Tears of Amber

by Sofía Segovia, Simon Bruni (Translator)

From the bestselling author of The Murmur of Bees comes a transportive novel of two families uprooted by war and united by the bonds of love and courage.

With war looming dangerously close, Ilse’s school days soon turn to lessons of survival. In the harshness of winter, her family must join the largest exodus in human history to survive. As battle lines are drawn and East Prussia’s borders vanish beneath them, they leave their farm and all they know behind for an uncertain future.

But Ilse also has Janusz, her family’s young Polish laborer, by her side. As they flee from the Soviet army, his enchanting folktales keep her mind off the cold, the hunger, and the horrors unfolding around them. He tells her of a besieged kingdom in the Baltic Sea from which spill the amber tears of a heartbroken queen.

Neither of them realizes his stories will prove crucial and prophetic.

Not far away, trying and failing to flee from a vengeful army, Arno and his mother hide in the ruins of a Königsberg mansion, hoping that once the war ends they can reunite their dispersed family. But their stay in the walled city proves untenable when they find themselves dodging bombs and scavenging in the rubble. Soon they’ll become pawns caught between two powerful enemies, on a journey with an unknown destination.

Hope carries these children caught in the crosshairs of war on an extraordinary pilgrimage in which the gift of an amber teardrop is at once a valuable form of currency and a symbol of resilience, one that draws them together against insurmountable odds.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, War, Audiobook, Book Club

487 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2021

About the author

Sofía Segovia nació y vive en Monterrey. Es una de las autoras mexicanas más influyentes del siglo XXI, autora de tres novelas aclamadas por la crítica internacional: El murmullo de las abejas (2015), nominada al National Book Award 2019, nombrada por Audible una de las 20 mejores novelas históricas de ficción del mundo, traducida a 21 idiomas; Huracán (2016), reseñada por la Latin American Literature Today; y Peregrinos (2018), cuya edición al inglés, Tears of Amber, se convirtió en un bestseller instantáneo de Amazon, y la cual también ha sido traducida a 6 idiomas. Ha colaborado en compilaciones de no ficción y libros históricos. Además de su labor literaria, dedica su tiempo a la enseñanza de la escritura y la promoción de la lectura. De lector a escritor (2024), su libro más reciente, es un manual para escribir historias efectivas e inolvidables.

Sofía Segovia was born and lives in Monterrey, Mexico. She is one of the most influential Mexican authors of the 21st century, author of three critically acclaimed novels: El murmullo de las abejas (2015), nominated for the 2019 National Book Award, named by Audible as one of the 20 best historical fiction novels in the world, translated into 21 languages; Huracán (2016), reviewed by Latin American Literature Today; and Peregrinos (2018), whose English edition, Tears of Amber, became an instant Amazon bestseller, and which has also been translated into 6 languages. Her non-fiction work includes El pasado como memoria del futuro, a historical analysis of the Mexican-Northeastern identity, and De lector a escritor, a manual for writers. She has collaborated on nonfiction compilations and historical books. In addition to her literary work, she dedicates her time to teaching writing and promoting reading. From Reader to Writer (2024), her most recent book in Spanish, is a guide to writing effective and unforgettable stories.


Sofía Segovia wurde in Monterrey, Mexiko geboren und lebt dort. Sie ist eine der einflussreichsten mexikanischen Autorinnen des 21. Jahrhunderts und Autorin von drei von der Kritik gefeierten Romanen: El murmullo de las abejas (2015), nominiert für den National Book Award 2019, von Audible als einer der 20 besten historischen Romane der Welt bezeichnet, übersetzt in 21 Sprachen; Huracán (2016), rezensiert von Latin American Literature Today; und Peregrinos (2018), dessen englische Ausgabe Tears of Amber sofort zum Amazon-Bestseller wurde und auch in 6 Sprachen übersetzt wurde. Zu ihren Sachbüchern gehören The Past as Memory of the Future, eine historische Analyse der mexikanisch-nordöstlichen Identität, und From Reader to Writer, ein Handbuch für Schriftsteller. Sie hat an Sachbuchsammlungen und historischen Büchern mitgearbeitet. Neben ihrer literarischen Arbeit widmet sie ihre Zeit dem Unterrichten von Schreiben und der Leseförderung. De lector a escritor (2024), ihr jüngstes Buch, ist ein Leitfaden zum Schreiben wirkungsvoller und unvergesslicher Geschichten. (übersetzt mit Google Übersetzer)

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once is a while, an author comes along who has the exceptional talent of stringing ordinary words and phrases together to make a story come alive in a most powerful, moving way. After reading Sofía Segovia's story The Murmur of Bees, and now this book, I have come to the foregone conclusion:
THIS. WOMAN. CAN. WRITE!

