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Pictures of the Past

by Deby Eisenberg (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 181 ratings · 64 reviews

Pictures of the Past is a compelling saga sweeping through Chicago, Paris and Berlin, reliving events from pre-World War II Europe, but beginning in contemporary times. An Impressionist painting, hanging for decades in the Art Institute of Chicago and donated by the charismatic philanthropist Taylor Woodmere, is challenged by an elderly woman as a Nazi theft. Taylor's grip...more

Paperback, 372 pages

Published August 2011 by Studio House Literary

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Oct 28, 2011 Bobby rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Generation to Generation…..

Pictures of the Past is a wonderful story that is a mix of history, holocaust terrors and a love story that brings tears to your eyes over and over again. The book revived many memories from the past regarding the history and background of my own family. So many people have connections to the holocaust and to the loss of family or friends at that time. One can also relate to many of the wonderful traditions mentioned in the book. I especially enjoyed the reference...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Casee Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, reviewed

I was very intrigued when presented with the opportunity to read Pictures of the Past, Deby Eisenberg’s recently published debut novel. On the surface it encompasses all of my particular interests in a book: history, romance, Impressionist art and, of course, Paris, but no more does the reader study the first pages than they realize that Pictures of the Past offers something even bigger: a striking understanding of the plight of Jewish families throughout the horrors of the Holocaust and a renew...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1900s-era, art-influenced, available-on-kindle, book-tour-book, european-setting, family-dynamics, latest-reads, new-author-for-me, paperback-i-own, reviewer-book, war-novel, woman-writer

"Pictures of the Past" by Deby Eisenberg ~ Pre-WWII Historical Fiction

Cover Rating :
Beautiful composition for this cover. The elegant frames fore-shadow an underlying story of art, the damask background gives a sense of opulence, as does the framed staircase. The Nazi banner, Eiffel Tower and the couple reminiscent of the 1940's tells the rest of the story. I love the font used and the entire layout. Sepia tones also date the pictures beautifully. Easily a book I would grab off the shelves to t...more "Pictures of the Past" by Deby Eisenberg ~ Pre-WWII Historical Fiction

Cover Rating :
Beautiful composition for this cover. The elegant frames fore-shadow an underlying story of art, the damask background gives a sense of opulence, as does the framed staircase. The Nazi banner, Eiffel Tower and the couple reminiscent of the 1940's tells the rest of the story. I love the font used and the entire layout. Sepia tones also date the pictures beautifully. Easily a book I would grab off the shelves to turn over and read more about, this is a title that grabs me.
Rating: A

Summary:
Pictures of the Past is a compelling saga sweeping through Chicago, Paris and Berlin, reliving events from pre-World War II Europe, but beginning in contemporary times. An Impressionist painting, hanging for decades in the Art Institute of Chicago and donated by the charismatic philanthropist Taylor Woodmere, is challenged by an elderly woman as a Nazi theft. Taylor’s gripping and passionate story takes us back to 1937. Sent to Paris on family business, he reluctantly leaves his girlfriend Emily, a spoiled debutante from Newport, Rhode Island. But once in Europe, he immediately falls in love – first with an Henri Lebasque painting, and then with the enchanting Sarah Berger of Berlin. After Taylor returns home, the Berger family becomes trapped in the Nazi web, and any attempts for the new lovers to be reunited are thwarted.

Interwoven with this narrative is the story of Rachel Gold, a beautiful and bright Chicago girl caught up in the times of the late 1960’s. Pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend Court Woodmere, Taylor’s son, she moves to New York to live with her aunt, a Holocaust survivor. Years later, as the controversy surrounding the provenance of the painting becomes public, Rachel’s grown son is disturbed by his inexplicable familiarity with the work of art. And it is only Taylor Woodmere who can unravel the complicated puzzle of their lives.
With a heart-grabbing ending, Pictures of the Past is historical fiction at its best, giving a personalized window to the powerful events and intriguing venues of the eras. From a world torn by the horrors of war, a love story emerges that endures through years of separation.

