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Tangled Roots Historical Mystery #1
Breadcrumbs and Bombs
In this riveting genealogy mystery and world war 2 historical novel, a young American, Lucas Landry, traces his ancestry, using breadcrumbs found in old WW2 diaries of two German girls in Germany and the Sudetenland.
Twenty-eight year old Lucas Landry, a Sacramento, California native, is a counseling psychologist specializing in drug abuse treatment, yet couldn’t save his own opioid-addicted father. His feelings about his father and his death get complicated when he discovers his father hid many secrets about their ancestry from Lucas and his brother. Lucas embarks on a journey to find answers: What secrets had his father hidden, who are the Landrys, and where did they come from? Are Lucas and his estranged brother destined to repeat their ancestors’ mistakes? A hidden attic in Lucas’s father’s old Victorian house is a goldmine of memorabilia and clues from the past, clues which seem to lead to Nazi Germany and the former Sudetenland, breadcrumbs to other lives.
Ten year old Christa Nagel is an ethnic German living in the Sudetenland near the Polish border in 1943 with her parents and five younger siblings. When her father is conscripted into the Wehrmacht, leaving Christa and family alone to fend for themselves, she is horrified and worried for him. After a while, though, she’s not sure which is worse, fighting in the war or trying to keep their family together and safe. When the war ends, she and her family, as well as millions of other ethnic Germans face expulsion from their home, marched away into the unknown.
Fifteen year old Ilse Seidel, a German girl living in a small Bavarian city, knows more about danger than anyone her age should know. She’s survived bombings, lost loved ones, and witnessed Jewish friends being carted away from their homes. She wants nothing to do with the war or with soldiers. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she finds a wounded soldier in need of help.
Lucas is determined to assemble these breadcrumbs, find out how their stories intertwine, and reveal his ancestry. Will what he learns make him feel better about himself and his family, or worse? Breadcrumbs and Bombs is about war, secrets, lies, prejudice, betrayal, guilt, love, genealogy, and what it means to be a family.
Praise for Breadcrumbs and Bombs:
Another great book from Susan Finlay. It was particularly interesting to hear some of the untold perspectives from such an important and controversial time in history. Really interesting to hear how normal civilians in different parts of Europe were affected. The book also touches on some really hot topics like race, tolerance, identity, and the effect of stress on the human psyche. 5 Star Review
Breadcrumbs and Bombs is a compelling story about a subject lesser known to many Americans. It is well done by Susan as she takes a family from California to the Sudetenland and finally to Germany. Tracing family roots opens ones eyes to the possibilities of their own family. This is one of thousands of stories following WWII that could have happened as written. Especially pertinent for history buffs and for those curious about the unsettling situation in Europe at war's end. Complex and interesting throughout with side stories highlighting racial, ethnic, and religious problems that still exist today, Highly recommended. 5 Star Review
I love family history and this is excellently written. The story fascinating as I had little knowledge of this part of the war. I felt I knew the characters and suffered their pain with them. What a lovely end to the story.
Twenty-eight year old Lucas Landry, a Sacramento, California native, is a counseling psychologist specializing in drug abuse treatment, yet couldn’t save his own opioid-addicted father. His feelings about his father and his death get complicated when he discovers his father hid many secrets about their ancestry from Lucas and his brother. Lucas embarks on a journey to find answers: What secrets had his father hidden, who are the Landrys, and where did they come from? Are Lucas and his estranged brother destined to repeat their ancestors’ mistakes? A hidden attic in Lucas’s father’s old Victorian house is a goldmine of memorabilia and clues from the past, clues which seem to lead to Nazi Germany and the former Sudetenland, breadcrumbs to other lives.
Ten year old Christa Nagel is an ethnic German living in the Sudetenland near the Polish border in 1943 with her parents and five younger siblings. When her father is conscripted into the Wehrmacht, leaving Christa and family alone to fend for themselves, she is horrified and worried for him. After a while, though, she’s not sure which is worse, fighting in the war or trying to keep their family together and safe. When the war ends, she and her family, as well as millions of other ethnic Germans face expulsion from their home, marched away into the unknown.
