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Horowitz Chronicles #3
Levi's strijd
Terwijl zijn familie denkt dat hij veilig in Londen is, maakt een Joodse man zich op voor zijn eigen gevecht.
Levi Horowitz is van nature niet het type om soldaat te worden. Maar als hij Duitsland moet ontvluchten in 1938, nemen de omstandigheden een wending die hij nooit had kunnen voorzien. Uiteindelijk meldt hij zich vrijwillig als parachutist en speelt hij een belangrijke rol in het redden van de Joden in het Italiaanse Assisi. Pas na zijn overlijden, decennia later, hoort zijn familie van zijn heldendaden.
Levi’s strijd vertelt het verhaal van de oudste zoon van de familie Horowitz. Het is het los te lezen vervolg op De jongen, de viool en de meester en Rachels verzet.
Levi Horowitz is van nature niet het type om soldaat te worden. Maar als hij Duitsland moet ontvluchten in 1938, nemen de omstandigheden een wending die hij nooit had kunnen voorzien. Uiteindelijk meldt hij zich vrijwillig als parachutist en speelt hij een belangrijke rol in het redden van de Joden in het Italiaanse Assisi. Pas na zijn overlijden, decennia later, hoort zijn familie van zijn heldendaden.
Levi’s strijd vertelt het verhaal van de oudste zoon van de familie Horowitz. Het is het los te lezen vervolg op De jongen, de viool en de meester en Rachels verzet.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2018
212 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Julie Thomas
7 books85 followersJulie started writing at the age of eight, stories about pre-revolutionary Russian princesses who rode troikas through the snow. She has worked in the media for over 25 years, radio, TV and film. She has written three novels and seven feature film scripts. In 2011 she sold her house in Auckland and moved two hours south to Cambridge, a glorious English style village, not unlike St Mary Mede. She shares her house with a highly intelligent and manipulative, but affectionate cat, Chloe, and is passionate about music, cooking and sport. She writes from the heart about subjects that she feels passionate about and her motto is "To dream of the person you could be is to waste the person you are." And also, "It was a brave man who ate the first oyster."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
March 29, 2021
4 bright stars for an engaging story of one man's journey through WWII. Although this book is fiction, some of the characters in the book were real people. Levi Horowitz grows up in Germany. His father decides to send him to Britain in 1938 after Kristallnacht. He manages to escape Germany as Jews are increasingly persecuted.
He is interned as an enemy alien in 1940. But then he is recruited by the British intelligence because he speaks German, English, French and can play the piano. They want him to parachute into Europe and act as a German officer. Because he can play the piano, he is noticed by Goebbels and is invited to play the piano for Adolf Hitler.
His life as a spy is a thrilling adventure and not discovered by his family until 2017 when the British find a video recording of a debriefing interview of Levi made in December 1945. The book then goes back and forth between present day and WWII.
This is book 3 in a trilogy, but it worked fine for me as a stand alone.
One quote from Levi on the Holocaust/Shoah "Families that lived and worked and owned property and contributed magnificently to the world for hundreds of years, and in one short period they have been totally obliterated."
#LevisWar #NetGalley
Thanks to HarperCollins NZ for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
He is interned as an enemy alien in 1940. But then he is recruited by the British intelligence because he speaks German, English, French and can play the piano. They want him to parachute into Europe and act as a German officer. Because he can play the piano, he is noticed by Goebbels and is invited to play the piano for Adolf Hitler.
His life as a spy is a thrilling adventure and not discovered by his family until 2017 when the British find a video recording of a debriefing interview of Levi made in December 1945. The book then goes back and forth between present day and WWII.
This is book 3 in a trilogy, but it worked fine for me as a stand alone.
One quote from Levi on the Holocaust/Shoah "Families that lived and worked and owned property and contributed magnificently to the world for hundreds of years, and in one short period they have been totally obliterated."
