The Violin Makers Daughter by Sharon Maas
Stacey • July 28, 2019
A riveting tale of impressionable Sarah, an apprentice violin maker and non-practising Jew in the midst of a raging war, systematically spreading throughout Europe. The first time the Nazi’s appear they decide to hide their Jewish background and stay in their beloved family home. The terrorizing wait to see if they can remain hidden and be left in peace…. The ultimate betrayal eventually comes to call and their status of Aryan decent has come into question and they are given a week to provide the paperwork… The countdown begins.
The time has come to flee but they cannot flee together. They must separate and go in smaller groups. Sarah must go alone and she must leave first. Her life depends on her ability to blend in, keep her head down, trust the people she does not know, to keep her safe. She must learn to keep her emotions in check. Keeping the despair of leaving her family from bubbling to the surface and her blind hatred for all Germans under wraps as to not draw attention to herself.
On her journey she mets Ralf, German and a soldier. She still can’t bring herself to trust him, even after her saves her life. Now he’s on the run too and agrees to get Sarah safely to where she needs to be. During their journey he will do much more than just protect her…. He will teach her to avoid detection, master her emotions, be brave and how to survive… He shows her that just as a war can destroy and create hate, It doesn’t have the power to stop an all consuming love.
Hiding their identities and deny who they are as the race from safe house to safe house, Ralf and Sarah continue their journey together. All too soon Ralf is captured and Sarah has a choice to make.
The weight of the world seems to rest on the shoulders of young Sarah. Having no world knowledge and being held in practically like a hostage in her home by a war she doesn’t understand and the full gravity of it being held secret by her parents. All she wants to do is make violins and put the love and careful attention to detail into each and every one. When the pounding on their door comes that night and Sarah now knows what her parents were keeping from her. She must leave the safety of her home, of her family and make the dangerous journey to safety. The rough terrain and the soldiers everywhere. Not knowing who she can trust, keeping a part of herself hidden so she can remain undetected. She has to keep her wits about her and ultimately her eye on the prize.
You can feel the emotional rollercoaster she is on. You literally watch her throw off her adolescences and transition into womanhood in such a quick succession, it would make anyones head spin. It really comes to a head when she is saved by a young German Soldier, Ralf who is now on the run too, having risked his life to save her and her friend Eric.
The journey is, at times, agony to read. Sarahs hatred for all Germans is so black and white that she can’t, at first, see there is so much grey all around her. Everything she says, everything she does, every small detail has to be just right in order to avoid detection. She has no life skills to help her on this life or death quest to safety. She is learning as she goes.
The whole book from start to finish is like watching Sarah mature from a naive caterpillar into a butterfly of knowledge. Her full transition from child to woman is painfully played out and you will feel every emotion right along with her. My heart was so full to bursting and the tears were hard to bite back knowing she was wholly dependent on herself and trying to navigate her feelings for a man she barely knows and didn’t trust in the beginning. No experiences to draw on and no Mother to ask. The whole book had me reeling with the simplicity of tale and the complexity of a world that we today, cannot comprehend. You could almost hear the footsteps of the Soldiers along the cobble stone streets and feel the pounding on the front door.
I’ve never read any of Sharon Maas’ work before, which is shocking to me as I am an avid historical fiction reader. This book was right on the money for me. You can feel the fear of the unknown, the hatred and the violence of a time that the author herself, didn’t live through but really has a way with the written word. I felt like I was living through 1940s France. The hairs on my arms would stand on end whenever she came to a check point. The air of silent terror really played out well through the whole book for me.
I really felt love can conquer all, even hatred. Historical fiction enthusiasts should really add this to their reading pile. If you enjoy having your heart beating as fast as a drum, having sweaty palms so slick you can barely hold the book any more and breathing so quietly so the Nazi’s can’t hear you, then this is the read for you.
