Beautifully written, fantastically narrated, moving, heartbreaking and wonderful all at the same time.

I struggled a lot listening to this book and I couldnt really connect with it; however it was very well written and could see how it would appeal. Just not for me.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

In the book when it is A talking there’s a line that says my papa was the only one happy on the day I was born and that says a lot about the story. Like a lot of mothers and daughters despite wanting her mothers love their relationship is fraud with her mom‘s disappointments in life‘s let downs and throughout the book Anna tries to make sense of all of this. She knows her mom wanted a boy first and she was born she also knows her mom goes by a different name so it’s not to be identified as Jewish but that she is Jewish and she knows the only one to love her was taken from her due to the war. This is a truly touching and emotional book Anna is so starved for kindness when she finally gets a friend who offers her food or drink while visiting she is so touched by this and that almost made me cry. Not only because the book brings you to tears more than once but that I know that happens in real life and that makes it sad but so worth reading. I loved the Polish girl it is historical fiction at its best the time is World War II which was a travesty on so many levels but to read how it personally affected a little girl is riveting. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
Just a PS I thought the narrator who I love by the way did a great job with the polish girl a total five star read.

I have listened to this book twice and also read the book. This has been no great hardship, it is easy to listen to and enjoyable to read. There is also a lot of reminders of the consequences of war - what was Poland in 1939-1945 is no long part of Poland, but in fact today is part of the Ukraine. Lvov is a place name that rolls of our tongues and echoes in our brains today as it is once again in the middle of a war, which was not of its choosing.

It is essentially a tale of family survival. And we learn that at the heart of any war is the tragedy of family break up. Father has to go one way, the son another and Mother and daughter yet another. The first time i listened to it I was confused by the dotting backwards and forwards between different locations and times. But I realised why the author has placed these aspects of the story where they have. And it really adds to the drama of the storytelling.
This is war time, and so remember your box of hankies as you would expect this will take you on an emotional journey.

I really enjoyed this tale centring around the storytelling of Mama and whatever she is cooking. It takes real talent to weave all the different aspects together and Malta has certainly achieved that. Thank you for allowing me to share in the lives of Danusha and her family.

It is surely only when you read/hear about the struggles of others that you truly appreciate what you have. Thank you for allowing me to listen/read this story.