Segovia's writing craft had me savoring every chapter as she took me by the hand to become fully invested in the hopes, joys, disappointments and fears of two German children and their families living in East Prussia during WWII. I felt such strong connections for each of the characters as they tried to survive through horrendous conditions on and off the battlefield. At times, it was so painful to read (in a good way!?!) It wasn't a tearjerker - this was full-out bawling! And what a poignant ending!

If you think you have had enough of reading historical fiction set during WWII, then I beg you to read just one more! This "fictional novel inspired by real events" is like no other!

This book is going onto my Favorites bookshelf!
A SOLID 5 STARS!

[El Librero de Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

En realidad 4.5 y eso sólo porque me costó engancharme al principio, por todo lo demás
¡UNA BELLEZA!

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update:
Had an awesome time speaking with Sofía, she is always such a delight to chat with.
She has such passion for her characters that you can't help but get sucked into her stories.


Original review:
Lady Segovia has an amazing talent for drawing emotions out of me that even I didn't know bubbled below the surface.
This is the translated version of Peregrinos and once again Simon Bruni did a fabulous job bringing her story to the English language.
She is attending our book club on July 27th and I cannot wait to discuss this with her!!!


If you still haven't read her first translated book (The Murmur of Bees) you should really stop procrastinating and just

[Canadian Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always need to be in the right mindset for a WWII story. They can be emotionally draining but also a reminder of what we must never forget.
I was intrigued by this one as the author is Mexican and it was actually a translation.
This is a story of 2 German families. Their own personal struggles with the hitler regime. Their opposition to what was being taught to their children and their silence as it would lead to their demise. Their own pilgrimage in order to save themselves.
These were both farming families. Their ignorance in their isolation and not being fully aware of the annihilation taking place of the Jews and the Poles.
It’s easy to forget there were Germans who didn’t agree with Hitler but afraid for their own lives and families. Germans turned against Germans snitching them out killing their own. This is a reminder that not all Germans had hate hammered into their hearts.
Sometimes, like these families, they took in those who would have been killed mercilessly and accepted them as their own. Sometimes their survival depended on plundering others in the form of jewelry - in this particular story - an amber necklace whose stones were given away to those who meant the most.
This was based on a couple who now live in Mexico - survivors who found each other. The author had to put this one on the back burner as she completed The Murmur of Bees(which I’m hoping to get soon!). So glad she got to do this one too.
Writing is terrific. Characters are memorable as is the story. And although it isn't the typical story, we must never forget Hitler and the raging destruction of lives, culture and families.
4.5***** upping this to a 4.5

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who could get me to read an almost 500 page WWII historical fiction novel? Sofia Segovia - that’s who.

After falling in love five years ago with her first translated work The Murmur of Bees set in the time of the Mexican Revolution, I knew she’d take this topic that’s been done over and over again from countless angles and make it an equally unique and special experience, and she did with help from her wonderful translator, Simon Bruni, who returns for this book.

I don’t love war fiction, but what I do love about Segovia’s writing is her talent for immersing you in the experience of her characters. Her ability to capture time and place and the sensory details of what they’re going through - of putting you in their shoes - is what brings her stories to life in a way that immediately draws you into the story, even if those details hurt.

The setting for this story is Prussia. I won’t try to detail its history, other than to say it was a German territory that had been divided after WWI, giving the western part to Poland and separating the eastern part from Germany. For those living there, Adolf Hitler represented the hope that their homeland and people would be unified and restored. They believed his assurances that he didn’t want another war.

Told from a third person omniscient perspective, we see the birth of WII to the years after its end through the eyes of two Prussian children Ilse and Arno and their respective families, the Hahlbrocks and the Schippers, who naively believed their leader. Ilse is only four and Arno five when the story begins, so there’s an innocence imbued in their perspectives which evolved as the years passed. Theirs is the story of ‘innocence lost’. Not only did their own leader betray them, but many of their fellow Germans and their supposed liberators after the war did as well.

Ilse and Arno and these two families grabbed my heart, as did the Hahlbrock’s Polish servants Janusz and Jadwiga. We see how two honest, hardworking families could be victimized by their own hope. I felt all these characters’ pain and sorrow, the betrayal of their hopes, the loss of their dreams, and the rude awakening to a reality they’d never imagined possible, yet at the end I also cheered their resilience, determination, creativity in the worst of circumstances and their sheer determination to survive and rebuild after so much loss. Read the author's note at the end. It's worth it!