Sincerely, The Lioness
Welcome to the Lit-indie Files. Where I take a chance on small/indie published books and bring you the inside scoop!! I just finished The Fruit Tree by Sabir Ahmed and here are my musings. Adam is shy and Eve is popular and they never expected their paths to cross but cross they do. Becoming friends and eventually more, they have a sweet and gentle love… The Adam and Eve retelling you didn’t know you needed. With all the religious parts removed, imagine the story now with no good or evil, just two people who fall in love and the other people to blame for the good and the bad are themselves… I enjoyed the plot. I liked the concept of Adam and Eve and being responsible for their own actions. It was different.. Clever. I didn’t like the formatting. I think it made it look like it was self-published. The author started too many sentences with He… It was far too repetitive. I think that was probably the only negatives I could find. I think some editing would have really been welcomed here as so many wonderful parts of the story weren’t highlighted in the best way.. There was a bit of fluff that have been removed too but I liked the characters and I did enjoy the tone and pace of the book. The cover was great! If I was buying this based on the cover alone I would definitely do it. I could see some real genius in the raw writing but it needs a good polishing and some editing… Then this book would be ready for the critiques! The rating…. 3.5 stars and I took time deciding on that. There was a lot of good in this book but there were also some things that needed some reworkings. Thank you to Sabir Ahmed for sending me a physical copy of their book. I know it can’t be easy to do and I am grateful for your trust. Out now. #sabirahmed #litdulterous #litindiefiles #indie #indiepublishing #bookalorian #bookreview #bookrecs #tbr #toberead #readingislit #bookslayer #thefruittree #bookinfluencer #literaryinfluencer #readersofinstagram
I just finished The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin and here are my musings. Effie never expected to go home.. Back to the wilderness of the New Zealand bush but one phone call changes everything. A little girl is found, she looks exactly like Effie and she has witnessed something terrible… Something awful has happened to her and only Effie can find out what that is. This book was difficult for me. The subject matter is quite sickening and I really had to remind myself it was fiction because it felt insanely real. The writing didn’t come across as entertainment but as a real event I was privy to watching. We get dual timelines from Effie’s POV. We get the current day when Anya is found and then Effie’s past and the lead up to her fleeing home. My main problem with the book was purely the tone. It was monotonal for the most part but I think that was deliberate. The story of what had happened to the little girl and the history that started it all likely needed the story to be told this way but it’s just not my favorite way to read. I like books to adapt as they go, adjust the pacing when needed but this one little kept it consistent throughout. It’s a personal thing, I’m likely in the minority here. I thought the plot was excellent. It really hooked me from the get go and I was super invested in what was happening. I liked the characters, especially June. I felt she was a wonderful lady and it came across while reading. I liked how it ended too. It took all the loose ends and wrapped everything up neatly enough without being too neat you know? It was a solid book. Thought provoking and terrifying in equal measures. It was unique and well done. 4.25 stars Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for inviting me to the Book tour for this book and for my gifted ARC. All opinions are my own. You can find all my reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A
I just finished The Lake Escape by Jamie Day and here are my thoughts. Three childhood friends who still as adults, visit their summer properties sounds idyllic. Trying to ignore the trappings of their real lives, they all settle in for the summer but when David’s girlfriend disappears mysteriously, they cannot help connecting it to other missing girls cases from years ago.. Did the lake take another one or is something more sinister plaguing their paradise? This had some really intriguing moments and some really…. Suspend your disbelief moments. It didn’t seem to have an inbetween. The writing was really good and the narration was great but some parts just kinda went off into obscurity and then snapped back into the story in a really bizarre way. I’m all for fiction being unreal but this didn’t fit so well for me with the extremity of it. Having said that, it was a really entertaining audio and I liked how it ended, which was not what I was expecting. I hated all the characters but that’s a given for me sometimes haha. The pacing could have been better but it didn’t detract from how clever this book really was and I didn’t find any plot holes. 4 stars Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for my gifted copy You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A You can find all my book merch at Bookaloriandesigns.com and bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com #thelakeescape #jamieday #thrillerbook #bookslayer #bookish #bookclub #thrillerbookclub #bookalorian #bookishpodcast #readerpodcast #podcaster #bookmerchstore #bookishbusiness #literaryinfluencer
