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The Orphan's Tale
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The Orphan's Tale
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The Orphan's Tale
Audiobook12 hours

The Orphan's Tale

Written by Pam Jenoff

Narrated by Jennifer Wydra and Kyla Garcia

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

***THE UNFORGETTABLE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER***

‘Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion… I read this novel in a headlong rush’ Christina Barker Kline, number one bestselling author of Orphan Train

‘Jenoff’s prose is evocative and compelling’ The Globe and Mail

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby.

She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her.

In a moment that will change the course of her life, Noa snatches a baby and flees into the snowy night. And so begins this remarkable, harrowing story of friendship, sacrifice and survival in World War II from the international bestselling author, Pam Jenoff.

Praise for The Orphan’s Tale:

‘Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion… I read this novel in a headlong rush’ Christina Barker Kline, number one bestselling author of Orphan Train

‘Jenoff’s prose is evocative and compelling’ The Globe and Mail

‘Wonderfully compelling… The story grips from the very first page, and the atmosphere of the circus is entrancing – you feel all the terror and thrill of the flying trapeze’ Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier’s Wife

‘A thrilling, yet heartbreaking story of life and love, heroism and sacrifice in wartime Europe’ My Weekly

‘This is a book not to be missed’ Melanie Benjamin, bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife

‘Jenoff has written a tribute to the human spirit that soars in the midst of epic despair…’ NPR

‘An emotional tale of survival and courage during a difficult time in Europe’ Suzy Approved Book Reviews

‘Jenoff keeps readers on their toes with the numerous twists and turns… as well as the emotional peaks and valleys that had me reaching for tissues more than once’Romance Dish

LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 23, 2017
ISBN9780263927276
Unavailable
The Orphan's Tale
Author

Pam Jenoff

Pam Jenoff was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. Upon receiving her masters in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor. Following her work at the Pentagon, Pam moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Pam developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community. Pam is the author of The Kommandant's Girl, which was an international bestseller and nominated for a Quill award, as well as The Winter Guest, The Diplomat's Wife, The Ambassador’s Daughter, Almost Home, A Hidden Affair and The Things We Cherished. She also authored a short story in the anthology Grand Central: Original Postwar Stories of Love and Reunion. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and three children.

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Reviews for The Orphan's Tale

Rating: 3.988031829255319 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Honestly, when will I stop reading historical fiction about the Holocaust and expect to be satisfied? It’s the definition of insanity to expect a different outcome but continuing to do the same thing. This story, while unique, is...hear me out...incredibly melodramatic. So much tell and no show. So much ‘I cannot possibly tell her’ but then the next page whomever it is tells her. ‘Some things are better left unsaid’ but then they become said a few sentences later. Frankly, that seems like basic proofreading gone unchecked. The drama of the Holocaust and the war itself is enough, I don’t need the exasperating social drama that rings of a Hollywood blockbuster to be added to the mix. It’s my fault, WHEN WILL I LEARN????? I’m going to read an actual autobiographical account of Auschwitz next because I need to be reminded of the horrific reality.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed this very much. The setting was in wwii but it wasn't the usual holocaust story that sets in a concentration camp.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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.

