's Tale: A Novel will be published in early May, 2019**
This debut novel by Armando Lucas Correa is beautifully written and detailed. This is a fictionalized account of an event that really happened.
In the late 1930’s the Nazi’s had already invaded and controlled Berlin. This book is not so much a story of the horrors of the war or the Nazi’s but more a telling of what happened to a family throughout many decades.
We first meet Hannah Rosenthal who is a member of one of Berlin’s prominent Jewish families. She has lived a happy life with many adventures shared with her best friend, Leo. When the Rosenthal’s are finally stripped of their fine things and forced to surrender the apartment house that they own, their only recourse is to try and find a safe haven. They are a wealthy and influential family and their father secures passage on the St. Louis, a luxury liner, that will take them to Cuba where they have been promised a new life after buying papers from the government that they are told will grant them asylum in Havana. After a rather wonderful and exciting trip upon the St. Louis for Hannah and Leo they finally arrive in the port of Havana only to be told that their papers are no longer valid with the new government. Out of the 937 passengers only 28 are allowed into Havana. This included Hannah and her mother Alma but her father and Leo and his family are turned away.
Next in the novel we are introduced to Anna Rosen, a young girl whose father has recently perished in the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. Anna’s mother has been extremely depressed and Anna is pretty much caring for herself and her mother when a letter appears one day from an aunt of her father, still living in Cuba. The letter also contains unprocessed photo film that will reveal people from her father’s past. The correspondence and then further phone communication with the aunt acts to help her mother conquer her depression and try to find out about her husband’s family and past life which he never confided to her. Her mother feels that Anna should be introduced to this aunt and they visit Cuba.
There were many things that I loved about this book. First off the writing is wonderful, beautiful prose which flows at a steady and increasingly quicker pace. I had never known about the St.Louis and the Jews who tried to flee to Havana and this was a great insight into that event.
Sadly, most of the people were turned away and ended up back in the Europe that they fled.
The voices of the children, Hannah and Leo, were particularly well written. It is never a small feat for an author to get the thoughts and voices of children on paper. This friendship and all it encompassed was probably my favorite part of the book. The other characters from both the present and past are well described and touched me in many ways. The alternating chapters between Hannah and Anna are very cohesive and there was no disruption of the story process.
I was left with some unanswered questions. I never fully understood why Hannah didn’t flee Cuba after her mother died since she obviously hated living there, the people and the climate. Why were these particular 28 people chosen and the others turned away? Why didn’t Hannah’s family flee sooner when they had the funds and were well aware of what was happening, with friends and colleagues disappearing at alarming rates. Maybe there are no answers to these questions without being able to ask some of the real people who sailed on the St. Louis.
I highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction. I was given an ARC of this novel to read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.
This debut novel by Armando Lucas Correa is beautifully written and detailed. This is a fictionalized account of an event that really happened.
In the late 1930’s the Nazi’s had already invaded and controlled Berlin. This book is not so much a story of the horrors of the war or the Nazi’s but more a telling of what happened to a family throughout many decades.
We first meet Hannah Rosenthal who is a member of one of Berlin’s prominent Jewish families. She has lived a happy life with many adventures shared with her best friend, Leo. When the Rosenthal’s are finally stripped of their fine things and forced to surrender the apartment house that they own, their only recourse is to try and find a safe haven. They are a wealthy and influential family and their father secures passage on the St. Louis, a luxury liner, that will take them to Cuba where they have been promised a new life after buying papers from the government that they are told will grant them asylum in Havana. After a rather wonderful and exciting trip upon the St. Louis for Hannah and Leo they finally arrive in the port of Havana only to be told that their papers are no longer valid with the new government. Out of the 937 passengers only 28 are allowed into Havana. This included Hannah and her mother Alma but her father and Leo and his family are turned away.
Next in the novel we are introduced to Anna Rosen, a young girl whose father has recently perished in the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. Anna’s mother has been extremely depressed and Anna is pretty much caring for herself and her mother when a letter appears one day from an aunt of her father, still living in Cuba. The letter also contains unprocessed photo film that will reveal people from her father’s past. The correspondence and then further phone communication with the aunt acts to help her mother conquer her depression and try to find out about her husband’s family and past life which he never confided to her. Her mother feels that Anna should be introduced to this aunt and they visit Cuba.
There were many things that I loved about this book. First off the writing is wonderful, beautiful prose which flows at a steady and increasingly quicker pace. I had never known about the St.Louis and the Jews who tried to flee to Havana and this was a great insight into that event.
Sadly, most of the people were turned away and ended up back in the Europe that they fled.
The voices of the children, Hannah and Leo, were particularly well written. It is never a small feat for an author to get the thoughts and voices of children on paper. This friendship and all it encompassed was probably my favorite part of the book. The other characters from both the present and past are well described and touched me in many ways. The alternating chapters between Hannah and Anna are very cohesive and there was no disruption of the story process.
I was left with some unanswered questions. I never fully understood why Hannah didn’t flee Cuba after her mother died since she obviously hated living there, the people and the climate. Why were these particular 28 people chosen and the others turned away? Why didn’t Hannah’s family flee sooner when they had the funds and were well aware of what was happening, with friends and colleagues disappearing at alarming rates. Maybe there are no answers to these questions without being able to ask some of the real people who sailed on the St. Louis.
I highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction. I was given an ARC of this novel to read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.
December 27, 2016
3.5 stars. This book was my introduction to the SS St. Louis, a transatlantic liner offering Jews safe passage out of Germany in 1939. What I enjoyed most about this novel was learning about a piece of Holocaust history that I had known nothing about. It is obvious that a tremendous amount of research went into creating this novel. Overall, I thought the book was good, it just didn't have a "wow" factor for me. I kind of feel bad for this book because I think that part of my lack of enthusiasm boils down to a "timing" issue. I recently finished the novel "Lilac Girls" by Martha Hall Kelly which I absolutely love, love, loved! Like this book, "Lilac Girls" is a historical fiction novel based on true events. I think any novel, more specifically, any historical fiction novel that I read anytime soon will come up short compared to "Lilac Girls" - it was just THAT GOOD!
One thing that lacked for me in this book was that I could not connect with any of the characters. It wasn't that I didn't like them, I just didn't connect with them. For a book to truly resonate with me, I have to feel that I have become immersed in the character's lives and storylines and I just didn't. This book couldn't keep my interest for long periods of time.
Regardless of how I feel about the fictional characters in this novel, I really appreciate learning about this important piece of Holocaust history. I am happy that I read this book and feel that I would recommend it to others simply because it is an important part of history that we should never forget.