Fifteen year old Ilse Seidel, a German girl living in a small Bavarian city, knows more about danger than anyone her age should know. She’s survived bombings, lost loved ones, and witnessed Jewish friends being carted away from their homes. She wants nothing to do with the war or with soldiers. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she finds a wounded soldier in need of help.
Lucas is determined to assemble these breadcrumbs, find out how their stories intertwine, and reveal his ancestry. Will what he learns make him feel better about himself and his family, or worse? Breadcrumbs and Bombs is about war, secrets, lies, prejudice, betrayal, guilt, love, genealogy, and what it means to be a family.
Praise for Breadcrumbs and Bombs:
Another great book from Susan Finlay. It was particularly interesting to hear some of the untold perspectives from such an important and controversial time in history. Really interesting to hear how normal civilians in different parts of Europe were affected. The book also touches on some really hot topics like race, tolerance, identity, and the effect of stress on the human psyche. 5 Star Review
Breadcrumbs and Bombs is a compelling story about a subject lesser known to many Americans. It is well done by Susan as she takes a family from California to the Sudetenland and finally to Germany. Tracing family roots opens ones eyes to the possibilities of their own family. This is one of thousands of stories following WWII that could have happened as written. Especially pertinent for history buffs and for those curious about the unsettling situation in Europe at war's end. Complex and interesting throughout with side stories highlighting racial, ethnic, and religious problems that still exist today, Highly recommended. 5 Star Review
I love family history and this is excellently written. The story fascinating as I had little knowledge of this part of the war. I felt I knew the characters and suffered their pain with them. What a lovely end to the story.
334 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2018
272 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 6, 2018
‘No one turns down an offer to join the Hitler Youth.’
Arizona author Susan Finlay began her career with a degree in Business and used that background for being a Bank Auditor and later under the Bank Secrecy Act performed suspicious activities investigations. She now is committed to writing as a career: her successful publication of nine books to date is evidence of a wise decision. Her elected arena – mysteries, and now that includes the great mystery of discovering or past.
With this new turn of emphasis in her series she calls TAGLED ROOTS, of which BREADCRUMBS AND BOMBS is the initial volume, Susan offers a note to her readers before the story begins – ‘Although this is a work of fiction, the historical figures and the war itself are real and I’ve tried to make this story as realistic as possible. I’ve read many nonfiction and fiction books about World War II and how it affected everyone, on all sides. I’m particularly interested in the lesser known stories of the ethnic Germans living in the former Sudetenland and their expulsion from their homeland at the end of the war. My American father and one of his sisters worked on their family tree many years ago. On one side of the family, they were able to trace back to early 1800’s. On the other side, they were able to trace back to the 1600’s. My mother, who came from the former Sudetenland and Germany, was able to also provide some history for her family tree, but only back a couple generations. Years later, after she’d passed away, one of her brothers obtained some old WWII-era Identity Cards that his grandparents had carried. He made copies for me and for one of his sisters. From those, I was able to fill in some missing information from that side of my family’s tree. I tell you this, because I understand why people have an interest in genealogy. As I worked on this book, I got out those old records and photos and dug deeper around my family tree, in a similar way to what my protagonist does in this book. My historical research, and the story I wrote, helped me better understand what my German relatives may have endured.’ Adding this information before the series opens secures the trust of the reader!
A beguiling opening secures or attention: ‘Lucas Landry, June 2017, East Sacramento, California— Lucas Landry pulled his Jeep into the driveway of his father’s pale blue Victorian house. Sucking in a deep breath, he turned off the engine and sat there, brooding, staring at the house fraught with painful memories. For five of his teen years, he’d lived with his family in this house his father had inherited, but when he’d left home for college ten years ago, he’d never looked back. Not once. Back then, he couldn’t wait to move out of the house where his mother had died, where everything was a constant painful reminder of her suffering. Leaving also meant he’d get away from his father’s incessant complaining about the house. Lucas had once asked him, “You grew up in this house. Why did you move us here if you hated the house?” His reply: “Because I got it for free, that’s why. I can suffer it because it doesn’t cost me anything but what I spend on repairs and property taxes. Someday you’ll understand.” Susan has established the ‘now’ and has readied us for the excellent historical fiction that follows.