This story isn’t for the faint of heart. The carnage of war and what people do and how they change to survive it is gruesome and distressing, but it’s also a reality for many in the world, and a reminder to me that no one is immune to the deceptions of an influential leader. I hate politics, but history can and does repeat itself in many ways, even if we’re not the ones currently experiencing it.

I'll leave you with Segovia's gut-punching first line of the book:

At the first breath, life hurts.

No truer words were ever spoken.


★★★★ ½

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tears Of Amber is so beautifully written and absolutely breathtaking. It tells the story of two families who are uprooted by war and with no other choice, forced to flee the security of their homes in hopes of finding safety.

The character building in this book is truly incredible. By the end of this book I felt like I knew each character personally. Ilse and Arno really captured my heart.

As I was reading I just kept thinking to myself, this is so different from anything I've read. The fact this story is based on true events and real people made this even more powerful. And that ending. Oh my goodness. It made me want to read this book again for the very first time. Without a doubt, this was one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read - and I have read A LOT of them. If you love this genre then you need this book. You won't be disappointed. This story is sure to stick with you for a very long time.

Huge thank you to Over The River PR and Amazon Crossing for my gifted copy.

[Rodrigo Unda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sofía Segovia me hace recordar porqué me enamoré de su forma de narrar con El murmullo de las abejas. Si había disfrutado con ganas mi primera lectura de ella, esta segunda supera todas las expectativas y me hace darme cuenta del crecimiento profesional de la autora.

Las lágrimas no pararon y las emociones siempre estuvieron a flor de piel. Sin duda alguna de mis mejores lecturas del año y probablemente de la vida.
Ella se convierte en mi autora favorita.

Belleza de novela. Pronto subiré una videoreseña a mi canal.

[Selene Solis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si pudiera darle un millón de estrellas, lo haría.

Dos historias llenas de experiencias desgarradoras, difíciles y llena de ausencias provocadas por la Segunda Guerra Mundial, dos familias alemanas que emprenden peregrinaje sobre las regiones de Prusia, intentando sobrevivir a los dejos de la violencia, el hambre y el frío.

Es inexplicable lo que me hizo sentir, he llorado como nunca y sin duda alguna es uno de los libros que más he disfrutado, de principio a fin, no me costó nada terminarlo, lo adoré, me encariñe muchísimo con los personajes, y me llevo en el corazón a Arno, por siempre, es un libro que no puede dejar de leerse, está lleno de anécdotas, de frases, de experiencias que te llegan directo al corazón, que te hacen apreciar la vida, la familia, la comida y una manta para cubrirse del frío. INIGUALABLE, HERMOSO, BELLÍSIMO! Lo adoré!

[Linda Galella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on real people and events, “Tears of Amber” is a sweeping saga of two war torn families united by a storytelling giant.

Ilse and Arno are just toddlers at the start of the story with little comprehension of the war looming around them. Hitler is the great god of the German people and pledging to the party keeps families fed and safe. The story runs thru the entirety of the war and these two families face all the horrors you’ve read in other books of this genre.

Sofia Segovia isn’t just another writer. Her characters come to life on the pages and you’re never left wondering how they think or feel. Some might complain she’s too wordy but I enjoyed the rich atmospheric prose as much as the dialogue. The sights, smells, pain and brief moments of joy and humor were all done with finesse. Even tho’ there’s great horror and suffering, none of this writing will assault your senses.

Chapters are clearly marked, individually titled and written from the POV of rotating narrators. It’s seamless and allows the reader to advance time without having to guess “how much longer?” or “how old are they now?” There’s no bouncing back and forth from past to present and back again; one continuous timeline, thankfully.

The mothers in the story are women of substance, managing to keep their families safe under impossible conditions and rising to greatness well beyond their own expectations or physical abilities all because of love; mother’s love. There are some extraordinary moments and some tender scenes and both have the same goal - survival.

Janusz, the storytelling giant, is a character to be remembered. Orphaned as an infant, assigned to one of the families as a laborer, they take him in as another child, almost. He’s treated well and becomes critical to their survival. After the exodus from the Russians, he happens across our other protagonist at just the right moment for a story.

Arno and Ilse are teenagers by the 95% mark and a quick telling shares their adulthood. Segovia has added her notes at the back of the book that explains how she came upon these two inspiring people and their story as well as the framework and liberties taken with writing it. Make sure to take the time to read it, you might even consider reading it prior to starting the novel. The family trees at the front of the book are also useful but the story is so well laid out, it’s not a desperate NEED like it can be for some lengthy sagas.

BTW, fans of Russian literature will have fun finding one of its giants making a brief appearance in the story.

