From international bestselling author Mario Escobar comes a story of escape, sacrifice, and hope amid the perils of the second World War.
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.
This inspiring novel, now available for the first time in English, demonstrates the power of family and the endurance of the human spirit—even through the darkest moments of human history.
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| From Goodreads |
My Thoughts:
I love World War II stories. From the heroes who populate the pages to the horrific standards of mistreatment to the characters.I can't imagine trying to survive in those times. I can't imagine standing up for what is right like that generation did. I admire them so much. I read Mario Escobar's first English published novel, The Aushcitz Lullaby, and enjoyed it, but I can't really say that for Children of the Stars. On the cover, there is two boys running away from something. Well that sums up the whole plot. They run for point A to B, C, D . . . and all the way to the last two percent in the novel. Yes, it was horrible some of the conditios they faced. Yes, brave people risked their lives for their safety, but when I finished the novel, I sighed in happiness that the novel was over. It wasn't what I usually want in a World War II novel. It was kind of dry. Didn't really thrill me. The characters are young boys, so they don't transform by the end of the novel. Maybe later in life, they will change because of all the horrible things that occurred to them because of the Nazi's, but not in their young mind frame. If readers enjoy World War II, they might completely enjoy this novel, but it didn't hit the spot for me.
I received a complimetary copy of Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions are all my own.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Click here to purchase Children of the Stars
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