Book Review: ‘The Woman With The Blue Star’ Is The Next Great Pam Jenoff Historical Fiction Novel

I love Pam Jenoff novels. No one writers historical fiction quite like her. The newest book for her finds two young women’s lives forever changed by the events of WWII and Hitler’s hatred of the Jews. She takes you on an emotional roller-coaster with a twist ending you don’t see coming. Spoiler alert….have kleenex handy.

It’s 1942 in Krakow, Poland and the Jews are on alert to the Nazi takeover in Poland. For 18 year-old Sadie Gault it’s another day of hiding while her parents are at work. After a tense day of raids, Sadie is finally allowed to get a job. Things are tense but going alright until word comes the Germans are rounding up all remaining Jews. The Gault family plans a dramtic escape through the sewer system. It’s complicated because Sadie’s mother is also pregnant. They are stuck in the sewers for a long time as their escape route has been compromised.

Elia is a Polish girl from a well-off family. Her father has died and she has to deal with her horrible step-mother, who has cozied up to the Germans. One day Elia notices Sadie in the sewer system and starts offering her help with food and friendship. They both have to be very careful to not be seen.

As the days go on and the war not going well for the Germans, things get dire and and an desperate escape plan is hatched to get Sadie and the others out of the sewer and to safety. The plan doesn’t go right and there’s startling consequences that leads to shocking reveals. Who survived and who died?

You can pick up The Woman With The Blue Star in stores on Tuesday, May 4th from Park Row.