Thoroughly engaging, well written, flawlessly translated and professionally published, “Tears of Amber” is an excellent historical fiction First Reads
choice📚

[Arita con un libro y un café ☕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta es una historia inspirada en hechos reales y nos da una perspectiva diferente a lo que otros libros nos tienen acostumbrados; cómo vivió la guerra el pueblo alemán.

1945. Dos familias, los Schipper y los Hahlbrock, granjeros que viven al norte y al sur de Prusia respectivamente, se ven obligados a huir y a abandonar sus casas seguidos muy de cerca por el ejército ruso. Hitler no respetó el pacto de ‘no agresión’ y ahora los rusos avanzan arrasando por donde van.

El peregrinaje de estas dos familias, sus historias, el hambre, el frío, nos son contados por Sofía de una manera bellísima, dulce y tierna unas, y con la más absoluta crueldad otras. Tiene unos personajes a los que llegas a amar de verdad.

Este libro deja una huella inmensa en mí y se convierte en uno de mis favoritos, no de este año, si no de la vida. Me ha llegado muy al fondo del corazón y lo ha tenido agarrado sin soltarlo, en la mayoría de los capítulos. He llorado con él como hacía años que no lloraba con un libro.... Lo releeré en un futuro, eso seguro.

Sofía, creí que El murmullo de las abejas era una maravilla, y lo es, pero éste es extraordinario, lo que me ha hecho sentir... Sólo me falta por leer Huracán, lo haré muy pronto, pero ten por seguro que todo lo que salga de tu pluma, pasará por mis manos.

[Tote Cabana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia para leerla con pausa, con frases que erizan y llegan profundas. Una historia común de una familia común pero que como a muchos dejó marcados, mermados, rotos. Los acontecimientos históricos los conocemos, hemos leído mucho sobre la segunda guerra pero poco hemos profundizado en el día a día de los que la padecen, de los que la sufren. No se refiere a la vida de quienes la organizan, ni de quienen las crean o se benefician de ellas, nos narra la vida del ciudadano, del inocente, del niño, la niña, la esposa, el padre, el vecino. Lo que más me gustó es el final, donde la escritora se abre nos muestra, nos cuenta, nos explica. Es una historia de más de una familia que sufre la guerra pero no es historia más que olvidar, es una que se queda, te hace consciente, te hace sufrir y querer cambiar las cosas para que esto nunca más pase, en ningún territorio, en ningún país, en ninguna familia.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels wrong to describe this story as beautiful. It's a story of pain and suffering and darkness and yet it's completely beautiful. The writing, the way it unfolds...I loved everything about Tears of Amber.

It's hard to say anything (in fiction or non-fiction) that hasn't already been said about World War 2. And yet, I found this story unique. It follows the lives of Ilse and Arno starting before the war when they were just toddlers. Seeing the events unfold through the eyes of innocent children is heart breaking and it's such a reminder that the suffering was not confined. It didn't start at a certain time or end with the end of the war. It changed and ebbed and flowed. Hope bubbled up and floated away only to return differently. And while the circumstances Ilse and Arno and their families faced were specific to WW2 Germany...their stories are not specific. This is what war looks like. This is what happens to families and communities and if we learn anything it should be to avoid this whenever possible.

[content warning: Nazis, racism, animal and child death, sexual violence]

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tears of Amber
By Sofia Segovia

Tears of Amber by Sofía Segovia is a sweeping historical fiction saga that is heartbreaking, engaging and a powerful read based on true to life events. This book follows these characters' journey chronologically through alternating point of views where the writing is completely immersive into the horrors of their life experiences in the midst of the war of what is current day Poland.

Though I have read many WWII novels, this one was so special in that the writing really pulled me into the stories. The characters came alive in these pages - as the families did all they can to survive such unfathomable circumstances, and their stories intertwined, I was left amazed by the resilience and strength to survive and push through.

I highly recommend this book for historical fiction fans. Do not miss this one.

[Mary Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Mammoth of a book.

I couldn’t stop reading this. The intimacy of family life, mixed feelings, loyalties, resilience, hardship, loss, exhaustion, all combine to illustrate the beginning years of two lives, finally brought together in a schoolroom in post-war Germany. It tells of the personal and harrowing experiences that Germany’s citizens experienced following surrender.