I just finished The Secret Librarian by Soraya M. Lane Avery is engaged to be married which is what all girls in 1942 want right? Avery longs for adventure so when she is offered an undercover intelligence gathering position in Portugal under the guise of being a librarian, she jumps at the chance. She meets Camille, a french widow with a bookstore. Both women are fighting in their own ways but someone knows who Camille really is and can’t tehy stay ahead of their enemies? I have a real love for WW2 historical novels so I tend to need a certain level of perfection.. This one delivered in spades. I loved Avery and Camille. They both worked to help people during the war no matter what danger they were putting themselves in but Camille was looking for the British spy who killed her family… It was crazy intense!! I loved all the layers there were to the story. I really enjoyed the character development of Avery and Camille. It was heartwarming and tragic. It was a beautifully written story about a time in our history that we should have not have had to live through. Stunning narration. I highly recommend it. 4 stars thank you to @brillanceaudio for my gifted copy and @netgalley for sending it 🤣🤣🤣 Make sure you check out my store Bookaloriandesigns.com Bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com Unique bookish merch for the book dragon connoisseur. You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A Youtube.com/@litdulterous #bookish #thesecretlibrarian #historicalfiction #historicalfictionlover #brillanceaudio #booksbooksbooks #litdulterous #bookalorian #bookblog #bookishblog #bookrecs #ww2novel #bookpodcast
Welcome to the Lit-indie Files. Where I take a chance on small/indie published books and bring you the inside scoop!! - Dream Lair Books I just finished Callasandra Fractured by Stephanie Douglas, a debut novel, and here are my thoughts. When her dad was kidnapped right in front of her, Cassi didn’t expect the coded message out of his mouth would change her life forever. The warning scatters all of earth’s citizens across other dimensions. Cassi wakes up in Cimerrion, a terrible place where everyone is under scrutiny, she's never felt more alone. Learning she has to conceal her identity the resistance realizes who she is… and what they need to do to help her survive. Firstly… The ending? WHAT!! Is that it? Will there be a sequel? I have a million questions and a quiet fear that they won’t be answered. I do not like ambiguous endings and I really don’t like cliffhangers. And how genius were the QR codes for the music? I’ve never done that before and I was excited every time I saw one on the page. You don’t have to do it but the Soundtrack-enhanced fiction writing might just be my latest obsession. I thought the writing was expressive and clever. Cassi has to change her name and mixes her own name with the one she should have used and Callasandra is born. I enjoyed all the characters and they were well defined and relatable. I think the character development was probably the win with this book. I did find Cassi a tad underdeveloped in spots but I have a soft spot for her. I have some things I don't think are great… This is a sci-fi dystopian novel. Cool but it was so vague on how the big sci-fi event even happened and why the dad was taken. Sci-fi needs the who, what, when, why, how circle to be complete and this didn’t happen for me and that did not sit well with me at all. Even if the next book explains it, there was not enough meat here for anyone who likes sci-fi to want to pick up book 2. There needed to be a taste. I did read it in one sitting because I was invested in knowing more and hoping Cassi made it back to her mom and twin. 3.75 stars and if there is a book 2, I will pick it up. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your book. I was thoroughly charmed. @stephaniedouglas @dreamerslairbooks for my gifted copy #callasandrafragile #stephaniedouglas #indieauthor #bookreview #boookalorian #litdulterous #bookblog #readervlog #booktok #booktube #booktubereader #reader
I just finished Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross and here are my thoughts. Matilda is a young goddess and one more powerful than most. She can walk between realms but she also has a secret she must hide to protect herself. Vincent is a mortal who dreams of her often and they are friends in the dream world. When Vincent has a need of her help in the real world… His request goes ignored and he hardens himself and moves on. That is until the day she falls through his window with a letter for him in her hands. Fate had moved these pieces in hopes of rewriting the bloody ways of the gods…. Can she sacrifice her vulnerability for love? This is a prequel to Divine Rivals and I was chomping at the bit to read this book as soon as I heard it was in the works. It took a while to get into. The story is obviously set long before the time of the original duology and when you already love a book, it’s hard to read a book when you don’t know the characters yet. Or at least it is for me but once I fully emerge myself into the story I was totally swept up into Matilda’s story and the path she was forging. I definitely loved the backstory of the gods. It helped to understand the setting in Divine Rivals more and tied up some questions that I had. I loved Vincent. He was so sweet and his story was so tragic but he loved his people and he had such a big heart I couldn’t help being charmed by him. I loved all the magic and the lore, this is really and truly where the book shines in my opinion. The author does an amazing job of world building and it really does add value to the series. I did find the first part of the audiobook to be rather slow and not much really happened but it does pick up and the narration is fabbo!! I definitely enjoyed this book and I do hope we get more books in this series. 4 stars Thank you to @stmartinspress @saturdaybooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy You can find all my reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A #saturdaybooks #wildreverence #fantasy #fantasybook #fantasybooklover #readersofig #bookish
