Shadows We Carry

by Meryl Ain

In this eagerly anticipated sequel to Meryl Ain’s award-winning post-Holocaust novel The Takeaway Men, we follow Bronka and JoJo Lubinski as they find themselves on the cusp of momentous change for women in the late 1960s. With the United States in the grip of political and social upheaval, the twins and a number of their peers, including a Catholic priest and the son of a Nazi, struggle with their family’s ancestry and how much influence it has on their lives. Meanwhile, both young women seek to define their roles as women, and as individuals.

Enlightening and evocative, Shadows We Carry explores the experience of navigating deeply held family secrets and bloodlines, confusing religious identities, and the scars of World War II in the wake of revolutionary societal changes.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Jewish, Historical, Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023

About the author

Meryl Ain is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. Her new collection of short stories, "Remember to Eat," will be published on January 20. "The Takeaway Men," her award-winning post-Holocaust debut novel, was published in 2020. The sequel,"Shadows We Carry," was published on April 25.
Meryl's articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications, and she is the author of two non-fiction books. She is the host of the podcast, "People of the Book," and the founder of the Facebook group, "Jews Love To Read!

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadows We Carry is the sequel to The Takeaway Men and we catch up with the troubled Lubinski family. It’s now the late 1960’s, twins Bronka and JoJo are getting ready to head off to college, Bronka wants to be a journalist and JoJo dreams of being an actress.

Their parents Aron and Judy immigrated to America from a displaced persons camp in Poland at the end of World War Two, Aron’s cousin Izzy sponsored them and he still works at one of their New York bakeries. Aron even now has terrible nightmares, from living and what happened in the Kielce ghetto, all he wants is for his girls to marry good Jewish men and have children.

Aron doesn’t know, but a Nazi who sent people to the gas chambers at Auschwitz is working and living nearby and he’s hiding in plain sight. Bronka meets a Catholic priest, Father Stan was born in 1943 to Jewish parents who died during the Holocaust, a catholic family raised him and they immigrated to America when he was a toddler.

America is involved in another war, this time in Vietnam, young men who are not old enough to vote are being sent to fight, and people are protesting about the war, conscription, poverty and racism. When John F. Kennedy is assassinated, the whole country is in shock and Aron is worried about what else could happen?

Bronka and JoJo like other second generation Holocaust survivors, they don’t know about their family’s ancestry, their parents don’t want to talk about what happened in Poland, they have many unanswered questions and it effects their self-esteem, decision making and relationships.

I received a digital copy of Shadows We Carry by Meryl Ain from Edelweiss and Ingram Publisher Services in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Ain looks at the scars World War Two left on the Holocaust survivors and their children. Men like Aron could have easily given up and many did, he started again, remarried and his daughters can live free from religious persecution, embrace being Jewish and it's customs. Three and a half stars from me, Aron is such a troubled man, it's really sad what happened to him and in the end he was determined not to let Hitler win.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Shadows We Carry” is a moving tale of womanhood, Jewish identity, and family!

Read full review in the 2023 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Shashi21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows We Carry, the sequel to The Takeaway Men, takes the reader where the story left off. Many of the same characters and some new ones too, help develop the intertwined lives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading historical fiction.
The story was well written, is an easy read and keeps the reader interested.
I didn’t want it to end.

I received this book as an advanced copy.
When Shadows We Carry is published this spring, I definitely will suggest it to my book club.

Kudos to Meryl Ain

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can you ever escape your family history?

In this story, we follow twin sisters JoJo and Bronka, as they explore their identites as first generation immigrants in American after their family's survival of the Holocaust. These two women attempt navigate their lives in relation to their difficult familial history and the influence of their religion and faith, in addition to societal norms/expectations of women at the time, and the ever changing political climate. While both sisters are introduced, the novel mainly follows Bronka's perspective. This is a sequel to author's novel The Takeaway Men. I have not read the prequel, but I didn't feel that it hindered me in reading Shadows We Carry once I established the characters and their relations to one another. The author does a fine job at giving enough pretext that this novel can read as a standalone.

This story briefly mentioned a lot of history during the 1960/70s, a tumultuous time in American history. The story touched upon themes such as emerging feminism, the civil rights movement, the protests in opposition of the US involvement in the Vietnam War, the Martin Luther King Jr. and Kennedy assassinations, amongst others. I do think that if the author took the time to mention these events that the story could have been a little more immersed in the history of this period. The characters briefly flirted with some of these major historical events, but it ultimately felt like a passing thought. I did particularly enjoy Bronka's occasional emerging realizations of inequality between women and men during this time, and establishing her place in a male dominated field of work, as it still feels very relevant to present day.