[Rosa Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esto es mucho libro. Prepárense a sufrí y llorar, junto a los increíbles personajes. Inspirada en hechos reales, la historia narra la vida de dos familia de Prusia oriental, que pertenecía a Polonia y que Alemania recuperó durante la segunda guerra mundial. Está narrada en paralelo entre las historias de las dos familias- Schipper & Hahlbrock. Ambientada durante el periodo de la segunda guerra mundial, el antes y el después. Seguiremos a Ilse y Arno que junto a sus familiares tienen que sobrevivir a todas las pruebas que se les presentan, desde la separación de sus padres, que fueron enviados a la guerra, todas las dificultades de madres solas con sus hijos en búsqueda constante de un lugar seguro, comida y protección. La novela está llena de emociones y escenas desgarradoras, de pérdidas de seres queridos, por frío, hambre, enfermedades. El cambio extremo que sufrieron estas familias, por abandonar sus propiedades y pertenencias, la confusión en los niños que no entendía lo que les estaba sucediendo. Aunque en un principio me costó mucho entrar en la historia, la escritora, llenó todas las expectativas. Raramente releo una historia, pero esta definitivamente es una.

[Mari Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha sido un largo y y trágico viaje pero a la vez hermoso, enriquecedor.
Unas vidas para degustar poco a poco, para aprender, para no olvidar.
Muy recomendable.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geography brought me to this book, or to be more precise, a geographical mystery. Look up Kaliningrad on Google Maps. Can you find anything on the map that tells you what country it is in?

The answer is that it's in Russia. In spite of the fact that it's in a little wedge of land between Poland and Lithuania, and to even get to the rest of Russia you have to go through at minimum two other countries -- either Lithuania and Latvia, or Lithuania and Belarus.

To a geographer, Kaliningrad province is an "exclave" -- a part of a country that you can only get to by traveling through another country. The mystery, to me, was how this came about. How can a piece of land far from Russia decide that it belongs to Russia? Or did Russia decide for them? If so, what historical circumstances conspired to make Kaliningrad part of Russia, but did not do the same thing for Lithuania?

I'm actually glad I never searched for the answers on Google. Because I didn't know, I had the pleasure of learning the answer through reading Sofia Segovia's incredible novel, Tears of Amber. And I learned so much more: about the enormous human suffering that accompanied this event. Nothing happens by accident, and this exclave only came into existence through many tears -- the tears of amber referred to in the title.

Behind the forgotten (to most of us) saga of Kaliningrad lies another forgotten land that most of us have seen mentioned only in history books: Prussia. What was Prussia? Where was it on a map?

The answer is that it was the easternmost part of Germany at its maximum extent. Eastern Prussia was cut off from the rest of Germany by the "Polish corridor" after World War I, then reunited with Germany as Hitler conquered central Europe in the early years of World War II, and then cut off for good, and swallowed up by Russia, as Germany collapsed at the end of the war. East Prussia no longer exists on a map. It turned into Kaliningrad province, spoils of war for the victorious Russian army. But Prussians still exist. Two of them, Arno and Ilse, emigrated long after the war to Mexico, where they told Sofia Segovia their story. Their true story became the factual basis for this riveting historical novel.

Arno and Ilse were children when the war began, 6 and 7 years old. They were still children, 12 and 13, when it ended, but children unlike any we can imagine: they had survived bombings, starvation, and close encounters with bullets; they had seen more death around them than most of us see in a lifetime. Tears of Amber is mostly their story, although Segovia does make the wise (in my opinion) choice to do some of the story-telling through the eyes of their parents and other family members. Although the story runs from 1938 to 1948, at least half of the novel -- and certainly the most unforgettable parts -- take place in the first half of 1945, as Germany collapses and the families of Ilse and Arno are forced to flee the advancing Russian army.

It sounds so simple. "Flee the advancing army." As if you could just get on a bus or a train. But no, that's not the way it was. Segovia brings to life the absolute confusion of the time, the breakdown of social norms as survival becomes a matter of every woman and child for him or herself. (Very few men in this story. They're off at the front getting killed or captured.) And also she brings to life the absolute deprivation, because when society breaks down you can't go to a store to get food, and you can't go to a train station and buy tickets. The only train in the story was formerly used to transport prisoners. It is full of fleas, and Arno contracts a nearly fatal case of typhus from them.

I have read some wartime stories, but usually written by eyewitnesses. It is amazing to me that Segovia was able to make this one seem so real in spite of never having been there. Of course, it's so real partly because it was told to her by eyewitnesses, but that you-are-there quality could easily have been lost. She has managed to turn their stories into literature.

This is the first wartime story I have read that captures the war as it was lived by ordinary Germans who were not fighting in the war. I think that this might be problematic for some readers, as it was for me. How much sympathy can we be expected to feel for them? Didn't they bring their misfortune on themselves, by embracing and enabling that maniac named Hitler?

Wisely, Segovia does not answer that question for us. It's a problem that every reader will have to wrestle with for themselves. But the whole book is a silent answer. In war, women and children are always the victims. The children, especially, did not bring it on themselves; no child should ever have to experience what Arno and Ilse did.

