The Pact

The Blood Sisters #1

by Roberta Kagan

Austria 1929
When three little girls—Anna, Bernie, and Elica—make a pact to be blood sisters for life, they believe nothing can come between them.

Anna is from an affluent Jewish family, while Bernie and Elica are from poor Austrian families who barely make ends meet. As they get older, their social differences become all too real.

With infectious Jew-hate-laden rhetoric from Nazi Germany spreading into Austria, it is only a matter of time before their bond of friendship gets severely tested.

How strong is a bond sealed in blood?

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

480 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2023

About the author

I’m an American writer of Jewish and Romany decent. I write Historical Fiction and Historical Romance, most of which is set during the holocaust. Although I never discount the horrors of the time period, the main focus of my work is on ordinary people who prove to be strong heroic characters in unfathomable circumstances.

Facebook Author page:
http://www.facebook.com/Rkagan4

Facebook Book Club:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/14942...

Instagram:
RobertaKaganAuthor

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the writing! From the beginning I was immersed into the story. This started off with so much omph and anxiety! 1940 and the Jewish Levinstein's are hiding in an attic and hear footsteps down below. Trying to stay very quiet it looks like the Gestapo has found them! Then the story goes back in time to 1929 as it tells the story to 1940.

The cover is really attractive but it's not quite accurate to the story. It's about four girls really. They live in Austria. Anna, who is a well-to-do Jewish girl, and her two non-Jewish friends Elica and Bernie who are quite poor. They want to make a blood pact to become "blood sisters" for life. There is a fourth girl who is also very poor and her name is Dagna. She sort of weasles and threatens her way into the group but she is quite mean and not very well liked. She also is not nice at all to Anna because she's Jewish. So the story begins in 1929 as the girls are young and form a pact and it follows their lives just before World War II starts. The story focuses mainly on Anna in the beginning and her life and family. Then Elica and Bernie and a little of Dagna.

The story was always interesting but some of the characters were distressing and frustrating but that is to be expected with this Wartime story.

This is the first in a series and it does end with a cliffhanger and I'll be sure to pick up the next book. This is my first Roberta Kagan novel but not my last! I enjoyed her Author's notes at the end and how she explained that although these stories are heavy she always tries to write them from a place of love and kindness. I think that really came through in the character of Anna.

I'd like to Kindly thank NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pact (The Blood Sisters #1) by Roberts Kagan was a most engaging book. I was immediately drawn into the story, immediately made a connection with the characters and was fully captivated until the very end. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to have read many books by Roberta Kagan. Her creative mind never ceases to amaze me! She is a masterful storyteller. The Pact was the first book in this new series and in my opinion it definitely set the stage for the other books to follow.

Three young girls, Anna, Elica and Bernie, had grown up in Austria during the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. They had been best friends for as long as they each could remember. The three girls were as different from one another as could be but they hardly noticed the differences when they were young. Anna was of the Jewish faith and her family lived in a nice house and lived a comfortable lifestyle. Years ago, Anna’s parents had lived through a pogrom in Russia and had emigrated to Austria for a better life. Her father had built his factory business from the ground up and worked hard to make it successful. All of Anna’s father’s hard work paid off and Anna was rewarded with everything she could have ever wanted. Anna had a beautiful home, nice clothes and toys, piano lessons and many opportunities that her friends did not have. To Anna, though, her friends were more important than any materialistic things. Bragging or making her friends feel jealous was not part of Anna’s nature. Anna was smart, quiet, a good listener and confidant and lived by the expectations and rules her parents expected her to follow. Elica was the prettiest of the three friends. She had beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. Elica’s mother worked for Anna’s parents as their maid. As the girls got older, that became an embarrassment for Elica. Bernie was quite athletic and enjoyed playing sports. She was loyal and knew how to keep a secret. Both Elica’s and Bernie’s families had a hard time making ends meet. They both lived in a poorer neighborhood than Anna and they were Christians by faith. None of those differences distracted the three girls from the love they felt for each other. There was nothing that they wouldn’t do for one another. They felt so strongly about those feelings, that when the girls were eight years old, they made a pact with one another. Each girl cut herself and shared their blood with each other to become blood sisters.

