This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Good book. Good author. Loved the characters and the plot. Look forward to reading more of her work.

This book absorbed me from the very first page and captivated me right through to the end with it's original portrayal of the events of World War II. The circus setting for this novel dealt with the very serious circumstances that war brought to occupied territories but within the outwardly colourful and vibrant setting of the circus.

The chapters alternate between the two main characters of Noa and Astrid. I must confess there were times I could not find their individual voices but I was so gripped by their story that this really did not seem to matter. It was very interesting to observe their relationship develop as the back story for both of these characters was heartbreaking. Their bravery was astonishing and I felt nothing but admiration for them.

Based on true events Ms Jenoff successfully weaves fact into fiction and has created a thoroughly well researched and captivating read.

Ultimately, this is an uplifting story of survival that I could not wait to get back to between reading sessions. It is a heartfelt and memorable story that I could imagine reading for a second time - and there are very few books that I place in that category.

Set during WWII, the Orphan's tale follows 16-year-old Noa who, after being forced to give up her own child, discovers a train full of Jewish babies destined for a concentration camp and rescues a little boy. They then finds shelter in a German circus where Noa is taught the trapeze by an older woman named Astrid. Although very different, the two women also have a lot in common and form a close bond but how much are they willing to sacrifice for their friendship?

"The Orphan's Tale," is a powerful and moving novel told alternately by Noa and Astrid. The story is obviously so well researched by author Pam Jenoff and provides an interesting yet heartbreaking insight into the circus.

The Orphan’s Tale is a powerful and heartbreaking story about love, an unlikely friendship, courage and trust.

I’ve read a lot of books about the Holocaust. Non-fiction, fiction, biographical and eyewitness accounts. I admit to being shocked and saddened when I read a fact about the Holocaust I wasn’t previously aware of.

Unfortunately it is usually something even more inhumane and heartbreaking than the facts I have already read about.

After all these years, and all the accounts, I still find it hard to fathom and comprehend the atrocities committed during the Nazi era. Pam Jenoff discovered the reference to and details of the baby train in the archives of Yad Vashem.

A train carriage full of babies on their way to a concentration camp. No food, no water or milk, no human touch and no saviour in sight. Just helpless infants on the road to certain death. Many of them succumbing to the lack of care before they reached their final destination.

Jenoff combines this horrific fact with the true story of circus families who hid Jews in the midst of their travelling shows, during the Nazi-era.

The baby in this story is pivotal in connecting and binding all the characters. The child is a symbol for Noa and is synonymous with survival. The survival of every Jew, every gypsy and every victim of the regime. It doesn’t matter where he came from or who he really belongs to, all that matters is making sure he lives to tell the tale.

Jenoff tugs on the heartstrings, whilst awakening the moral compass in every one of us. She mixes fact with fiction to create memorable reads. If you want your heart to bleed, your eyes to weep and want to reach inside the book and hug the characters, well that’s what this author does best.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of The Orphan's Tale.*

The Orphan's Tale is a WW2 novel with a little bit of a different perspective to the usual of its genre. That of Astrid (Ingrid) and Noa. A Jew and a Dutch refugee both fleeing from the horrors of the war around them.

Having left her Nazi Officer husband (upon his orders), Ingrid returns to her home town to find her family gone. Herr Neuroff agrees to recruit her, his famous circus was once the arch rival of her family's troupe, but now they have gone, Ingrid has no one.

Renaming herself Astrid in attempt to convince herself that her new life will be better, she throws herself back into circus life. When Noa appears with a baby in tow, Astrid is reluctant at first to help the young woman.

Noa herself has a tragic past. An affair with a Nazi soldier and a resulting pregnancy saw her cast out of her family home. But the baby she now carries with her is not her own, and she knows that each day she looks after him, the danger grows.

If Noa is to stay with the circus then she must learn the trapeze. It is second nature to Astrid, and she is at first impatient and unkind to Noa. Until a close encounter with some Nazi officers brings the two closer together. Both realise that they have secrets to keep, which must be kept in order for them to remain safe.

The two slowly become friends, and look out for one another as the Circus makes its way out of Germany into France. It is here that it becomes clear that no matter how careful the circus are those acts that are hiding something amongst the greasepaint and the animals all have something to fear.

The occupied country is a dangerous place and the Circus can't leave town soon enough. But is leaving France the answer? Very soon both Noa and Astrid will have their friendship and loyalties put to the test, as the fight to survive the War becomes tougher for those who do not fit in with the Nazi regime.

In 1944, when Dutch girl Noa finds a train cart of dying babies on their way to a concentration camp at a station she works for in Germany, she doesn’t hesitate to make a split decision in grabbing one of them and fleeing with him to safety. Noa and the baby eventually come across a circus where she is employed as an aerialist. She is trained by Astrid, a Jewish woman hiding from the Nazis herself and the two form a bond as they protect each other and the baby from the frightening world around them.