For the adults, it's harder to say. One of the central tensions in the book has to do with a Polish captive, Janusz, who is originally sent to work on Ilse's family's farm under armed guard. When the Russians arrive, the armed guard flee for their lives, and Ilse's family flees too. At this point Janusz could easily have vanished into the forest, where he could have joined other Polish resisters. But Ilse's family has treated him well, and he is loyal to them in spite of being effectively their captive. They are the only family he has ever known.

And yet... In their exodus from Prussia, the family passes by a concentration camp that has been bombed, and they see thousands of emaciated people on the road, some with yellow stars (the Jews) on their clothes, some with the letter P (the Poles). All considered "Untermensch" by the Nazi regime. The sight makes Janusz, the Pole, confront the truth of how this society looked at him and his people. And even though he loves Ilse's family, they are part of that society.

Ilse's father says:

"Janusz. I didn't know... I never imagined..."
"You must've known something," said Janusz through gritted teeth.
And he, too, must have known something.
He'd been a child.
But now he knew something worse than loneliness.

This is a wake-up call that reaches across years and across countries. What truths are we not facing today? Are there things that we "must have known" but have preferred not to think about? And how responsible are we for those things that are carefully hidden from us? Can we and should we have any sympathy for Herr Hahlbrock, a decent person whose only crime is that he would rather not know about indecent things?

Segovia's book doesn't give us the answers, but it certainly brings up the questions.

After the harrowing middle passage, the book ends on a surprisingly upbeat note. Hard as it may be to believe, the war did actually end, and there was an after. Some beloved characters die. Others are lost to the war, changed beyond repair even though they physically survive. But the children, Arno and Ilse, not only survive but have a life at the end; they eventually meet each other and fall in love. This part of the book is very short, but it dramatically changes the message. It's good to have real hope at the end of the book. In times when it sometimes seems as if there is no hope for our society (whichever society you happen to live in) it's good to be reminded that there have been much, much worse times in history and that they ended. We can hope for the same.

The book did drag a bit at times, and I almost thought at one point that I might have to give it just four stars, but the hope at the end confirms for me that this is a five-star book. Highly, highly recommended. Excellent translation too; I never saw the slightest sign that it was originally written in Spanish.

[Stephanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Round up to 4.5*

As Segovia quotes Rudyard Kipling, "If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten." And she definitely has this wholeheartedly correct since this historical fiction novel will stay with me much longer than a mere recitation of facts, simply because war is the story of living, breathing people who suffer, celebrate, sacrifice, and love each other amidst the horrific backdrop of human cruelty.

I love that she brings together the stories of two German/Prussian families joined by the fairytale stories relayed by Januz, a Polish Untermensch (subhuman) who, orphaned at a young age, is taken prisoner by the Germans as a forced laborer on the German farms. The tragic undercurrent of his story is the glue that binds the tears of amber between these families, exiled from Germany during their incomprehensible invasion of the Soviet army. Without giving too much away, the story of the amber - quite literally - will bring you to tears.

This story of German exile surprised me because I was not even aware of this hardship of human history. Of families escaping their own country in the dead of winter with only the pickled foods they squirreled away from the grips of the German army. Of near starvation and execution by their own countrymen. By the women and children forced to survive without the men who, as young as 14, were either conscripted or shot as deserters. Not all Germans were in favor of the war, and all Germans were lied to, especially about the success of the Nazi Regime, until there disillusionment was countered by the truth spread before them in the form of their rubbled, destroyed country, and of the crippled soldiers, if they returned, who were psychologically destroyed.

War, for some, never ends. But amidst the suffering was grit, perseverance, determination, and relentless fortitude as they clambered for survival. Children grew up fast, but the lost innocence was never mourned as it was a pointless, useless emotion that did not put food in their bellies. What kept them alive was family, their community, their love, and their hope in a distant future.

The book is long, and the story of two families' escape into exile is equally long, sometimes frustratingly so. There are a few times when I thought to myself, "Is this ever going to end?" But that - exactly - is the point, because you join their excruciating, seemingly endless journey of exile, and this was a long, brief moment in their lives as it will be in yours. Give them the honor of your time as you, in turn, learn a piece of forgotten history and the families that endured the unendurable.

As Segovia quotes Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (who makes a delightfully brief entrance in the novel), "Literature transmits an incontrovertible, condensed experience from generation to generation. This, literature becomes the living memory of a nation."

Well done, Segovia, well done indeed.

[Maricarmen Estrada M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me fascinó este libro.
Quedé encantada con la fuerza creadora de Sofía Segovia. Ha sido la más grata sorpresa leer por fin a esta gran autora que derrama de la manera más espontánea y natural un relato desgarrador y profundamente humano y hermoso a la vez.

