Tuesday 21 August 2018

Review: The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos

A sweeping family saga and love story that offers a vivid and unique portrayal of life in war-torn 1941 Bucharest and life behind the Iron Curtain during the Soviet Union occupation—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah’s Key.

On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger, undergoing increasingly violent persecution. The girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets the parents who were forced to leave her behind. They are even further from her mind when Romania falls under Soviet occupation.

Yet, as Natalia comes of age in a bleak and hopeless world, traces of her identity pierce the surface of her everyday life, leading gradually to a discovery that will change her destiny. She has a secret crush on Victor, an intense young man who as an impoverished student befriended her family long ago. Years later, when Natalia is in her early twenties and working at a warehouse packing fruit, she and Victor, now an important official in the Communist regime, cross paths again. This time they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor’s dark secrets.

When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful enigma of her past.


Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Expected publication: November 13th 2018 by Atria Books 
Genre: Historical Fiction
Kristine's Thoughts:
** I received an advanced readers copy from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I really enjoy historical fiction, more specifically, ones surrounding WWII. Although fictional they always manage to teach me something about that terrible time in history that I end up researching when I'm finished. I have such a keen interest that my recent travels have taken me to places like Russia that I have read about and researched after. However, I was not very familiar with what happened in Bucharest and Romania in general. That is what drew me to this book and made me want to read it.

This book began in 1941, in the throws of WWII, when Romania was aligned with Nazi Germany and the Jewish citizens were at risk. A young couple left their daughter on the steps of an apartment building in order to give her a chance of surviving. If they all stayed together they all would have died. Natalia was placed in an orphanage where she was quickly adopted by another young and wealthy family that was unable to have children of their own. This was her story.

I could not pry myself away from this book. Not only did it take place in Bucharest during WWII but also after when it was under Soviet occupation and the family was behind the Iron Curtain. It followed this family from when they were an affluent and wealthy family to a family with nothing. Throughout all of their struggles there was one constant, the love the family had for each other and the risks they would take for each other. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

I don't want to go into too much detail. I actually feel like the synopsis gives away too much of the story. This book gave life to a story from the author's past that had none. It was based on her mother who was left on the steps but never got to know the story behind her birth parents. This novel gave her a fictional story to change that. I highly recommend reading her notes at the end of the book. I found them to be as interesting as the novel itself.

It was a complicated story that took place during a complicated and constantly changing time in history so I admit there were times in the story that I got a little confused. Veletzos managed to put me in the middle of the story. I felt like I was there and enduring all of the struggles with Natalia and her family. I could feel the bombs, the heartache, the worry and the hunger. Her attention to detail is what I think made that possible.

This story is going to stick with me for a very long time. Also, you can bet that I will now be adding it to my list of places to research so that I can learn more. I enjoyed every minute of it.




About the Author
Roxanne Veletzos was born in Bucharest, Romania and moved to California with her family as a young teen. Already fluent in English and French, she began writing short stories about growing up in her native Eastern Europe, at first as a cathartic experience as she transitioned to a new culture. Building on her love of the written language, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as an editor, content writer and marketing manager for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Since 2012, Roxanne has been writing historical and contemporary fiction and is the author of two novels.


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