Play Book Tag discussion

The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff - 3.5 stars - My Review

This is the story of the (eventual) friendship of two women, Noa and Astrid. They each find refuge in a German circus during WWII. Astrid is a trained aerialist who had been with a Jewish circus, which can no longer perform. When Noa arrives with a baby, the circus owner offers her a job, and Astrid trains her to be part of the trapeze act. The story is based on a real situation in which a German circus owner sheltered Jews during WWII. The story alternates in points of view between Noa and Astrid.

I like the premise of this book. I always find it inspiring to learn about people acting on their beliefs in the face of great danger. I enjoyed the first half, where we learn the backstories of Noa and Astrid and how they (separately) arrived at the circus. The war is kept at a distance. There are few battle-related elements, and none of the scenes is set in the concentration camps.

Where the story falls short, for me, is in the second half, where it turns (needlessly) into a romance. I think it took away the power of the book, which, up to that point, had been based on the individuals finding different ways to resist the Nazis. I also found a particular scene, late in the book, to be extremely unrealistic. So, it was a mixed bag for me. There are parts I enjoyed but I think the author’s puppet strings showed a little too much.

I loved this one - it was a top ten the year I read it. I have a real love for this author. Her three book trilogy is going to be my series for the year in 2022.

Amy wrote: "I loved this one - it was a top ten the year I read it. I have a real love for this author. Her three book trilogy is going to be my series for the year in 2022."

So glad you loved it, Amy. I had never read anything by Jenoff before, and I enjoyed it (but you probably know I am not big on romance and that part of the book turned me off).