I think the biggest theme overall was uncovering our family's history, and how closely the secrets and events of that past are tied to how we shape our future. How can we separate ourselves from the past and forge our own way forward?

I struggled a little in reading this novel with how the writing transitioned between the point of views of other characters in the book which occurred infrequently, and randomly mid-chapter. These shifts in POV threw me off a little bit. I understand that it was important for us to learn the thoughts and minds of these characters to build the story, however, since the story was predominately told by Bronka, the sudden shift to a different perspective mid-chapter and then back again felt a little inorganic. There were also a few sub-stories occurring simultaneously to Bronka's story that were introduced and then not addressed again until a few sentences appeared near the end of the novel. For example, we were introduced to Mindy's big revelation of who her father was, and then we didn't see Mindy again until the end where the author wrote a few brief lines letting us know what had happened to her. Minor secondary storylines like this probably could have been left out without taking away from the main themes of the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I was invested in learning how the story would unfold and ultimately conclude. 

Pub date: 25 April 2023

Thank you to SparkPress and NetGalley for this ARC. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Anita Sobol]

Heartwarming

I was fascinated that the author was able to integrate modern day life with overall theme of the Holocaust. It appealed to me even more because it was based on areas I knew, Union Tpk, Queens College and Dix Hills during the years I was growing up in.

[Polly Krize · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After having enjoyed The Takeaway Men, I found myself a little disappointed in this second novel. The characters met in the first book seem one-dimensional and underdeveloped and the plots banal and bland. Only my opinion.

[Sylvia Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows We Carry
A Novel
By Meryl Ain

Book review by Sylvia Jacobs

This is a sequel to the book, called The Takeaway Men. This book was written, so the readers would know what happened to the fictional characters after the first book ended. This book will have some new characters as well as the old ones from the first book. If you haven’t read the first book, there is some brief information in the beginning of the book about some of the characters and it will provide background to all those who haven’t read it. Isn’t this wonderful, one will say yes.

They were two fraternal twins, one named Bronka and the other named JoJo. They had very little physical resemblance to one another. Bronka looks like her father with dark hair and brown eyes. Jojo had blonde hair and blue eyes. Jojo was the happy go lucky sister or was she? When they were three and a half years old they arrived in America with their parents from a displaced Persons Camp. They were now both 20 years old and about to register for their junior year in Queens College very soon. The time is now the 1960s.

The parents of the twins were Aron And Judy.They were married in a Displaced Persons Camp. Judy was born and raised Catholic but she took on the religion of Aron after the war. Aron was Jewish and observant. Judy didn’t officially convert though but considered herself a Jew and kept a kosher home.The fact that she didn’t convert was kept a secret until the twins became teenagers. That is the time the parents told them this well kept secret. It bothered Bronka that her mom wasn’t officially Jewish but not Jojo. Will the fact that her mom wasn’t officially Jewish cause Bronka problems when she begins to date Jewish religious people? Would her sister JoJo have a secret of her own?

A major positive of the book is that it isn't predictable. We find out something surprising right in the middle of the book. Just wait to see what you find out, one certainly will not expect it.

This book deserves the rating of five out of five stars for the title of the book which really fits the book and its contents.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I’m being a little hard on this one. But for al the ease of entry (this is a sequel and I haven’t read the first book,) the writing style was just pedestrian. So meh.

Bronka and JJ (Johanna) Lubinski are fraternal twins who were born in a DP camp. Their parents immigrate to the United States, and they are relatively well established by the time this book opens. Bronka and JJ are teenagers in the 1960s, each looking for love and also to follow their dreams. Political turbulence serves as an occasional backdrop.

Truly, Bronka is the real star of the show. JJ, for all her dreams of proverbial stardom, falls pregnant and gets married early. Her plotline is prominent in the beginning, as she struggles to tell her parents about the pregnancy, and then clashes with her in-laws (or maybe more accurately, her father, Aron, clashes with her in-laws.) Aron is an Orthodox immigrant, and Bruce’s parents are American natives and Reform. There’s some emphasis put on Bruce’s mom wearing the pants in the family, and also she’s rich and assimilated, with very limited understanding of Jewish customs (see: bewilderment at an ensuing Passover seder.)