One thing that lacked for me in this book was that I could not connect with any of the characters. It wasn't that I didn't like them, I just didn't connect with them. For a book to truly resonate with me, I have to feel that I have become immersed in the character's lives and storylines and I just didn't. This book couldn't keep my interest for long periods of time.
Regardless of how I feel about the fictional characters in this novel, I really appreciate learning about this important piece of Holocaust history. I am happy that I read this book and feel that I would recommend it to others simply because it is an important part of history that we should never forget.
October 19, 2016
2.5 STARS - WWII fiction is one of my favourite genres so when I saw this book I knew that it was right up my alley. The story is told via two 12-year-old narrators in two different eras. One follows Hannah, a Jewish girl living in Berlin in 1939 and modern day Anna, a descendant of Hannah's, who lives in New York City.
The first half of the book briefly introduces us to Anna but most of the page time is given to Hannah and her family's escape from Germany just before war breaks out. Living in Germany under the increasing power of what Hannah calls 'the Ogres' is hard. While Hannah has the unique experience of being a Jew yet looking more Aryan in complexion, this does not make her life easier and causes discord within her Jewish community. As Jews they are constantly denigrated by their neighbours and fear that their lives are in danger. This abuse, as well as the mood in Berlin at the time, is vividly portrayed to the reader.
Surprisingly I didn't find myself invested in Hannah's (or Anna's) hardships. The setting and the plot were screaming for an emotional connection but it felt like Correa didn't delve deep enough into the emotions of his characters. Add in the very slowly paced plot and unfortunately I didn't feel like I had much of a connection to either of the girls whose personalities were so similar that they seemed to blend together. Personally, I would have preferred for Anna's story line to be omitted entirely with more focus on Hannah's family.
After reading this book I questioned whether or not this is supposed to be a Historical Fiction for young teens instead of adults. The writing itself, while descriptive to a point, felt geared to a younger audience. It felt like the effects of this horrific war were toned down for the reader. If this book is written for a younger audience (and I could find no mention of it being specifically a YA read) I suppose it could be said that Correa was making his book age appropriate. Personally, if this is written for adults I don't think the devastation of WWII and the horror that was inflicted on Jews by the Nazis is something that should be glossed over. I also don't understand why, except for one instance I can recall, the author chose to not use the terms Jew, Nazi or Holocaust in his book.
What I will take away from this novel is the fact that I enjoyed learning about the S.S St Louis, the trans-Atlantic ship that Hannah and her family took with almost 1,000 other people to Cuba to escape the horrors of war. I had previously no knowledge that there were refugees who escaped the Nazis only to be turned away by Cuba (who suddenly decided not to honour the visas that the passengers had procured earlier). ** Note: The US and Canada were also among the countries who also turned away these refugees. ** That was an aspect of WWII, in all of my reading, that I had no knowledge of and I'm grateful that I now know more about that aspect of the war.
A plot focusing on the plight of Jewish refugees during WWII gave The German Girl all the makings of a unique, touching and wonderful WWII fiction read. Unfortunately, I don't think that Correa, an award winning journalist and author, delved deep enough into the issues or the emotions of his characters to make it a truly gripping and emotional read.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The first half of the book briefly introduces us to Anna but most of the page time is given to Hannah and her family's escape from Germany just before war breaks out. Living in Germany under the increasing power of what Hannah calls 'the Ogres' is hard. While Hannah has the unique experience of being a Jew yet looking more Aryan in complexion, this does not make her life easier and causes discord within her Jewish community. As Jews they are constantly denigrated by their neighbours and fear that their lives are in danger. This abuse, as well as the mood in Berlin at the time, is vividly portrayed to the reader.
Surprisingly I didn't find myself invested in Hannah's (or Anna's) hardships. The setting and the plot were screaming for an emotional connection but it felt like Correa didn't delve deep enough into the emotions of his characters. Add in the very slowly paced plot and unfortunately I didn't feel like I had much of a connection to either of the girls whose personalities were so similar that they seemed to blend together. Personally, I would have preferred for Anna's story line to be omitted entirely with more focus on Hannah's family.
After reading this book I questioned whether or not this is supposed to be a Historical Fiction for young teens instead of adults. The writing itself, while descriptive to a point, felt geared to a younger audience. It felt like the effects of this horrific war were toned down for the reader. If this book is written for a younger audience (and I could find no mention of it being specifically a YA read) I suppose it could be said that Correa was making his book age appropriate. Personally, if this is written for adults I don't think the devastation of WWII and the horror that was inflicted on Jews by the Nazis is something that should be glossed over. I also don't understand why, except for one instance I can recall, the author chose to not use the terms Jew, Nazi or Holocaust in his book.
What I will take away from this novel is the fact that I enjoyed learning about the S.S St Louis, the trans-Atlantic ship that Hannah and her family took with almost 1,000 other people to Cuba to escape the horrors of war. I had previously no knowledge that there were refugees who escaped the Nazis only to be turned away by Cuba (who suddenly decided not to honour the visas that the passengers had procured earlier). ** Note: The US and Canada were also among the countries who also turned away these refugees. ** That was an aspect of WWII, in all of my reading, that I had no knowledge of and I'm grateful that I now know more about that aspect of the war.
A plot focusing on the plight of Jewish refugees during WWII gave The German Girl all the makings of a unique, touching and wonderful WWII fiction read. Unfortunately, I don't think that Correa, an award winning journalist and author, delved deep enough into the issues or the emotions of his characters to make it a truly gripping and emotional read.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2018
Lee la reseña completa aquí: http://sabiouswords.blogspot.com.co/2...
4,5 y hace rato que un libro no me dejaba pensando por qué me gustó tanto pero por qué no soy capaz de darle las 5 estrellas.
Escrito de forma magistral, el libro tiene un ritmo vertiginoso donde crees que lo peor acaba de pasar pero a la siguiente página te das cuenta que la humanidad puede ser incluso más miserable y la vida más cruel.
Sigue la receta ganadora de "niños en guerra mundial", solo que en esta historia se trata la guerra antes de que propiamente estallara y por eso me gustó bastante a pesar que ya he leído muchos libros con la misma fórmula. Eso y que esté basado en hechos reales.
Triste, conmovedora, mágica, etérea... la conexión entre las dos protagonistas es simplemente memorable.
Leo es un personaje que me robó el aliento con su vivacidad, su fuerza, su presencia, y siendo sincera fue el único personaje que me robó una lágrima también.
Por último, quiero destacar dos cosas: el maravilloso tono de la historia (nada lastimera), y el trabajo arduo de investigación del autor.