Esta novela histórica está basada en hechos reales y nos cuenta la historia de Ilse y Arno, dos personajes que vivían en la antigua Prusia y cuyas familias se ven envueltas en los hechos de la segunda guerra mundial.

Totalmente recomendable. Acabo de terminar esta novela y ya la quiero leer otra vez.

[La Tertulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Que maravilla!
Increíble historia que te estruja el corazón. Necesitarán un caja de Kleenex

Definitivamente va a la lista de favoritos.

[Gilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empecé a leer Peregrinos con "miedo" de que no me fuera a gustar tanto como "El Murmullo de las Abejas" pero ese miedo se me quitó como en el capítulo 2. La forma de escribir de Sofía Segovia es tan cercana que en cosa de nada ya me había encariñado con los Schipper y los Hahlbrock.

Las historias de las dos familias es desgarradora. Los personajes que más me conmovieron fueron las madres de Arno y de Ilse. Esta historia de mujeres que poco a poco fueron perdiendo todo y que como dice una de ellas, pelearon una guerra diferente, la guerra por la vida de sus hijos me llevó a las lágrimas. Leer cómo cada una tuvo que reinventarse y tomar decisiones imposibles para mantener a salvo a su familia no puede más que inspirarte admiración y respeto. La aseveración de que en cualquier guerra, sin importar el bando, las que pierden más, han sido y serán siempre, las madres es como una verdad que me explotó en la cara.

Los detalles históricos me parecieron una joya. Es el primer texto que leo desde la perspectiva alemana y del pueblo común y corriente. Cómo fue que paulatinamente perdieron la fe en el régimen de Hittler; la historia de los que quizá nunca estuvieron convencidos de sus ideas pero tuvieron que "jugar" su rol. La reflexión de cómo desapareció definitivamente Prusia como nación, me enriqueció mucho.

Este libro se va a mi lista de favoritos y lo recomiendo a todo mundo; me parece tan universal que perfecto puedo ver a mi mamá, a mis contemporáneos y a mi sobrina en sus 20´s disfrutándolo y sufriéndolo enormemente.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, thought-provoking, and profoundly moving!

Tears of Amber is a powerful, impactful tale that sweeps you away to the late 1930s, early 1940s and into the lives of the Prussian people, specifically two children, Ilse and Arno, as they endure hardship, displacement, atrocities, and the loss of their innocence and childhood as their families try to escape and survive the advancing, barbaric Red Army.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are courageous, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot is a heart-wrenching, utterly absorbing tale about life, love, loneliness, familial relationships, heartbreak, war, loss, grief, guilt, hope, loyalty, and survival.

Overall, Tears of Amber is an exceptionally atmospheric, beautifully written novel that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the personalities, feelings, and lives of the characters you can’t help but be affected. It is without a doubt one of my favourite novels of the year that does an incredible job of highlighting the indomitable spirit of humanity to survive, endure, conquer, and love in even the harshest environments and situations.

Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Yanet Nava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dos familias, dos historias que se leen con calma. Leer, cerrar los ojos, asimilar y soltar el corazón.
En las guerras se habla de los héroes, y qué de las heroínas? Cuándo? Aquí podremos ver el incansable trabajo de las mujeres que hacen lo imposible por mantener a la familia viva cuando a los hombres los mandan a la guerra.
Dos historias que te roban el aliento, que estremecen, en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, donde no solo los judíos sufrieron, en la guerra sufren todos, los que se quedan los que se van.
En estos casos familias alemanas de un país que existió Prusia. Que deben abandonar su hogar para mantenerse con vida. Y el camino que les espera lleno de experiencias que jamás imaginaron, puedes perder todo pero jamás la esperanza.
Si te gusta la historia y conocer más allá de los límites de tu país, de tu continente, de historias basadas en hechos reales, Peregrinos es una lectura a para ti. La recomiendo mucho, solo recuerda que es una lectura de lenta cocción, como los grandes platillos.

[littlelady65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A view from the other side

Yes, I highly recommend this book. I have often wondered how a whole nation could blindly follow the way they did. I now have a better understanding. There are never winners in war. I couldn't put this down.

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las guerras afectan a tantos y a tantos niveles.

Es difícil expresar en palabras lo que este libro me ha hecho sentir, es un libro duro, como es la vida real y cualquier historia de vida en una guerra, pero también de esperanza y de amor.

He leído muchos libros que hablan sobre todas aquellas víctimas de la II Guerra mundial, judíos, sobre todo, polacos, gitanos, presos políticos, personas de países ocupados, este libro cuenta el otro lado de la moneda. Todas esas familias alemanas que creyeron en Hitler o tenían que hacerlo por que no les quedaba de otra, por convicción o por miedo.

