Oh goodness me.. all I can say is don't start this book in the evening as you won't be able to put it down.
This harrowing novel by Shari J Ryan is as excellent as all her other novels..
Full of hope,.sadness ,love and eventually a determination to survive .
Excellent!

Leo and Dalia Bergman live with their children, Max, Jordanna and Lilli in an apartment in Hamburg, Germany, but the year is 1943 and this lovely close knit family are about to discover the worst that the Nazi party can inflict upon them - and all because the Bergman’s are Jews.

I won’t go into the synopsis, as so much happened to the family, but the chapters alternate nicely between Dalia’s story and Jordanna’s.

Where do I even begin to translate my thoughts into words - I don’t believe there are enough words that will do this book justice.
It’s a powerful, emotional and beautifully written book, that allows the reader to become very close to the characters. It left me heartbroken, and I don’t mind admitting that I shed more than a few tears.

It’s now almost 80 years since the end of WWII, and the stories of unimaginable horrors still have the power to shock, but they’re an important read, especially at present with so much fighting, unrest and uncertainty in the world. Did the world learn anything from WWII? Sadly it appears not. A stunning read and highly recommended.

This was beautiful and heartbreaking. Historical Fiction, dual POV: a mothers and daughters experience during WW2 in Auschwitz.

I cried a lot during this book, the writing is so well done. The stories really felt as if you were reading about real people. Several times I took breaks to process the heavier parts of the book.

For those a fan of Kristin Hannah (like me) I think you’ll like Shari J Ryan. I resonated a lot with the mother’s POV and it was so powerful.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Family Behind the Walls shares the perspectives of mother and daughter during the Holocaust, and their experiences with family and friends in a concentration camp.

Dalia and Jordanna’s family lives in Germany in an apartment amongst ongoing destruction which causes them to get caught and sent to prison camps. The family is made up of Leo, husband to Dalia, and children Jordanna, Lilli, and Max. All are captured and all go through the unimaginable trying to reunite and survive. This story was hard at times to read because the characters are so vividly written that they might be people you know and love. Their fight could be any of ours, and I’m grateful I had a chance to feel their bravery and faith.

It’s understood that this is heavier subject matter but the author balances the light and dark to make it bearable for the characters and readers alike. I recommend we all read stories like this and remember that this could be us, our family and friends, and reflect on what we would do to prevent this rather than surviving it, as one is far easier and in our control than the other.

Dalia and her daughter Jordana tell this story of resilience and hope in the darkest places of WWII. The family is separated and sent to different camps but they hold on to the belief that they will be reunited. Both women are incredibly brave and you will root for them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. Ryan has once again written a page turner.

I've read many Shari J. Ryan books and each one is heart-wrenching and an important story to help educate us about the past horrors of the Holocaust.
This is the story of a Jewish family separated during a bombing in Hamburg, Germany. Chapters alternate between the mother's story and the daughter's story. All of the family members show bravery during a time when it would have been so easy to lose hope.
The story is also beautiful in that the characters are well-developed, and I was immediately invested. While this tells a tragic tale, it is beautifully written and you will feel the pain and hope of the characters.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for access to this eARC.

“The Family Behind the Walls” is a gripping WW2 novel that captures every emotion during the tragedies of the Holocaust; while keeping the audience wrapped in blankets of hope and faith. Those who loved Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” Jodi Picoult’s “The Storyteller” and Kristin Harmel’s “The Book of Lost Names” will absolutely love “The Family Behind the Walls.”

Review

I can’t put into words the emotions that ran through me as I read The Family Behind The Walls. It touched me deep within my soul. I have read every Holocaust story from Shari J. Ryan and this moved to the top of my list.
It’s heartbreaking, gut wrenching and had me glued to every word. But as I read I felt the love of each character and felt a glimmer of hope that they could survive.
Shari’s words elicit so much emotion as the story unfolds. It is told mainly from the mother, Dalia, and the daughter, Jordana’s viewpoints. The strength that they exude fills my heart with hope as the story unfolds.
I can’t say this enough but everyone needs to read Shari J Ryan’s stories. You can feel her passion for telling stories of the past.
Tears were shed, tissues were used, every word felt in my heart and in the end, hope and survival shone through.
There aren’t enough words to praise the story that Shari J Ryan told. All the stars for a remarkable story about a family’s journey through a horrific time in history!

Shari is an amazing author and I always look forward to her new books! An emotional rollercoaster that left my crying tears of joy!
Funny, poignant, endearing characters, a good spattering of relatable everyday truths, a few unexpected plot twists . . . everything a good book should be! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is truly emotional and heartbreaking story of a family and the experiences they had during WWII. This is also a story of the human spirit and the faith to keep fighting against all odds. Keep the tissues handy. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Leo and Dalia, along with their 3 children, have been living in their apartment in Hamburg when they awake to the sound of destruction. They flea the apartment only to be captured and sent to the Nazi prison camps where they experience the harsh life of difficult work and very little food. The family is split up and they each try to survive without succumbing to the sickness and death surrounding them, always hoping to be reunited as a family once again.

The development of the characters is extraordinary, outlining Leo’s relentless attempts to save his children; Dalia’s daily struggle as a nurse, trying to help others with little supplies to work with; Jordanna, Lilli and Alfie (family friend) who watch over each other at the same camp; Max, the oldest of the children, split up from the others who works tirelessly to get back to the other children. As a reader, I fell in love with every one of these tender-hearted characters. The descriptions of what each character endures puts you right there in their shoes.

This book pulled me in from the very first chapter and I couldn’t put it down. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the book and about the hardships of the characters, anxious to pick it up and read on. I don’t think 5 stars is a high enough rating and would recommend this to anyone without hesitation!

Thank you Bookouture and Shari Ryan for the ARC.