Lo único que sí debo mencionar como parte "negativa" es que el bombeo del ritmo es tan rápido, que procesar lo que está pasando es casi imposible. Es decir, pasan muchas cosas muy rápido y en la narrativa no hay suficientes "baches" rítmicos para que puedas pensar en qué fue lo que acabaste de leer.
En conclusión, es un libro que no entra en mi lista de favoritos, pero sí entra en mi lista de libros que puedo recomendar a ojo cerrado.
4,5 y hace rato que un libro no me dejaba pensando por qué me gustó tanto pero por qué no soy capaz de darle las 5 estrellas.
Escrito de forma magistral, el libro tiene un ritmo vertiginoso donde crees que lo peor acaba de pasar pero a la siguiente página te das cuenta que la humanidad puede ser incluso más miserable y la vida más cruel.
Sigue la receta ganadora de "niños en guerra mundial", solo que en esta historia se trata la guerra antes de que propiamente estallara y por eso me gustó bastante a pesar que ya he leído muchos libros con la misma fórmula. Eso y que esté basado en hechos reales.
Triste, conmovedora, mágica, etérea... la conexión entre las dos protagonistas es simplemente memorable.
Leo es un personaje que me robó el aliento con su vivacidad, su fuerza, su presencia, y siendo sincera fue el único personaje que me robó una lágrima también.
Por último, quiero destacar dos cosas: el maravilloso tono de la historia (nada lastimera), y el trabajo arduo de investigación del autor.
Lo único que sí debo mencionar como parte "negativa" es que el bombeo del ritmo es tan rápido, que procesar lo que está pasando es casi imposible. Es decir, pasan muchas cosas muy rápido y en la narrativa no hay suficientes "baches" rítmicos para que puedas pensar en qué fue lo que acabaste de leer.
En conclusión, es un libro que no entra en mi lista de favoritos, pero sí entra en mi lista de libros que puedo recomendar a ojo cerrado.
April 7, 2022
This book brings a lesser known event that happened during WWII. In 1939, over 900 German Jews fled on the ship ironically called the Saint Louis from Germany for asylum to Cuba, and many with hopes of farther moving to the US. Both countries refused the entrance.
This book intertwines two stories of two twelve-year-old girls, set apart by time and place. One living in Berlin in 1939, and the other in NY in 2014.
The voice of both girls kind of reflects their age from step by step descriptions, but at times if the age wasn’t given out it would be hard to tell how old the girls were. And I think that’s where the issue is. I’m not sure who the target audience for this book is. It’s probably too hard for young adults and might be to simplistic for adults.
This book intertwines two stories of two twelve-year-old girls, set apart by time and place. One living in Berlin in 1939, and the other in NY in 2014.
The voice of both girls kind of reflects their age from step by step descriptions, but at times if the age wasn’t given out it would be hard to tell how old the girls were. And I think that’s where the issue is. I’m not sure who the target audience for this book is. It’s probably too hard for young adults and might be to simplistic for adults.
September 13, 2016
It’s 1939 in Berlin where we meet Hannah Rosenthal and her family. The climate of their city has started to change due to the invasion of the Nazi party. Because they are of the Jewish faith, the family is no longer accepted and face humiliation daily. Friends disappear in the night, it is not safe to be outside, jobs are taken away, people arrested for no reason.
The family does not have many available options to escape. The Rosenthal’s, along with another family, obtain all the documents needed to travel on the transatlantic liner, the Saint Louis, to Cuba. They enjoy their time on the ship and are relieved to be leaving Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, the ship is refused entry into Cuba. Ultimately, this ship only allowed 29 passengers to disembark in Cuba, and was sent back to Europe.
It’s 2011 in New York City where we meet Anna who lives alone with her mother. On her twelfth
birthday, Anna receives an envelope from a great aunt that she has never met. This person raised her father but is unknown by her mother. Anna is intrigued by the photos and pictures sent by her great aunt. The family travels to Cuba to learn about her father. It is in Cuba where they unravel the mysteries of their family's and their connections back to Berlin.
Through the author’s writing, I could feel the remorse, regret and love that each family member endured. I felt a surge of emotion when the two stories converged.
I appreciate these lessons in history. The author did a great job of weaving together an emotional story. This is a debut novel by this author.
https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved/
**I am giving away a signed copy on my blog - ends Sept. 15th at Noon. https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...#
The family does not have many available options to escape. The Rosenthal’s, along with another family, obtain all the documents needed to travel on the transatlantic liner, the Saint Louis, to Cuba. They enjoy their time on the ship and are relieved to be leaving Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, the ship is refused entry into Cuba. Ultimately, this ship only allowed 29 passengers to disembark in Cuba, and was sent back to Europe.
It’s 2011 in New York City where we meet Anna who lives alone with her mother. On her twelfth
birthday, Anna receives an envelope from a great aunt that she has never met. This person raised her father but is unknown by her mother. Anna is intrigued by the photos and pictures sent by her great aunt. The family travels to Cuba to learn about her father. It is in Cuba where they unravel the mysteries of their family's and their connections back to Berlin.
Through the author’s writing, I could feel the remorse, regret and love that each family member endured. I felt a surge of emotion when the two stories converged.
I appreciate these lessons in history. The author did a great job of weaving together an emotional story. This is a debut novel by this author.
https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved/
**I am giving away a signed copy on my blog - ends Sept. 15th at Noon. https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...#
March 8, 2017
I felt this book suffered from a too simplistic style, until another reviewer pointed out that it is written from the viewpoint of two 12 year old girls, 75 years apart. Upon reading the afterward, I also learned that it is a translation from Spanish, so that may account for it as well. In any case, an enlightening story about a real event in 1939, where over 900 German passengers escaping from the Nazis were refused entrance into Cuba, the US, and Canada. It seems that no
one wants evacuees from oppressive regimes, either then or now.
one wants evacuees from oppressive regimes, either then or now.
March 9, 2017
The German Girl written by Armando Lucas Correa is a debut novel that revolves around the lives of two little girls Hannah and Anna over a period of 70 years.
The story begins in Berlin in 1939 where we meet Hannah Rosenthal. A beautiful, spirited, blue eyed 12 old Jewish girl who likes nothing better than to spend time with her best friend Leo. Their friendship is an absolute delight to behold. they love to explore and roam the city but their World becomes significantly smaller as the Nazi's are closing in. Berlin no longer feels like home now the Ogres (Hannah and Leo's name for the Nazi's) are so ferociously horrible to them, their families and friends, telling what they can and can't do. Needless to say, due to the humiliating, degrading treatment, and Jewish families disappearing, Hannah's family have no choice but to flee and leave behind everything Hannah knows. There are few options to left to escape but the Rosenthals are quietly hopeful they may have found the answer. The family and Leo's family board the SS St.Louis, bound for Havana, at first all is exciting and even feels luxurious but after many months their home on the sea feels more like a Prison. When they eventually get to Havana, Hannah's mother Alma and Hannah are granted emigration devastatingly, Hannah's father is turned away.* Hannah and Alma, struggle living in Havana, it is nothing like their home from everything the climate to the political unrest.