Historias desgarradoras, desde las familias que perdían padres o hermanos soldados, desde pasar hambre y frío, desde la decepción de darse cuenta que lo prometido eran solo palabras, saber que las noticias recibidas eran mentiras y luego verse envueltos en un país que estaba perdiendo la guerra y había que huir y sobrevivir.

La historia comienza en Alemania de la II Guerra Mundial, con dos familias provenientes de la antigua Prusia, que pasan por todo el horror de la guerra para después pasar por el horror del destierro, ser refugiados y terminar en Monterrey, México, un final digno de la grandeza de la historia, una real además.

No es si no hasta muy avanzada la historia que uno se entera de quienes son los verdaderos protagonistas de esta historia y tanto Inma como Arno son dos personajes dignos de conocer y tengo que ser honesta al decir que envidio tremendamente a la autora por conocerlos en persona.

Un libro duro, pero sensible, que te toca el corazón y que te hace pensar y mucho, con una frases dignas de guardar para siempre.

Narrado maravillosamente, ya me había enamorado de la pluma de Sofía Segovia con "El murmullo de las abejas" y con este libro me reafirma que es una gran escritora capaz de transmitir una historia con mucho sentido, con mucha fuerza de manera profunda y sin limar nada, crudo, real, pero que te enseña a empatizar con aquellos que en un momento dado les tocó vivir esta guerra de manera diferente y que por ende también han terminado pagando por ello, han sido odiados y rechazados por "permitir" y sin embargo también sufrieron, también perdieron y también se dolieron y por supuesto en algunos casos fue una tristeza enorme ver sus sueños quebrados y que sus esperanzas en ese hombre se habían esfumado o que simplemente estaban esperando lo que al final terminó por suceder, porque los había de todos, pero en definitiva, como siempre, eran más los buenos que sencillamente, como todos, solo estaban en medio.

Maravilloso libro, recomendarlo es decir muy poco, es un imperdible, no solo la historia, tiene frases maravillosas, tan duras, tan ciertas y tan profundas.

[Ugnė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pasiėmiau su baime, nes Bičių dūzgesys įtraukė, palietė ir labai patiko. Ir nors žinau, kad dideli lūkesčiai dažniau trukdo nei padeda, labai nenorėjau nusivilti ir tikėjausi perskaityti greitai. O išėjo taip, kad per knygos vidurį vilkausi kaip vėžlys, dažniau nenorėdama nei norėdama skaityti. Ir ne dėl to, kad kažkas blogai - viskas kaip tik labai tikroviška ir pernelyg priminė pastaruosius du metus. O pabaigoje buvo liūdna ir graudu, nes ir palengvėjo, ir tuo pačiu ne - nes tas karas baigėsi apskritai, tačiau pasiliko paskiruose žmonėse, ir tas pats buvo ir su kitais karais anksčiau, ir tas bus su dabartiniu.

Man buvo stipriau nei norėjau ir tikėjausi, ir tuo ši knyga žavi.

[Eliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitivamente este libro me viene a reafirmar que amo la pluma de Sofía Segovia. Esta historia es tan real y tan cruda y al mismo tiempo te llena de esperanza. Sufrí mucho porque la guerra afecta a todos por igual. Te pone a pensar y a valorar la comida, un lugar caliente y a la familia.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary!

[Alba Monica (Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

otro libro que tenemos el privilegio de platicar con la autora youtube.com/watch?v=gTAqoeaDnXg&t...

a lot like the light we cannot see, but better
we follow 2 german families and see how they were also victims

[Viole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sofía Segovia escribe historias que te resuenan, que se quedan en el corazón y te hacen mirar hacia otras realidades.

Este libro me recordó los matices que existen en la vida: ni todo es bueno ni todo es malo. Las circunstancias orillan a sus personajes a mostrarnos todos estos matices y eso hace que la autora nos entregue personajes muy humanos.

Como siempre, al inicio pienso que no tendrá mucho sentido ciertas cosas que va poniendo la autora, pero conforme avanza todo encaje a la perfección.

Y sus personajes, esos que se vuelven inolvidables y entrañables. Nos muestra tanto de ellos que es imposible no terminar el libro sintiéndolos cercanos.

La Segunda Guerra Mundial y todas las consecuencias para las personas que la vivieron, los que estuvieron en algún punto a favor de los políticos, los que dudaron de ellos, pero al final todos pagaron las consecuencias de esto. Y por supuesto, la vida después de que se acabó la guerra para unos, pero siguió para otros.

Un libro necesario para recordar que todo está lleno de matices.