Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book centres around the character of Kay, an American heiress and debutante, with the Landau family's story running alongside and interwoven in the latter part of the book. Kay's back story is interesting, and romance is included in the plotline. Facts about World War 2 are creatively mixed with fiction to create an interesting tale even though historical accuracy forms a very small part of the book - if you want accuracy I recommend 'The Diplomat's Wife' series by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger which clearly details the horrors and risks of war and the training undergone by those on spy missions. Nonetheless I enjoyed this novel with its tale of strong female characters.

Based on a true story, Jina Bacarr’s The Orphans of Berlin is heart-breaking and heart-wrenching historical fiction at its finest.

Berlin 1936 and the Landau family are trying to do their best to keep their heads above water and a roof over their heads by running a music shop. As pillars of the community, the Landau clan enjoy their friends and neighbours’ respect and affection, but with distressing news reaching them about Hitler’s rise to power and his contempt for Jewish families, they cannot help but worry about what their future holds. Eldest sister Rachel will do anything for her family, but as she loses hope with each passing day, she ends up finding strength and support from a most unexpected quarter…

In Paris, rumours and whispers about an imminent war are spreading like wildfire. American debutante Kay escapes her mother’s stifling grasp and leaves for Berlin as a reluctant spy. A chance meeting with the Landau family changes her life forever and determined to help them out as best she can, Kay vows to pull out all the stops to assist them in their hour of need. Determined to give Rachel and her sisters a fighting chance, Kay puts her neck on the line – and ends up making dangerous enemies along the way that could destroy everything and everyone she cares about.

With war now a certainty, Kay and Rachel must do whatever it takes to survive and when they are tested like never before, they realise that the only way they will get through this conflict is by cherishing this friendship between that will prove to be a light in the darkness during the most challenging time of their lives.

Jina Bacarr’s The Orphans of Berlin is a fantastic tear-jerker that aims for the heart and does not miss. A wonderful story about courage, adversity, hope, love and war, The Orphans of War beautifully illustrates the lengths we go to for the people we cherish and women’s indomitable strength during times of hardship.

A brilliant historical novel I won’t easily forget, Jina Bacarr’s The Orphans of Berlin is a must-read for readers who enjoy books set during the Second World War.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

This Is a story set in WII. It is the story of a Jewish families struggle to survive the Nazis and an American debutant who is compelled to help. Ensure that you have a steaming cup of cocoa, perhaps some complementary mint ice-cream and a box of tissues at hand before you dive into this gorgeous book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the perfect book for somebody who enjoys historical fiction. It is an excellently told story that had me gripped from start to finish and I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future.

TRIGGER WARNING: infant death, Nazi brutality
1942, Paris: two Jewish refugee girls are captured by the Nazis. Their elder sister hides at the request of her Resistance lover who is the father of her unborn child. She heads to the Ritz to the American woman she hopes can save them all...
The Orphans of Berlin is an historical novel set in the 1930s and 40s. It begins in 1942 showing us the dire circumstances that the Jewish Landau family find themselves in. It then moves back in time to show the terrible situation they escaped in Germany as well as the sadness of Kay who helped them escape.
Both Kay and Rachel face dreadful emotional circumstances. The Jewish girls experience shocking cruelty from other children as well as adults. I found this very upsetting especially as I awaited physical abuse to follow. Kay's mother's emotionally bullying behaviour was so awful and I didn't blame Kay for wanting to strike out on her own.
The book is written from the alternating first person viewpoints of the main two women. Both narratives made me emotionally involved with the events that were depicted. The women had an energy and devotion to family that transcended their terrible experiences. I felt that the epilogue rounded off most of the character arcs and concluded the plot effectively.
The Orphans of Berlin is an emotional historical novel about the personal and international troubles caused by social and political unrest in the 1930s.