Decades later, we meet Anna Rosen who lives in New York City. Anna's whole life changes when her father died in the 9/11 attacks. Understandably, she wants to learn more about her father and who he was, her mother who has become increasingly depressed is of no help and refuses to talk about her father. On Anna's 11th birthday, she receives an envelope from her Great Aunt Hannah whom she has never met. She learns that her Great Aunt Hannah brought her father up and just maybe Anna can find the information she so desperately needs to know. After learning, that Hannah is now 87 Anna realises that there is no time to waste.
Alternating between the two narratives, we see that through their tragedies, joys, memories and more that they may just find commonalities that they both long for. Of course, both Hannah and Anna have both seen the worst of mankind but along the way they have also found the true meaning of humanity.
I highly recommend The German Girl, the writing of Correa is raw, emotional and powerful particularly when it comes to the Rosenthals in Berlin, on the St Louis and in Cuba. I want it to be clear that this book is not all depressing, there are purely joyful moments bringing a tear to my eye more than once. An extremely brave and sensitive topic to take on as a debut novel but I believe Correa has certainly done the topic justice with this historical fictional account.
An easy 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Armando Lucas Correa, Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
*Historically the St. Louis carried 937 passengers, the majority Jewish refugees whom the Cuban Government promised to take. Unfortunately, the Cuban's reneged on the promise only allowing in a measly 28 into Havana. The United States and Canadian governments also refused entry. The remaining passengers were forced back to Europe, where sadly most perished at the hands of the Nazi Regime.
The story begins in Berlin in 1939 where we meet Hannah Rosenthal. A beautiful, spirited, blue eyed 12 old Jewish girl who likes nothing better than to spend time with her best friend Leo. Their friendship is an absolute delight to behold. they love to explore and roam the city but their World becomes significantly smaller as the Nazi's are closing in. Berlin no longer feels like home now the Ogres (Hannah and Leo's name for the Nazi's) are so ferociously horrible to them, their families and friends, telling what they can and can't do. Needless to say, due to the humiliating, degrading treatment, and Jewish families disappearing, Hannah's family have no choice but to flee and leave behind everything Hannah knows. There are few options to left to escape but the Rosenthals are quietly hopeful they may have found the answer. The family and Leo's family board the SS St.Louis, bound for Havana, at first all is exciting and even feels luxurious but after many months their home on the sea feels more like a Prison. When they eventually get to Havana, Hannah's mother Alma and Hannah are granted emigration devastatingly, Hannah's father is turned away.* Hannah and Alma, struggle living in Havana, it is nothing like their home from everything the climate to the political unrest.
Decades later, we meet Anna Rosen who lives in New York City. Anna's whole life changes when her father died in the 9/11 attacks. Understandably, she wants to learn more about her father and who he was, her mother who has become increasingly depressed is of no help and refuses to talk about her father. On Anna's 11th birthday, she receives an envelope from her Great Aunt Hannah whom she has never met. She learns that her Great Aunt Hannah brought her father up and just maybe Anna can find the information she so desperately needs to know. After learning, that Hannah is now 87 Anna realises that there is no time to waste.
Alternating between the two narratives, we see that through their tragedies, joys, memories and more that they may just find commonalities that they both long for. Of course, both Hannah and Anna have both seen the worst of mankind but along the way they have also found the true meaning of humanity.
I highly recommend The German Girl, the writing of Correa is raw, emotional and powerful particularly when it comes to the Rosenthals in Berlin, on the St Louis and in Cuba. I want it to be clear that this book is not all depressing, there are purely joyful moments bringing a tear to my eye more than once. An extremely brave and sensitive topic to take on as a debut novel but I believe Correa has certainly done the topic justice with this historical fictional account.
An easy 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Armando Lucas Correa, Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
*Historically the St. Louis carried 937 passengers, the majority Jewish refugees whom the Cuban Government promised to take. Unfortunately, the Cuban's reneged on the promise only allowing in a measly 28 into Havana. The United States and Canadian governments also refused entry. The remaining passengers were forced back to Europe, where sadly most perished at the hands of the Nazi Regime.
September 4, 2017
What I really liked about this story was the fact that it was based on a true event in history that I knew nothing about. The story is told from 2 POV's-both 12 yr old girls. Hannah's story is 1939, as the hatred is escalating towards Jews. She and her family must leave Germany- they manage to book passage on the St Louis, which is headed for Cuba. What occurs when they get there is the basis of this story. Anna's story takes place in New York in 2014. She never knew her father but she and her mother find out that her father's aunt is still alive in Cuba and they travel there to learn their family history. This book touches on race and hatred and connections that can not be broken.
The book was not perfect. The voices of the 12 yr old girls seemed beyond their years, although I kept thinking they might seem wiser because of all that had befallen them. Not sure on that one.
It was a strong story, but it lacked emotional impact. For me to ever give a book a 5, it has to touch my heart ; it has to stay with me. I will definitely remember the event the book is based on and feel shame for the countries that turned these innocent people away (including my own- Canada).
The book was not perfect. The voices of the 12 yr old girls seemed beyond their years, although I kept thinking they might seem wiser because of all that had befallen them. Not sure on that one.
It was a strong story, but it lacked emotional impact. For me to ever give a book a 5, it has to touch my heart ; it has to stay with me. I will definitely remember the event the book is based on and feel shame for the countries that turned these innocent people away (including my own- Canada).
September 22, 2016
3.5 stars
There are moments when it's better to accept it's all over, that there's nothing more to be done. Give up and abandon hope :surrender.That's how I felt by then. I didn't believe in miracles.This had happened to us because we insisted on changing a destiny that was already written. We didn't have any rights, we couldn't reinvent history. We were condemned to be deceived from the moment we came into the world.
Emotionally charged and intricately researched, The German Girl tells the story about a fictional German-Jewish family that hopes the S.S. St. Louis will take them safely to Cuba.However,Hannah and her parents and the other 900 + passengers soon learn that a happy ending isn't to be. For the Rosen family, their lives are never to be the same again.
Although I had learned from my Holocaust course the tremendously sad story of the St Louis, this book still left me gutted as Hannah recounts her story. The absolute happiness of the passengers who felt immense relief to be fleeing Nazi Germany and then the complete devastating news that fate has a twisted plan just makes a person want to scream. As the quotation above so eloquently states, the passengers quickly succumbed to feelings of being unwanted. A feeling that will seep its way into the very marrow of Hannah 's family for generations.