#LevisWar #NetGalley
Thanks to HarperCollins NZ for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
September 7, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins NZ for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
'Levi's War' was somewhat long-winded and somewhat enjoyable. The plot was a bit repetitive and certain things in particular were repeated over and over again. While it is the third book in a series, I didn't have much trouble piecing together what had happened in the other books (mostly because of how much information was being spewed at me throughout the book). Some of the more "shocking" plot events fell a little short for me, and on top of that, the characters could be fairly irritating at times, and didn't experience much character growth overall, MC included. While it was certainly an experience, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.
'Levi's War' was somewhat long-winded and somewhat enjoyable. The plot was a bit repetitive and certain things in particular were repeated over and over again. While it is the third book in a series, I didn't have much trouble piecing together what had happened in the other books (mostly because of how much information was being spewed at me throughout the book). Some of the more "shocking" plot events fell a little short for me, and on top of that, the characters could be fairly irritating at times, and didn't experience much character growth overall, MC included. While it was certainly an experience, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.
November 7, 2021
This is the 3rd book in the Horowitz chronicles,. The series focuses on a different Horowitz family member in each book. In this book, Levi Horowitz is a musician who’s in the Resistance. He eventually ends up in a position to affect the outcome of the war. He’s not a natural fighter, and has to reconcile the gentle musician with the man fighting to save all he holds dear.
I really liked this WWII historical fiction book. It’s well written and suspenseful, and the inner thoughts of the characters were fascinating. 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
I really liked this WWII historical fiction book. It’s well written and suspenseful, and the inner thoughts of the characters were fascinating. 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
October 25, 2021
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When I started reading this Julie Thomas story about Levi Horowitz, I did not realize it was the third in this family's fictional history. While this was a stand alone story and I did like it, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more having already read 'The Keeper of Secrets' about the priceless violin and 'Rachel's Legacy' about the youngest daughter before reading about Levi, the eldest Horowitz son. Both the violin and Rachel are talked about in this third installment in the series. Levi's story really begins with Hitler's rise to power beginning in 1933, Levi's escape to England, and his heroic actions to save humanity and destroy Hitler and his followers. He does all this while hiding secrets of his own. #netgalley #Leviswar
When I started reading this Julie Thomas story about Levi Horowitz, I did not realize it was the third in this family's fictional history. While this was a stand alone story and I did like it, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more having already read 'The Keeper of Secrets' about the priceless violin and 'Rachel's Legacy' about the youngest daughter before reading about Levi, the eldest Horowitz son. Both the violin and Rachel are talked about in this third installment in the series. Levi's story really begins with Hitler's rise to power beginning in 1933, Levi's escape to England, and his heroic actions to save humanity and destroy Hitler and his followers. He does all this while hiding secrets of his own. #netgalley #Leviswar
June 16, 2018
The different viewpoint and the continuing development of the Horowitz family history was worth reading, but the writing was disappointing. Too much verbatim repetition of large portions of earlier work! Since I was watching for this book, I know that the expected date of publication was pushed off more than once; maybe it should have been extended again.
May 6, 2021
I'm of two minds about Levi's War, the closing chapter of the Horowitz trilogy. I wanted to like it much more than I did, and I wanted it to be able to stand on its own, and it doesn't. I wouldn't say it's a crushing disappointment, as it is not, but neither is it a rip-roaring tale of a fictional Jew (the Levi of the title) trained as a spy and assassin (more on this later), who by sheer happenstance lands in Hitler's inner circle during WWII.
I get that historical fiction, and especially historical spy/thriller tales, need a lot of suspension of disbelief and a big helping of coincidence, but this really strained my willingness to remain in the book. But, as my power cut off during a storm, and remained off for over two hours, and having already read the other books on my Netgalley shelf, I didn't have much else to do.
As might be clear from the above, it's an easy enough, although rather pedestrian, read, and I did complete it during the outage. It is the third book in a trilogy, and this time, I'd say that reading the first two would have been a huge help to keep track of who everyone was, and who was related to whom. Completely denoting it as a third book in that way would have saved Ms Thomas the need to insert explanatory passages from the first two books, and would have saved us having to read them - multiple times throughout. While I know some people minded how the story was told - a young, 1945 Levi tells his story to a camera, the film is found during archival digitizing, and the immediate, extended, and descendant family watching that film - but this was fine with me. I didn't care for just how dry - almost clinically dry - it was.