Then the Nazis invaded Austria. Jewish propaganda and hate started to spread. Anna, Elica and Bernie remained best friends but as they grew older, social differences started to emerge between them. Elica had always been a little jealous of Anna and all she had. That jealousy surfaced and interfered with their relationship. Anna was usually the one that was eager to fix things and forgive and forget even when it meant swallowing her pride or going against her parent’s wishes. All three girls never forgot the pact they made to be blood sisters. That was the glue that held their friendship in tact. Would the girls allow the Nazis to strip away the love they felt for one anther and the special pact they made as children? Could the Nazis’ hatred for the Jewish people and the propaganda they were spreading alienate one girl against another?

Of all the characters in The Pact, I really admired Anna and Bernie the most. I disliked Dagna and everything she stood for. Dagna was mean, a follower, jealous of Anna and Elica’s friendship and a troublemaker. The Pact was about friendship, family, trust, forgiveness, secrets, jealousies, and betrayal. In my opinion, Roberta Kagan, was able to paint a very realist picture of the political climate in Austria and Germany during the time when the Nazis first made their presence known. She was also able to portray each one of Anna’s, Elica’s, Bernie’s and Dagna’s flaws and attributes in a way that made them familiar, unique and like I knew them all. I loved how Roberta Kagan made the ending into a cliffhanger. It makes me want to read the next book in this series even more now. I really enjoyed reading The Pact and highly recommend it.

Thank you to The Book Whisperer for allowing me to read The Pact by Roberta Kagan through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Sisters

Love, Sisterhood, Compassion, Jealousy, Bitterness and Forgiveness are all packed into this beautifully written story about four young girls. It's a story of growing up in a turbulent time, coming of age and realizing the differences that society places on people. How not only a difference in religion and culture, but also in social standing can often cause damage and even destroy relationships.

This story follows these four girls Anna (a girl from a wealthy Jewish family), Elica, Bernie and Dagna girls from poor Austrian families. Elica, Bernie and Anna are close friends in childhood, they form a group and they become blood sisters through a pact, they do not want to but they must include Dagna who wishes to be part of the group and is Elica's friend because she will tell Elica and Bernie's parents they are associating with the Jewish girl Anna.

The book is about the girls, it is about society and whether or not close relationships can stand the limits placed on them by society, by differences and by circumstances. The girls lives, loves and experiences in the takeover of Austria by Hitler's henchmen.

It was a story of friendship and of betrayal and of redemption. The story started off interesting and ended with a bang of a cliffhanger for the next book in the series. If you are looking for a new series to read I would recommend this one.

Thanks to Roberta Kagan for writing yet another great book , to The Book Whisperer for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

[Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional story that follows the lives of four girls, Anna, Elica, Bernie, and Dagna. When Anna, Eliza, and Bernie decide to become blood sisters for life, they believe that nothing will come between them. Anna is from a well of Jewish family that lives in Austria, meanwhile, Elica and Bernie come from poor Austrian families that can barely make ends meet. Eventually, as the girls grow older, their social differences become all too real for all of them.

I enjoyed this story. it set just on the brink of Nazi Germany spreading into Austria. It was interesting to see how things influenced the girl's relationships as they got older. I liked Anna and Bernie, who seemed to be the shining beacon of this story. Anna was nice, and understanding, and despite her class differences, she loved Elica as a sister. Bernie was also a loyal and wonderful friend, especially to Anna. Bernie did not care that Anna came from a Jewish family and was perhaps the most faithful friend and ally that Anna had.

Elica and Dagna were hard to like. Dagna was a disgusting character who wouldn't stop being downright nasty to Anna and it was a shame to see that Elica continued to allow that kind of behavior, despite Anna's continued loyalty. Elica ends up being nothing but a giant hypocrite as the story continues to unfold and it made me angry that Anna continued to be so understanding despite everything that Elica did and allowed to happen.

The writing was good. The story kept me hooked and interested, despite my frustration with some of the girls. It ended on a slight cliffhanger that takes us into book 2, which I hope to get into soon.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aptly named The Pact, this new book by Roberta Kagan tells the story of three little girls, one Jewish and two Catholics, who make a blood pact to become blood sisters and always be there for each other.
More as a coming of age book and a lighter read that most of her books, we see the little girls growing up into young women against the background of the years leading to WWII. We live with them the changes within themselves, among themselves and the political changes surrounding them.
Even though the feeling of this book is lighter than the ones you get with the other Ms. Kagan books, i feel that the one that follows in the series won't be this way, due to the cliffhanging ending of this book and the situation portrayed at the ending.
As usual with this author, this book grabs you from beginning to end.

