This third book in the Michal's Destiny series has been another good read. The twists and turns in Gilde's rescued life (Taavi and Michal's youngest daugher) are heartbreaking despite some of the good that transpires. The book ends with a shocker that could well purport a further book in the series but this is only my guess. Although this Book 3 could stand alone, I feel there would be much better connect if the previous two books are read in order. Author Roberta Kagan has given readers yet another 5-star rated (by me), WWII timeframe work of historiccal fiction.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

October 2024

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.

This story takes us through the life of Gilde, sent away from her family and home for safety. Her path is filled with love, loss and hardship and gives you an insight into her hardship and suffering during Hitler's reign. I received an ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

historical-figures, historical-fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-romance, history-and-culture, jews, holocaust, ww2****

The plot is good and revealing, but the prose is as stiff as the majority of characters. This is one part of a series profiling Jewish young people who were sent from Germany to England in order to protect them from the Nazi killing machine that took most of their families from them. The stories aim to tell what became of them as they came into young adulthood.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected advance review copy from Book Whisperer via NetGalley.
#WatchOverMyChild #NetGalley #MichalsDestinyBk3

I did not realize this was the third volumn of a 4(?) part series. Interesting book about the effects of WWII upon teenagers. It starts with the Kindertransport of Jewish children to be cared forEngland, and continues thru the end of the war in Europe. It seems to have been written by someone who writes textbooks for a living. Sentence structure and character development is stiff and does not sound like a novel. I will not be reading the rest of the series. I'm not sure who this books is directed to---the sentence structure is simplistic, but the characters sre not very realistic and have adult topics.

I wasn't aware this was the third installment of a series, so I have some catching up to do. This one focuses on the Kindertransport, the WW2 mission that saved the lives of German Jewish children by putting them on a train to England.

I've often wondered what that was like for both the children, going to a foreign land where many didn't speak the language or know a single soul, and the family sending them off with the knowledge that this very likely was the last time they'd ever see their baby. This was a hard read, but so important to talk about.

I know it bothers a lot of folks that some of the teenagers have lovers. Years ago, I listened to a child who'd been born as a result of Romanian dictator Ceausescu's mandated reproductive laws and was subsequently abandoned to the underground tunnels of Romania. These kids endured horrific lives, forced to do unimaginable things just to survive. It became very common for these kids to mate with each other, becoming active far too early. I think that because I've already heard the horrors of that story, I was able to read this in stride. I read a memoir of one Holocaust survivor who said once they were freed from the camp, they made it to Italy and lived on a beach. Literally, on the sand. She said they were such shells of who they were, the humanity had been beaten, starved, and tortured out of them. The one thing they found to make them feel somewhat human/alive again was sex.

War and terror create a desperation in people which can manifest in unexpected, alarming ways, so it wouldn't surprise me if teens (even early teens) who were forced to grow up much sooner than they should have would resort to the same thing.

One thing I appreciate about Kagan's work is she doesn’t shy away from depicting the brutal realities of war and the Holocaust, but she also infuses the story with moments of hope and humanity. Watch Over My Child is not an easy read emotionally, but it is a necessary one.

I received a free advanced copy of this book thanks to #netgalley and #bookwhisperer in exchange for my honest review, which I am happy to provide.

Oh my! I am thoroughly enjoying this series. This is Gilde's story after arriving in England on the Kindertransport. Gilde and her friends, Elias and Shaul, fled Germany as children into an unknown world. The author was able to make their fear feel real. She created a very believe, emotional story.

The story gives insight into the way things may have been. Gilde did not fit in when she arrived. She spoke German in a place that rightfully was untrusting of Germans. She will experience may challenges during the war. Her life is full of struggles. My heart broke for her. I am ashamed to admit I never thought about how difficult it would be for the children. I didn't think about them being left alone if a sponsor died. I didn't think about them being used or abused. I didn't think about how alone they would feel or how they would survive. Watch Over My Child has me thinking a lot and wanting to discover so much more.