If you're coming to this book and its weighty subject expecting to find a deeply emotional, resonant work set during one of the most shameful eras of human existence, you won't find it here. There isn't anyone in this book who seemed to be passionate about anything at all, except for Levi when playing the piano. His relationship with a childhood friend and a young Luftwaffe officer was mundane, and it wasn't love that occupied Levi's thoughts, but textbook dry, junior high muddling. Since homosexuality was criminalized, I'd have expected much more about how Levi and Erik evaded detection, since it's clear Levi spends many nights - consecutive nights - at Erik's place, something that surely would have generated gossip.
Beyond that, the book is a rather straightforward account of what Levi did during the war. He leaves Berlin, bound for London via Sweden, but gets held up by a Nazi at a checkpoint. Now, Levi at this point if just Levi, the musician. In this scene, he may as well be James Bond: the Nazi's Ruger jams not once, but twice when he tries to shoot Levi. Levi needs only to step into the Nazi as the latter is about to pistol whip him and throw what amounts to one punch, which slams the man against a wall an knocks him out. Then Levi picks up the gun and flees with his belongings into the woods, magically making it to London despite having no military or survival training.
All the right doors open for Levi when they need to, and all the right people appear for him when the plot needs it. He works as a banker until total war breaks out, at which point he is placed in a camp with other refugees. He's eventually tapped by the British to be a spy - and not just any spy: a spy whose purpose is to get into the circle of high level Nazis in order to send information back to the Allies. The British train him in less than a year, and he's off to Berlin, to work in Goebbels' office, translating English newspaper articles. He's tapped to play piano at a party, eventually making it up the Nazi food chain until hes sent to play or Hitler himself. In doing so, he manages to send back quite a it of material, because the Nazis apparently don't keep their mouths shut about organizational issues and/or chitchat when junior officers are present.
Levi eventually leaves Germany with Erik, who has recently been snuck out of Dachau worse for wear. They decide that Italy is where they should go, to fight with the partisans there, and that's just what they do, traveling at night and hiding out during the day - something Levi does again later, on his own, and in neither instance is there any threat to being discovered. There's no tension on those pages or many others in this book.
The Allies win, Levi is debriefed, and off he goes to live his life, with his relatives only finding out the story all those years later, watching the film. The ending sputters out a little, with a genealogy search that says flat out the circle of the Horowitz tale is over, instead of using a more metaphorical image to end on.
It's decent enough if you're casting around for something to read and have a few hours to do so. But if you haven't read the first two books, just a warning that you'll see the same information presented over and over because you weren't there for the first two.
Two and half stars, rounded to three, and that only because the story, in its own framework, held itself together to the end.
Thanks to Harper360 and NetGalley for the review copy.
I get that historical fiction, and especially historical spy/thriller tales, need a lot of suspension of disbelief and a big helping of coincidence, but this really strained my willingness to remain in the book. But, as my power cut off during a storm, and remained off for over two hours, and having already read the other books on my Netgalley shelf, I didn't have much else to do.
As might be clear from the above, it's an easy enough, although rather pedestrian, read, and I did complete it during the outage. It is the third book in a trilogy, and this time, I'd say that reading the first two would have been a huge help to keep track of who everyone was, and who was related to whom. Completely denoting it as a third book in that way would have saved Ms Thomas the need to insert explanatory passages from the first two books, and would have saved us having to read them - multiple times throughout. While I know some people minded how the story was told - a young, 1945 Levi tells his story to a camera, the film is found during archival digitizing, and the immediate, extended, and descendant family watching that film - but this was fine with me. I didn't care for just how dry - almost clinically dry - it was.