this book really is perfect for HistFic readers who love a good WWII story. With a focus on kindertransport and the impact of the war on young Jewish children, this book took a slightly different approach than many of the WWII historical fictions I've read recently. That being said, there was also a strong storyline related to the French Resistance, which has been written about extensively in the popular historical fictions of the last few years. The book is well written and very clearly well researched as well. It is a powerful and heartbreaking story that will definitely stay with you. The story does time hop, mainly between 1935 and 1942, and is told from two perspectives, Kay, an American heiress and Rachel, the oldest sibling who is trying to save her younger sisters. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for giving me the chance to be part of this tour and to read this book! #booktour

The Orphans of Berlin is a detailed story that hooks the reader in from the opening pages.

Bacarr has created an engaging and interesting plot by using vivid imagery and research, to give the reader an insight into the effects of the invasion of Paris by the Nazis, and how dangerous Jewish life was in Germany between the years of 1934 and 1942. Bacarr discusses some Jewish culture and religious holidays and also shows how many basic choices that people today were not given to the jews under the laws of German laws, that were implemented when Hittler came into power. The writing style is easy to follow with titled chapters, for navigation and a good mixture of description and dialogue, however there was some points that seemed a little repetitive and rushed.

The character development of The Orphans of Berlin has been well thought out with a great amount of background and flashbacks provided. The characters are interesting and realistic and the reader is able to both sympathise and empathise with them on more than one occasion, although there are some small issues that I have.

I would have liked to see more of the story from Rachel’s viewpoint and how they managed being away from their family and more or less living in hiding in Paris, after all the title states that it is about the Orphan’s of Berlin. I do appreciate that romances do happen but the entire plot seemed to be more focused on Kay and her relationships… The ending was very sad for some characters who consequently suffered the effects of the war…

Rachel is a brave Jewish refugee from Germany. In the year of 1942 she is pregnant and has a relationship with Wolf, who is another jew who came across to Paris with the Landau sisters. In 1934, when Rachel was 11, the reader is able to see how differently her family and many others, who all follow the same faith, are treated abhorrently by people they once considered friends and neighbours...

In the year 1942 Kay was an American debutante turned spy undercover in Paris. She is not a trained agent, yet because she is fluent in French and leads a carefree life, this makes her the perfect candidate to gather information… 6 years have passed since Kay left the socialite life and escaped her controlling mother. I did like seeing how she was not a typical debutante and was determined to become more involved in the business aspect of her life.

In 1934 the reader sees how Kay as a child used to be influenced by food to alleviate the emotions and loneliness she felt. Her family is wealthy and she is the heiress of a well-respected candy company. Kay is not interested in becoming a debutante and allows her mother to influence her with guilt, but she grows wise to this and gets away…

I would suggest reading The Orphans of Berlin to people who enjoy historical fiction based around the events and occurrences of WW2, as it is a powerfully emotive character driven story about secrets, friendship, love and overcoming hardships.

“I wonder where we’ll be when this war is over. Will we have interesting stories to tell, scars to show? Or will we reminisce about how we got through the war unscathed? Will any of us be here at all.”

Berlin 1936. The Landau family are at the heart of their community, running a music shop and just trying to survive. Their lives are beginning to unravel as Hitler's power grows and the treatment of Jewish families deteriorates. The oldest daughter, Rachel, fears for her sisters' future and will do anything she can to keep them safe. Paris 1936. As whispers of war travel over from Europe, American debutante Kay escapes from her mother's grasp and travels as a reluctant spy from Paris to Berlin. A chance meeting with the Landau family will change her life forever. Kay is determined to give Rachel and her sisters a fighting chance, even if it means making dangerous enemies along the way. These brave women will find strength in joining forces to save the ones they love. But they will need the support of one another more than they realize to survive.
This book was told from both Rachel and Kay's perspectives and I think this was an amazing way to highlight the different experiences for each woman. Both of them had dramatically different lives which became entwined with the war. Kay was mostly just looking for a way to be the opposite of what her mom wanted and found herself doing something great.
The book starts off very action packed with a lot of lives at stake, and on the most intense moment of the story, decides to switch back in time to show what led each woman to be there in that moment. The story is abo it love, family and hope something that the author does an amazing job of portraying throughout. I think it helped to see the vast differences in Rachel's experience with the war and with Kay's.
Perhaps most important is that this store shows the lengths both Rachel and Kay are willing to go to in order to keep this family together! All of the women in this novel prove to be incredibly strong and resilient, facing each situation with a sense of resolve. It was a moving and heartwarming story that left me thinking.