[Lisa Aiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story itself, but the writing just felt off to me. The characters voices did not seem authentic nor do i feel the way they interacted and spoke was consistent with what you would expect from them at the various ages they were throughout the story. This took me completely out of the story many times. There was over-repetition of the same themes - jealousy, hate of Jewish people, division of classes, etc. I also think this could use a thorough edit for grammar and phrasing - so hopefully the fact that I was reading an early copy means there is still some editing going on.

[Christine B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pact is an emotional tale of three friends who vow to be blood sisters. We follow their lives from childhood to adulthood. Through racism and prejudice of many levels the women struggle to find peace and love. This book was very emotionally charged demonstrating the love of friendship. There is a lot of discrimination towards Jews in this book as it takes place around WW2. It is also a secular read so there is some language and closed bedroom scenes. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to book 2. It ended in quite the cliff hanger.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read

This book is incredibly good! Stayed up late to read in one sitting. The characters are real and the story is as well. Lots of drama and emotionally moving. It's a very different telling of the time leading up to the Holocaust and what friendship really means. Can't wait to start the next book!

[Bevany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of friendship and sisterhood throughout childhood and coming of age. I enjoyed this story and how it tells the coming of age of several young girls in the midst of the beginnings of the German occupation. The story is one of uplifting friendships throughout the storm of life.

[Ailurophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

"That's what I love about reading. You can go to places that are scary and dangerous without ever leaving the safety of your room."

I was incredibly excited to pick this book up. I have relatives who are Jewish and novels set in the WWII time period are incredibly resonant to me. This time period also, almost by definition, tends to provide a lot of drama and conflict that it's easy to sink your teeth into.

The book opens with a bang in 1940, and if the first chapter were the only thing I had to go on I would have said this could surely be an international bestseller. In it, the main protagonist (Anna) and her family are discovered by the gestapo. I was immediately on the edge of my seat and dying to know what happens next.

Unfortunately what happens next is that we are taken back to Anna's childhood and her relationship with two friends, Elisa and Bernie, and one frenemy, Dagna (who bizarrely is not currently mentioned in the book description despite being a huge part of the story). We flash forward to the 1940 capture again only twice-- once about a third of the way through the book and once at the very end. These sections were gripping. The book ends on a cliff-hanger so amazing that it made me want to read the next book in the series, something I'd have said was unlikely 10 pages before.

Despite the problems I am about to describe, the book generally held my attention, and I think Kagan is a writer with solid ideas for plot and it's execution.

Unfortunately, all of the main characters but one were unlikable. Anna vacillates between almost too naïve to be believed and profoundly observant-- for instance she literally does not know that lesbians exist, and truly thinks an anti-Semite she's dating won't care once she tells him she's a Jew. But! as a child, she's able to divine that her maid is upset with her not for anything actually having to do with her, but because being around her makes the maid's daughter want expensive things. It was sometimes hard to feel like Anna was a real person.

In the meantime, Dagna is a raging anti-Semite, unbelievably manipulative, and cruel. Elisa is shallow, vain, and incredibly stupid, as well as disloyal. It was hard to feel any sympathy for them. Bernie was kind, principled, and level headed, but forgettable for much of the book, as the main focus of the book is Anna and she thinks far more about Elisa and Dagna.

While there's hope that some of the following points may be cleared up in the final print edition, the way the dialogue was written throughout was stilted and awkward. The characters all spoke to one another very formally and unnaturally, even for the time period. A lot of the text was repetitive or told instead of showing. For example at one point we are told Anna loves books; one sentence later we are told Anna loves to read. This could have been effectively shown by her regularly going to a library or reading, and in fact it was later, so this felt pointless. Descriptions were often simplistic. For example one character is simply described as having "a chubby face, bright blue eyes, and light brown hair". I don't think authors should wax poetic about every little thing, but it felt forced, not like I was coming upon information naturally in the course of the story.

A final pet peeve was that, whenever a Jewish character would say a Hebrew or Yiddish word out loud to another Jewish character, they would immediately verbally follow it with the English translation, as though another Jewish person would not know what the word goyim meant. I understand the desire for the audience to understand the dialogue but I think it would have been better to let them figure it out from context, or from another character's thoughts on the remarks made, or even, if necessary, from Google.