If you're coming to this book and its weighty subject expecting to find a deeply emotional, resonant work set during one of the most shameful eras of human existence, you won't find it here. There isn't anyone in this book who seemed to be passionate about anything at all, except for Levi when playing the piano. His relationship with a childhood friend and a young Luftwaffe officer was mundane, and it wasn't love that occupied Levi's thoughts, but textbook dry, junior high muddling. Since homosexuality was criminalized, I'd have expected much more about how Levi and Erik evaded detection, since it's clear Levi spends many nights - consecutive nights - at Erik's place, something that surely would have generated gossip.
Beyond that, the book is a rather straightforward account of what Levi did during the war. He leaves Berlin, bound for London via Sweden, but gets held up by a Nazi at a checkpoint. Now, Levi at this point if just Levi, the musician. In this scene, he may as well be James Bond: the Nazi's Ruger jams not once, but twice when he tries to shoot Levi. Levi needs only to step into the Nazi as the latter is about to pistol whip him and throw what amounts to one punch, which slams the man against a wall an knocks him out. Then Levi picks up the gun and flees with his belongings into the woods, magically making it to London despite having no military or survival training.
All the right doors open for Levi when they need to, and all the right people appear for him when the plot needs it. He works as a banker until total war breaks out, at which point he is placed in a camp with other refugees. He's eventually tapped by the British to be a spy - and not just any spy: a spy whose purpose is to get into the circle of high level Nazis in order to send information back to the Allies. The British train him in less than a year, and he's off to Berlin, to work in Goebbels' office, translating English newspaper articles. He's tapped to play piano at a party, eventually making it up the Nazi food chain until hes sent to play or Hitler himself. In doing so, he manages to send back quite a it of material, because the Nazis apparently don't keep their mouths shut about organizational issues and/or chitchat when junior officers are present.
Levi eventually leaves Germany with Erik, who has recently been snuck out of Dachau worse for wear. They decide that Italy is where they should go, to fight with the partisans there, and that's just what they do, traveling at night and hiding out during the day - something Levi does again later, on his own, and in neither instance is there any threat to being discovered. There's no tension on those pages or many others in this book.
The Allies win, Levi is debriefed, and off he goes to live his life, with his relatives only finding out the story all those years later, watching the film. The ending sputters out a little, with a genealogy search that says flat out the circle of the Horowitz tale is over, instead of using a more metaphorical image to end on.
It's decent enough if you're casting around for something to read and have a few hours to do so. But if you haven't read the first two books, just a warning that you'll see the same information presented over and over because you weren't there for the first two.
Two and half stars, rounded to three, and that only because the story, in its own framework, held itself together to the end.
Thanks to Harper360 and NetGalley for the review copy.
June 3, 2022
This book is based on real people and real events during World War II. The story follows Levi and his journey through Europe during the war.
I found it very graphic when sharing about the atrocities in the concentration camps and throughout Italy. It was also pretty descript of killing techniques used by the characters. I also didn't care for the ending.
I would only recommend it to readers that are interested in books about World War II.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I found it very graphic when sharing about the atrocities in the concentration camps and throughout Italy. It was also pretty descript of killing techniques used by the characters. I also didn't care for the ending.
I would only recommend it to readers that are interested in books about World War II.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
June 5, 2018
Julie Thomas concludes the trilogy of novels about the Horowitz family.
Starting with the hugely successful first book 'The Keeper of Secrets', we now conclude the series of revelations with the truth about how Levi Horowitz spent the Second World War. Having seen snippets of how the various members of the very musical Horowitz family were separated from each other and from their precious collection of musical instruments by the Nazi regime, we now follow a quite remarkable tale of wartime resistance.
Just before the war Levi escaped Germany and made his way to England, where his father had helped set up a career in banking for him. But as a German citizen in England he was still interred in a camp. From there he was taken and trained as a spy and then sent back into Germany, where his remarkable skills as a pianist brought him to the attention of senior figures in the Nazi regime and eventually to Hitler himself. Levi played the piano and found himself able to spy on these figures too. We watch the trauma of Jewish man forced to toe a painful anti-sematic line in order to stay alive. Eventually he had to leave Berlin and escape to Italy where he joined the local resistance movement and fought with the partisans. He will make friends and lose others along this painful journey.