This book was really interesting - it was a circus story and a world war two story all wrapped up into one. I really liked how most of the book, things seemed to be pretty ordinary and almost idyllic with both women describing circus life and the monotony of their tough, daily training regimes but then there would be an inspection and the reader would suddenly remember the setting was wartime Germany. I really liked both characters - they were similar but also different. They both had a resilience that had to be admired but Noa was definitely a bit more gentle and trusting than Astrid.

While I didn’t mind Noa’s relationship with Luc, i felt like it was very insta-lovey. He talked to her all of two and a half times and was telling her he’d never met a girl like her before. Yawn, heard that before.

There were some parts in this book that sometimes seemed a bit improbably but I don’t know a lot of history about circuses and circus travel in WW2 so for all I know life could have been like that.

I do think this book would appeal to fans of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, though it’s not quite as well written. But it’s also a story of two women struggling to survive the only ways they know how in the wartime while not being directly involved in the war effort. There’s also a fierce friendship and feeling in the book that can’t help but move a reader. I also felt both the beginning and ending of the books (prelude/epilogue) were extremely similar to The Nightingale.

4.5*. Heartbreaking and unforgettable. Set during WW2, this is a beautifully written book that will stay with you. My proof copy was very badly formatted but it didn't make any difference. Brilliant characters, so well written. Just loved it. One most certainly to recommend.
My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

i really enjoyed reading this, a story that develops in an unsuspecting way. No spoilers, but it there are many twists on past lives revealed and love interests that are forbidden between Jews and Nazi supporters in this time of constant conflict.

Would recommend to saga or historical fiction lovers as there are aspects of both in here.

A very engaging book that I found very difficult to put down , I had to know what happened next .
A very thought provoking story based around a circus which was a very interesting side to the war .

Pam Jenoff is the most extrodinary writer. i have loved all her books. The Orphans Tale was beautiful.
2 women both very different in their backgrounds and views are pushed together, their story is of hope and friendship
I could not put this book down as I was desperate to know how they survived.
Excellent book. Recommended

The orphans tale by Pam Jenoff is a historical fiction read.
In Nazi-occupied Holland, seventeen-year-old Noa snatches a baby from a train bound for the concentration camps, fleeing with him into the snowy wilderness surrounding the train tracks.
Passing through the woods is a German circus – a troupe of waifs and strays, led by the infamous Herr Neuroff. They agree to take in Noa and the baby, on one condition: to earn her keep, Noa must master the flying trapeze – under the tutorage of mysterious aerialist, Astrid.
This was a good read with good characters. Reading how they lived back then. 4*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Pam Jenoff may have written several novels in recent years but it was only in the later months of 2016 that I discovered her writing and quickly added her to my list of go-to historical fiction authors. Pam's books are different to the usual World War Two reads of which I have read so many as she takes a snapshot in time or a certain element that has not been explored previously and turns it into such a wonderful story. I will admit her last book The Last Embrace although good wasn't my favourite of hers but this new read The Orphan's Tale was simply superb from beginning to end. I found it difficult to leave the book out of my hands once I had started reading. Even now several days after I have finished this book it is still with me, the storyline and characters rushing around in my head. In a way I am haunted by it and by what I have read and it deeply affected me as I was reading and it still does. The writing, setting, plot and characters were quite simply amazing and the overwhelming sense of desperation and trouble just build and build to a magnificent conclusion. One would think what story could be possibly be told based around the war considering so much has previously been written? Well Pam Jenoff has brought a unique aspect of the war to life in a new refreshing yet hauntingly sad way and I loved every minute of this brilliant read.

The story opens with a brief prologue of an old woman arriving in Paris. This woman is 90 and has escaped from a nursing home to visit an exhibition based on a circus during World War Two. Even from the few pages the reader can sense the woman is unsettled and looking for some resolution or some conclusion. Yet to what we do not know. Stepping into the museum and looking at the exhibit brings her back in time and stirs up many memories and in doing so the reader is instantly sucked into a story full of mystery, tension, unease, unrest and betrayal. Yet as we make our way through the story love, friendship and support do make themselves known in the most subtle and beautiful of ways.

Once the story started proper, after reading the curious prologue, the feeling of waiting for something to happen either good or bad pervaded the whole way throughout and only heightened the feelings of unrest the characters were feeling. The first few chapters were extremely powerful with such a shocking scene that I wondered how on earth the author could have written it without tears streaming down her face? It was truly repulsive. What struck me regarding this scene was that it probably wasn't made up at all that something similar to this did happen and probably on a regular basis. It was very upsetting to read but was a crucial scene that needed to be there as it played a pivotal role in setting up what was to come and to help form a character's storyline, her passion and shaped her to be the person she was throughout. It would also explain how she acted in certain situations. This scene was forever in the back of my mind throughout the story and although it happened very early on it's affects were forever felt.

The two main characters are female and not at one stage was I drawn to one over the other. I was eager to read the story from both their viewpoints and loved how more or less alternative chapters gave their take on the predicament they find themselves in. They were individually strong yet when needed to be one or the other stood up for their friend. This didn't happen overnight or without conflict. They each had their flaws and it highlighted how times were tough, nothing was ever easy yet friendships and even love can form slowly but surely.

