I've always had a fascination of that period during WWII, there were so many stories. This particular story is the coming together of two women, who don't realize how much they have in common until they've been together a very long while. One was married to a German officer, who was told that his wife who was Jewish, was no longer accepted as his wife, he threw her out of the house on the German's say so. She returned to the only thing she knew the circus. She couldn't go back to her family's circus that was disbanded as they were known as Jews. No she has to go and beg for a spot with a circus that had always been a competitor. She was well known as an aerialist. She changes her name and goes to work hoping to blend in. She finds a man with the circus that she grows fond of. She doesn't know until the story is almost over how much he thought of her. The other girl a 16 year old dutch girl kicked out of her home because she was pregnant by a German officer, she cleans the stop at the railway in order to get food and a roof over her head. Her baby when born was taken from her before she could see him.
She is outside by one of the railcars and hears babies crying, she looks in and the car is filled with babies bound for the concentration camp. She takes one of the children and runs, she isn't dressed for the winter snow and she ends up face down in a snow bank not doing well when a circus worker finds her and the baby. She is taken in by the circus, telling everyone the child is her brother, of course anyone who takes care of the baby boy knows it's a Jewish child as he was circumcised. She is told she can stay but only if she can learn to be an aerialist the other woman, an expert really resents that she has to train this woman and really doesn't believe she can learn to do what she must in a few weeks. The stories are two lives so intertwined with those of the others in the circus which travels and performs in cities across Germany until one day when something awful occurs. I loved reading about the circus and the entire history lesson that is combined with the fiction. I gave the story 5 stars. They don't let you say 4.5....I loved it, I didn't feel it was amazing.....which is what 5 stars is supposed to be.
I received the book, I believe, from Good Reads in exchange for an honest review.
Here is the description of the book from Good Reads: A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan's Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival .
Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.
Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another—or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.
Here
A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan's Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival .
Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.
Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another—or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.