The third in the Michal's Destiny series by Roberta Kagan, Watch Over My Child continues with the aftermath of the Kindertransport of World War II. Gilde is sent away to start a new life in London away from the horrors. Little did she know the horrors which awaited her. She really liked her new adoptive family but language and culture were challenging. But that was just the beginning. The story is told over a span of seven years so the reader is privy to what happens to Gilde as well as two orphan boys from Berlin, Elias and Shaul. War affected everyone in a multitude of ways. Rationing, bombing, prostitution, mental health issues and death were sadly normal. Violence was often a consequence. So was fear.

My feelings about Watch Over My Child are conflicted. The fascinating moments full of tension and courage were marred by a married teacher and 14-year-old male student's unnecessarily detailed relationship. The coming of age moments aren't my wheelhouse, nor do I like the romance of 12-14 year olds, regardless of the time and era. Aside from those concerning bits, the story of resilience, loyalty, profound grief and hardship was very realistic and heart bruising.

My sincere thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this enthralling novel.

Heart-breaking. Roberta's series for the Margolis family set in WWII is always heart-breaking. The thing with these is you never know if the characters you have started to enjoy and invest yourself in will make it to the end of the book. Multiple POV, emotional stories, and, in this one, you learn about what happened to the kids on the Kindertransport. Not an easy read, but a good one. Ends on a cliffhanger, which means I am clamoring for more!

Thanks netgalley for part three of this winderful series of books called Michals destiny, you can read it as a stand alone but it would be a shame not to read about Michal herself as she is a wonderful character.
This part of the series revolves around Gilde Margolis, Michals youngest daughter.
Gilde was sent out of Germany by her sister on the kindertranspirt.
She did not want to leave her sister and she had no idea what had happened to her parents, she was going to a family she did not know and a language she did not speak.
Gilde was strong and she was determined to stay in England until the war was over and then go and find her family.
Things do.not go according to plan and England is also at war with Germany.
Gilde finds love but is determined to go back to Germany to find her family.
Great book loved it and look forward to reading Another breath Another sunrise in this series.

A Very Engaging and Emotional Book
Watch Over My child by Roberta Kagan is the third book in this series. This book carry's on after 12-year-old Gilda Margolis is sent away from her home in Kristallnacht by her sister as war has broken out and Gilda has the chance to be safe and go to London with the Jewish orphanage children. It means Gilda must be strong and trust what her sister says, and she boards the train leaving everyone she knows and loves behind. This book focuses on what happened to Gilda and some of her orphanage friends as they arrive in London England with their new foster families waiting for them at the train station. Some of the children will be welcomed with open arms and some will not.
This book concentrates in the next 7 years of Gildas life as she is one of the lucky ones and has a loving family who have a daughter Jane who is two years older than Gilda, but they soon become firm friends. As Gilda grows up and forms new friendships, love, headache, and betrayal. When London joins the war rationing bombing and air raids instill terror a Ross England and Gilda can now only hope she survives and as she has lost contact with all her family back in Germany, she can only hope they are still alive against all odds.
I do not want to spoil the story by going into too much detail, but this is an excellent series which I highly recommend. Robert Kagan sets the historical period beautifully and the book is a well-researched piece of history, and it is nice to read about the German Jewish children who were shipped off to England and what happens to them being German Jewish children.
This book in the series ends at the end of W.W.2 and I cannot wait to read the next book to see if Gilda or any of the other children will go back to Germany to reunite with family and friends. This is A very engaging and emotional book, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series by Roberta Kagan. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’ve been enjoying the Michal’s Destiny series since the first book and this entry has improved and gotten stronger in this world. This had that historical fiction element that I was looking for and thought the characters were well written. It had that strong style that I’ve come to expect from Roberta Kagan.