Thomas describes the task of writing evil characters such Hitler, Goebbels and Himmler as an exhausting one. The reader will often know something of them, or have their own mental pictures. Even so, the story remains credible throughout, although covering such a long time period only leaves room for a broad brush picture. Hugely enjoyable but for me this new book lacked much of the raw emotion that I enjoyed in 'Rachel's Legacy'.
The two previous novels had first a musical instrument and then a lost painting as a central theme which linked past and present. Here our link is only Levi and his ability to play the piano. While this is more human, for some reason there was less emotion to this tale.
Starting with the hugely successful first book 'The Keeper of Secrets', we now conclude the series of revelations with the truth about how Levi Horowitz spent the Second World War. Having seen snippets of how the various members of the very musical Horowitz family were separated from each other and from their precious collection of musical instruments by the Nazi regime, we now follow a quite remarkable tale of wartime resistance.
Just before the war Levi escaped Germany and made his way to England, where his father had helped set up a career in banking for him. But as a German citizen in England he was still interred in a camp. From there he was taken and trained as a spy and then sent back into Germany, where his remarkable skills as a pianist brought him to the attention of senior figures in the Nazi regime and eventually to Hitler himself. Levi played the piano and found himself able to spy on these figures too. We watch the trauma of Jewish man forced to toe a painful anti-sematic line in order to stay alive. Eventually he had to leave Berlin and escape to Italy where he joined the local resistance movement and fought with the partisans. He will make friends and lose others along this painful journey.
Thomas describes the task of writing evil characters such Hitler, Goebbels and Himmler as an exhausting one. The reader will often know something of them, or have their own mental pictures. Even so, the story remains credible throughout, although covering such a long time period only leaves room for a broad brush picture. Hugely enjoyable but for me this new book lacked much of the raw emotion that I enjoyed in 'Rachel's Legacy'.
The two previous novels had first a musical instrument and then a lost painting as a central theme which linked past and present. Here our link is only Levi and his ability to play the piano. While this is more human, for some reason there was less emotion to this tale.
November 24, 2020
Levi’s War by Julie Thomas is third in the trilogy of the Libowitz family which I did not know when I read it. There were some aspects of the novel which I found really confusing and seemed to have nothing to do with the story. Now that I know there were two previous novels it makes more sense why they were referenced I.e. especially the violin and the painting. The members of the family were difficult to follow also.. I don’t think this should be viewed as a standalone novel. While the main character, Levi, was nicely explored some of the other characters were not. The research and historical aspects were well thought out and interesting. If I had known the background behind the story I might have given this five stars, but as a stand-alone novel I can only give it a four.
June 11, 2018
Began well but rather petered out towards the end.
March 25, 2021
Everything will be alright now
The story of Levi Horowitz and his family right before, during and after WWII. This is a story of a young Jewish man who showed great courage in the face of danger with compassion and love for his fellow man. He , however, was plagued by secrets during that time that he kept from his family until after his death.
He played many roles in his lifetime, refugee, spy, resistance fighter, friend, uncle, comrade and lover. Each role in his life he played to his utmost ability even though he was at times hurting inside. He saw, faced and lived with fear, evil, death, and sometimes love and friendship.
It is a heartbreaking story of the cruelty of war and how it affects all those involved and how it changes a person forever.
The story is told through an interview the Army did with him after he left the war. He told them I will tell you my story this one time and I will never speak of it again. When his only living brother was in his 90's the tape was found and shown to the family.
It is a very good book , much history of the war both in Germany and in Italy. I would recommend this book.
Thanks to Julie Thomas, Harper 360, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review.
The story of Levi Horowitz and his family right before, during and after WWII. This is a story of a young Jewish man who showed great courage in the face of danger with compassion and love for his fellow man. He , however, was plagued by secrets during that time that he kept from his family until after his death.
He played many roles in his lifetime, refugee, spy, resistance fighter, friend, uncle, comrade and lover. Each role in his life he played to his utmost ability even though he was at times hurting inside. He saw, faced and lived with fear, evil, death, and sometimes love and friendship.
