Welcome to Litsy!

A heartbreaking journey of Noa and Astrid‘s & their circumstances that lead to their involvement of the circus during WWII. When there is so much sadness & brokenness, the circus serves as a beacon of hope for the circus employees and show goers. Enduring raids, loss of lives & love, and being ostracized, the unlikely pair form a sisterly bond through the trapeze. Life is fragile, but their resilience is strong as the rope that holds in the sky.

#book2book another batch

HISTORICAL FICTION - WORLD WAR II

Another beautifully written book by Ms. Jenoff revealing another not well-known fact about WWII.

The circus theme was quite interesting. I wasn‘t aware of traveling circuses during that time, but it seems like the perfect way to help keep​ ​some of the Jewish community safe and hidden during the Holocaust.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/4ecuw7vw

PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 21, 2017

#pamjenoff

Good not great. My #bookspin for April @TheAromaofBooks

I started this book for a bookclub, excited to get into it!
#😄#bookclub#canada

This one started out with haunting trauma; however, the extent to which better souls will go to save lives, even of strangers, prevails. It‘s a good story. Most of it takes place within the setting of a traveling German circus which makes me curious about The Circus Train - still unread on my shelves.

From author Pam Jenoff‘s Instagram post, promoting her soon to be released book, Code Name Sapphire.Her novel is included in this list of historical novels to be published in 2023:

https://www.hastybooklist.com/home/my-most-anticipated-historical-novels-of-2023

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Thanks to these Litsy folks for today‘s prompt:

#SAVVYSETTINGS
March 2022
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks

Today‘s Prompt: CIRCUS 3/26

Ms. Jenoff always does exquisite research. You would think all has been known and written about WWII, but the circus assisting the Jewish people was interesting, enlightening, and wonderful to know how another group helped the Jewish people…https://tinyurl.com/sdmejefm

Travelling circus - WW2

#train #savvysettings @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I love Jenoff‘s HF, do you?

I am not surprised that this book was selected by my irl Bookclub. We read at least 3-4 WWII stories every year. This book hits the flip side, too, because we seem to really like stories about the rescuing of orphaned children.
This is my planned reading for the weekend.
Snow is expected.🌨

This wasn‘t the greatest reading month for me, between surgery stuff and work stuff. Nonetheless, I fulfilled one of my #readinggoals by getting completely caught up with Inspector Gamache for #seriesread2021 by reading the two latest books. I liked but didn‘t love them, so by default that left the one #LMPBC book that I got in the mail as my favorite. Yes, another WWII historical novel, but it was a different take. #12booksof2021 #September

@BridgetteM I‘m sending your #LMPBC book back tomorrow from our final rotation.
#Round012 #GroupI

I‘m definitely in the minority, and I really wanted to like this more, but I actually struggled a bit through this one. A tale about the role the circus played in sheltering Jews in WW2, my favorite parts were the aerialists‘ performances. My two main issues (and unfortunately they were rather important) were the slowness/melodrama in parts and the actions of the characters themselves not feeling realistic (so frustrating at times). I felt 🔻

What a story! Robin, I‘ll send this along to you in the next few days.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
#LMPBC

#firstlinefridays

My first blind book sent from Page 1. My friend gifted me a three month subscription, you provide likes and dislikes then they send a book out…I think they did good. If you have the book or don‘t like it, they send you a new one, I was relieved to see that as not being in control is not my strong suit. 😂This is a treat.

Fantastic read!

Thanks to:

#LITSYSPRINGBREAK
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@TheKidUpstairs

Today‘s Prompt: CIRCUS

Ms. Jenoff always does exquisite research. You would think all has been known and written about WWII, but the circus assisting the Jewish people was interesting, enlightening, and wonderful to know how another group helped the Jewish people. 

Another FABULOUS book.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/yetvuqyh

Really enjoyed this audiobook. It‘s about love and friendship during WWII set in one the few traveling circus‘s still allowed to perform. I found the way the book was wrapped up at the end to be especially touching. It did slog a bit in the middle but overall, I really enjoyed it.

I loved that this one married up two of my favorite topics in fiction World War II and the circus. A circus sheltering Jews, a talented trapeze artist, a circus novice with a twice stolen baby, friendship, love, and secrets, this was a real page turner. Unfortunately it has a really unbelievable streak. Characterization isn‘t consistent, relationships develop with absurd speed, and it turns a bit melodramatic. Wanted to love it, but only liked.