The Dame's Review :
When I first decided I'd like to review "Pictures of the Past" I had some hesitation. I've read an assortment of books covering the holocaust over the last 40 some years, and felt I may have met my capacity with them. The stories often left me with a heaviness of heart. I'd lived most of my growing up years in Germany, even went to college in Munich, Germany, at the University of Maryland's extension campus, so it's a country that's very dear to my heart, and a people I'd come to love, as well. It has been difficult to separate the Nazi's from the kind people of Germany I'd come to know. I'm glad I did take a chance on this particular book, however, because it beautifully balances the good and the ugly. It tells a story that gives the safe and lovely side of a life in Berlin, and then the rising of an extremist group that overtakes the country like locust. I loved this book.

From the earliest words, Deby Eisenberg captured my heart. I could hear the inflection of the grandmother's voice. I could feel her indignation and her ire rising, and I could nearly sense the touches of her grand and great grandchildren as they gathered around to comfort her. Eisenberg is a masterful writer. She makes her story not only ring with truth, but resound with the vision of a cast of characters that you can well image actually existed.

The love story interwoven within the historical mysteries of the book are engrossing. I was so happy to read the details of transatlantic voyages, the beautiful cities both European and American of the pre-WW !! era, and the very interesting comments about Nazi art thefts. The mystery that's presented of old lovers, the painting's travels, and a family whose lives were changed by the Nazi terror is mesmerizing.

It goes without saying that I highly recommend this book.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pictures of the Past is a multi-layered story spanning several generations (from 1937 to 2005) taking readers back to pre-World War II Europe, where Taylor Woodmere, a wealthy American philanthropist travels to Paris and then Germany on business and meets the beautiful Sarah Berger, with whom he falls in love. But Sarah is Jewish and her family gets caught up in the Holocaust after Taylor returns to Chicago. The story alternates between the present and the past. Interwoven in the narrative is al...more Pictures of the Past is a multi-layered story spanning several generations (from 1937 to 2005) taking readers back to pre-World War II Europe, where Taylor Woodmere, a wealthy American philanthropist travels to Paris and then Germany on business and meets the beautiful Sarah Berger, with whom he falls in love. But Sarah is Jewish and her family gets caught up in the Holocaust after Taylor returns to Chicago. The story alternates between the present and the past. Interwoven in the narrative is also the story of another Jewish girl, Rachel Gold, that takes place in the 1970s, and who is also connected to the Woodmeres. Ultimately, the story comes together at the end in a satisfying way.

Pictures of the Past is a beautiful story, sometimes heartbreaking but also triumphant. The time period of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, the love story between Taylor and Sarah, and a particular Impressionist painting that Taylor leaves with Sarah all work to create a compelling story. Initially, the jumping back and forth between several characters and time periods took getting used to even though I don't mind this in a novel. However, the story really took off for me only one-third into the book. I was distracted in the beginning by the third person omniscient point of view, which I discovered is not my favorite, and the overuse of adjectives and elipses. There is only so much I can take of being told over and over how incredibly handsome or gorgeous a character is. I also found the dialogue unrealistic at times.

But once I made it past this, I found that in the last two-thirds of the book the writing got better and I was caught up in Taylor's search for Sarah and her family, and the way Sarah changed and survived. Taylor's choices, some good and some not, affected his family life and this feeling of regret never left him. His last act as patriarch of his family was heartwarming and redeeming.

I was particularly interested in the historical sea voyage of the St-Louis that took Jewish refugees all the way to Cuba and America only to be denied entrance. This was a historical fact I had not heard of before and I like learning new things when I read a fiction novel. I also appreciated that the author portrayed realistic situations right to the end. Her pride in her Jewish culture comes through and helps the reader understand the bond that exists in the Jewish community. I also liked reading the author's historical notes at the end of the book.

If you like stories connected to the Holocaust and how they affect lives across continents and time, you will enjoy this debut novel. It portrays the power of first love, regret over parental responsibilities, and pride in one's heritage.
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Feb 16, 2012 Holly (2 Kids and Tired) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy historical novels. The World War II years are a time that fascinate me. I love art. Package all three of those together in one novel and I'm hooked. That the story is compelling is even better.