Anna's (great niece of Hannah) story and the loss of her father in the 9/11 attacks were equally poignant. I appreciated how ALC makes both of our female protagonists connect over their mutual loss of family members. Hannah and Anna's time together is a truly beautiful part of the book. The German Girl is also illustrative of the grip that grief holds over those left behind with nothing but a memory or picture.
While I found the added storyline of the revolution in Cuban and the parallels that play out for the Rosen family, I was still haunted by the passengers that were unable to get into Cuba. I NEED their stories to be told too!
From a teacher standpoint, I feel that this book is appropriate for a HS reading audience. Although teachers should always ensure that they've provided students with ample time to learn about many of the events leading up to and after the S.S. St. Louis sets sail.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are moments when it's better to accept it's all over, that there's nothing more to be done. Give up and abandon hope :surrender.That's how I felt by then. I didn't believe in miracles.This had happened to us because we insisted on changing a destiny that was already written. We didn't have any rights, we couldn't reinvent history. We were condemned to be deceived from the moment we came into the world.
Emotionally charged and intricately researched, The German Girl tells the story about a fictional German-Jewish family that hopes the S.S. St. Louis will take them safely to Cuba.However,Hannah and her parents and the other 900 + passengers soon learn that a happy ending isn't to be. For the Rosen family, their lives are never to be the same again.
Although I had learned from my Holocaust course the tremendously sad story of the St Louis, this book still left me gutted as Hannah recounts her story. The absolute happiness of the passengers who felt immense relief to be fleeing Nazi Germany and then the complete devastating news that fate has a twisted plan just makes a person want to scream. As the quotation above so eloquently states, the passengers quickly succumbed to feelings of being unwanted. A feeling that will seep its way into the very marrow of Hannah 's family for generations.
Anna's (great niece of Hannah) story and the loss of her father in the 9/11 attacks were equally poignant. I appreciated how ALC makes both of our female protagonists connect over their mutual loss of family members. Hannah and Anna's time together is a truly beautiful part of the book. The German Girl is also illustrative of the grip that grief holds over those left behind with nothing but a memory or picture.
While I found the added storyline of the revolution in Cuban and the parallels that play out for the Rosen family, I was still haunted by the passengers that were unable to get into Cuba. I NEED their stories to be told too!
From a teacher standpoint, I feel that this book is appropriate for a HS reading audience. Although teachers should always ensure that they've provided students with ample time to learn about many of the events leading up to and after the S.S. St. Louis sets sail.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2018
I was enthused about reading this book based on the premise. By the time I put it down I felt like it was a missed opportunity to write something truly significant about an important historical event that is largely ignored.
Where do I start?
Yes, the story is told from the perspective of two twelve-year-old girls separated by 75 years. The first girl we meet is a Jewish girl that passes for pure German in pre-war Berlin. She's a rich girl, and her mother used to move in aristocratic circles and, when we meet her, she is in the depths of despair, on the brink of despondency because she cannot resign herself to her reduced social circumstances brought about by the fact that the Nazis are in power.
The second twelve-year-old we meet is the great-niece of the first, and her mother is in the depths of despair because she is a 9/11 widow who never got to tell her husband that she was pregnant. She, too, is locked in her apartment being cared for by her minor daughter who has had to accept responsibility for a parent before her time.
In the case of the first girl, Hannah, she wants to kill her parents, end it all, she can't take this attitude anymore. In the case of the second girl, why hasn't anyone called Social Services, for crying out loud??? How come she gets to find out that her father died on 9/11 during a memorial reading-of-the-names at school????
The troubling thing is this: the mothers in this book are both spineless, manic depressive people who have clear bipolar tendencies. If they are not completely destroyed by a crisis, they are bouncing around with the peppiest, chirpiest, most enthusiastic will to forge ahead and live, live, LIVE!!!!!!!
Hannah and her family escape Germany in a doomed ship. They are intended to travel to Cuba, where they will wait until they can leave for the US, and -while they are in transit- events make this impossible; Cuba doesn't want these Jewish refugees, and neither do the States nor Canada. Hannah's father, who had been arrested and held prisoner before their exit from Germany, has become a shell of his former self; he barely talks, except to the Captain and another passenger (Hannah's boyfriend's father), and agonizes about their future. He basically knows they're doomed from the get-go, but since his wife is happy (and -surprisingly- suddenly pregnant) he just plods along with whatever is necessary.
Hannah's mother doesn't want to go to Cuba anyway; she hates Cuba, Cubans, Cuban culture... When she and Hannah have to get off the boat (two among the lucky very few who do), she does so reluctantly, haughtily, angrily, and full of the worst bile against Cuba, Cubans and Cuban culture. Hannah's father goes off into the sunset in the doomed ship, sent -like many others- to France (doomed, of course, because we all know what happened to Jews in France during the war). Hannah and her mother settle down in Cuba, but Hannah's mother finds the resources to go to NY to have her baby, hating Cuba, Cubans, and Cuban culture every single second of their lives. Hannah's mother hates Cuba, Cubans, and Cuban culture so much that she wants to die there, be buried there, and for Hannah to do the same regardless of how long she lives.
Anna, Hannah's great-niece, travels from NY to Cuba to meet her aunt. Her mother, after a sudden and almost fatal health crisis, is enthusiastic about this because they will get to learn about her dead husband...who, apparently, is remembered as being the kind of guy who likes going to the movies, but didn't really tell her much else while they were married. She knew he had a trust fund, a nice apartment, and belonged to a club where he got a haircut once a month, but that's about the gist of it...
Anna and Hannah share the despondent mothers, the exhilarating and not-of-their-class boyfriends, and a liking for photography. Hopefully, and I say this with very little faith that out there in fiction world this will develop, Anna will break out of the despondency that seems to permeate this family's character. They are attracted to doom; they "let themselves die"... Hannah never did much with her life; she took care of her mother (who was just dripping with bile and anger against Cuba, Cubans, and Cuban culture for her entire living days), her brother (was he the product of a liaison with a Nazi official who greased the wheels of emigration for Hannah's family????), and her nephew (Anna's father) who all basically were depressed, colorless people who beat their heads against the thick wall of destiny only to succumb to it...