The synopsis distills the series’ beginning well – ‘Twenty-eight year old Lucas Landry, a Sacramento, California native, is a counseling psychologist specializing in drug abuse treatment, yet couldn’t save his own opioid-addicted father. His feelings about his father and his death get complicated when he discovers his father hid many secrets about their ancestry from Lucas and his brother. Lucas embarks on a journey to find answers: What secrets had his father hidden, who are the Landrys, and where did they come from? Are Lucas and his estranged brother destined to repeat their ancestors’ mistakes? A hidden attic in Lucas’s father’s old Victorian house is a goldmine of memorabilia and clues from the past, clues which seem to lead to Nazi Germany and the former Sudetenland, breadcrumbs to other lives. Ten year old Christa Nagel is an ethnic German living in the Sudetenland near the Polish border in 1943 with her parents and five younger siblings. When her father is conscripted into the Wehrmacht, leaving Christa and family alone to fend for themselves, she is horrified and worried for him. After a while, though, she’s not sure which is worse, fighting in the war or trying to keep their family together and safe. When the war ends, she and her family, as well as millions of other ethnic Germans face expulsion from their home, marched away into the unknown. Fifteen year old Ilse Seidel, a German girl living in a small Bavarian city, knows more about danger than anyone her age should know. She’s survived bombings, lost loved ones, and witnessed Jewish friends being carted away from their homes. She wants nothing to do with the war or with soldiers. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she finds a wounded soldier in need of help. Lucas is determined to assemble these breadcrumbs, find out how their stories intertwine, and reveal his ancestry. Will what he learns make him feel better about himself and his family, or worse? Breadcrumbs and Bombs is about secrets, lies, prejudice, betrayal, guilt, love, genealogy, and what it means to be a family.’
Welcome to a fascinating version of history woven into a fine novel. Though it is unfair to compare this book to other authors, the sensitivity with which Susan has shared this story is clearly comparable to the fine cadre of important historical fiction writers. Screenplay please….
Arizona author Susan Finlay began her career with a degree in Business and used that background for being a Bank Auditor and later under the Bank Secrecy Act performed suspicious activities investigations. She now is committed to writing as a career: her successful publication of nine books to date is evidence of a wise decision. Her elected arena – mysteries, and now that includes the great mystery of discovering or past.
With this new turn of emphasis in her series she calls TAGLED ROOTS, of which BREADCRUMBS AND BOMBS is the initial volume, Susan offers a note to her readers before the story begins – ‘Although this is a work of fiction, the historical figures and the war itself are real and I’ve tried to make this story as realistic as possible. I’ve read many nonfiction and fiction books about World War II and how it affected everyone, on all sides. I’m particularly interested in the lesser known stories of the ethnic Germans living in the former Sudetenland and their expulsion from their homeland at the end of the war. My American father and one of his sisters worked on their family tree many years ago. On one side of the family, they were able to trace back to early 1800’s. On the other side, they were able to trace back to the 1600’s. My mother, who came from the former Sudetenland and Germany, was able to also provide some history for her family tree, but only back a couple generations. Years later, after she’d passed away, one of her brothers obtained some old WWII-era Identity Cards that his grandparents had carried. He made copies for me and for one of his sisters. From those, I was able to fill in some missing information from that side of my family’s tree. I tell you this, because I understand why people have an interest in genealogy. As I worked on this book, I got out those old records and photos and dug deeper around my family tree, in a similar way to what my protagonist does in this book. My historical research, and the story I wrote, helped me better understand what my German relatives may have endured.’ Adding this information before the series opens secures the trust of the reader!