In Germany in 1944 Noa has been kicked out by her family for falling pregnant. She has been given no chance to explain herself or no support from her very disappointed parents. When we next meet her she is working as a cleaner in a tiny train station and sleeping in nothing more than a cupboard. It is winter and the height of the war and she struggling to keep going day by day. Of the baby there is no mention but as we read through the chapters the back-story is filled in so aptly that I really felt and understood what shaped Noa and why she did what she did. A shocking incident leads to Noa wandering around in the woods where she collapses and is found by members of a circus. Noa comes close to death but is nursed back to health and baby 'Theo' too.

Noa is clearly lost in terms of what she should do but the Neuhoff circus will offer sanctuary and protection in these fierce dangerous times. If she is discovered there is no telling what could happen. Noa is given the chance to stay in return for performing in the circus with aerialist Astrid. She has no idea what is involved but knows for the sake of herself and baby Theo she must do what is asked of her. I thought Noa was so brave and fearless and put Theo ahead of herself at all times. She knew if the Germans discovered what had occurred that no good would come of it. For someone who had never been involved in the circus before she was going to give it her all and she wanted to prove love was so strong and important. I don't think she gambled on Astrid being so strict and firm yet I suppose Astrid in her own way just like Noa had a past she wanted kept secret and maybe that would be the thing that may eventually unite them.

Astrid has the circus in her blood and was a born performer. She finds herself returning to the winter quarters of her family circus only to find it lies empty and her family has disappeared. I found her back story very intriguing and surprising that such a thing would have happened but then again I suppose love is a very powerful thing. Despite a fierce rivalry between her family and the Neuhoff's she braves it and approaches Herr Neuhoff. The kind man he is he takes in Astrid, and similar to Noa, Astrid's past story is revealed but to say anything would give away to much as to why she to lives in fear of discovery.

Although the war is raging on it never made its self fully known to the performers on a huge scale accept when German police made some appearances. I was glad the focus was allowed to be on the circus and Noa and Astrid as they battle through a myriad of emotions and secrets as they embark upon training that must be successful within a matter of weeks. Astrid was a stern task master and she gave absolutely nothing away. She had built up a very strong front and demeanour and she held it in place and rarely if ever showed her vulnerability. Yet as outside forces begin to encroach upon the bubble created within the circus Astrid and Noa find they must put their trust and faith in each other in order to survive and hopefully emerge stronger out the other side. I enjoyed (I suppose enjoy is a strange word to use in this case) the fact that it wasn't all a bed of roses for our two main female protagonists. That they didn't instantly fall into a deep friendship where they could trust each other implicitly. Just like trust had to be built up on the high wires of the circus tent so did this have to emerge within their tentative friendship.

The Orphan's Tale really was a magnificent book that I won't forget in a hurry. The tangled lines of the story all started to weave themselves together in the most surprising and dramatic of ways. In fact so powerful were they I believe the big screen would do the later scenes great justice and in fact the entire book is made for a movie to be filmed. I cared deeply about the characters and the outcome yet never knew what it would be. How would it tie back to the prologue and would there be a happy ending? Well the ending for me fitted the book perfectly and I don't think any other ending could have been written.

Throughout the story there was such an assured pace with rising tensions and development of friendships with a few crafty twists thrown in that made you want to read this book in one sitting if possible. I relished every minute of this incredibly crafted story that took me on such an exhilarating journey full of emotions and yet it was empowering in its own unique way. The Orphan's Tale provides the reader with everything you could want from a book and more and with such depth to all aspects of the story I wouldn't hesitate in recommending you buy this. It will be one that may very well feature in my top reads for 2017 come the end of the year.

I love books set during WW2 and this beautiful book did not disappoint. Set in a completely different environment from all my previous reads making it even more fascinating as it is based on some true stories from this era and the traveling circus families. A gripping story of love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal set against the brutal, terrifying background of the Nazi regime in Germany and Occupied France. I enjoyed this very much. Thank you for the advanced review copy.

Another gem from the masterful author, Pam Jenoff. I am always excited when I come across another of her books to read. With The Orphan's Tale, she doesn't disappoint.

Utterly compelling, heartbreaking and demonstrates the power of relationships. I am lost to find adequate words to describe this tale, which blends the horrors of the Second World War with the thrills and spills of the circus. It does make you look at circus folk from another perspective - behind the glamour and thrills, they all have their stories.

As the blurb says this is a tale "of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II". True, but the novel is so much more - it is the story of Noa and Astrid, told alternately in their voices and is about love, friendship and courageousness in the face of adversity, against the backdrop of one of the darkest periods in modern history.
The story is well written, reads well and keeps the reader hooked from the first page until the last. I cannot say that it is enjoyable to read about the Holocaust; Pam Jenoff engulfs the reader in the period but the horror is not hugely overt and the description of the circus and the scenery transports the reader to 1940's Germany and France and the life of the circus family so the reader feels all the emotions of the characters.
For those who enjoy historical fiction or just like a really good book with a cast full of interesting characters, I highly recommend this one.
I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A wonderfully written book in a most unusual setting, absolutely loved this emotional read.

Brilliant book. Well researched, emotionally charged (there were a few tears) and one I will recommend.