Taylor Woodmere's story begins in 1937 when he travels to France and Germany on business. He leaves behind a girlfriend and doesn't anticipate falling in love with the daughter of his German associate or a painting. What follows is a story I was quickly drawn into and one that spans oceans and gen...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Melissa Levine rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Pictures of the Past” is a creative melding of the tragic history of the Holocaust and a lifelong love affair. Author Deby Eisenberg offers the reader a dynamic mix of characters and subplots along with an enlightening history lesson on Jewish culture. The romantic tale that runs through the length of the main plot commands the reader’s attention to the story’s eventful end.

The book opens in 2004 when Gerta Rosen, a holocaust survivor, discovers a painting by a French artist while visiting the...more “Pictures of the Past” is a creative melding of the tragic history of the Holocaust and a lifelong love affair. Author Deby Eisenberg offers the reader a dynamic mix of characters and subplots along with an enlightening history lesson on Jewish culture. The romantic tale that runs through the length of the main plot commands the reader’s attention to the story’s eventful end.

The book opens in 2004 when Gerta Rosen, a holocaust survivor, discovers a painting by a French artist while visiting the Art Institute of Chicago on her eight-second birthday. Gerta remembers the painting once hung in the home of a friend, Sarah Berger, who was her neighbor in Berlin, Germany in 1937. The painting has been donated by Taylor Woodmere of the Woodmere Family Foundation. Gerta believes the painting was stolen by the Nazi’s. She believes she must speak out and reveals her discovery to the media. From this starting point the reader is propelled back in time to the early days of Hitler’s reign over Germany.

Taylor Woodmere is the heir to his family’s business, Woodmere Industries. The summer after he graduates from Yale University, Taylor’s father sends him to Paris to establish relationships with European businesses. Taylor is reluctant to go because his girlfriend is visiting and he has plans to propose. The senior Woodmere insists and Taylor leaves for Europe to attend the conference his father had planned to be held during the time of the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. While in France, Taylor meets his father’s European contact, Emanuel Berger, a Jewish business owner from Berlin. He also meets and falls instantly in love with Emanuel’s daughter, Sarah. The two become close very quickly. As the couple falls in love, the Nazi threat comes to the Berger’s front door.

While Taylor’s story is developing, the story of Rachel Gold begins in 1968. Rachel is a college student who becomes enamored with a wealthy young man—a Woodmere—during her summer break. Her brief relationship with Court Woodmere will bind her to Taylor Woodmere in the future.

This is a challenging book from start to finish. The pacing of the story in the opening chapters is somewhat slow and choppy as Eisenberg introduces the book’s multi-character cast and their individual stories. But once introduced, the author smoothly guides the reader in and out of the lives of each character as she stitches together the ragged edges of all of the subplots until they fit together in one solid account of a love that continued to burn for over sixty years.

“Pictures of the Past” is a lovely story of romance, history and family. I highly recommend it.

Melissa Brown Levine
for
Independent Professional Book Reviewers
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Oct 10, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel is one of the most intriguing and beautiful books that I have ever read. It contains so much inspiration and love - also a healthy mixture of heartbreak and hate - that a review is almost impossible to write in order to do the author justice. It is so full of personal stories - characters who are both rich and poor living through the heart-wrenching horror of war and separation, that it is truly an epic tale that takes the reader from Chicago to Paris to Berlin and back to New York, c...more This novel is one of the most intriguing and beautiful books that I have ever read. It contains so much inspiration and love - also a healthy mixture of heartbreak and hate - that a review is almost impossible to write in order to do the author justice. It is so full of personal stories - characters who are both rich and poor living through the heart-wrenching horror of war and separation, that it is truly an epic tale that takes the reader from Chicago to Paris to Berlin and back to New York, covering the years 1937 to 2005.

The story begins in the year 2004 when Gerta Rosen, a survivor of the Second World War, sees a painting hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago that she knows belonged to her neighbors in Berlin...the Berger family. The plaque on the painting says that it was donated to the Institute by Taylor Woodmere of the Woodmere Family Foundation. Gerta announces to one and all that this painting was stolen by the Nazis, and she will go to the Museum Director and make sure they look up the provenance of this painting. She makes good on her threat and the accusation brings scandal to the austere Woodmere Family.