A beguiling opening secures or attention: ‘Lucas Landry, June 2017, East Sacramento, California— Lucas Landry pulled his Jeep into the driveway of his father’s pale blue Victorian house. Sucking in a deep breath, he turned off the engine and sat there, brooding, staring at the house fraught with painful memories. For five of his teen years, he’d lived with his family in this house his father had inherited, but when he’d left home for college ten years ago, he’d never looked back. Not once. Back then, he couldn’t wait to move out of the house where his mother had died, where everything was a constant painful reminder of her suffering. Leaving also meant he’d get away from his father’s incessant complaining about the house. Lucas had once asked him, “You grew up in this house. Why did you move us here if you hated the house?” His reply: “Because I got it for free, that’s why. I can suffer it because it doesn’t cost me anything but what I spend on repairs and property taxes. Someday you’ll understand.” Susan has established the ‘now’ and has readied us for the excellent historical fiction that follows.
The synopsis distills the series’ beginning well – ‘Twenty-eight year old Lucas Landry, a Sacramento, California native, is a counseling psychologist specializing in drug abuse treatment, yet couldn’t save his own opioid-addicted father. His feelings about his father and his death get complicated when he discovers his father hid many secrets about their ancestry from Lucas and his brother. Lucas embarks on a journey to find answers: What secrets had his father hidden, who are the Landrys, and where did they come from? Are Lucas and his estranged brother destined to repeat their ancestors’ mistakes? A hidden attic in Lucas’s father’s old Victorian house is a goldmine of memorabilia and clues from the past, clues which seem to lead to Nazi Germany and the former Sudetenland, breadcrumbs to other lives. Ten year old Christa Nagel is an ethnic German living in the Sudetenland near the Polish border in 1943 with her parents and five younger siblings. When her father is conscripted into the Wehrmacht, leaving Christa and family alone to fend for themselves, she is horrified and worried for him. After a while, though, she’s not sure which is worse, fighting in the war or trying to keep their family together and safe. When the war ends, she and her family, as well as millions of other ethnic Germans face expulsion from their home, marched away into the unknown. Fifteen year old Ilse Seidel, a German girl living in a small Bavarian city, knows more about danger than anyone her age should know. She’s survived bombings, lost loved ones, and witnessed Jewish friends being carted away from their homes. She wants nothing to do with the war or with soldiers. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she finds a wounded soldier in need of help. Lucas is determined to assemble these breadcrumbs, find out how their stories intertwine, and reveal his ancestry. Will what he learns make him feel better about himself and his family, or worse? Breadcrumbs and Bombs is about secrets, lies, prejudice, betrayal, guilt, love, genealogy, and what it means to be a family.’
Welcome to a fascinating version of history woven into a fine novel. Though it is unfair to compare this book to other authors, the sensitivity with which Susan has shared this story is clearly comparable to the fine cadre of important historical fiction writers. Screenplay please….
January 25, 2018
So interesting, so different
I love family history and this is excellently written. The story fascinating as I had little knowledge of this part of the war. I felt I knew the characters and suffered their pain with them.
What a lovely end to the story.
I love family history and this is excellently written. The story fascinating as I had little knowledge of this part of the war. I felt I knew the characters and suffered their pain with them.
What a lovely end to the story.
May 9, 2018
Read this one
I got very involved in this book. Well written and made you feel you were a part of this story.
Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the mystery of tracing a family and it connections and roots.
I got very involved in this book. Well written and made you feel you were a part of this story.
Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the mystery of tracing a family and it connections and roots.
July 16, 2019
Heartfelt and heart wrenching.
WWII enthusiasts will appreciate the realistic portrayal. The human element is not lost in facts. Completely enjoyed reading this book.
WWII enthusiasts will appreciate the realistic portrayal. The human element is not lost in facts. Completely enjoyed reading this book.
August 24, 2018
Well written and one of those books you can’t put down. Recommend to everyone.
February 10, 2018
Thank you Susan Finlay, for this soulful novel of a time remembered by readers who lived during some of the most damaging years to mankind ever seen in history. The war that was so rife with prejudice against people who did not fit a view of perfection, held by those in power, was shameful. It is apparently sneaking up on us once more in these restless times. The story, Breadcrumbs and Bombs sounds an alarm for us and honestly, should be read by everyone to wake us up to what is happening today. This is a very timely novel and in my opinion, an essential read. There are many personalities woven into the fabric of the author's story. Once the pages turn you will reach those passages where the different characters all play a strategic role to bring the reality into focus. Since it was written with a strong element of historical fact, it is indeed an opportunity to learn more of those times. It is a studious examination of some little known history surrounding just how far the tentacles of prejudice can reach, and it is overwhelming. If you think you know all there is to know about that time in history, you will be surprised, as I was. It has been said by many that we should have been so shocked by what took place then that we should vow to never let it happen again. I feel this wonderfully intricate story will be able to remind everyone who reads it of our obligation to those who died during that horrific time to do whatever is necessary to prevent any sort of reoccurrence of such crime.