Still, the marriage goes on, they move to the suburbs, and then one and ultimately two children are born. Bruce and JJ are then relegated to the backburner until some time later in the book, where it’s implied that Bruce is having an affair. Not because of anything truly explored on the page, but some exposition about “Charlie,” whom we never meet in real-time but Ain tells us is a neighborhood woman and a backstabbing friend to JJ. Hussy! I’m pretty sure that word is thrown around. JJ throws Bruce out, the parents gripe, and ultimately JJ takes Bruce back for the good of the family, the off-screen villain having been vanquished, I think. (It’s never conclusive how Charlie’s lipstick stain got on Bruce’s collar or whatever.) Oh, and JJ’s dreams of pursuing any opportunities on the stage are effectively snuffed. She makes some tries but they don’t really go anywhere.

No big deal, because Bronka is truly our main character. Bronka has the opposite problem to JJ. She doesn’t fall pregnant and get married too soon; she almost turns into a spinster. :0 She’s in her thirties by the time she ties the knot, not for the lack of trying. For years she swoons after Ned, and maybe I should forgive Bronka for missing the obvious signs that homeboy was gay, heh. Her interest in civil rights and presidential politics of the sixties, which was Ned’s big contribution to the novel, could have still precluded her from seeing these stigmatized signs.

Bronka’s other lovers seem stereotypical, too. There’s the Orthodox man she ultimately can’t marry because her mother never converted and thus, Bronka is not a Jew according to Jewish law (halacha.) Then there’s the priest who actually is a halachic Jew, since he was born Jewish and sent to live with Catholics while his parents were murdered in Treblinka. But he’s ultimately happy where he is, so. Around this time Bronka, who uses her spinsterhood to become a journalist, helps a colleague uncover that his father was secretly a Nazi who entered the United States under false pretenses. Very emotional issue, which was explored with wooden prose and purple dialogue.

There’s some other secondary characters as well, and Bronka running into sexism at work. She ultimately settles down with a lawyer. I liked all the historical detail and maybe the promise of the characters, but I don’t think this was very well executed. Maybe I allowed myself to miss something profound, like all the rhetorical questions other reviewers pose about family secrets and righting the wrongs of the past. But this didn’t really land for me.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meryl Ain, the Author of “Shadows We Carry,” has written an intriguing, thought-provoking, and captivating novel. The genres for this novel are Fiction and Historical Fiction. This is the sequel to “The Takeaway Men,” but it can be read as a stand-alone, thanks to the unique formatting that Meryl Ain has provided. The author has a brief and precise review of the characters, which is perfect. Many characters are from “The Take Away Men,” I appreciate the overview. In the back of the book is a glossary of words that is a wonderful resource for the reader. I also admire the author for the hours of research that she has done.

I love how the author vividly describes the characters and events in this novel. The timeline for this story is set in the 1960s but goes to the past regarding the characters and events. The dramatic characters are described as complex and complicated. The author shows a diverse group of characters. After the World War Two Holocaust, the author takes us from deployment camps to show how the characters live now. Many of the characters have deep secrets and shadows from the past. The fraternal twins, JoJo and Bronka Lubinski are now young women in the 1960s and have to figure out the women’s roles and what their goals and dreams are.

The author shows us how the characters try to define and question their religion. Some Jewish families are observant, while others observe more reformed ways. There are Catholic characters, a priest, a Nazi hunter, and Nazis. The sixties is turbulent, with politics, social changes, and women’s inequality. Journalists bring up many questions. I appreciate the author discussing important topics such as abortion, the Vietnam War, Women’s equality, gay rights, and the search for identity.

I learned much from this book, and I was sorry to finish and put it down. I do hope for another sequel, if possible. I highly recommend this memorable and amazing read.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated that this sequel wrapped up the storyline from the Takeaway Men. Although the premise is a need in literature related to Holocaust survivors, I found this a difficult read. The dialogue was awkward, the descriptions were entirely too detailed, and many of the characters were so stereotypical that it made reading the book a chore.
I admire Meryl for wanting to advance a story about a non-Jewish woman marrying a Jewish man during the time of the Holocaust. I also understand the dilemma that this woman carried, as well as her husband. I'm a convert, and I see, given the time period, how this could affect their future children. So, for that alone, I am grateful for these two books.
However, it felt more like she was writing a movie script, with so many details included to portray EXACTLY how she intended. I groaned while reading them. There were too many repetitions of the storyline within the book, almost as if we might not remember the previous chapter, or even paragraph. And the dialogue was stilted, and highly unbelievable in so many instances.
On the other hand, because the story was one that I hadn't read before, and because I wanted to see how the sequel handled the initial story, I struggled through it. It was gratifying to see the conclusion, and I'm glad that the story was written.
I hope that Meryl Ain will continue to write books, and hopefully her writing will improve. There were moments where I laughed out loud. And the details, in some instances, were very important to the storyline.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this historical fiction read not only for the characters and its story, but also for three additional reasons.