The writer then 'transports' to 1937 when Taylor Woodmere is sent off to Paris to represent his family at a business conference. Of course, 1937 Europe was in a state of confusion, as Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party was taking over Germany and persecuting the Jewish population, gearing up for an invasion. Taylor goes reluctantly to Paris leaving his girlfriend, Emily, behind. However, once he arrives he meets Sarah Berger, daughter of a business associate of his father's, and falls in love with her. A few hours before this fateful meeting he sees a painting by Impressionist Artist Henri Lebasque and buys it for his girl in Chicago. But when Taylor falls for Sarah he notifies his family that he is going on to Berlin for a visit to see the factories of Sarah's father and to spend more time with her. When Taylor is summoned back by his family he leaves the picture for Sarah.

In the 1960's Rachel Gold, a lovely Chicago girl, becomes pregnant and subsequently abandoned by her boyfriend, Court Woodmere, who is Taylor's son. She goes to New York to live with her aunt who is a Holocaust survivor, has her son, and goes on to college where whe meets Richard Stone, an instructor and eventually marries him. She also has a lucrative career working for a well-known magazine.

Years later, when the dispute over the provenance of the painting is made public, Rachel's grown son becomes disturbed; he remembers the picture and is sure that he has seen it somewhere before. It comes down to the fact that Taylor Woodmere is the only one who can explain the complicated puzzles that crop up in the lives of these people.

The ending of this book will touch your heart. Pictures of the Past is a truly wonderful work of historical fiction. The writing is first class, with a look into the times right before World War II and an in-depth gaze at the lives and events of the era from a time filled with horror and hate. The love story of Taylor and Sarah lasts though all the years of separation.

I have to say, again, I loved this book!! The author did such a good job of keeping the characters interesting, and readers will not get confused by who these people are and where they fit into the story. This is a wonderful read and will keep you enthralled until the very end. (less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel spans from 1937, Pre World War II to the year 2005. Taking a love story that began in 1937 and intertwining it throughout the generations that followed until it comes full circle for the reader. I love the historical background the author uses to describe Germany and Europe during this pre war season. Where things are just heating up with Hitler, and one of the main characters is a Jew.
I struggled a bit in the beginning of the novel as the story was getting set up. The author needed...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Kathleen Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is amazing to me that something that is an idea can evolve into a wonderful story. I admire an author that can take the idea and run with it. That to me is what Pictures of the Past is, a very well researched story that may be fiction but certainly could have been very real. A story told in different times, before and during WWII, in the 70's, 80's and then in the 2000's. With the different time frames and characters you would think the story would be confusing throughout but that is not the...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Lisa Christen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just this minute finished this book. It was recommended to me by another Goodreads reader and I have to admit, it is a good one. It is definitely a page turner and I would have given it five stars, except that I save that for the books that I absolutely cannot put down - you know, those that keep you from doing the things around the house that you are supposed to do. Wonderful, well written book.

This story centers around two people, Sarah and Taylor, in the pre-WWII years and then through 2005....more

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Oct 09, 2011 Adrienne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pictures of the Past from the beginning to the end. The character development and settings were so descriptive that I easily formed pictures in my mind throughout the book and felt as if I were travelling along with the characters throughout the storyline. I am a big fan of historical fiction and I enjoy reading about the time period from pre-World War II to the present. The format of short chapters depicting the lives, feelings and experiences of the different chara...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Dem rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this novel and I think it is a novel that will mean so many things to so many people.

This is a love story sweeping through Chicago, Paris and Berlin reliving events from pre-World War Two but beginning in 2004 when an elderly lady by the name of Gerta challenges the ownership of an impressionist painting hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago and donated by the Woodmere Family. She insists that this painting belonged to her Jewish neighbours, the Berger family in Berlin before...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, 2012, received-to-review

This book is beautifully written. It follows the stories of several people, all connected in some way by a picture. This book encompasses contemporary times, World War II, and the 1960's.

Every story is somehow tragically touched by the atrocities done to the Jews during WWII. The book opens when an elderly lady is taken to the Art Institute of Chicago and sees a painting that she remembers hanging in her neighbors home in Berlin. It was at the Berger family, a Jewish family. She sees this painti...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Deeknits rated it 1 of 5 stars

I never write reviews of books because everyone reads things differently but I downloaded this book after reading several good reviews about it. This book was awful. Besides the fact that whenever the author described a hotel or a room it sounded like she plagiarized from a brochure, but she obviously must think her readers are idiots, since she kept repeating the history the characters had. I'm near the end of the book and she once again tells the story of the characters as if I were reading th...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Bonnie (Words at Home Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, reviewed-2012

Original review posted on Hands and Home Blog Feb 16, 2012: http://www.handsandhome.ca/2012/02/pi...