Susan Finlay has a unique skill when it comes to balancing a wide cast of characters. I have read many of her other novels and I feel this latest one is certainly an excellent example of her ability to execute a command of her people. They interact with a healthy dose of realism that you feel they actually exist. It was effortless for me to form an affinity with them and long to have their sorrows and burdens lessened. There are some very pleasant scenes that are warm and much appreciated by contrast with others that are not that way at all. I think of the adversity and feel all the more grateful for my life of freedom and the ease that comes with it in every sense of the word. That is what this novel has done for me. It made me think and form conclusions on my own life and of how fortunate I am. Who knows what lies ahead for us here in America, but I assure you, today we are all in that strong, able boat sailing along with good fortune and fair weather. It is not so much in other parts of the world but I am grateful for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel that is laced with meaning and hope.
Susan Finlay has a unique skill when it comes to balancing a wide cast of characters. I have read many of her other novels and I feel this latest one is certainly an excellent example of her ability to execute a command of her people. They interact with a healthy dose of realism that you feel they actually exist. It was effortless for me to form an affinity with them and long to have their sorrows and burdens lessened. There are some very pleasant scenes that are warm and much appreciated by contrast with others that are not that way at all. I think of the adversity and feel all the more grateful for my life of freedom and the ease that comes with it in every sense of the word. That is what this novel has done for me. It made me think and form conclusions on my own life and of how fortunate I am. Who knows what lies ahead for us here in America, but I assure you, today we are all in that strong, able boat sailing along with good fortune and fair weather. It is not so much in other parts of the world but I am grateful for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel that is laced with meaning and hope.
June 10, 2018
Educational
As a reader of WWII historical fiction, I found this book enlightening. I had no idea that ethnic Germans were expelled from Eastern European countries after the war. They were treated very cruelly, much like the news under Hitler. This is is a well written novel about family strength during terriable times.
As a reader of WWII historical fiction, I found this book enlightening. I had no idea that ethnic Germans were expelled from Eastern European countries after the war. They were treated very cruelly, much like the news under Hitler. This is is a well written novel about family strength during terriable times.
June 30, 2018
Interesting
I enjoyed the book to the very end I have read several books about the atrocities to the Jewish people and others always upsets me to even think such horrific things could happen.
I found the search for ancestors so interesting and how it tied I with the war was such an interesting prospect from the author.
Can’t wait for the next tangled roots
I enjoyed the book to the very end I have read several books about the atrocities to the Jewish people and others always upsets me to even think such horrific things could happen.
I found the search for ancestors so interesting and how it tied I with the war was such an interesting prospect from the author.
Can’t wait for the next tangled roots
August 19, 2019
Book review
Loved the great story-telling.. My favorite reading is stories related to the ho!acaust and concentration camps. The stories of the hi Tim's are so horrendous and just plain heart-breaking.
Loved the great story-telling.. My favorite reading is stories related to the ho!acaust and concentration camps. The stories of the hi Tim's are so horrendous and just plain heart-breaking.
October 11, 2018
Wonderful read
Grips you heart for the horror of what WW2 must have been like. Can't fathom what it felt like to actually be there.
Grips you heart for the horror of what WW2 must have been like. Can't fathom what it felt like to actually be there.
January 9, 2018
This is a compelling book, at times heartwarming and other times heartbreaking. It follows the lives of several families under Nazi occupation in the Sudetenland in the final year of WWII and Lucas Landry who is trying to find his own family's roots in the aftermath of his father's death. Susan Finlay skillfully weaves the various story lines together and keeps you reading on.