I am guessing Mr. Correa's intentions were pure, and he had a good story to tell, but having two twelve-year-olds narrate a story from their perspectives is one thing and having an 87-year-old still narrate like a twelve-year-old is another. None of the main characters in this story are likable; not a single solitary one. Not Hannah, not Alma (her mother...her bitter, angry, vindictive, arrogant mother), not Hannah's father, not Anna's mother (who has let herself be cared for by her daughter because, apparently, the only person who suffered massive loss on 9/11 was HER,) not Hannah's brother, or Anna's father for that matter. The minor characters are somewhat better, but...they're all caricatures: the nannies all have ample bosoms, loving hearts, maternal instincts. The boyfriends are all absolutely sure of the future they want with the girl they love at the tender age of twelve. And all these people, by the way, come across as doomed...
The words Jewish or Jew never come up. Hannah is completely and utterly disconnected from her heritage, her faith, her culture...because the Nazis treat them as undesirables, they decide that, hey, just let it go. Hannah lives in Havana for decades before she even happens to walk past the synagogue...this is such a traumatic event that she never again EVER walks down that street.
Sigh...
Wasted opportunity. A deluge of words that doesn't do more than introduce us superficially to these people we're supposed to be invested in... As I told my husband last night, after carefully closing the book and putting it back on the shelf to prevent myself from throwing it across the room, this is as frustrating as James Cameron's Titanic...so many compelling, heartbreaking, factual stories about passengers on a doomed ship, and the author chooses to make up this narrative quagmire that, quite honestly, leaves you feeling like you need a shower after every scene in which Hannah's mother is described...
I hope someday, somewhere, someone does justice to the passengers of the St. Louis, and to the many Jewish refugees who were turned away from safety. People can wax poetic about this book, but...it's depressing, and not one bit life-affirming.
Where do I start?
Yes, the story is told from the perspective of two twelve-year-old girls separated by 75 years. The first girl we meet is a Jewish girl that passes for pure German in pre-war Berlin. She's a rich girl, and her mother used to move in aristocratic circles and, when we meet her, she is in the depths of despair, on the brink of despondency because she cannot resign herself to her reduced social circumstances brought about by the fact that the Nazis are in power.
The second twelve-year-old we meet is the great-niece of the first, and her mother is in the depths of despair because she is a 9/11 widow who never got to tell her husband that she was pregnant. She, too, is locked in her apartment being cared for by her minor daughter who has had to accept responsibility for a parent before her time.
In the case of the first girl, Hannah, she wants to kill her parents, end it all, she can't take this attitude anymore. In the case of the second girl, why hasn't anyone called Social Services, for crying out loud??? How come she gets to find out that her father died on 9/11 during a memorial reading-of-the-names at school????
The troubling thing is this: the mothers in this book are both spineless, manic depressive people who have clear bipolar tendencies. If they are not completely destroyed by a crisis, they are bouncing around with the peppiest, chirpiest, most enthusiastic will to forge ahead and live, live, LIVE!!!!!!!
Hannah and her family escape Germany in a doomed ship. They are intended to travel to Cuba, where they will wait until they can leave for the US, and -while they are in transit- events make this impossible; Cuba doesn't want these Jewish refugees, and neither do the States nor Canada. Hannah's father, who had been arrested and held prisoner before their exit from Germany, has become a shell of his former self; he barely talks, except to the Captain and another passenger (Hannah's boyfriend's father), and agonizes about their future. He basically knows they're doomed from the get-go, but since his wife is happy (and -surprisingly- suddenly pregnant) he just plods along with whatever is necessary.
Hannah's mother doesn't want to go to Cuba anyway; she hates Cuba, Cubans, Cuban culture... When she and Hannah have to get off the boat (two among the lucky very few who do), she does so reluctantly, haughtily, angrily, and full of the worst bile against Cuba, Cubans and Cuban culture. Hannah's father goes off into the sunset in the doomed ship, sent -like many others- to France (doomed, of course, because we all know what happened to Jews in France during the war). Hannah and her mother settle down in Cuba, but Hannah's mother finds the resources to go to NY to have her baby, hating Cuba, Cubans, and Cuban culture every single second of their lives. Hannah's mother hates Cuba, Cubans, and Cuban culture so much that she wants to die there, be buried there, and for Hannah to do the same regardless of how long she lives.
Anna, Hannah's great-niece, travels from NY to Cuba to meet her aunt. Her mother, after a sudden and almost fatal health crisis, is enthusiastic about this because they will get to learn about her dead husband...who, apparently, is remembered as being the kind of guy who likes going to the movies, but didn't really tell her much else while they were married. She knew he had a trust fund, a nice apartment, and belonged to a club where he got a haircut once a month, but that's about the gist of it...
Anna and Hannah share the despondent mothers, the exhilarating and not-of-their-class boyfriends, and a liking for photography. Hopefully, and I say this with very little faith that out there in fiction world this will develop, Anna will break out of the despondency that seems to permeate this family's character. They are attracted to doom; they "let themselves die"... Hannah never did much with her life; she took care of her mother (who was just dripping with bile and anger against Cuba, Cubans, and Cuban culture for her entire living days), her brother (was he the product of a liaison with a Nazi official who greased the wheels of emigration for Hannah's family????), and her nephew (Anna's father) who all basically were depressed, colorless people who beat their heads against the thick wall of destiny only to succumb to it...
I am guessing Mr. Correa's intentions were pure, and he had a good story to tell, but having two twelve-year-olds narrate a story from their perspectives is one thing and having an 87-year-old still narrate like a twelve-year-old is another. None of the main characters in this story are likable; not a single solitary one. Not Hannah, not Alma (her mother...her bitter, angry, vindictive, arrogant mother), not Hannah's father, not Anna's mother (who has let herself be cared for by her daughter because, apparently, the only person who suffered massive loss on 9/11 was HER,) not Hannah's brother, or Anna's father for that matter. The minor characters are somewhat better, but...they're all caricatures: the nannies all have ample bosoms, loving hearts, maternal instincts. The boyfriends are all absolutely sure of the future they want with the girl they love at the tender age of twelve. And all these people, by the way, come across as doomed...
The words Jewish or Jew never come up. Hannah is completely and utterly disconnected from her heritage, her faith, her culture...because the Nazis treat them as undesirables, they decide that, hey, just let it go. Hannah lives in Havana for decades before she even happens to walk past the synagogue...this is such a traumatic event that she never again EVER walks down that street.
Sigh...
Wasted opportunity. A deluge of words that doesn't do more than introduce us superficially to these people we're supposed to be invested in... As I told my husband last night, after carefully closing the book and putting it back on the shelf to prevent myself from throwing it across the room, this is as frustrating as James Cameron's Titanic...so many compelling, heartbreaking, factual stories about passengers on a doomed ship, and the author chooses to make up this narrative quagmire that, quite honestly, leaves you feeling like you need a shower after every scene in which Hannah's mother is described...