I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction set during WWII, and those who are all about a good cliffhanger.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[linda hole · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good start to a series. I liked that it was about 4 different girls, from different walks in life , but they chose to be sisters. . I liked that it gave more of a background story of each of the giirls. . Some parts of the book were a little bit easy and the dialogue a little bit too simple. I liked that it was about forgiveness, for that is what we do. . We forgive the people we love, Either for their sake or your own sake, or both. I Will continue to read the series. No doubt about that. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Pact" by Roberta Kagan is the first of her books in the Blood Sisters trilogy. The other two books are out now, so have no fear of reading this and being left hanging for long. I listened to the audiobook, excellently narrated by Imogen Church.

This book is historical fiction set in Vienna, Austria, in the 1930s. This is about four young girls who make a blood pact to be sisters. One of them, Dagna, blackmails the others to be included, and she is quite a troublemaker. Anna is a Jewish girl from a wealthy family. The other three are Christian, but from low income families. The mother of Elica is the maid for Anna's family. Bernie is a tomboy, and she is very close with Elica.

This story covers the coming of age time of the girls in the dawning of the Nazi regime. There are class struggles, race issues, boy trouble, betrayal, and love.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first read of Roberta Kagan's books. I highly recommend this one to people who like historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing, and author Roberta Kagan for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pact by Roberta Kagan was beautifully written I have read many books by this author and she has never disappoints. The Pact is the first book in the new The Blood Sisters series and is about Love, Sisterhood, Compassion, Jealousy, Bitterness and Forgiveness these are all packed into this beautifully written story about three young girls Anna, Bernie, and Elica and set in Austria in 1929,

Anna is from an affluent Jewish family, while Bernie and Elica are from poor Austrian families who barely make ends meet. As they get older, their social differences become all too real.

With infectious Jew-hate-laden rhetoric from Nazi Germany spreading into Austria, it is only a matter of time before their bond of friendship gets severely tested.

But, how strong is a bond sealed in blood between them all?

WoW......This is So good and I am looking forward to the next book in the promising series.

[Esther Leemans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel goed boek! Het verhaal start op de zolder waar Anna met haar familie schuilt en de nazi’s binnenvallen. Nadien gaan we terug in de tijd en komt het verhaal van 4 jonge meisjes die een pact sluiten als bloedzussen. De schrijfster neemt je echt mee in het verhaal en in de leefwereld van de 4 meisjes. Mooi geschreven!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story as a whole and the bond shared between these characters. I found the backgrounds of the girls interesting and was intrigued to see where the story would go. At times it felt a bit like a YA drama with a historical theme. The ending did seem rushed which is what I think kept me from giving it a solid 4 star, but I believe this is supposed to be a series so I’m intrigued enough to read the next when it comes out. Overall, I’m glad to have read it! I loved the authors writing.


Thank you to @netgalley & @bookwhispererink for the e-arc in exchange for review, all opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️

[Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc!

The Pact follows 4 girls from a young age in Vienna, Austria until they are older teens during the lead up to and beginning of World War 2, and the struggles between the friends due to one being Jewish.


Historical fiction isn’t a typical genre I tend to read but I did enjoy this book and how it showed the coming of age of the characters. I do feel that the ending was a little rushed and that sometimes it was hard to keep track fully of the multiple changes in POV. But I definitely will pick up book 2 when it becomes available

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novel in a Trilogy called "Blood Sisters."
When they were eight yrs.old,Anna,Bernie & 2 other little girls decided they needed to make a pact.
Three were Christians & one was a Jew.
Anna was the daughter of a wealthy Jewish,factory owner.
Their friendship had many hope & downs over the course of their growing up yrs.
As they neared adulthood, their friendship,would be sorely tested,when,what was the obvious Jew hater of the four,made trouble & told lies
Hitler,was in power now & he wanted Germany to get rid of all the Jews,Gypsies & Vermin.
This is a powerful novel with great characters & I have found myself deeply immersed in it's pages.
I have read many books by this author.
Roberta Kagan is top-notch & never fails to deliver the goods on her powerful WWII novels.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I wanted to hurl this book across the room when I finished it. The premise was very good- 4 childhood friends in Vienna, Austria in the 30’s- one Jewish girl and 3 gentiles and how they navigate the social differences- jealousy, love, loyalty, friendship. It opens with Anna’s family hiding in an attic as the Nazi’s come up the stairs to arrest them. The book ends the same way- with a very big cliffhanger that was so frustrating. You read over 300 pages and get no inkling of anything. I skipped pages and pages because the internal dialogue was the same for the whole book. I was so disappointed in this one!