May 26, 2018
I highly recommend this book. I felt immersed in the cultures and the characters felt real to me, which made it more impactful. There were messages about humanity, prejudice, family, and overcoming hardship. This book made me think a lot, and feel a lot too, which I think is exactly what a book should do.
May 28, 2018
Not the Typical World War I'm story
Good story of families being uprooted during World War II. I liked the family tree research and carry of the story in to current time. Can't wait for book 2.
Good story of families being uprooted during World War II. I liked the family tree research and carry of the story in to current time. Can't wait for book 2.
November 21, 2018
Good Story
Good book that had a good ending. I was really unaware of the plight of the ethnic Germany's. I kept thinking all through that 2 wrongs dont make a right. Basically, they were treated almost as bad as the Jews. Hopefully alot have learned from this eras problems and will remember. But, some of these things are happening now in middle east but, not on such a wide scale. It is very sad.
Good book that had a good ending. I was really unaware of the plight of the ethnic Germany's. I kept thinking all through that 2 wrongs dont make a right. Basically, they were treated almost as bad as the Jews. Hopefully alot have learned from this eras problems and will remember. But, some of these things are happening now in middle east but, not on such a wide scale. It is very sad.
March 16, 2018
In Bombs and Breadcrumbs, Susan Findley takes a step away from her usual comfort zone. It is a daring and important step, and she delivers an insightful take on the past (Sudetenland before and during the Nazi occupation) and the present (America and Germany, seen through the eyes of the Sudeten Germans’ descendants). She takes up racism, tolerance, and intolerance, asking important questions of how to deal with a traumatic past.
April 22, 2019
Very interesting story, and really made me think !
January 28, 2019
2019 - bk 4. I first learned of this through a Bookbub freebie offer. I bought the paperback version instead of the freebie and am glad I did. This was a very well written/researched /organized book. I do not normally like books that swing back and forth between characters and time periods, but this book was so well put together that once I started it, I only put it down twice. In order to keep things straight, I made use of those teeny tiny post a notes - you know the ones they sell to use in textbooks. They helped. When I next read the book, I'm going to try reading through each character's story as a whole, before starting the next character. If the book is as well written as I think it is, reading it in the separate voices should be as much of a 'joy in discovering' as this book was. Warning, if you do not like genealogy, only like the military aspects of a war, and really don't like switching time books, be warned, this book might just change your mind.
June 8, 2023
The people in our past
One never really knows what goes on for the people in our past! Unless they wrote it down like in a diary or personal notes. If it wasn't for those things this family would not have discovered what happened. I loved this story!
One never really knows what goes on for the people in our past! Unless they wrote it down like in a diary or personal notes. If it wasn't for those things this family would not have discovered what happened. I loved this story!
May 1, 2019
Good read
I sat up way too late finishing this book. It covers a part of history I did not know much about, in an area I was not familiar with. As an avid genealogist, I appreciated the struggle to put the family history puzzle together.
I sat up way too late finishing this book. It covers a part of history I did not know much about, in an area I was not familiar with. As an avid genealogist, I appreciated the struggle to put the family history puzzle together.
April 1, 2020
Highly interesting book about family and tracing family roots. Good twist that most of history takes place in Europe during WWII.
November 25, 2022
What I liked: this is a genealogical mystery in which the researcher is not endangered in any way by the facts that he uncovers.
What I would have liked: to be able to see the family trees Lucas draws, the German identity cards they were based on.
What was surprising: although briefly mentioned, Lucas does not use Ancestry or any other online source to help him research or build his tree, instead relying solely on family sources.
The book alternates between the present, as Lucas reads the diaries he discovered hidden in the family home; and the past, describing the lives of those diarists during and after the Second World War, and focusing on the forgotten refugees from the Sudeten. Recommended.
What I would have liked: to be able to see the family trees Lucas draws, the German identity cards they were based on.
What was surprising: although briefly mentioned, Lucas does not use Ancestry or any other online source to help him research or build his tree, instead relying solely on family sources.
The book alternates between the present, as Lucas reads the diaries he discovered hidden in the family home; and the past, describing the lives of those diarists during and after the Second World War, and focusing on the forgotten refugees from the Sudeten. Recommended.
