Monday, June 24, 2024

Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar (Review)

Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
Released: February 25, 2020
338 pages
About the Book:

August 1942. Jacob and Moses Stein, two young Jewish brothers, are staying with their aunt in Paris amid the Nazi occupation. The boys’ parents, well-known German playwrights, have left the brothers in their aunt’s care until they can find safe harbor for their family. But before the Steins can reunite, a great and terrifying roundup occurs. The French gendarmes, under Nazi order, arrest the boys and take them to the Vélodrome d’Hiver—a massive, bleak structure in Paris where thousands of France’s Jews are being forcibly detained.

Jacob and Moses know they must flee in order to survive, but they only have a set of letters sent from the south of France to guide them to their parents. Danger lurks around every corner as the boys, with nothing but each other, trek across the occupied country. Along their remarkable journey, they meet strangers and brave souls who put themselves at risk to protect the children—some of whom pay the ultimate price for helping these young refugees of war.



My Rating & Thoughts:    


We are following the journey of two brothers trying to escape Paris and be reunited with their parents when Paris becomes unsafe for Jewish children. The journey the boys take is filled with a lot of anxiety and scary moments. They do run into some trouble and there are many close calls, but they meet some wonderful people along the way that help them even when it is risky for themselves. I was inspired by those who assisted. At times the story felt disjointed and I had trouble following what was going on due to details being left out. There were also some parts that felt inserted for no particular reason. I struggle with understanding the actions of the parents and would have appreciated if their thoughts had been shared. The ending felt a bit abrupt and left me wondering what the future held for the boys. It was interesting to read the history notes at the end and discover that some of the characters were based on real people from and their actions.

Favourite Quotes: 
“It may be that this world just gets messier, but you'll always be able to find good people in it.”
“Love is a decision more than a feeling.”
(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)
 

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