The beginning of the book has a character list. It explains that this is a follow up to THE TAKEAWAY MEN. The character list is for those that haven’t read that book or for those that read it and need a little refresher.

The end of the book has a glossary of terms. I was able to look up terms in the book specific to the Jewish culture that I was not familiar with.

The author’s note at the end explains some of the real historical events that are written about in the book.

Now, let me share this great read. This book is divided into three parts and covers 1963-1983. It focuses on fraternal twins, JoJo and Bronka, from college into adulthood. At the beginning of the book, both girls are attending Queens College and living at home. As the book progresses, we see JoJo married and Bronka on a constant search to find love.

Through Bronka’s career, we see the obstacles women faced in the field of journalism.

This is a dive into Jewish culture and religion. It reveals the expectations of women living in the US during the 1960s and 1970s. It shares the political and social climate during this time. It made me really think about the Holocaust survivors, German Nazi supporters, and the second generation of both living in the US.

I think this would make for interesting discussions in both secular and church book clubs.

[Jacquie Herz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first things I should say about this novel, the sequel to The Takeaway Men, is that firstly, I couldn’t put it down and that secondly, I highly recommend it.

Beginning in the late nineteen-sixties, the story brings to life the turmoil of that era—the Vietnam War and the demonstrations against it, the marches for women’s equality and the fight for pro-choice. At the time, we thought the world was tottering on its edge.

The fraternal twin sisters, JoJo and Bronka, who were born after WWII in a Displaced Persons Camp in Europe and came to the United States with their parents when they were six, are now eighteen years old and about to embark on their own lives—albeit in very different ways. For most of the novel, we are with Bronka, which made me very happy. I enjoyed getting to know her and found her easy to relate to. She is intelligent and smart with aspirations of becoming a newspaper reporter, which at the time, late sixties and early seventies, was hardly an easy feat for a woman.

One of the most successful elements of this novel, I think, is how Meryl Ain has—in seamless ways—incorporated events of the day, as well as the history of earlier times, to the fabric of her story. This adds weight to her novel, grounds it in such a way that also lends authenticity and realism to each of her characters.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to her novel “The Takeaway Men,” but you do not need to read the first book in order to understand this one.

Set in the late 1960s through 1980, this coming-of-age story follows the Lubinski twins, Bronka and JoJo. One twin fulfills her dream, while the other twin is forced to rethink her life.

It took me a little while to get into the story. But when journalist Bronka is sent to cover a story on a German enclave on Long Island with street names that honor Nazis, it got my full attention.

This book is an example of how decisions made by previous generations carry down and impact the later generations, often tearing families apart. It clearly showed the impact of the Holocaust on the children of the survivors. Like “The Takeaway Men,” this book also tries to cover a lot of territory – a Catholic priest who was born a Jew, the son of a Nazi, Nazis living in plain sight in the US, and Nazi hunters. It is also the time of Vietnam war protests and marches for women’s equality.

I received an advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[Stacey B · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0

All I saw was the name Meryl Ain the author of "Shadows We Carry" before my knee jerk reaction happened in buying this book. Never read the synopsis and never realized it was a pre-order.
This turned out to be one of the best moves I made when I found out it was the sequel to
"The Takeaway Men".
Because the book is so new, I'm leary to put in writing anything that could be interpreted as a spoiler for this novel and, I do apologize for this general benign review- at least for now.

I have to believe anyone living through WW2 hasn't suffered some sort of emotional issue or trauma, each very personal for them and recognize one needs to do what they must to survive. In that vein, many with secrets and lies had to be kept at bay. But how do you react if those are found out years later and worrying how the consequences, if any, will play out.
This was the segue into discovering how many topics the author includes in this historical fiction novel that beautifully describes her characters. As these topics were so pertinent then, they never fizzled out as they are part of living. And instead, there are plenty that have become exacerbated today due to the span of time which proves to me no-one is exempt from issues.
We meet Bronka and JoJo, immigrants who live these topics and more individuals involved who had no choice.
Kudos to the author for penning this book which will always stay in my heart.