When I turned to the first page of Pictures of the Past I had no idea that I would be starting the most engaging, heart-felt and character driven World War II era historical fiction that I have ever read. The first few chapters jumped around in time quite a bit and each of the characters were introduced quickly but the fast pace literally threw the reader into the novel and it was impossible to no...more Original review posted on Hands and Home Blog Feb 16, 2012: http://www.handsandhome.ca/2012/02/pi...

When I turned to the first page of Pictures of the Past I had no idea that I would be starting the most engaging, heart-felt and character driven World War II era historical fiction that I have ever read. The first few chapters jumped around in time quite a bit and each of the characters were introduced quickly but the fast pace literally threw the reader into the novel and it was impossible to not become completely absorbed in the story from the very beginning. I was concerned at first that I might not be able to keep all of these characters straight and that the jumping in time (sometimes 70 years) would get confusing but I can assure you these quick transitions only fuelled my interest and kept me glued to this novel.

I will spare you a synopsis because the blurb really says it all and this is a book that you just have to read and discover yourself. I don’t know how I could possibly summarize this book without giving away details about how the characters are connected, and discovering these connections is the best part! I will tell you that I was shocked to learn that this is Deby Eisenberg’s first novel because it reads like the work of a polished professional. The writing is beautiful crafted to convey deep emotions, whether they are intended to be of longing, happiness, fear or suspense. I felt a real connection to the characters, Sarah specifically, and found myself quickly invested in her story. I will definitely be reading Pictures of the Past again as I'm sure there is much more treasure to be found within the pages of this magnificently written book. I truly believe that this is a novel to be savored and poured over time and time again.

Sarah was not the only captivating character and equally deserving of attention is Taylor Woodmere. He was so full of passion, conviction and strength in his youth and while not touched as directly, or tragically, by the Holocaust as Sarah was it forever changed the course of his life. My heart went out to this character, and on an emotional level his story was almost as tragic as Sarah’s.

Pictures of the Past is a gripping and unforgettable story and the combination of intense emotion, powerful drama and utterly unforgettable characters makes it not only a beautifully written historical novel but a timeless piece of fiction. It is a story of romance, unrequited and forbidden love, and the ties that bind us together even after decades of separation. I highly…. highly recommend this book to fans of WWII era historical fiction, and everlasting love stories.

I received a review copy of Pictures of the Past from Pump Up Your Book (thank you!!!) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Apr 25, 2013 RedLakeReader rated it 5 of 5 stars

I highly recommend this novel. I really felt that I came to know and care about the characters, and I loved following their individual stories, waiting to see how it all would come together. And I especially liked that it was historical fiction. The author’s descriptions really brought you through the eras. There were events that I had heard of before, but now could really envision, such as the voyage of The St. Louis. Lastly, there's something about reading a historical fiction while on a train...more

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May 06, 2013 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

When Gerta Rosen's family takes her to the Art Institute of Chicago, she is shocked to see a painting there that had hung in her neighbor's home in Berlin before World War II. She accuses the donor, Taylor Woodmere, of being an anti Semite who participated in the looting of artwork once owned by Jewish families. Thus begins a saga which spans three generations and interweaves the stories of several families. It is not so much a story of art theft or survival through the Holocaust as it is a love...more

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Oct 07, 2011 University of Chicago Magazine added it

Shelves: graduate-school-of-education

Deby Eisenberg, MST'75
Author

From the mansions of Chicago's North Shore to the European capitals of Paris and Berlin, from pre-World War II to the present, this compelling historical fiction traces an Impressionist painting and a young love diverted by the Nazis. When a work of art he had donated to the Art Institute decades earlier is challenged as a Nazi theft, the heart-grabbing story of philanthropist Taylor Woodmere unfolds. From a world torn by the horrors of war, a love story emerges that...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a love story spanning history. I liked it, but I didn't find it to be anything extraordinary.

