Release Date: February 21 , 2017

My Review:

Noa is a sixteen year old Dutch girl who cleans a German rail station in exchange for food and shelter. She is alone and destitute after being after being disowned by her family.  Noa became pregnant by a Nazi soldier during the occupation.  She was forced to give up the child for adoption and her parents could not forgive her transgressions.  One evening she hears noises coming from a railway car in the station.  She finds it filled with Jewish infants, some dead and some clinging to life. Still grieving and in shock from her own loss, she makes an impulsive decision to rescue one baby.   

Noa finds refuge with a traveling German circus troupe.  She trains to be an aerialist under the supervision of the lead performer, Astrid.  Astrid’s family ran a circus prior to the war and she is hiding her Jewish roots. Both women have a difficult time connecting while they guard their precious secrets. Over time their rivalry begins to breakdown and a bond develops.

This book is narrated in the voices of the two main characters. This is an emotional tale of survival and courage during a difficult time in Europe. Although it is not a biography, this story is loosely based on real people and events researched by the author, Pam Jenoff.