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pact writtten by Roberta Kagan and narrated by Imogen Church is a highly compelling novel about three friends in WW2 Vienna; The book-loving Anna, from a rich, Jewish family. Bernie, a girl struggling with her sexuality, Elica, the daughter of Anna's family's maid and also Dagna, from a poor family and the antagonist of the group.

A key point, is when Anna gets a doll for her birthday that Anna had been dreaming of owning, but could never afford, looking in the shop window every day after school. Anna is conflicted, but has a very kind heart, so when Elica runs away from Anna's birthday partty after the doll was given, Anna chooses to find her friend a few days later and give he doll to her. The conversations between Anna and her parents after this are very insightful and reflect the best of the empathetic and thoughtful nature of the interpersonal relationships

The story begins in 1929, when resentment against Jewish people was building in Germany due to extensive propoganda. Anna, Bernie and Elica want to cement their bond and so, they choose to make a blood pact, however, after they have cemented their friendship, Dagnar overhears them talking about it, and under the threat of her telling Berie and Elica's parents about them mixing their blood with a jew, they allow her into the group, despite their ardent dislike of her. This theme follows throughout, Dagnar being so desperate for friends, that she is manipulative, in the worst ways possible. Her intolerance of anybody different is sadly the thoughts of the majority at the time, instead of the few

As the girls get older and start mixing with boys and different friends, more complications infiltrate the friendship dynamic; Dagnar begins to steal nice things for the very pretty Elica, both of them being the poorest but both materilaistic. She fans the flames of resentment between Elica and Anna, fracturing the bonds, when beforehand, they were the closest of the whole group, also driving a wedge between Bernie and the others

(Bernie is one of my favourite characters, the defender, the brave friend who does not tolerate Dagna's bigotry and spite)

Each one of the girls can be seen as a representative of each side involved in the holocaust and as such, this book is essential reading/ listening in respect of historical fiction that tells of a time between wars when soceity began to change in Germany and Austria in the worst way posssible.

I am looking forwrd to reading more from Roberta Kagan, the dialogue is perfect, the historical research is on point and the narrative is 100% compelling.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Select I Storm Publishing, the author Roberta Kagan and narrator Imogen Church for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and the opinions within are my own

[Natisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beautiful told story of childhood friendships and the effect of external factors, tainting the innocence of these relationships as the girls grow older, set with a background of the Holocaust brewing in Germany and Austria.

The story starts in 1940, with Anna and her family being discovered in their hiding place in a friend's attic and then moves back to the 1930's to focus on the blood pact between 3 friends and a fourth girl who bullies her way into the group. There is some focus on the Holocaust and the unrest that is stirring but largely the story focuses on the lives of the different girls and how religion and class divides and causes jealousy. Anna is the daughter of a rich factory owner who had previously escaped a precarious situation in another country with his wife. Elica is the beautiful daughter of Anna's housekeeper and the two have grown up together, becoming close friends. They become friends with Bernie in school with Dagna, who is a bully and hates Anna for her religion, rounding out the group. The story moves forward to the point where Anna's family is found hiding in the attic. I hadn't realised that there was a sequel and was quite confused with the cliffhanger and loose threads, but I need to have it as soon as possible because that ending was something else.

I loved how well Roberta shaped her characters, they were believable and reflective of how people justify their actions. Anna is a kind girl, willing to go to great lengths to help her friends but it is sad that this is only reciprocated by Bernie who seems to be her only true friend.

3.5 Stars rounded down

Overall, this was a good book and although I found some parts a bit rushed, it was a quick and easy read.

Note to readers, particularly those of South African descent, there was a discussion of a book called Heart of Darkness and although they did not agree with the opinions, they did mention the people being from uncivilized tribes but still deserving of kindness which I found quite condescending.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot!! I didn't know that this was the first book in a series when I started it, but realized toward the end I'd have more to read! I'll definitely be reading the next one!