[wellreadtraveler · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The next generation, just like ours," he said to his wife, "will have to learn to live with the shadows we all carry."
Shadows we carry is a story about sisters and where they see themselves in the world in the late 1960's. All families have a past but some hide the pain buried deep down where no one can discover it. Decisions made can effect not only those around them but the generations to come, and the girls are starting to discover stories about the Holocaust and Nazi's that may be a little too close to home.
JoJo takes the traditional route of marriage and family while Bronka decides an education and career are best for her. Bronka struggles with her own self worth, wondering if she'll ever find someone to love her, and also a responsibility to her religion. In her research she discovers someone in her inner circle has family ties to the Nazi's and may be responsible for the killings of many people during t he war. What Bronka uncovers may stir up pain from the past but also set in motion healing for those who need it the most.
Shadows we Carry is the second book following Takeaway Men but can be read as a stand alone.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for this book.

I read The Takeaway Men in 2021 and really enjoyed it. I was concerned that I wouldn't remember the characters but thankfully she had a list of them in the front of the book which was nice since I needed to familiarize myself to them again (or at least some of them).

Set in the 1960's and ending in the early 1980's it mostly focused on the twins, Johanna (JoJo and Bronka) and their lives with their family and friends also and the upheaval of both John & Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King's assisination, and politics. JoJo and Bronka are definitely opposites from each other in personality and lives.

I do wish there was more scenes with JoJo later on. It was mostly Bronka, probably because she was unmarried and looking for a job in journalism. She finally found it and finally moved out of her parents house right before she turned 30 which is what she wanted to do anyway to have her own life.

A lot of Jewish history, including the Nazi's and concentration camps, which is always hard to read about.

A solid 4 stars once again and a fascinating read.

[Valerie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s historical fiction that educates and there’s historical fiction that touches us personally, at our core. SHADOWS WE CARRY by Meryl Ain succeeds in doing all that and more. In the sequel to the award-winning THE TAKEAWAY MEN, she reinforces what we already suspected. Ain is one masterful storyteller. In SHADOWS WE CARRY, she extends and deepens the story of twins Bronka and JoJo Lubinski into the 1960s. Through them, not only does she invite us to observe the complexities of family secrets and the challenges of defining religious identities—especially in a post-World War II America—but also she inserts us into a decade that most readers have either lived through or learned about through the stories relatives continue to share every day. If you love historical fiction that’s both well-researched and relatable, immerse yourself in SHADOWS WE CARRY today. And then carry it forward by spreading the word.

[Ονι · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is about second generation immigrants, second generation Jewish immigrants who escape to America after the Holocaust to be exact.

This book follows Bronka and Jojo, who like many second generation immigrants, have no idea about their ancestry. Mainly because their parents, who are from a camp for displaced people in Poland, refuse to relive the horror they went through. They, like all second generation Holocaust survivors, have so many questions and have to figure things out for themselves.

I liked how this book talked about not only the survivors of the Holocaust, but the issues and scars that their children had. How do you navigate something like that?

A powerful and emotional read that takes you on a journey of discovery and despair as the families come to terms with the evil that was the second world war

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great sequel to The Takeaway Men. You can read it as a sequel but I believe that the connection to the story is better if you read them in order. I loved how this story followed Bronka and JoJo even more. It was an emotional story about how parents past affected their children’s future as the children are judged for their parents decisions. I learned a lot more about the Jewish culture, getting more detail about the religion than I have in other post Holocaust novels. I loved the writing style, everything flowed really nice and I liked that the events weren’t predictable. I’m so happy with the way that it ended. The emotional ups and downs Bronka had while trying to find her place will stay with me for a while. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you @meryl_ain and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read a lot of WWII fiction, I found this to be a unique and moving story about how the war affected the next generation.

Bronka and JoJo are second-generation immigrants whose parents were in the Holocaust camps; in fact, their mother didn’t survive. They don’t know much about their ancestry or heritage because their family refuses to relive the horrors.

The story follows the young women as they make their way through the tumultuous 1960s and ‘70s in America. As they pursue independent lives, careers, and relationships, their family’s past seems to cast a shadow over them.


This is a sequel to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘯, and while it can be read as a standalone, knowing more about the backstory would be helpful. I did enjoy these characters. The author did a great job of blending historical events, Jewish culture, and family drama, which made for a truly interesting read.

[Shmuel Yaccoby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching reading

The reading of this book in mid 2024, intermingled with the terrible reality of the post October 7th massacre, which also revived the Holocaust trauma. The book’s premise mainly occurs during the 1970s America, but the narrative of the burden of shadows we carry is seemingly still relevant.