    3.5
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another great read from Pam Jenoff. Read for the March 2017 Dinner with the Author. I think she must have spiritual connection with the characters from this era. She brings their stories to life and the reader's emotions raw.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A young girl, Noa, is booted out by her family because she is pregnant, and through a series of events, she has to make a life for herself after giving up the baby as a trapeze artist with a circus. It is during WWII in Germany. Before the circus opportunity comes, she rescues a baby from a boxcar full of many babies, probably Jewish. She escapes with the baby and is taken in by the owner of a circus. There she meets a woman known as Astrid who is Jewish and is being "hidden" by the circus. Astrid takes Noa and turns her into a trapeze artist also, to protect herself, Noa, and the baby. It was interesting seeing how a circus may have operated during this time as the war is going on around them. The most disturbing part of the book was the Nazis and their constant presence. It made me think about what it must have been like for a regular person to live during that time. While very sad and disturbing in places, I appreciated the author's telling this story about an era in human history that should not be forgotten.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read [The Orphan's Tale] for our book discussion group. While it was intriguing enough to make me want to keep reading and not put it down, I had to take it in small doses. The point of view switches between two women who are aerialists in a traveling circus in Europe during the time of the Nazis. There are many heartbreaking instances of fear and cruelty, but the courage of the people in the circus shines in this novel. The ending is somewhat of a twist, not expected, but a satisfying ending nonetheless.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very interesting story when it comes to a circus travelling during WW2. A circus that harbors Jews which really happened. Also true is the part about the children taken and left in a boxcar bound for a concentration camp which is Theo in this novel. I did find the novel a bit to simple of a love story being a bit Harloquin in style but the redeption comes in the last chapter or two. I am interested in finding out more stories that the archives of Yad Vashem have.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed the story that was told of a young woman who was cast out due to an unwed pregnancy and finds a second family and home within the circus during WW2. Each person in the circus also has their own set of demons and issues to deal with however they all live together and create a community. It was interesting to read the author's notes of how the circus' of that time helped to hide Jews and sh wove this element into a fictional story. Well written, a quick read and a good twist at the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story takes place during World War II. Noa was cast out by her family when she became pregnant at a young age. Her baby was adopted out. As she makes her way through the countryside she rescues a baby from a train car bound for a concentration camp. She raises the boy as her own. She joins a circus touring Europe. She becomes an aerialist. The ringmaster is a kind man hiding several Jews in his employ. The circus in Germany at the time, was the only entertainment that kept the people’s mind off the despair of war. This is an interesting tale with a twist at the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story takes place in Nazi Germany. A young girl, Noa, is cast out of her home after she becomes pregnant with a German officer's baby. He had been stationed in her home.She gives birth and finds her way to a circus where the people end up taking her in. Her life in the circus becomes extremely complicated and she must be very careful and keep her baby safe. It is an emotional tale of bravery, courage, fear and resentment.The characters are so real and the reader can almost feel their emotions. The story is gripping and hard to put down.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not sure where I picked up this book, but am glad it came into my hands. My reading during the COVID-19 pandemic has been eclectic. This was a well written addition. Interesting actual facts woven into a fictional narrative based on them. (Author's note was quite informative on that.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Loved it. Kept me reading. Interesting "Author's Note" at the end giving a short detail of the "true story of the circuses helping Jews during WWII"... and how she developed a fiction story around some of the details she uncovered in her research.

    The characters were a bit hard to engage with early in the story, but I love the way Jenoff ended the story.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Honestly, when will I stop reading historical fiction about the Holocaust and expect to be satisfied? It’s the definition of insanity to expect a different outcome but continuing to do the same thing. This story, while unique, is...hear me out...incredibly melodramatic. So much tell and no show. So much ‘I cannot possibly tell her’ but then the next page whomever it is tells her. ‘Some things are better left unsaid’ but then they become said a few sentences later. Frankly, that seems like basic proofreading gone unchecked. The drama of the Holocaust and the war itself is enough, I don’t need the exasperating social drama that rings of a Hollywood blockbuster to be added to the mix. It’s my fault, WHEN WILL I LEARN????? I’m going to read an actual autobiographical account of Auschwitz next because I need to be reminded of the horrific reality.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed this very much. The setting was in wwii but it wasn't the usual holocaust story that sets in a concentration camp.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The book was OK, not great. It is about a german circus during WWII. The circus is a haven for Jews and other misfits. It didn't seem realistic. None of the characters really moved me. Much of it seemed unrealistic. It wasn't terrible and I did manage to finish the book, but it definitely is not a book I would recommend to a friend.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this story about an aspect of WWII that I was not aware of. This book, about a German circus that was hiding Jews who were either performing acts, laborers or children, was interesting. While based loosely on true incidents the author came across in her research, it is a fictional story. I read this book as a monthly read for one of my Goodreads groups and was not disappointed.

    There are two main characters who narrate the story. Noa is a young woman who became pregnant by a Nazi soldier and was thrown out of her home. Young and pregnant with no place to go, she is directed to a home for unwed mothers but has to give her baby up as soon as he is born. Afterward she flees to the city and finds a job at a train station. She is shocked and disgusted when she finds a train car full of babies, many of whom are dead. One boy, who she feels is reaching out to her, reminds her of her son, so she rescues him and runs not knowing where she is headed. After falling from exhaustion and hypothermia in the snow she is rescued by someone from a traveling circus.

    The other main character is Astrid who is from a circus family and was a well known aerialist. She left her family to marry a German soldier. When the Nazi’s begin their quest to rid Germany of all Jews, Astrid’s husband renounces her and makes her leave their home. With nowhere else to go she heads for home. There is no one there, but the traveling circus is intact and she heads over to talk to the kind owner. He takes her in and she quickly regains her skills as an aerialist. The two women come to depend on each other, they both have secrets, and Astrid is given the job of training Noa to accompany her in the aerialist performance.

