A Time for Tears

by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson

World War II contains millions of stories, for it affected millions of lives. A Time for Tears examines three—André from Soissons, France; Daniel from Topeka, Kansas; and Rachel from Paris—caught in a tangle of events and emotions. André Jabot, a teenage French aristocrat, is enraged by the killing of his young brother as the Nazis blitz the nearby village of Soissons. He swears vengeance and finds his way to England to join De Gaulle and the Resistance.Daniel Hagelman, a young Jewish grocer from Kansas, cannot turn his back on the horror of Hitler’s Nazis and travels to England to volunteer in the Royal Air Force, leaving behind a wife and newborn baby girl. Fifteen-year-old Rachel Ropfogel’s parents, upper class Parisian Jews, see the oncoming disaster as France falls to the Nazis. They arrange sanctuary for their daughter in the remote village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon where she assumes a new identity, Simon Bouret, a twenty-year-old art teacher. Each of these characters become members of the French Resistance and find themselves pursued by the relentless SS officer, Fredrik Haught. Murder, torture, chaos, orphaned children, caged babies, starving captives: cyanide tablets become a reasonable alternative. In war, many die, some survive. War ends, but only if survivors remember and teach future generations what they have learned, only if they remember A Time for Tears.

170 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2020

Reviews

[Rajiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

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“A Time for Tears” is a beautiful historical fiction middle-grade novel about three people whose lives change during WWII.

I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. She describes the scenes realistically and with a lot of detail, that you know she did a lot of research for the novel. Moreover, even though the author wrote the story for a younger audience, she does not ‘dumb’ down the information. It is a book that a reader of any age would enjoy reading. We learn about snipers and combats, coded messages and assignments, and how the troops prepared to fight the War. The author gives a concise yet comprehensive account of the events that transpired during World War II.

All three characters are distinctive and shine in the way. Out of all of them, I enjoyed Rachel’s storyline and how she took in little Marie and raised her for Benjamin and Esther. The scenes where she confronts the officials to get through were gripping. Similarly, I felt Andre had the most action in the tale as he went on a Normandy mission. Lastly, Daniel is terrific in keeping in touch with Ida and maggie while he embarks on his mission. The tale is heartwarming because the author interprets how even their characters’ families suffered because of the situation. The author also nicely weaves the storylines amongst the three characters. It was interesting to see how they connected throughout the book.

Overall, “A Time for Tears” is a beautiful historical novel to pick up if you want a glimpse of how life was like for people during World War II, with three strong protagonists.

[Carmaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opportune describes the publication of A Time for Tears by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson. Now more than ever, we, as a society, can recognize “man’s inhumanity to man” and make conscious decisions to avoid duplicating history. If you respect those who have courage and are willing to make sacrifices for the benefit of others, you will appreciate this historical WWII fictional account of children and adult Jews in France who faced extreme conditions.

Not for the faint of heart, A Time for Tears presents inspiring characters who portray thoughtful, brilliant, and elusive victims during the Holocaust. In contrast to the beautiful countryside and scenic landscape, passengers on trains were frequently considered guilty beyond explanation. They were scrutinized under meticulous Gestapo surveillance, and family members were often isolated for no apparent reason. Due to the horrific conditions, children were robbed of their innocence and forced into adulthood.

Communication with secret codes depicting clever operations salvaged villages and saved lives. Letters sent home were typically censored; therefore, they disguised a hidden theme along with a sense of humor despite fear and hostility. Confidential wireless messages composed by skillful coders and translators enhanced the effective dialect and energized the novel’s flow. Men and women collaborated though various subversive plots to escape and retaliate with tremendous precision. Behind the scenes, women nursed patients, delivered messages, stored and transported weapons, and deluded the enemy with steadfast exertion. The Germans were obsessed with organization: “Every French citizen must carry a work permit, proof of residence, driver’s license, food ration card, clothing ration card, census card, birth certificate, and an identification card!”

Constantly maneuvering and assessing every situation, Henrikson’s realistic characters faced untold crimes against humanity and were pivotal in the Resistance efforts. Influences of General Eisenhower, over 200,000 Kansans, and more than two million Americans bring this story home. Woven into the plot twists were amazing connections building background and powerfully gripping the reader’s attention with gruesome statistics of appalling violence. Ever vigilant were both sides of this catastrophe. From the touching sentiment of stoic parents to the merciless militant Nazis, A Time for Tears validates the selfless and charitable actions of the innocent in opposition to the furtive totalitarian government under Adolf Hitler.

Enhanced with grayscale drawings appropriate for young and adult audiences, the alliterative symbolic sounds and smooth transitions heighten trepidation and advance the plot.
Readers will appreciate the use of meaningful metaphors, imagery, and other literary devices that complement the story. Formidable and dreadful encounters intensify this timely storyline. Known for her historical fiction, children’s stories, animal fables, gardening anecdotes, quilting and coloring tales, Jerilynn Jones Henrikson’s keen sense of people and place demonstrate her research and sense of humor are blended with creative characters in dynamic situations. Read A Time for Tears for its rich vernacular, attention to detail, poignant prose, captivating factual narrative of gore. The creative, imaginative, accurate conversations in this masterful page-turner chronicled genocide, annihilation, and devastation that has haunted humans for generations.

[Dwina Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jerilynn Jones Henrickson takes her research on the French Resistance and turns it into a short historical fiction in A Time For Tears. There are parts of it that reads more like a documentary than fiction, but other sections are more conversational. She takes the stories of real people (Daniel Hagelman from Kansas, Rachel Ropfogel from Paris, Andre Jabot from Soissons, France) and tells how each journeyed into the world of war. It centers around the village of Le Chambon-sur-Ligon, which was noted for helping the Resistance fight and helping Jewish children escape concentration camps. There are definitely bad guys and good guys in the story.

It was a short read and gives insight into what these people endured during the Hitler regime. I was able to read this on #netgalley.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

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