Jina Bacarr has done it again!

A master of historical fiction, this is another unputdownable read!

Set within World War II and split predominantly between Berlin and Paris, the plot doesn’t shy away from the horrors inflicted on Jewish families by the Nazi regime or the intimidation they used to impose fear over those in occupied territory. But this is so much more than your standard historical war novel.

Bacarr’s central characters Rachel and Kay couldn’t be further apart in background and upbringing, yet find their lives inextricably linked. What follows, through a series of flashback chapters, is an incredibly powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the lengths individuals will go to in order to protect and honour their loved ones.

This is a story of love, both given and desperately longed for, courage, bravery and above all, hope and determination that good will come out of darkness.

It’s exquisitely written, drawing you in from the very first page and evidently very well researched for historical accuracy. I also have utter admiration for the author for including what was a personally devastating experience in her own life as a key element of the storyline and found this incredibly poignant on reading her notes at the end of the book.

When a story stays with you long after you turn the final page, you know you’ve hit gold.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

The novel's background and the setting takes place in Paris and in Berlin. True story of Kindertransport rescue and two women during the time of World War 2 named Rachel who is nineteen years old from the Landau family and Kay Alexander, an American debutante fighting for love, family and hope.

Berlin: Rachel is left horrified and afraid when her two little Landau sisters, Leah (16) and Tovah (13) gets arrested outside Paris by the French police who take orders from Nazis. Rachel is determined to come up with a plan to set her sisters free and takes it as a challenge. When they never thought France was so unsafe with ruthless and sadistic SS men and French police under the hidden Nazi's ugly deeds had put fear in them and they took refuge in the countryside in an old chateau. Rachel had left Berlin with an American woman. Her hope was that Kay who keeps a room at the hotel Ritz in Paris could help her rescue her sisters from the Gestapo.

Paris: Kay just arrives in Paris escaping her cold blooded and selfish mother who is wanting Kay to find a suitable husband, get married and settle down dutifully. As America goes in war, Kay Alexander as known to the Gestapo, Philadelphia society's blue blood and heiress to a candy fortune also spying for the allies, being an enemy alien in the eyes of Germans found it too dangerous to stay in Paris. But Kay the main line wild party loving debutante must help Rachel rescue her sisters get them out of France to America. It will take more than luck for the Jewish refugees to enter the states with strict immigration laws and national security concerns.

Even when the world crumbles around them the two women find limitless courage and hope to save the ones they love from the dangerous enemies clutches by supporting each other. This story kept me intriguing, going back in times and places in Europe and which was heartbreaking and gripping.

I just reviewed The Orphans of Berlin by Jina Bacarr. # The Orphans of Berlin #NetGalley. Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher Boldwood for an advance copy for my honest review.

I loved this book, it’s heartwarming, heartbreaking, hope, survival and grit! The two main female characters are from different backgrounds, but the determination in both women is amazing, their individual life stories captivates you from the first page.

During the early rise of Adolf Hitler, the city of Berlin changed for the Jewish people and many are fleeing into France to safety. The Kindertransport rescued Jewish children and moved them to safe places to hopefully survive the war. Well written with excellent character development and historical detail, this is a recommended read.