    There are many other characters that flesh out the story such as Peter the clown, Peter who takes Astrid “under his wing” and falls in love with her as well as the owner, Herr Nuehoff. He protects the performers and is almost like a father to them. There are many others who protect the Astrid and Theo and care for them. This is a very character driven novel but I learned a lot about how important circuses were in Germany before the war and how slowly they were all dismantled by the Nazi’s. Life in a circus is like a large family with the members working together for the circus to be successful, whether it is the performers, the laborers, the cooks or the ringmaster. There was a lot happening throughout the book and it never got boring. The last part of the book moved swiftly, was very intense and emotional. This showed us another side of the war and how not only the circus performers, but regular citizens as well as those who mocked the Nazis were treated. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, WWII stories, circus stories and anyone who wants to read a great story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good story of two circus performers during WWII. I enjoy war stories and enjoyed this story from an aspect I had never read about before. Astrid and Noa two strong women trying to survive during the war.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Astrid, from a Jewish circus family, left the circus when she married a German officer. When he is forced to cast her out, she returns to find her family gone. She joins a different circus. When a young girl carrying a Jewish baby is found freezing to death in the forest nearby, they take her in. Noa learns to be an aerialist, and the baby and Astrid are only two of the secrets hidden by the circus from the Germans.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    AMAZING!!! I'm so glad my book club chose this because I would not have bumped it up on my TBR otherwise. This had everything I love. WWII, the circus, angst, love, heartbreak, happiness... you name it. By far the best book I have read so far this year. Jenoff captured me and didn't let go. I will be thinking about this one for a while. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for sure.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think NPR said it best: "Christina Baker Kline's ‘Orphan Train’ has collided with the circus caravan from Sara Gruen's ‘Water for Elephants,’ and out of wreck has come Pam Jenoff's ‘The Orphan's Tale.’ The novel is a magical carnival saga, a bit grittier than either of its antecedents, and with more at stake...Jenoff has written a tribute to the human spirit that soars in the midst of epic despair."And I ask you, “How could I pass this up?” In short, I didn’t. I quickly moved this one up to the top of my TBR pile and dug right in.We start with a prologue where an elderly woman makes her way into a new exhibit on European circuses. Based on the dust jacket, I know that it’s either Noa or Astrid. By the time I reached the prologue’s end, I was hooked. Then the story moves back in time to Germany, 1944.When Noa is sixteen, she is kicked out of her parents’ home when she discovers she is pregnant by a German officer. While we only see her after she has given up her baby, we see that she has lost none of that innocence that got her in the family way. Noa is cleaning a train station and lives in a closet. One night, a train pulls in. Thinking she hears a baby crying, Noa inspects the boxcars and finds a horrific sight. One of the cars’ floor is covered with babies, none more than two years old. Most are dead, frozen, but she pulls one out.Taking the child, she runs away in the middle of a blizzard. She is found by Astrid and is taken in. Astrid is one of Europe’s leading aerialists, but with a war raging, she is not with her family circus. Instead, she is with her neighbor’s family circus.The Neuhoff Circus needs another aerialist, so Noa must take to the trapeze to earn her place in these strangers who become family. The young women become close. Almost as if they were sisters, watching out for each other. Noa kept the baby she stole and named him Theo. One of the major hurdles that they face, is that Astrid is Jewish.The story is the tale of the circus and its people. I loved reading about how Astrid trained Noa and circus life in the 1940s. The book ends with an epilogue that gives complete closure to all the supporting characters. It was nice to learn their fate.The story did get sluggish in the bottom part of the first third. I wanted to give The Orphan’s Tale receives 6 stars, but that blip caused me to award 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyable work of historical fiction based on people and stories gathered by the author while researching for this book. Emotionally draining at times but I would expect that from a well written book takes places during such a dismal period in history. Few books bring me to tears but this one did. Exceptional read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Pam Jenoff has always been hit or miss with me. I usually either love the book or hate it so much I drop it. This one, thankfully, was a homerun. Rich descriptions of a hidden world, flawed characters who make me fall in love with them, and a suspenseful tale of survival kept me thoroughly engaged.The world of the circus inherently has that allure and mystery of the unknown. Whether it’s true or not, circus individuals are shown in various media outlets as closed off from outsiders, a world of secrets and intrigue. Now imagine all that in a setting like Nazi Germany and World War II, and you’ve got a captivating background for our story. The background story of a circus hiding Jews during the war is also a true story; I remember first reading about it in middle school when we were studying the Holocaust. That also gives it more weight, knowing elements were true.Jenoff did a fantastic job in making us live and breathe a circus in freefall. In