September 6, 2020
Interesting historical content
It is the first time I have read about these historical events and it has whet my appetite which is always a bonus. The writing however deteriorates, it started well but may have been rushed and poor editing did not help. It really did not live up to a promising opening. I did finish the book and unraveled the complex family history but feel that a simpler construction with more attention to writing skills rather than over plotting may have produced a better read.
It is the first time I have read about these historical events and it has whet my appetite which is always a bonus. The writing however deteriorates, it started well but may have been rushed and poor editing did not help. It really did not live up to a promising opening. I did finish the book and unraveled the complex family history but feel that a simpler construction with more attention to writing skills rather than over plotting may have produced a better read.
July 8, 2018
Great book about German Jews during WWII
Real good read. It was interesting to read how the Germans treated the Jewish who were not sent to concentration camps. It reminded me of how the early Americans treated the American Indians, Trail of Tears. I cannot understand how harsh humans are to one another. I would have given this book five stars if it were not for very bad editing.
Real good read. It was interesting to read how the Germans treated the Jewish who were not sent to concentration camps. It reminded me of how the early Americans treated the American Indians, Trail of Tears. I cannot understand how harsh humans are to one another. I would have given this book five stars if it were not for very bad editing.
January 6, 2019
Good Idea Not Well Executed
I am a voracious reader and student of WWII. I have also spent a great deal of time researching my mother’s Eatern European family, about which little was known. Although the idea for this book was interesting, it was horribly marred by an unsophisticated writing style, repetitive use of words like “okay”and “crap,” grammatical errors and a serious lack of editing. I dragged myself through it, but it was a waste of time.
I am a voracious reader and student of WWII. I have also spent a great deal of time researching my mother’s Eatern European family, about which little was known. Although the idea for this book was interesting, it was horribly marred by an unsophisticated writing style, repetitive use of words like “okay”and “crap,” grammatical errors and a serious lack of editing. I dragged myself through it, but it was a waste of time.
March 8, 2024
Centered around a young man’s geneological research, the intriguing lives of his recent ancestors, written as a series of vignettes, make this novel a compelling read. Although the multitude of characters can be hard to keep track of, their common experiences, and vivid description of the times, make the story educational as well as as entertaining. Recommended, particularly for those into geneology.
October 19, 2018
Interesting story line
I liked the book, I liked the idea of the hidden attic full of info for soft thru.
The plot could have been confusing, but the author was able to connect the dots and keep the story on track. I was intrigued that the main character didn't use census forms or online information to learn more at the beginning, but used only the diaries to find his family.
I liked the book, I liked the idea of the hidden attic full of info for soft thru.
The plot could have been confusing, but the author was able to connect the dots and keep the story on track. I was intrigued that the main character didn't use census forms or online information to learn more at the beginning, but used only the diaries to find his family.
January 27, 2019
One of the issues with this book is the multiple errors in spelling, grammar, etc. This book needs to be proofread by someone and edited. It was very distracting.
I did not enjoy the story although I was interested in historical aspect of the book.
I did not enjoy the story although I was interested in historical aspect of the book.
October 4, 2019
What is it with spelling and grammar?
Story way too convoluted and mistakes hard-working a Catholic family is raising an illegitimate child Jewish and protestant? The Jewish made sense but not the protestant. Wish editors did their jobs via a bus spelling grammar and story line
Story way too convoluted and mistakes hard-working a Catholic family is raising an illegitimate child Jewish and protestant? The Jewish made sense but not the protestant. Wish editors did their jobs via a bus spelling grammar and story line
August 17, 2022
While the story and some of the characters are compelling, the writing is simplistic and at times repetitive. The editing is also messy, typos and missing or repeated words. The historical storylines would have been enough without the inclusion of the contemporary characters.
August 24, 2023
An excellent family story
This story was well written and not overly endowed with genealogical mumbo jumbo. I'm a family genealogist for 62 years and I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of multiple families in a time of turmoil and discention. Strongly recommend it to all readers.
This story was well written and not overly endowed with genealogical mumbo jumbo. I'm a family genealogist for 62 years and I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of multiple families in a time of turmoil and discention. Strongly recommend it to all readers.
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