This book follows the trendy, multiple-view-point narrative style that I feel I've been reading too much of lately. True, it's not first person, but it still has the same feel as the Help or Mudbound, Kitchen House, etc. (all better reads by the way). However, in Pictures of the Past, this feels a little gimmicky. It seems like this was the only thing that made the story interesting, that th...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Susan by: Goodreads

Shelves: pictures-of-the-past

I just finished reading this book on recommendation from Goodreads. I loved it and lived the life via the story. I could not out it down and flew through the book What a beautifully written story of a story that starts with a Holocaust survivor Greta Rosen viewing an Impressionist painting and remembering it hanging in her friends home on Berlin. From there the story follows all who are touched and know the painting. You will really enjoy this lovely written book.What

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Oct 18, 2011 Barry Goldberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a too good to put down a very fast read. Starts with complicated romances intertwined with very difficult times and events in world history and travels back and forth through the lives and more complicated romances of the future generations. Along the way, a captivating portrait of life in the late 30's and early 40's in America and Germany and similar times in the later part of the 20th century.

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Apr 18, 2013 Gail rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it!! Thank you to the Goodreads reader who recommended it. The pace was fast (even so I couldn't get to the end fast enough) the story unfolded beautifully and was not rushed, with no BIG moments that become a bit predictable.
I had moments where I had to think hard to remember who fitted in where, but once I read a bit into each chapter, it all came rushing back.
Also, this story did not fall into recounting holocaust atrocities. Whilst those stories must be told, it was lovely to also ju...more

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May 11, 2012 Dottie Resnick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-recommend-made-me-think

What a phenomenal book. The descriptions were superb, story compelling, and I went and looked up works of art mentioned throughout the book so I could actually see the vivid works of art Deby was decribing. She described the 'featued' painting so completely, I was truly surprised (and disappointed) it did not exist. A novel well researched, a love story, I hope to see this as a movie some day!

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Mar 28, 2012 Fern Coon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good book that spans from 1937 to 2005 that intertwined the lives of three families during the Holocaust. It is a story of love, the family empires, a war that separates loved ones and a painting that ties it all together. Since each chapter takes the reader to a different time period, Ifound it difficult at times to keep all the characters straight. It is still a "Good Read".

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Oct 30, 2011 Patti added it

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and particularly stories that involve WWII, and so when I heard about Pictures of the Past I was very eager to read it. And I must say, it did not disappoint. I was drawn in instantly and could not put it down, until by the end I found myself at almost 4 am unable to sleep until I finished the book. Someone HAS to make this into a movie!

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Aug 21, 2012 Claudine rated it 4 of 5 stars

An interesting first novel from local north shore author, featuring many Chicago locations. The intertwining story which spans 60 years is at times confusing and wordy and, in parts, the writing could be better, but the characters are certainly very well crafted and the plot an interesting one.

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Feb 02, 2012 Carlee Londo rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading Sarah's Key, I was drawn to this novel because of the subject matter of the Holocaust. I also liked the contemporary storyline involving young people. It was an easily engaging, but very informative read, with all the best elements of intriguing venues, love and war.

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Aug 15, 2012 Monica Lindner rated it 5 of 5 stars

From present tense to past tense this novel will entice you with the intertwining love story, and also remind you through the historic research the horrors of WWII, however delicately touched on. The ending is the best, and I found myself wanting to shout "Yes, finally!" Didn't want to put it down.

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Jan 19, 2013 Jojoma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great story in a flashback/flash forward format that leaves you guessing, but has its trite and contrived moments. A love story with interesting historical background (American man visits Europe pre-war, falls for a Jewish girl, who then disappears).

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Nov 30, 2011 Cheryl Marsh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just loved this book, I could not put it down. As we got to meet all of the wonderful characters, I looked forward to the next page to see how they would all come together. Going back and forth through time was so much fun.

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About Deby Eisenberg

As a Book Club leader for the past sixteen years, Deby Eisenberg challenged herself to write a novel that her avid readers could not put down and would love to discuss. With a Masters Degree from the University of Chicago, she is a former literature and creative writing high school teacher and journalist. “I tried to envision a multi-generational love story that would inform as well as entertain,...more

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