I hope someday, somewhere, someone does justice to the passengers of the St. Louis, and to the many Jewish refugees who were turned away from safety. People can wax poetic about this book, but...it's depressing, and not one bit life-affirming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2020
St. Louis ancorado no porto de Havana, Cuba - (navio alemão que partiu do porto de Hamburgo a 13 de Maio de 1939 com 937 refugiados judeus alemãs para Havana, Cuba).
”A Rapariga Alemã” é o primeiro romance do jornalista e escritor cubano Armando Lucas Correa - editor da revista People en Espanol , vive actualmente em Manhattan, Nova Iorque.
”A Rapariga Alemã” é um livro e um género literário que ultimamente me tem fascinado. Não o entendo exclusivamente como romance histórico - decorrente também do testemunho dos sobreviventes. No entanto, advindo ou principiando com um inegável acontecimento histórico – que desconheço (ou desconhecia) em absoluto -, o escritor tem o engenho de caracterizar magistralmente um período ou uma época específica, através, não só desse enquadramento num contexto geográfico, mas, igualmente, numa caracterização e numa combinação genuína e fidedigna (na perspectiva do escritor?) das inúmeras personagens que constituem e integram essa história ou essas histórias, num âmbito que faz com que o leitor se integre na narrativa, compreendendo-a; do mesmo modo que pode imaginar, construir e engendrar além do que unicamente podemos ou poderemos ler.
Armando Lucas Correa constrói a narrativa em quatro capítulos, em vários locais e períodos temporais – Berlim, 1939, Nova Iorque, 2014; na viagem do St. Louis , 1939 (com recurso a vários telegramas, notícias de jornais e correspondência com as autoridades cubanas), e depois em Havana entre 1939 e 2014.
”A Rapariga Alemã” - acaba por enquadrar excepcionalmente a questão decorrente da ascensão do nazismo na Alemanha e a Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939 – 1945), da Revolução Cubana (1953 – 1959) e com o acontecimento trágico – a queda das Torres Gémeas - ocorrido em 11 de Setembro de 2001 em Nova Iorque.
”A Rapariga Alemã” é um excelente primeiro romance, desafiante nas temáticas e na sua integração, num contexto de incerteza, morte e discriminação arbitrária através dos olhos de duas crianças, no passado e no presente; apresentado num ambiente realista (baseado numa história real), em diferentes cenários, conforme a acção decorre, criando uma análise perspicaz e pungente sobre a experiência de ser refugiado judeu e as consequências fatais que daí decorrem.
Uma referência especial aos Açores: "Passámos pelos Açores a toda a velocidade. Quando vimos as ilhas começarem a desaparecer ao largo da proa de bombordo, pareceu-me uma oportunidade perdida, como se alguém deixasse fugir-lhe das mãos um salvo-conduto para a liberdade. Como seria viver ali, longe dos ogres? Devíamos ter comprado vistos para os Açores.
Podíamos ter sido os novos habitantes. Teríamos mudado o nome, claro. Em vez de Açores, eu chamar-lhes-ia «Ilhas dos Impuros»." (Pág. 147)
"Os passageiros tentam comunicar com os amigos e parentes em Cuba, autorizados a acercarem-se do navio ancorado em pequenas embarcações."
April 2, 2017
I really liked this book. There are a lot of reasons I probably shouldn't have, but I enjoyed it anyway.
It is the story of Hannah and Anna. Hannah: a 12-year-old Jewish girl in 1939 Germany. Anna: a 12-year-old girl from 2014 New York, grandniece of Hannah. Their stories are told forward and backward, revealing the relationship between the two of them.
The main focus is on the real life transit of the ocean liner the St. Louis, taking 937 Jewish people from Germany to Havana, Cuba. Historical details from wartime Germany and later uprisings in Cuba are plentiful.
It definitely had a YA feel - almost a Titanic/DeCaprio aura. And it was a bit difficult keeping Hannah and Anna separated. I can't say I fully connected with the characters.
But somehow it worked for me. The weaving and connecting of the lives of these two ladies was fascinating. Their thoughts and fears were interesting to contrast. It was a serious book.
As for not connecting with the characters – well, I guess I could understand Anna's 12-year-old feelings if I think way back. As for Hannah, as with so many others who suffered that war and the aftermath, I appreciate however they coped.
Though slightly odd in tone, the German Girl was educational, beautiful, and haunting. A book worth reading. Wonderful pictures of the actual passengers on the St. Louis are also included.
It is the story of Hannah and Anna. Hannah: a 12-year-old Jewish girl in 1939 Germany. Anna: a 12-year-old girl from 2014 New York, grandniece of Hannah. Their stories are told forward and backward, revealing the relationship between the two of them.
The main focus is on the real life transit of the ocean liner the St. Louis, taking 937 Jewish people from Germany to Havana, Cuba. Historical details from wartime Germany and later uprisings in Cuba are plentiful.
It definitely had a YA feel - almost a Titanic/DeCaprio aura. And it was a bit difficult keeping Hannah and Anna separated. I can't say I fully connected with the characters.
But somehow it worked for me. The weaving and connecting of the lives of these two ladies was fascinating. Their thoughts and fears were interesting to contrast. It was a serious book.
As for not connecting with the characters – well, I guess I could understand Anna's 12-year-old feelings if I think way back. As for Hannah, as with so many others who suffered that war and the aftermath, I appreciate however they coped.
Though slightly odd in tone, the German Girl was educational, beautiful, and haunting. A book worth reading. Wonderful pictures of the actual passengers on the St. Louis are also included.
November 22, 2016
Just when I thought I’d had my fill of WWII historical fiction, I was encouraged to read another after reading rave reviews from friends. Wow, I really liked it, especially the chapters written from Hannah’s perspective! She is a strong and determined soul who we are introduced to as an energetic 11-year old girl fleeing occupied Germany in 1939 with her family. As this novel spans 70 years, we meet her again in her 80’s.
The second narrator is 11-year old Anna who in 2014 receives a mysterious package containing old rolls of film from her great aunt Hannah, a woman who raised Anna’s father but someone she’d never met. Anna was born after her firefighter father perished on 9 /11 and is desperate to learn more about him so she travels with her mother to Cuba to meet her elderly great aunt.
This is a stunning story and I empathized with its characters although wished I knew more about Leo – what a colorful and brave soul! I had to know more about this new piece of Holocaust history so did a search on the S.S. St Louis to learn more about the tragic voyage. What an incredibly desperate situation, and seeing pictures of actual passengers made it even sadder. An excellent debut and emotional page-turner that will stay with me for a long time.
