Code Name Sapphire Book Review

When one nation forces occupation on the other, there are two choices: stay silent and hope that you live to see freedom. The other is to fight against the occupier, knowing full well what the consequences could be.

Pam Jenoff‘s new novel, Code Name Sapphire, was published last month. Hannah Martel is on the run from Nazi Germany. After losing her fiance during a pogrom, she hopes that the ship she is on will take her to America and freedom. But it is sent back to Europe ( a la SS St. Louis). With nowhere else to go, she lands in Brussels and moves in with her cousin Lily and Lily’s family.

Instead of laying low, she returns to her previous resistance work, hoping that this will be her ticket out. Joining the group known as Code Name Sapphire, she meets its leader, Micheline, and Micheline’s brother, Matteo. When a mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and put on the list for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah has to choose. She can continue with her resistance work or find a way to undo the damage of her error.

Jenoff does it again. Her narratives are powerful, human, and compelling, and speak to the complications that war creates. One of the things that spoke to me was the perceived comfort that Lily believed was hers. Knowing what we know now, it was merely a smoke screen that temporarily delayed the inevitable.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Code Name Sapphire is available wherever books are sold.

P.S. It is beyond disgusting that once more, the Republican Party appropriates history to fit their needs.

As a Michigan Jew with family who was murdered in Auschwitz, I find this comparison horribly offensive. The Michigan Republican Party should apologize to the Jewish community and educate itself on the Holocaust. Oh, and there were Jews who used guns to kill Nazis. https://t.co/yodeVCxrph

— Howard Lovy (@Howard_Lovy) March 23, 2023

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Maid of Dishonor Book Review

Falling in love with your best friend is complicated. As much as you know this person, you also know that there is a chance that your friendship may not last.

Maid of Dishonor (the first in the Love Mishaps series), by Gracie Ruth Mitchell, was published in 2021. Samantha Quinn and Carter Ellis have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Neither knows that one is in love with the other. While doing everything they can to prevent Carter’s cousin from marrying for the wrong reasons, their unspoken feelings rise to the surface.

Both Samantha and Carter have emotional scars that are preventing them from revealing their feelings. They can either pretend that nothing has changed or take the plunge, not knowing what their future holds.

I loved this book. It has all of the elements of the genre. But it is neither completely predictable nor boring. The chemistry between Samantha and Carter sizzles. They have a perfect Emma Woodhouse and George Knightly-style relationship that quickly drew me in and held me until the last page.

My only issue is the low point in the story could have been extended a bit more.

Do I recommend it?

Absolutely. Maid of Dishonor is available wherever books are sold.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

The Woman with the Cure Book Review

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when a woman accomplishes something outside of the traditional spheres of marriage and motherhood, there are two responses. The first is to downplay their work. The second is for a male in a similar position to claim to her achievement as his own.

The Woman with the Cure, by Lynn Cullen, was published in February. In the early 20th century, polio threatened the lives of millions of American kids. The virus seemed to be two steps ahead of the scientists whose job was to find the cause and create a vaccine. During the 1940s and 1950s, Dorothy Horstmann was the only woman in a room full of men. The youngest daughter of immigrants from Germany, she was fighting on two fronts: the disease and sexism.

Her experiments led her to the hypothesis that polio spreads through the human body via the blood. When an error by one of Dorothy’s teammates opens the door to a universal acceptance of her theory, she becomes the one who might be known as the one who “broke the back of polio”. This is the opportunity that Dorothy has been looking for. But there are also pitfalls that could sink everything that she has been working for.

This book is amazing. I am not shocked that Dorothy has finally been given her due after decades of silence. Like her contemporary Rosalind Franklin, the only reason that her name and the advancements she made have been “forgotten” is because of her gender.

What I liked was the emotional push and pull of the narrative. Though Dorothy was dedicated to her work, she also wanted to come home to someone at the end of the day. What we forget these days is that idea that women can have it all (even with its flaws) is a relatively new one. It is because of foremothers like Dorothy Horstmann that it is possible to have a thriving career while having a spouse/partner and children.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Woman with the Cure is available wherever books are sold.

When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe’s Life in England Book Review

Sometimes, the making of a film is just as interesting as the final product.

When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe’s Life in England, by Michelle Morgan, was published last year. In 1956, Marilyn Monroe was the biggest movie star in the world. That year, she and her new husband, playwright Arthur Miller flew to England. She was scheduled to shoot The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). Her on-screen love interest was Sir Laurence Olivier.

The plan was simple. Arthur was going to write and Marilyn was going to make the film during the day. At night, they would relax and enjoy being newlyweds. But as we all know, when we plan, our creator laughs.

She was being hounded by the press. Though Monroe and Olivier did their best to be professional, their mutual dislike was obvious. While across the pond, Monroe became interested in Queen Elizabeth II and eventually met her before returning to the States.

I enjoyed the book. Morgan bring the narrative and her subjects to life in a way that made me feel like I was with them during the experience. What she does exceptionally well is revealing the real women beneath Monroe’s Hollywood facade. Though she was strong and smarter than many thought she was, she was also beset by her troubled past and low self-esteem.

The only issue I have is the title. I feel like it does not mesh well with the story. If it was me, I would have emphasized the making of the film in addition to meeting the Queen.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe’s Life in England is available wherever books are sold.

American Brush-Off Book Review

Eighty-plus years after World War II, the stories of both civilians and soldiers continue to captivate us.