Finishing up my weekend read & listening🎧

So much heartbreak. But also so much love!
Noa gets pregnant by a German solider, her parents kick her out, her baby is taken from her and she finds herself working at a train station. She comes across a train car full of Jewish babies, takes one and flees. A beautifully wonderful and tragic story follows as she tries to save herself and baby Theo. I could not put this one down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This has been on my TBR shelf for AGES so I figured it was time to pull it off the shelf and put it into play!

After reading WWII stories by Ruta Sepetys, this really feels like a let-down. I do appreciate the research Jenoff did into Jewish circus families and how circuses operated during the war, but she didn't do enough to establish how the characters' relationships with each other evolved. It felt like suddenly Noa and Astrid trusted each other enough to be close, and Noa's relationship with Leo advanced at similarly lightning speeds.

I enjoyed listening to this WWII story- though I think I would have been less forgiving of it had I read a physic copy. Narrated by Noa and Astrid, both women have known plenty of hardship before coming together in a circus still permitted to travel during the war. It‘s definitely sad, but well-performed and though the story may feel a bit familiar at times, it‘s still an engaging listen! #AudioColoring

Just finished Pam Jenoff‘s “The Orphan‘s Tale.” One of the minor characters said, “We cannot change who we are. Sooner or later we will all have to face ourselves.” To me, this rings true. What say you?

A good first read for the year! I became overloaded by WWII books, but this is a different spin on that war.

This was a bit of a let down. The story was good but the writing style left a lot to be desired. The dialogue was simple and stilted and the characters weren‘t really well developed. #litsyAtoZ

Thank you @Soubhiville for the wonderful birthday surprise! I love everything, from the book and bookmark to the cutest card and even cuter wrapping! 💕 You are a gem! Thank you!

During the reign of Nazis, there were a handful of German circuses who were still allowed to travel and perform. Some circus owners hid Jews who, in return, were trained as performers with name changes and documentation. This is brilliantly done historical fiction.

@Insightsintobooks

Wow all I can say is...
What a fantastic story!!!

A bit Water for Elephants, a bit Romeo & Juliet, a bit of courageous history ... while this book eventually broke my heart, I'm glad I read it.

Cleaned out one of my garden beds and planted bulbs to the tune of the tagged audiobook. I had no idea it was about the circus!

Not sure if the after picture looks better or worse but it will in the spring when it‘s full of tulips 🌷

Up early listening to audiobooks and making pie. I love fall.

This book is so good. I love the back and forth with the main characters. Definite book hangover, though.

I‘m only a few chapters in and I‘m already hooked. Can‘t wait to really get into this one!

I couldn‘t resist picking this up when I saw it in the secondhand shop the other day! (Back on the book buying ban wagon now!) #train #letstravelaugust

So much of life in pictures on social media is beauty but reality is very different. My joy today was being able to listen to this book while completing a chore. ~ This book was beautifully told and elegantly read. Yet, the stories of suffering during WWII were ugly & painful and sad & agonizing. I liked the combination of circus life and Nazi persecution. I was surprised yet pleased with the ending.

7 pints of sweet relish

My current audiobook and #LitsyLove headed out today. I've even got a letter going to a friend in Missouri. Snail mail 🐌💌 is fun again!

started this last night ~ I cringed at the description of babies in the train car

Phenomenal. This book was so rich, full of characters, culture, heart wrenching moments that made your heart break in two. This book really got to me in the best way. Circus life in the time of hitlers reign. It was so beyond something I‘d ever imagine with my own brain, I love when a book brings me somewhere I‘d never go on my own. Highly recommend.

❤️

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A different take on the Holocaust story. A German traveling circus hides Jews. the story focuses more on the day-to-day life in the circus. The author does not go into a lot of detail about the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Overall, I found it an interesting story.

"Never assume that you know the mind of another."

This book caught me from the beginning!! So many feels and an interesting take on WWII.

I love reading WWII historical fiction and had high hopes for this. IMHO, it sorely missed the mark. The premise was so interesting, with a circus still running during the war, and the circus master hiding several Jews in his crew. There is so much missed opportunity with this story and it read more like a sappy romantic melodrama - highly disappointing, as WWII was filled with plenty of drama and the characters here make so many unrealistic ⬇️

Finished this one up on audio while at work this morning, and I‘ve got to say....I loved it! Definitely not my normal pick, but so so glad I gave it a chance. The friendship between Noa and Astrid amid all the hardships is absolutely beautiful. And the ending had me just about in tears. 4.5/5 ⭐️