The second narrator is 11-year old Anna who in 2014 receives a mysterious package containing old rolls of film from her great aunt Hannah, a woman who raised Anna’s father but someone she’d never met. Anna was born after her firefighter father perished on 9 /11 and is desperate to learn more about him so she travels with her mother to Cuba to meet her elderly great aunt.
This is a stunning story and I empathized with its characters although wished I knew more about Leo – what a colorful and brave soul! I had to know more about this new piece of Holocaust history so did a search on the S.S. St Louis to learn more about the tragic voyage. What an incredibly desperate situation, and seeing pictures of actual passengers made it even sadder. An excellent debut and emotional page-turner that will stay with me for a long time.
March 31, 2018
The German Girl feels like one of the most important books I have read this year. First, you get a history lesson. Saint Louis voyage from Berlin to Cuba was not something I knew anything about and if I have read about the voyage when I was younger and studied, is that nothing I remember today. But it's so more than just a history lesson. I got a terrible feeling that what happened to St. Louis in 1939 could just as well happen today. That today's refugees would be treated in the same way by nations.
The German Girl is a gripping and deeply tragic book. Hannah and Anna's different life stories fascinated me. Both have gone through tragedies. Anna never got to know her father and I remember how I slowly began to realize what had happened to him, what became his destiny, why he never came home. For Hannah, her entire life has been a tragedy since she was little and had to escape from Berlin to the years in Cuba. Cuba, a haven that ultimately took away people in Hannah's life that meant a lot to her.
I will round up this review by saying that the German Girl is a beautifully written book about violations but also about family, friendship and love. And even about hope...
Thanks to Louise Bäckelin Förlag for the review copy!
The German Girl is a gripping and deeply tragic book. Hannah and Anna's different life stories fascinated me. Both have gone through tragedies. Anna never got to know her father and I remember how I slowly began to realize what had happened to him, what became his destiny, why he never came home. For Hannah, her entire life has been a tragedy since she was little and had to escape from Berlin to the years in Cuba. Cuba, a haven that ultimately took away people in Hannah's life that meant a lot to her.
I will round up this review by saying that the German Girl is a beautifully written book about violations but also about family, friendship and love. And even about hope...
Thanks to Louise Bäckelin Förlag for the review copy!
November 12, 2021
Debo confesar que yo no sabía nada acerca del Saint Louis, un trasatlántico que zarpó de Hamburgo con destino a Cuba el 13 de mayo de 1939 con 937 pasajeros, que en su gran mayoría eran familias de judíos alemanes huyendo de la persecución nazi. Cuando ya estaban en la costa cubana recibieron un telegrama que les informaba que solamente si pagaban 500 dólares por pasajero les iban a permitir la entrada, por lo que solamente 29 de los 937 refugiados lograron desembarcar en La Habana. Por esta razón pidieron asilo en Estados Unidos y Canadá donde les fue negado, así es que tuvieron que regresar a Europa y ser repartidos entre Francia, Inglaterra, Bélgica y los Países Bajos.
El libro se desarrolla en diferentes tiempos narrados en primera persona por dos niñas de 11 años, Hannah y Anna, historias que se van intercalando hasta unirse. Hannah vive en Berlín en 1939 y Ana en Nueva York en 2014. Debido a que son niñas las que nos cuentan la historia, el lenguaje es sencillo y al mismo tiempo desgarrador, ya que si los adultos no entendemos el porqué de las guerras, pues imagínense desde la mirada de un niño.
Los capítulos son cortos y como es un tema tan fuerte y del que desconocemos, no lo puedes soltar.
El libro se desarrolla en diferentes tiempos narrados en primera persona por dos niñas de 11 años, Hannah y Anna, historias que se van intercalando hasta unirse. Hannah vive en Berlín en 1939 y Ana en Nueva York en 2014. Debido a que son niñas las que nos cuentan la historia, el lenguaje es sencillo y al mismo tiempo desgarrador, ya que si los adultos no entendemos el porqué de las guerras, pues imagínense desde la mirada de un niño.
Los capítulos son cortos y como es un tema tan fuerte y del que desconocemos, no lo puedes soltar.
August 23, 2020
Sooo boring.
April 22, 2018
I had heard of this historical pre-WW2 event but I guess I forgot how it concluded, so was glad to read this to refresh my memory. And I have not read any books based in Cuba, so that was good. Unfortunately though, I didn't care much for the writing or the rest, and I think it was that it seemed too YA for my tastes.
September 11, 2016
Eleven year old Hannah Rosenthal is a member of one of Berlin’s most distinguished families. With her blond hair and striking blue eyes, she is also one of the prettiest girls in her class. However, after the Nazis rise to power in Germany, the Rosenthal’s become outcasts. Hannah’s parents soon realize that their only hope of saving their lives is to leave everything they own behind and immigrate to the United States. They are cautiously hopeful as they board the transatlantic liner, St. Louis, bound for Cuba. Their plan is to stay in Havana temporarily and then obtain visas for entry into the United States.
Several decades later, eleven year old Anna Rosen, lives with her mother in New York City. She has always wished she could have known her father, Louis. All she knows is that he left for work one morning in September and never came home. When a mysterious envelope, addressed to Anna, arrives from a great aunt Hannah, Anna realizes that she will finally be able to find out more about her father.
By weaving together the stories of Hannah and Anna, author Armando Lucas Correa brings to light the plight of German Jews who left their homeland aboard the St. Louis in hopes of escaping the Nazi persecution of Jews. The story of the fictional Rosenthal family is one of heartbreak, disappointment, loss, and ultimately hope for the future.
Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this interesting book.
Several decades later, eleven year old Anna Rosen, lives with her mother in New York City. She has always wished she could have known her father, Louis. All she knows is that he left for work one morning in September and never came home. When a mysterious envelope, addressed to Anna, arrives from a great aunt Hannah, Anna realizes that she will finally be able to find out more about her father.
By weaving together the stories of Hannah and Anna, author Armando Lucas Correa brings to light the plight of German Jews who left their homeland aboard the St. Louis in hopes of escaping the Nazi persecution of Jews. The story of the fictional Rosenthal family is one of heartbreak, disappointment, loss, and ultimately hope for the future.
Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this interesting book.
August 17, 2016
Children on Board the S.S. St. Louis
In 1939 the St. Louis, a transatlantic liner carrying 937 primarily Jewish passengers escaping Hitler's Third Reich traveled from Hamburg to Havana, Cuba only to be turned away from Cuba, the United States and Canada. The German Girl is a fictionalized account of this journey.
A young girl, Hannah, and her parents were on board and we experience the journey from her point of view. Historical fiction mixed with a small dose of coming of age and a bit of dual time makes this novel both an interesting and enjoyable read.
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