American Brush Off, by Max Willi Fischer, was published in 2020. In 1942, Lud Mueller is 17 and an average teenage boy. The son of German American immigrants family, he is as American as apple pie and baseball. Due to his lineage, Lud, his family, and thousands of others are labeled as “enemy aliens”. Forced out of their homes and sent to the Texas desert, they secretly become a collective pawn by the government.

Forced to deal with Nazi wannabes and a romance that goes south, Lud changes in ways that are unforeseen and life-altering. When the war finally ends, he is not the young man he was previously, but those at the top remain the same.

We all know about the Japanese internment camps. Up until this book, I had no idea that German Americans were treated in the same manner. As the protagonist, Lud is a compelling character. But I could not get into the story.

Do I recommend it? No

American Brush-Off is available wherever books are sold.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

ARC Review: Code Name Edelweiss Book Review

History is full of lessons that are there for us to learn from. The question is, can we learn from the past or are we too stubborn/afraid to see it?

Code Name Edelweiss, by Stephanie Landsem was published this month.  Liesl Weiss is a single mother living in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Without her husband, she is the sole caretaker of the young children and aging mother. Though her younger brother lives with them, he cares more about himself that the family. When she loses her job, everything goes to pieces.

A wanted ad leads her to Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer who believes that Nazis have infiltrated Hollywood and are planning to use it to spread their message. But the powers that be are putting their focus elsewhere. Without any other options in sight, Liesel accepts his offer to spy on her friends and neighbors. What starts out as a mere paycheck turns into a realization that there is a dangerous undercurrent that could destroy the country.

Based on a true story, this book is amazing. Part spy thriller and part historical fiction, it is one hell of a ride. From the word go, the danger is in the reader’s face. I love Liesel as the main character. She is a woman walking a tightrope that could tear at any moment. Torn between her conscience and doing what she needs to do to keep her family afloat, Liesel has to make a choice that could put everyone she loves in danger.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. I would even go as far as to say that it is one of my favorite books of 2023 so far.

Code Name: Edelweiss is available wherever books are sold.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC review copy.

The American Way: A True Story of Nazi Escape, Superman, and Marilyn Monroe Book Review

One of the things that I find interesting is how pop culture and history is intertwined.

The American Way: A True Story of Nazi Escape, Superman, and Marilyn Monroe, by Helen Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler, was published last month. It brings together three stories that otherwise, would exist in separate worlds: a Jewish family desperate to escape Nazi Germany, the creation and cultural explosion of Superman, and the making of The Seven Year Itch.

This book is fantastic. It takes what would otherwise be the standard Holocaust narrative and adds new levels to it. At its heart, it speaks to the American dream, how powerful it can be, and the complications that we don’t see coming.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America Book Review

Conspiracy theories have existed for as long as humanity has been conscious of the wider world. What matters is if they are allowed to flourish or sent to the shadows.

Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America, by Fever Dreams co-host Will Sommer, was published last month. After diving into the world of QAnon, he reveals what built it up to the movement it has become and what can be done to stop it.

The narrative is a combination of first-person interviews and an examination of the elements of this perspective. Built up since the 2020 Presidential election, the internet (and social media by extension), a number of influential politicians, and world events, QAnon’s influence has spread across the globe.

My first thought is to laugh at these people. Anyone with a brain can see the holes that a truck can go through. But then it becomes a problem when those with influence start to believe the theories and follow through on them.

What gives me hope is that it is possible to stop QAnon. We just have to buck up and do what needs to be done.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America is available wherever books are sold.

A Stone Is Most Precious Where it Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival Book Review

When all is lost, hope is the only thing that keeps us alive.

A Stone Is Most Precious Where it Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival, by Gulchehra Hoja, was published last month. Born in 1973 to an Uyghur family in East Turkestan, her childhood was a normal one. But as she got older, the Chinese government began to tighten its grip on her people and other minorities. A historian of the Uyghurs by birth, she was proud of who and where she came from.

As a young woman, she became a local celebrity and an icon of her community. But, as she began to understand what the government was doing, she began to ask questions. These questions forced her to flee and make her way to America while those she loved were being persecuted.

Wow. This book is amazing. This memoir is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Her bravery alone is worth the read. She could have remained silent, even after leaving everything and everyone behind. But instead, she is speaking out, knowing full well that her family and friends will pay the price.

What Ms. Hoja is doing should inspire us all to speak up against injustice and those who are discriminated against because they are different.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

A Stone Is Most Precious Where it Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival is available wherever books are sold.

Jewish Pride Book Review

At its heart, religion is merely a tool. What matters is how the rituals and values are used to shape the culture around it.

Jewish Pride, by Michael Steinhardt (co-founder of Birthright Israel), was published last fall. It is part memoir and part instruction manual on how to bring Jews of all backgrounds and levels of practice to the fold. Born in 1940 and raised mainly by his mother in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, he became a major player on both Wall Street and the world of philanthropy.

I liked this book. Mr. Steinhardt is open and honest about his life, his beliefs, his work, and the mistakes he made along the way. It takes an adult to admit when they are wrong and do what must be done to correct the error.

The only issue I have is that he mentions that Yiddish is the language of the Jews. That is an ashkenormative perspective that is highly problematic and ignores the fact that Jews come from all over the world.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Jewish Pride is available wherever books are sold.