a world where being different can mean a death sentence and money is tight everywhere, trying to make a living as a circus was almost impossible. Yet, we still get a sense of that magic a circus can bring. The wonder of the exotic animals, the death defying flight of the acrobats, and the overall excitement all bleed through to make the reader experience this world of enchantment.Her characters were also stellar here. Every single one are beautifully flawed and intrinsically human. From insecurity to fear to deep love, all emotions shine crisp and vivid. I love how each character grew in changed on this book journey. Noa, especially, showed this growth. She started out as such a broken down and lost individual; finding Theo gave her the push to leave her grinding situation at the train station and develop as she strived to save him.I also loved Astrid and Peter. Both of their lives were destroyed by the Nazis and Stalin; yet they both had the incredible courage and fortitude to stay strong despite that. They both showed defiance in their own way, showing the world that evil would not crush them. Yet, for all that defiance, their emotional scars from the tragedy of their lives prevented them from reaching true happiness. In a world where life and death could be decided on the turn of the moment, this story element truly hits the heart when it comes to these two.This tale hits the ground running from page one with a daring winter rescue. From that point, the action and suspense doesn’t let up. As the reader gets drawn into Noa’s and Astrid’s story, we get daring rescues, hair-raising close calls, and the knowledge that betrayal could come from anywhere. As we build to the suspenseful climax, the reader can’t help but turn page after page in a desperate struggle to keep up with the pace of the story. The power of the ending and the big reveal at the end is excellent pay-off and truly satisfying.I’m glad this is one volume of this author’s that I truly enjoyed. She balances suspenseful storytelling and complex characters in a world so vivid I could hear the roar of the circus crowds beautifully. I look forward to another in-depth and fascinating exploration of World War II and the Holocaust from this author’s talented pen.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I appreciated the author's notes---especially helpful when you're reading historical fiction. Writing about a circus when you're sitting at a computer sounds impossible but this was a story that held together for the most part---very fast to read -- you are pulled from one page to the next because things keep happening. Horrible events amid an amazing series of events. Yes, definitely WW II from a different viewpoint. It helped that both women were written as very appealing characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    THE ORPHAN'S TALEPAM JENOFFMY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️PUBLISHER MIRA BooksPUBLISHEDFebruary 21, 2017A mesmerizing novel of friendship between two brave women aerialist performing in a traveling circus during World War II.SUMMARYTwo women are both independently thrown out of their homes by loved ones because of circumstances of the war. The two somehow end up in Darmstadt Germany working as aerialist on the flying trapeze for a traveling circus. Noa has been cast out of her parent's home in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier. She was been forced to give up her baby. She lived in a small rail station which she cleaned in order to have a place to stay. One bitterly cold night Noa hears a keening sound coming from one of the boxcars. She soon discovers a boxcar containing dozens of nearly frozen infants she is starkly reminded of the child she had to give up. In a life-changing moment she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night. Fourteen months earlier, Astrid was happily and passionately married and living in Berlin with her impossibly handsome husband. One day he comes home and stoically hands her divorce papers. He has been ordered by the Reich to divorce her since he is a Nazi officer and she is Jewish. She is forced from their home, and with nowhere else to go she returns to the town of her youth, and seeks refuge at the home of an old neighbor, who operates a traveling circus. She has experience on the flying trapeze.It is at the circus that Astrid and Noa meet and must both try blend in and go undetected. Astrid and Noa form a powerful bond, share each other secrets and perform together under the big top. But as the world falls apart around them, will they be able to continue to support one another. REVIEWI found the circus theme during World War II quite intriguing. Would the Nazi's ever allow a spectacle such as a circus to survive. The placement of the winter quarter in Darmstadt Germany particularly touched me because of family ties to the town. I loved learning about behind the scenes of the circus and particularly the flying trapeze. THE ORPHAN'S TALE is a touching tale of survival, loss, bravery, secrets, and friendship. The story is about the harrowing sacrifices these two women have to make to survive. The story is masterfully told from both Noa and Astrid's point of view with alternating chapters, one masterfully picking up where the other left off. The story moves quickly and the writing flows easily. PAM JENOFF notes that it was in the archives of Yad Vashem that she discovered both the heartbreaking story of the boxcar of babies and the story of a circus, the Circus Althoff, that had sheltered the Jewish Danner family during the war. It was from her discovery of these two stories that she created this unique work of fiction. PAM JENOFF is the author of several novels of historical fiction, including The Kommandant's Girl. She hold a bachelor's degree in international affairs from George Washington University, a masters degree in history from Cambridge and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania. Her novels are inspired by her experience working at the Pentagon and also as a diplomat for the State department handling Holocaust issues in Poland.