I just finished Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke and here are my musings! Katherine Cole is on trial… Every man she has had any kind of relationship with, has a different view of her. Her father remembers his sweet little girl. Her best friend remembers the conspiracy theories they share, her lover regrets meeting her, her lawyer… Knows something is off and a journalist sees the murder they have accused her of being. Which one is correct? This book was different… A good difference but a real risk in taking such an interesting twist in storytelling. We get the same person but several perspectives and I will admit, it took a while to keep everyone straight. I think it was around the 25% mark that I felt like I knew what was what so I can see how there might be some DNFs out there on this one. It just shows you too that the way we see ourselves, isn’t always how others see us and it was a clever story. I truly had no idea who was correct and whether she was guilty or not but it was told in such a way that it really could have gone any way. I didn’t really connect with any character but it gave me a more clinical view on the book instead like I was trying studying it like a case file. It was great to be honest, I enjoyed it more than I expected after the rough start. 4 stars Thank you to @harperaudio and @netgalley for my gifted copy You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A You can find all my book merch at Bookaloriandesigns.com and bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com #hermanyfaces #niccicloke #thriller #thrillerreader #bookworm #bookishreview #booklover #booksbooksbooks #bookalorian #litdulterous #igbooks
I just finished Last Seen by J.T. Ellison and here are my musings. Halley’s life is falling apart. The loss of her job and her marriage crumbling… Her dad needing help seems like a reprieve. She doesn’t expect to find a dark truth her father was hiding… That her mother was murdered… By her older sister… A sister who was released and is now missing. Halley has to know the truth but the answers she seeks are dangerous and someone doesn’t want the truth to be set free. DUDDDEEEEEESSSS this book was INTENSE!!! Could you imagine having your dad lie to you for years? ARGHHH!!! I could feel it. The confusion and anger. The emotions came off the book in eaves and added to tension that the book had already started to build. I like Halley. She was raw and authentic. The whole book just solidified my thoughts on her and her need to find the truth. It was insane… The lies… What happened… The ending actually blew my mind. I was not prepared for it at all. I love being surprised, especially when it makes sense and is not outlandish. Clever, clever writing. I was very very impressed. The pacing was excellent and I had a low thrum of fear for Halley the whole time. It was perfect! One of the best thrillers of the year. 4.5 stars Thank you @brilliancepublishing for my gifted copy Thank you visiting my page! For exclusive content and to keep up with all my posts, don’t forget to like/follow my page! You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1 YouTube.com/@litdulterous You can find all my book merch at Bookaloriandesigns.com and bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com I appreciate you all! ❤️ #lastseen #jtellison #thrillerbook #thrillerreader #audiobook #audiobookreview #audiobookreader #audiobookstagram #bookalorian #litdulterous #bookpodcast #bookishpodcast 1w
I just finished I Can’t Even by Jenn McKinlay and here are my musings. Julia does not want to go home but when her estranged overbearing mother requests her to, she begrudgingly goes. Bab’s is terminally ill and when she passes her will states that all 3 daughters have to stay in the house or lose their inheritance. It shouldn’t be too hard but her old boyfriend still lives next door and he looks so good! She wants to explain the reason she ran away 10 years ago but he is reluctant to talk to her.. Can she win him back and get her inheritance? Whoa! There was a fuckton going on in this book. So many threads to keep track of. Julia and coming to terms with her mother’s death, the secret that was kept and trying to win back her ex. Both her sisters have shit going on too. So many things that could have been missed and not one plot hole could be found. That was impressive. The audiobook was pretty dang good and I loved how entertaining it was. I really enjoyed the parallels with the romance and then finding out why her mother didn’t love her like her sisters and neither one fell through the cracks. It was clever. I loved the audio as it really brought the banter and tension between Julia and Liam. You could almost hear the crackling of attraction that still thrummed between them. I even liked the cousin who was set to inherit if they didn’t stick to the will. Yeah I know but she was great haha. 4 stars Thank you @dreamscape_media and @netgalley for my gifted copy. You can find all my reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A #icanteven #jennmckinlay #booklover #Romancenovel #humor #domesticfiction #bookreview #bookbabe #bookishpodcast #bookpodcast #bookcommunity #bookblogger
I just finished All Because of You by Lissa Lovik and here are my thoughts. A grocery store meet-cute has Chris falling hard… Using a fallen receipt to track Serena down, he is just helping fate move faster. He won’t rush her… He will just watch, wait… Bide his time. The road to true love isn’t always fast. Serena has no idea that the chance meeting at her real estate job was carefully curated. Believing she has found the most amazing man, she settles into dating…. Chris will do anything to keep her… Even if that means crossing lines and breaking laws to do it. Serious You vibes right here which should have put me off because I didn’t connect with that series but this one actually really enjoyed it. I think it’s because you know Chris is a FREAK and there is zero chance of romanticizing him which is a complaint I have with Joe from You. It was done really well. I was sufficiently creeped out and the audio narration was done with expert precision. It was so good. Well paced and interesting with just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. I liked the story, I wasn’t overly in love with the parts with Serena’s best friend and that was something I could have done without. All in all, a solid thriller. 4 stars So if you are in your Halloween reading era.. add this one to your TBR! Thank you @brillancepublishing and @netgalley for my gifted copy! Make sure you check out my store Bookaloriandesigns.com Bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com Unique bookish merch for the book dragon connoisseur. You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A Youtube.com/@litdulterous #allbecauseofyou #lissalovik #thriller #stalker #booktokcanada #bookalorian #litdulterous #bookpodcast #bookrevs #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookinfluencer
