Mario Escobar: The Forgotten Names

By Kelly Bridgewater

In August 1942, French parents were faced with a horrible choice: watch their children die, or abandon them forever. Fifty years later, it becomes one woman’s mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to.

Five years after the highly publicized trial of Klaus Barbie, the “Butcher of Lyon,” law student Valérie Portheret began her doctoral research into the 108 children who disappeared from Vénissieux fifty years earlier, children who somehow managed to escape deportation and certain death in the German concentration camps. She soon discovers that their rescue was no unexplainable miracle. It was the result of a coordinated effort by clergy, civilians, the French Resistance, and members of other humanitarian organizations who risked their lives as part of a committee dedicated to saving those most vulnerable innocents.

Theirs was a heroic act without precedent in Nazi-occupied Europe, made possible due to a loophole in the Nazi agenda to deport all Jewish immigrants from the country: a legally recognized exemption for unaccompanied minors. Therefore, to save their children, the Jewish mothers of Vénissieux were asked to make the ultimate sacrifice of abandoning them forever.

Told in dual timelines, The Forgotten Names is a reimagined account of the true stories of the French men and women who have since been named Righteous Among the Nations, the children they rescued, the stifled cries of shattered mothers, and a law student, whose twenty-five-year journey allowed those children to reclaim their heritage and remember their forgotten names.

 

My Thoughts:

The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar is an appalling, yet redemptive story about children during World War II. I have read tons of books on World War II, and every story appears to be a little different. Showing the good and horrors of humanity. As the story is written, there are a number of viewpoints from a good chunk of the rescuers to the children to a priest to a Nazi solder. For a while, it was hard to follow the story. But then I didn’t worry about whose point of view the section was in, I just focused on the time period. Made it so much easier to follow the plot. Again, as someone who reads about these dreadful events, I would hope that if I was put in the same situation that I would stand up for the Jewish people no matter the cost. Escobar does a wonderful job at creating empathy for the characters as he shares their plight with the Nazi’s. Even though the creation of the characters are not really that three-dimensional by learning their backgrounds or what makes them tick, readers can still feel horrified with the terrors that does occur to another human by the hand of another who believes he is superior. There are a number of cuss words. A couple of scenes that allude to horrible situations, so be careful when allowing less mature younger children to read this novel. Overall, The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar brings to light the saving grace of 108 children who were saved from having to go to the concentration camps even though they had to take on new identities. A wonderful story to read.

I received a complimentary copy of The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar from Harper Muse Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

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Mario Escobar: The Swiss Nurse

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Based on the true story of an astonishingly brave woman who saved hundreds of mothers and their children during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.

Elisabeth Eidenbenz left Switzerland in 1937 to aid children orphaned during the Spanish Civil War. Now, her work has led her to France, where she’s determined to provide expectant mothers and their unborn children a refuge amid one of the worst humanitarian crises of the twentieth century.

Desperate to escape the invasion of Franco’s Fascist troops, Isabel Dueñas becomes one of many Spanish patriots fleeing their country. She leaves behind her husband as he fights for democracy, and she seeks asylum in a refugee camp across the border in France. Without adequate shelter, clean drinking water, or medical care, Isabel’s future looks bleak—until she meets Elisabeth.

When Germany invades Poland, a new avalanche of humanity enters France. And soon, fate binds Elisabeth and Isabel together in the most important work of their lives.

Based on the true stories of refugees and the woman who risked everything to save them, The Swiss Nurse shares a message of love and strength amid one of the darkest moments in history.

 

My Thoughts:

The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar features three different viewpoints that tell a different, yet unique event that occurred during World War II. While time-slip novels are interesting and different viewpoints usually work really well, I had a hard time following the different viewpoints in this novel. I don’t know if when the story was translated that the smooth transition to show the perspectives got muddled. There was a lot of carnage and damage from bombs, but the characters seem pretty stiff and one-dimensional. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters and if there were relationships between the different characters. As a word of caution, there are many foul words in the story and that did not make me happy either. I do not believe they need to be in any story. No matter the genre. Overall, The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar did not deliver what was promised. It was pretty hard to follow the characters and the plot. It might because of the translation from one language to another.

I received a complimentary copy of The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar from Harper Muse Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

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Mario Escobar: The Teacher of Warsaw

 By Kelly Bridgewater

The start of the Second World War changed everything in Poland irrevocably—except for one man’s capacity to love.

September 1, 1939. Sixty-year-old Janusz Korczak and the students and teachers at his Dom Sierot Jewish orphanage are outside enjoying a beautiful day in Warsaw. Hours later, their lives are altered forever when the Nazis invade. Suddenly treated as an outcast in his own city, Janusz—a respected leader known for his heroism and teaching—is determined to do whatever it takes to protect the children from the horrors to come.

When over four hundred thousand Jewish people are rounded up and forced to live in the 1.3-square-mile walled compound of the Warsaw ghetto, Janusz and his friends take drastic measures to shield the children from disease and starvation. With dignity and courage, the teachers and students of Dom Sierot create their own tiny army of love and bravely prepare to march toward the future—whatever it may hold.

Unforgettable, devastating, and inspired by a real-life hero of the Holocaust, The Teacher of Warsaw  reminds the world that one single person can incite meaning, hope, and love.

 

 

My Thoughts:

The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar is a horrific portrayal of life inside the Warsaw Ghetto. Lots of horrible descriptions of the reality of this place. Lots of hurt, hunger, and dismay, but the Teacher overshines all this darkness and always puts the love of the children above his own. He keeps telling his other helpers to leave and escape. Help the children escape. He went to the prison a number of times for standing up for the little man. He sought out food for the children on a daily basis. The plot is completely different than most World War II novels that I have read because I knew about the ghetto's, but I honestly, cannot recall any other story that takes place inside these places. A dark and humbling time in European's history. If readers are a fan of World War II, then this is a great novel to pick up. I learned so more about World War II. I saw the good sprinkled in with the bad and saw the shining light of the heart of man.

I received a complimentary copy of The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar from Harper Muse Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Mario Escobar: The Librarian of Saint Malo

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Through letters with a famous author, one French librarian tells her love story and describes the brutal Nazi occupation of her small coastal village.
 
Saint-Malo, France: August 1939. Jocelyn and Antoine are childhood sweethearts, but just after they marry, Antoine is called up to fight against Germany. As the war rages, Jocelyn focuses on comforting and encouraging the local population by recommending books from her beloved library in Saint-Malo. She herself finds hope in her letters to a famous author.
 
After the French capitulation, the Nazis occupy the town and turn it into a fortress to control the north of French Brittany. Residents try passive resistance, but the German commander ruthlessly purges part of the city's libraries to destroy any potentially subversive writings. At great risk to herself, Jocelyn manages to hide some of the books while waiting to receive news from Antoine, who has been taken to a German prison camp.
 
What unfolds in her letters is Jocelyn's description of her mission: to protect the people of Saint-Malo and the books they hold so dear. With prose both sweeping and romantic, Mario Escobar brings to life the occupied city and re-creates the history of those who sacrificed all to care for the people they loved.

 

My Thoughts:

The Librarian of Saint Malo by Mario Escobar captures the hurt and sorrow of the French people and the opposite side of the French Resistance as they fight against the invasion of the German Nazi’s during World War II. I love the idea of protecting the books from the Nazi’s who censored the books that the Germans, or anyone in Europe for that matter, could read. (Kind of like America is trying to do today!) I love the idea of talking about books. I love the idea of hiding Germans. Jocelyn is a brave woman who believes in the importance of reading and the written word. I enjoyed her heart, and I loved seeing her become more brave as the Nazi’s kept trying to force their hand on her world and her beloved books. The story captured my attention, and I finished it two days. The setting was a nice little quaint town that I have never heard of, but I enjoyed visiting it throughout the duration of this story. Overall, if readers enjoyed this story, they might enjoy The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron since her novel also deals with the French Resistance.

I received a complimentary copy of  The Librarian of Saint Malo by Mario Escobar from Thomas Nelson Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Mario Escobar: Children of the Stars

By Kelly Bridgewater

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.

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

Most Anticipated Books Spring 2020

By Kelly Bridgewater

I do this type of blog post a number of times throughout the year, and I enjoy doing them.

This post refers to the books coming out from January 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020.

There are a lot of GREAT books being published for the first part of the year, and I can't wait to start reading them and adding them to my shelves.

How about you? Is there any of these books that you are looking forward to reading? Is there any you would add that I didn't include?

(*All book covers come from Goodreads, unless noted.)

 The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin

The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason

Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason

Children of the Stars Mario Escobar

The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

The Way of the Brave Susan May Warren

Kings Falling by Ronie Kendig

Mario Escobar: Auschwitz Lullaby

By Kelly Bridgewater

Auschwitz Lullaby brings to life the story of Helene Hannemann—a woman who sacrificed everything for family and fought furiously for the children she hoped to save.

On an otherwise ordinary morning in 1943, Helene Hannemann is preparing her five children for the day when the German police arrive at her home. Helene’s worst fears come true when the police, under strict orders from the SS, demand that her children and husband, all of Romani heritage, be taken into custody. Though Helene is German and safe from the forces invading her home, she refuses to leave her family—sealing her fate in a way she never could have imagined.

After a terrifying trek across the continent, Helene and her family arrive at Auschwitz and are thrown into the chaos of the camp. Her husband, Johann, is separated from them, but Helene remains fiercely protective of her children and those around her. When the powers-that-be discover that Helene is not only a German but also a trained nurse, she is forced into service at the camp hospital, which is overseen by the notorious Dr. Mengele himself.

Helene is under no illusions in terms of Dr. Mengele’s intentions, but she agrees to cooperate when he asks her to organize a day care and school for the Romani children in the camp. Though physically and emotionally brutalized by the conditions at Auschwitz, Helene musters the strength to protect the children in her care at any cost. Through sheer force of will, Helene provides a haven for the children of Auschwitz—an act of kindness and selflessness so great that it illuminates the darkest night of human history.

Based on a true story, Mario Escobar’s Auschwitz Lullaby demonstrates the power of sacrifice and the strength of human dignity—even when all hope seems lost.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

World War II fascinates me. I don't know why. Maybe it is because of the cause for the young men and women who weren't afraid to take up arms and defend our country and the less fortunate. That doesn't happen anymore. Most people whine and don't stand for nothing, but the wrong things. Off my soap box. Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar is an interesting take on a different part of Auschwitz. I for one did not know that there were two of them. I have heard about the horrible things that occurred at Auschwitz. There is even a survivor living in our town who owns a Holocaust museum.

Escobar's writing was vivid and scary. Not in a sick way.  But a way to show the truth. I could visualize all the horrible surroundings in Auschwitz II, and the horrible conditions made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't imagine trying to survive with my children in such deplorable conditions. He did a great job at sticking to Helene's perspective throughout the entire novel. He did not jump into the children's perspective or Dr. Mengele's.

The plot was interesting, yet sad. I have read a number of Holocaust stories, and it always makes me sick that anyone would be so cruel to others just because of the way they look or the religion they confess. Escobar's novel moved quite rapidly. I really wanted to see Helene and her five children survive. But I had a suspicion in the back of my mind that something would happen to her twins because of Dr. Mengele's widely known experiments.

Helene, as the heroine, faced a huge issue. She chose the least traveled road and stood up a number of times to Dr. Mengele in the face of adversity. I admired her courage. I feel like I would be meaner and stand up to the guards because it is wrong, but I probably would have been shot too. Helene was a brave and strong character. A true testament to the greatest generation. They were brave and stood up for what they believed while living in hell. I admire Helene for her bravery.

As a word of caution: This is a Holocaust novel that takes place at Auschwitz, so there are a number of graphic scenes that might make some readers uneasy.

Overall, Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar is a heart-wrenching look into how far a mother would go to protect her children. With true bravery, Escobar has written a tale in honor of the mountains of innocent lives lost to the Holocaust. I truly enjoyed this novel. Fans of Joel Roseberg's The Auschwitz Escape, Kate Breslin, and Kristy Cambron's World War II novels should pick up this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

From Amazon

 Mario Escobar Golderos (Madrid, Spain) has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans. Books. (Taken from Amazon)