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A powerful story of friendship and the courage of regular Germans who found ways of saving Jewish lives during World War II. A Jewish acrobat is “hidden” in a gentile circus during Hitler’s regime, along with a young Dutch girl who has saved a Jewish baby from death. This is a page-turner as the reader follows the circus into France and the eventual survival of one friend and the death of the other.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked this book, i really did, I just thought that without much more effort the storyline could have been made deeper, more compelling perhaps? Young Noa has a baby by a German and has it taken away....she runs. In her weary travels she finds an open railway car filled with young Jewish babies and takes/saves one.Long story short she joins a German circus, whose members all have their own secrets. Family is what you make it right? " We cannnot change who we are. Sooner or later we will all have to face ourselves." This IS a heart-touching, somewhat light read. I have to admit ....while reading the last pages of The Orphans Tale I literally had them wet with tears. 3.5 STARS
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An excellent book - very readable with vivid characterizations. Jenoff has researched well, both German practices during WWII as well as circus life. She builds a highly believable fictional world populated by characters that you would really like to meet. It is something of a unique plot: the circus binds together Astrid, a Jewish divorcee without a home, Noa, a Dane who has been exiled from her home, and Theo, the orphan baby Noa rescues from the train. Astrid is a seasoned veteran of the circus and Noa a novice, but they not only need the circus to shelter them from the Reich, they also need each other. Their struggles to survive and even thrive amid the backdrop of Nazi Germany and occupied France make a compelling story. The book will grab you and hold you right up to the end, but it is a tearful ending that catches you off guard - as do the tides of war and oppression.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story involves the developing relationship ( both personal and artistic) between two women, an experienced acrobat and a novice situated in a traveling, German circus during WWII. The novice, who was found in a forest, has just rescued a newborn from a railcar that contained bodies of dying and deceased babies headed for elimination. The plot was reasonably interesting and was loosely based on research by the author
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I will begin by stating that once I started, I couldn't put this book down. I loved it! The setting is WWII with a cast of characters, each who must make very difficult decisions which impact on their lives and those of others. Different from other books with a WWII setting, this includes a cast of circus characters as they travel through war-torn Germany and France, stopping only where the Nazi regime tells them they can set up tent. The story begins with a young German girl whose family abandons her when they learn of her pregnancy by a Nazi soldier. Ecking out a living at a train station, the lonely girl had her baby but it was immediately taken from her by the German authorities. Longing for her baby and the truth of what happened to him causes her to make a decision to grab a baby in a train car filled with Jewish babies headed East for extermination.Fleeing in the frozen cold of Germany, baby cradled under her coat, she awakens to find that she and the baby are rescued by a traveling circus. Noa must find a way to earn her keep in order to survive with the baby. Astrid is a Jew whose family was killed by the Nazi's. She was married to a German soldier who abandoned her when told by Nazi authorities that all soldiers who have Jewish wives, must put them aside. Heartbroken and stubbornly strong, Astrid hooks up with the traveling circus using her skills on the trapeze 40 feet high above the circus tent. Astird's family lost their circus during the war and she is hired by the lone remaining circus. Teaching Noa to learn acrobatic feats high in the air, both learn to trust each other lest one fall. The backdrop of the circus holds the reader as we learn the cast of different characters trying to keep the circus alive. Bravely, the owner and ring leader, puts his life and those of the circus, by welcoming Astrid and Noa to the family. All too easily the authorities hear of a circus hiding a Jew, Astrid literally takes her life in her hands each time she performs death defying feats in the air while praying that on the ground there are no Nazi's in the crowd waiting to capture her.Because Noa's stolen baby is Jewish, they also are at great risk. This is a story of the hardship of the war, the power of the Nazi's as the wipe out towns and lives, scattering bodies throughout, but mainly, it is a story of risk taking and of the ability to find friendship and trust in a world that spins out of control.Thus far, this is the best book I've read this year! Highly recommended with Five Stars!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Powerful, emotional story that will stay with you. As compelling as Schindler’s List. Stories about World War II are always fascinating to me, and The Orphan’s Tale is no exception. Learning about the many varieties of heroes who just had to do what was right no matter the danger warms my heart, and has me reaching for the tissues. On the surface The Orphan’s Tale is a story about two very different women and their dangerous journeys, and how fate and circumstance bring them together. But it’s also about love and betrayal and secrets and heartbreak and hope. I couldn’t put it down and I will be thinking about it for a long time to come. Pam Jenoff is a new-to-me author who is now at the top of my TBR list.