However, there were some things that I didn't love about this book. One of the girls, Dagna, was AWFUL and her anti-Semitism seemed a bit overdone when she was younger, but it fit more when she was older. I think that in the audiobook version of this book it was harder to tell when the "narration" of the story and the inner thoughts of the character's inner monologue was going. I'm assuming this would be easier to differentiate these things if I was reading the physical book. Eventually I got the hang of it, but at first it proved to be fairly challenging.

I think the story here was really good!! It's not super often that there is an entire historical fiction book dedicated to the time leading up to the Holocaust, but this one was written well and kept me engaged the whole time. Part of me was ready for us to finally get there, to where Anna and her family was taken by the Germans. The cliffhanger it left us on is THE WORST and I neeeeeeed to know what happens!!!! Hahahaha ugh! I'm excited to read the next one and hope that I like it as much as I did this one!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. This story grabbed me from page one until the last page…..

It is a story of three friends , Anna, a Jewish “rich” girl , Elica and Bernie who are living in poverty. They have been long time friends, grown up together and make a “pact” to be blood sisters. A fourth girl, Dagna, who is not “like” the other three convinces the three to allow her to join the pact as well… that is the first mistake!! Dagna is NOT a true friend… she is manipulative and mean. She does not like Anna because she is a rich Jewish girl. She will do anything to make Elica and Bernie de friend Anna.

I will leave my review here as I don’t want to give away to much more of the story.

This is book #1 of the series and it did leaving you on a cliff…. Hanging. I will most definitely continue on with this series
When the next book is published.

I want to thank Netgally and the Book Whisperer for this ARC.

[Bookbug_40 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1929, Austria, when Nazi,Germany is spreading it's hate and cruelty against Jews. Three little eight year old girls, Anna, Bernie and Elicia nade a blood pact to support each other always and became blood sisters. Anna, a sweet and kind girl,  is from a rich Jew family and Elicia is their maid's daughter. Anna loved her friends deeply. Elicia and Bernie are from poor non Jews families. As they grew older their social differences challenges their bond several times. It's their story of survival amid heartbreaks, prejudice, discrimination and finding freedom and happiness.
A superbly written book with intense emotions and painful experiences. Characters are defined throughly. Story of finding happiness and love in hatred filled surroundings. I liked the writing style which is easy to relate. Highly recommended.

[Claire Steckbauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of WWII friendship novel. Regardless of beliefs, social class and political standings, four girls decide to be blood sisters. It showed the power of choosing the people in your life. I enjoyed learning of each sister’s background and following their friendship over decades. It started with an intense foreshadowing chapter, and while I was hoping for a little more of that intensity at moments, I think this was a perfect setup to another book in the series. It also ended with a great cliff hanger, so I’m excited for book 2!

[Riley K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna, Bernie, and Elica have made a pact to be blood sisters for life. While they are from different socioeconomic classes, they don't let that stop them from being sisters for life. As life goes on, their differences become more prevalent which puts their bonds to the test.

I thought that the story was well written. The characters were not one dimensional and they showed growth. The plot was amazing. I cannot wait to read the next book.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was ARC from NetGalley and Dreamscape Select.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It immediately pulled you into the story. It lost a little momentum (for me) midway but picked back up towards the end, ending in a cliffhanger.

I enjoyed this perspective as well. Having read numerous WWII era books, I liked hearing more from a growing child’s perspective. The 4 different girls with different backgrounds and upbringings made for an interesting combination and I enjoyed how their characters interacted. I am interested to see how the threads of this book continue in book 2!

[Logan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley I was able to read this before the publishing date. I enjoyed the development of the characters from children to young women. I felt like I really knew each of them. I really came to hate two of them though. I felt the ending was rushed and could have been better developed, and found the flip flop of describing the friendship strong but then weak on the next page often through the first half frustrating. I enjoyed every bit of Anna I look forward to seeing where her story goes in book two.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast moving tale of young girls during Holocaust

I always appreciate Kagan’s ability to weave the truth about life during the Holocaust into a riveting story. This story captures the youth and innocence of young girls poisoned by ordinary jealousy infused with the venom of Nazi ideology. Kagan’s masterful characterization makes each personality come alive. I can’t wait to read Book 2 in this series.

[cameron · Rating 1 out of 5]

This woman has written nothing but fiction about Jews during WW2. This crap isn’t good enough even if it were for teens. The worst.
All I can figure is that it’s written by AI.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent writing that pulls you in. I cannot wait to pick up the next in the series!