The Girl They Left Behind

Posted on 14 April 2018 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. New Read [ The Girl They Left Behind ] By [ Roxanne Veletzos ] – kino-fada.fr Will definitely be giving a cover quote for this one forthcomingWhat a fascinating, immersive work of historical fiction Based on the life of the author s grandmother, THE GIRL THEY LEFT BEHIND is heart wrenching, beautifully written story, spanning two tumultuous decades of war and revolution in Bucharest, Romania This unforgettable novel is trib...I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley A young loving Jewish couple, along with their little girl are on the run for their lives Out of true love, and certainly not neglect, the couple make the ultimate sacrifice and leave their 3 year old daughter on the door steps of an apartment building on a cold January night in 1941 They must do this to give her a chance at survival otherwise the three of them would all die, if they remained together.Natalia, as she is later named, is event I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley A young loving Jewish couple, along with their little girl are on the run for their lives Out o...I received this as an EARC from net galley for an honest review I loved this book, when I read the synopsis I was intently intrigued and had to pick it up and I m so glad I did I loved the story and charact...We neednovels like this The book opens the door on a region in the world that is rarely profiled the writing pulled me in, while I also learned about a city and a piece of history I hardly knew Similar to the Kite Runner, the story invited me in the door to get to know an entirely new culture in an intimate way.The story of Natalia and her family gave an intimate perspective as to how families in Romania lived during and after World War 2 The book captured the hardship of the war, whi We neednovels like this The book opens the door on a region in the world that is rarely profiled the writing pulled me in, while I also learned about a city and a piece of history I hardly knew Similar to the Kite Runner, the story invited me in the door to get to know an entirely new culture in an intimate way.The story of Natalia and her family gave an intimate perspective as to how families in Romania lived during and after World War 2 The book captured the hardship of the war, while maintaining focus on the family and relationships The writing was so smooth and descriptive that the reader could stay with the characters while experiencing the traumatic events.As a reader, I could feel how personal the story is to the author, Roxanne Veletzos I felt her desire to write a piece of her mother s history I fou...This debut novel, meticulously researched and lovingly written, shares the personal haunting story of a young girl, deeply loved four fold by two sets of parents What would you sacrifice to save your only child Natalia s birth parents are forced to abandon her at age four with anguish and despairreleased into the hands of God, with hope and faith that she may be saved as they escape the ruin reining down on their lives in their home country of Romania near the beginning of WWII Rescued f This debut novel, meticulously researched and lovingly written, shares the personal haunting story of a young girl, deeply loved four fold by two sets of parents What would you sacrifice to save your only child Natalia s birth parents are forced to abandon her at age four with anguish and despairreleased into the hands of God, with hope and faith that she may be saved as they escape the ruin reining down on their lives in their home country of Romania near the beginning of WWII Rescued from an orphanag...Loved the main character and was riveted to learn so much about the Jewish community in Romania during the war Hope there is a sequel to find out what happens to this heroine later in life Does Victor come backOriginal review can be found at 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,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 su...Such an amazing read A love story, a coming of age story, a historical story of a time and place most don t know about and above all an action packed pace that reads like a thriller Roxanne has such a lyrical quality to her writing, allowing the reader to take a breath between the action to really feel the characters and their experiences You feel like you can smell the cabbage, hear the screaming planes overhead and you ache with the tragic losses What was also so moving was reading the not Such an amazing read A love story, a coming of age story, a historical story of a time and place most don t know abou...I have never known much about Romania during and after the war We hear so many atrocious stories from around that time and Romania was no exception What I didn t realise was how long Romania suffered after the war, behind the Iron Curtain This story is based in fact and is the story of one little girl who was loved so much by her parents they left her to be discovered by some kindly person in order to give her a chance at life, and the parents who adopted her, who also ended up sacrificing th I have never known much about Romania during and after the war We hear so many atrocious stories from around that time and Romania was no exception What I didn t realise was how long Romania suffered after the war, behind the Iron Curtain This story is based in fact and is the story of one little girl who was loved so much by her parents they left her to be discovered by some kindly pe...

14 April 2018

Roxanne Veletzos