There are quite few fascinating twists/secrets, particularly coming from certain minor characters, exciting the reading. In particular, the dreading moment reading the letter found to be written by the Nazi leader, Rudolf Hess in 1943.

The first half of the book suffers from telling, sometimes feels like a memoir. This was compensated by a very good second half, enriched by touching scenes.

[Laura Potts]

A heart-warming, uplifting historical fiction that can make you life, cry and smile. I didn't read the book before this, The Takeaway Men, however you don't need to as there's a list of the characters and the relationships between them at the very beginning. This really hit hard showing the impacts of multiple generations after WWII and how they can overcome trauma and how prejudice is still prevalent and lingering deep in people, although some may want to overcome this and learn from their ancestors. Overall, this has an amazingly deep message, was written beautiful with interesting dynamic characters you can root for.

[Margo Stocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0. The Shadows We Carry is a sequel to The Takeaway Men. It was an easy and quick read. My biggest complaint about the book is that the author stereotypes the Jewish community and Jewish characters with comments and conversations that are shallow and at times annoying.
However, the author does a nice job of helping the reader understand how difficult it was forJoJo and Bronka to grow up and live their lives with parents who survived the Holocaust. There was a character in the book who had been a Nazi soldier who was living and working in the US under an assumed name.
The information in the book was well researched and accurate.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Meryl Ain’s “The Takeaway Men” was not one of my favorite post-Holocaust novels, it seems mine was a minority opinion: it won four awards. However, it was a perfect book for book clubs because it offered a great deal to discuss. I feel the same way about her latest work, “Shadows We Carry” (Spark Press), which is a sequel to “The Takeaway Men.” It continues the stories of Bronka and JoJo Lubinski, the children of Holocaust survivors and focuses on their lives from the 1960s to the 1980s.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHADOWS WE CARRY is such an important novel. The story begins in Queens, NY, with the displaced Lubinski family settling into their relatives home. They've fled Europe after the Holocaust. Most of the novel is set in late sixties and early seventies. America was in such turmoil. And the twins, Jojo and Bronka, are right smack dab in the middle of it all. As they make their way through college and wade through the realities of an unpopular Vietnam War and riots in the streets we discover that Nazi's are living right in plain sight.
Characters you will root for. And people questioning their religion and politics.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝗪𝐒 𝗪𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘⁣
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐥 𝐀𝐢𝐧 ⁣
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝟎𝟒.𝟐𝟓.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞⁣
⁣
The Takeaway Men was a five star read for me when I read it in 2020 and SHADOWS WE CARRY was a highly anticipated read for me. Once again Dr Meryl Ain writes an incredible historical fiction story that follows the twins as they go through their life in 1960’s America. The story goes through themes of loss, grief, traumas, and eventually moving on despite family secrets that affect identity and religious belonging. ⁣
⁣
I found the read and the characters in the story a compelling read that I recommend to book clubs and those who enjoy historical fiction reads.⁣

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and SparkPress for ARC of The Shadows we carry for my honest review.

I enjoyed this moving and uplifting historical fiction novel. I did not read The Takeaway Men, which this is a sequel of, but it was not necessary. I enjoyed Bronka and JoJo’s story and was engaged throughout the novel, and almost read it in one sitting. It is poignant and displays that how people are impacted by decisions of previous generations. This took place in the 1960s and 1970s and discussed many major movements of this period. 4 stars and would recommend!

[Christy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful read. Although it was a follow up to The Takeaway Men, I read it as a stand alone with no problems. The author included a character overview that was helpful. Compelling content, family secrets and short chapters made this a page turner for me. Bronka was a wonderful character and I was cheering for her to find fulfillment personally and professionally. This thought provoking read will stay with me for a long time.

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨!

After reading The Takeaway Men I was so excited to read this sequel and I loved following Bronka and JoJo’s lives again. A story about immigration, identity, feminism, family and relationships. Another great story from this author.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗪𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 by Meryl Ain Author released April 25, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins Bronka and Jojo are navigating young adulthood in 1960s and 70s New York when Bronka, who dreams of being a journalist, learns about a Nazi community in nearby Long Island. Meryl Ain’s new novel is about growing up in post-WW11 America, Jewish-Christian relations, 1960s upheaval, and how every generation is burdened by the shadows of family and history.

I was honored to interview the author! https://newbooksnetwork.com/shadows-w...