Catherine A. Hamilton

It's been a while since I finished reading this book and, to be completely honest, I no longer know what I originally wanted to say about it. But I clearly remember feeling so sad and scared for Victoria and other characters I love. The book truly dug deep into the hardship of war and it doesn't shy away from showing you the horrible truth. It sliced my heart a lot while reading and though I love it; I don't think I'll be able to reread the book and go through the pain again. Still, I recommend anyone who want to try or enjoy reading WWII stories.… (más)

The story focuses on a group of fictional Polish women, based on true stories, who were transported by the Germans to be slave labor in factories and homes during WWII. The main character, Victoria Darski, ends up working for a family who owns a bakery. She is able to befriend the family's deaf daughter but is also routinely beaten by the father and son, the later loaning her out to a brothel. Still, Victoria finds a way to resist, small acts to help others who did not land in a situation as decent as hers.

So a WWII book with my name in the title.. yes, I put it my cart without even processing a second thought about it. Highly readable, only took two or three small sessions to finish it off. Sometimes a word or phase pushed me out of the story. One character tells Victoria that if things go 'sideways', she'll look out for her. That's quite a modern expression. Also, it was quite jarring how the father and brother could be so loving with the deaf child, who was less than the Aryan ideal but also be so brutal to Victoria, because she was less than the Aryan ideal. I know, people's actions did not make much sense during that time but it still it didn't quite mesh. I still enjoyed it.… (más)