My Review: As the title and cover suggest, the story is set in war time. We follow a young jewish girl who escaped Germany with her 2 sisters and the help of some fake papers. Sadly, her sisters are discovered and taken. Harsh choices have to be made, I had to wonder if I would make the same ones. Would I let my family go down or would I go down with them? Who can you trust? We also follow Kay an american woman and her intricate story. It’s amazing what these women go through and put themselves through. Heart breaking and well written.

Right from the first chapter this book was engrossing and hard to put down. It takes place in the beginning s of Hitler's rise and focuses on an an American debutante ,Kay and a teenaged Jewish girl, Rachel, who cross paths in Berlin. Each chapter is dedicated to either Kay or Rachel..I do not want to give away any of the story with the exception that it is very well written. The descriptions of the city bring you there. The characters are memorable and touch your heart. Kay and Rachel are both very brave, determined, loyal women who go through situations that would destroy most. Intertwined in the strory, both women find love. The author does a very good job letting the reader know the aftereffects of all the characters.situations. The ending is bittersweet; A consequence of war. I did have happy tears at the end. This is at minimum a 3 tissue read and at the same time inspiring with how resilient the human spirit is. Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood books and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It took me a while to really get into this book but boy when I did it took hold and I couldn’t put it down. Such a sad yet uplifting story of WW2 and the horror of being Jewish during this time.
Kay Alexander an American candy heiress is about to make her debut into society when all she really wants to do is eat her family’s Radwell chocolates and read a book.
I grew to love Kay, she had such a spirit and determination to do something more than be a debutante.
Kay finds herself in Paris following a very unhappy period in her life but it pales in comparison with the Nazi invasion and the plight of the Jews.
Kay befriends some wonderful people and with her money and affluence she finds her place in the world by helping Jewish children and in particular one Jewish family escape Paris.
The risks Kay takes and the daring adventures she has with Max the pilot she falls in love with will keep you reading well into the night.
A wonderful story of bravery, sacrifice and love.

The Orphans of Berlin by Jina Bacarr -WW2 hist. fiction 12th NOV Rachel NG 5*
It's 1942 and some of Berlin's Jews have come to France, only now it is occupied and they are being rounded up. This is based on the true story of the kinder transport. The Landau girls have fled, only someone has given them away and the two youngest are taken away. Rachel, the eldest, was out at the time meeting her resistance friend. She quickly decides there is only one option- to find her friend who is in Paris that helped them get away in the first place.
Kay is a debutante- or at least her mother would like her to be. She is an American heiress but hates the circles she “ should” move in and prefers to do her own thing- something more mentally challenging. The two women join together to try and save Rachel's sisters and do what they can for the war effort.
I quickly got into this and liked both Rachel and Kay- both feisty, determined, tenacious women putting themselves at risk for others. We get the background story for both of them before and in the early stages of the war- two very different backgrounds. A wonderful, in parts heart wrenching story of warmth and human kindness and getting through the very worst of times ‘#neverforget
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A world war 2 story and two brave women come from different worlds but they are united by friendship, humanity and love. Kay is determined to give Rachel and her young sisters a fighting chance in a world where the youngest are paying the ultimate price. Rachel is determined to protect and look after her young sisters no matter the consequences.

This powerful heartbreaking story is one that will stay with me for a long time.I consumed this beautiful story from the beginning. The descriptions are amazingly vivid and you can tell that the author has done an awful lot of research. I was taken on a rollercoaster of emotions from heartbreak to joy and anger to excitement and a whole lot more. I hate what people had to face but I love there determination, bravery and courage.

There aren't enough stars in the world to rate this book. I highly recommend reading this book as it will grab your heart like it has mine.❤️

Oh my gosh... What a story! It is horrific what Hitler did during WWII. The story of a german family who happened to be Jewish and an American heiress (Kay Alexander) who was a spy and is told by the two main characters, Rachel (the eldest daughter) and Kay. It is a very emotional story for which you are likely to need tissues.

An emotional read. I would recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.