ARC Review ✨️

♡Wonderful Writing♡

This book is so much more heartfelt than the other two. I feel like I just really enjoyed this one so much better. These characters are so strong. I couldn't imagine being in their position. Even though it's historical fiction, it still gives you a lot of insight as to how difficult it was living under the Nazi's reign.

Thanks so much to the author, Book Whisperer, and Netgalley for the ARC!

This is the third book in the series Michal's Destiny by author Roberta Kagan. It is more of a stand alone novel than the previous 2 books in the series and focuses on what happened to Gilde, daughter of Michal and Taavi, after she left Germany via Kindertransport to settle in England for the duration of the war. The book also tells the story of Shaul and Elias, two children from the orphanage in Berlin who knew Gilde and also left via Kindertransport. In many ways, it is a coming of age story made more challenging because it is set in wartime during the time when bombing raids were all too much a part of life. For the three friends who came over on Kindertransport, they were sent to different places with differing circumstances, they faced many similar challenges including the fact that those with strong German accents and language difficulties were not all readily accepted.

The book is filled with heartbreak and definitely made a kleenex box a necessary accessory as I read. I don't want to spoil the story for readers by going into great detail. Some challenges could happen to any teens growing up. Others were uniquely related to wartime. It was incredibly hard to be sent so far from family and friends and have no idea what happened to them.

This novel is once again incomplete with many threads left to be dealt with in novel #4. I look forward to finding out what happens in the next book.
I received an advance reader's copy from #NetGalley and #TheBookWhisperer . Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the 3rd book in the Michal's Destiny series. I was annoyed that the second book in the series didn't circle back to Gilde at all, leaving me wondering what had happened to her. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this book focuses on Gilde's life after she escapes the Nazis on the very first Kindertransport.

Gilde was faced with so much heartache at such a young age. Being sent to a country all alone to live with a strange family only to end up losing that family would be a lot for anyone to handle. I guess that's why she seemed to fall for males so very quickly.

In true Roberta Kagan fashion, the book ended with a cliffhanger that left me wanting to jump right into the fourth and last book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

Unfortunately, this really didn't work for me.

Based on the title and cover, I was expecting a heartwarming, perhaps heartbreaking, wholesome story. It's about children who were saved from the Holocaust because they were brought over to England on the kindertransport, a program where England took in German Jewish children. I have read other stories, mostly true, about these children and personally know someone who was saved because of the program. There's so much to explore and delve into. It's a perfect setup for a great story

I didn't really read the blurb, as usual, because it nearly always gives away more than I want to know before I start reading. Maybe I would have known not to read this if I'd read the blurb first. ( I still haven't so I don't know what it says).

I had several problems with this book, but the biggest one is that it's about children - yes, children, ages 12 and 14 - and their lovers. I'm not kidding. The tone is YA, but there are several spicy scenes. I was shocked by the first one, a graphic depiction of a 14 year old having an affair with a married woman. And he somehow comes across as very experienced and sure of himself.

The 12 year old is getting marriage proposals because every boy/man who meets her falls in love with her. I think she might have aged a bit by the first one, maybe she was already 14?

Forget the kindertransport, this book makes the kids into adults and is all about love affairs.

The second problem is that it doesn't work as a standalone, at all. I did know it was part of a series going in, but usually even a part of a series has a full plot that can stand on its own, even if you miss some backstory. Not here. It starts from the viewpoint of Alina, who is sending her sister on the kindertransport. We never hear from her again after the first chapter.

In the next chapter, the sister, Gilde, is suddenly with two friends it seems the reader is expected to recognize. The rest of the book is mostly about gilde and partially about one of the friends, Elias. The third friend, Shaul, has a small part and I won't say why because spoiler, but I don't think he should have had a viewpoint.

There is no ending. I think you're expected to read the next installment to find out what happens.

I could go on, but those are the main points.

Thank you to Roberta Kagan and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The amazing third book centered on Michal’s second daughter Gilde and her life in England and the men she loved. I find it interesting that the Rabbi would have married her to her first husband when she was underage, and presumably without a marriage license.