It is a heartbreaking story of the cruelty of war and how it affects all those involved and how it changes a person forever.
The story is told through an interview the Army did with him after he left the war. He told them I will tell you my story this one time and I will never speak of it again. When his only living brother was in his 90's the tape was found and shown to the family.
It is a very good book , much history of the war both in Germany and in Italy. I would recommend this book.
Thanks to Julie Thomas, Harper 360, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review.
May 8, 2021
Levi’s War continues the historical fiction series about the Horowitz family. In book three Thomas focuses on the eldest son of the family, Levi, and his life during WWII. After reading the first two and absolutely loving them, I was really excited to pick up the third installation. The story was extremely interesting and kept my hooked till the end.
The book was advertised as being able to be read as the third in a trilogy or on its own. Because of this, there was a great deal of verbatim from the first two books to fill the reader in on past events and characters. The characters in Levi’s War were extremely interesting, and if you didn't read the first two books you will have their backgrounds in this book.
The main theme of this book speaks to being who you truly are, not who you think you should be. I think Thomas did a magnificent job discussing the internal conflict someone goes through when wanting to be their true self but still striving to please others, all whist fighting to stay alive. Levi’s War discusses important LGBT issues during the Second World War and I think this book would be a good read for someone interested in World War Two fiction who hasn’t already read the first two instalments.
The book was advertised as being able to be read as the third in a trilogy or on its own. Because of this, there was a great deal of verbatim from the first two books to fill the reader in on past events and characters. The characters in Levi’s War were extremely interesting, and if you didn't read the first two books you will have their backgrounds in this book.
The main theme of this book speaks to being who you truly are, not who you think you should be. I think Thomas did a magnificent job discussing the internal conflict someone goes through when wanting to be their true self but still striving to please others, all whist fighting to stay alive. Levi’s War discusses important LGBT issues during the Second World War and I think this book would be a good read for someone interested in World War Two fiction who hasn’t already read the first two instalments.
March 21, 2021
Many historical fiction books set during WW2 are heavy, dense, and hard to read because they are true to the tragedy they portray. This book read like a light version of WW2 historical fiction. Instead of delving deep into the atrocities and torment, this book tends to skim the surface over the actuality of suffering experienced by both Jews and the occupied.
Levi is a trained assassin and a spy. While I believe Britain to be adept at training assassins and spies, Levi’s abilities and circumstances just don’t seem plausible from beginning to end. Spying is a complex undertaking (which is greatly glossed over in this story). Most of the time, Levi just seems to be in the right place at the right time. I found his story too simplistic. The storyline unfolds too easily, and there are more coincidences than are believable.
Historical fiction that highlights real heroes from WW2 is one of my very favorite genres. I found this book to fall short of others in its field. That may be because this book is not based upon an actual person or a depth of research on which to support itself.
Many thanks to Julie Thomas, Harper 360, Harper Collins NZ, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Levi is a trained assassin and a spy. While I believe Britain to be adept at training assassins and spies, Levi’s abilities and circumstances just don’t seem plausible from beginning to end. Spying is a complex undertaking (which is greatly glossed over in this story). Most of the time, Levi just seems to be in the right place at the right time. I found his story too simplistic. The storyline unfolds too easily, and there are more coincidences than are believable.
Historical fiction that highlights real heroes from WW2 is one of my very favorite genres. I found this book to fall short of others in its field. That may be because this book is not based upon an actual person or a depth of research on which to support itself.
Many thanks to Julie Thomas, Harper 360, Harper Collins NZ, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2021
A great book. Levi is a young man who lives in Berlin. It is the year 1938. Levi's family sends him to London, where he will surely be safer. Everything was going well until the English government asked Levi to participate in a mission abroad in Berlin thanks to his language abilities. The boy accepts, but this adventure will be full of dangers and challenges. It is a book in which the author narrates the past and the present. I like that the author explains each chapter excellently, in such a way that I never felt lost. There were times when I was worried about Levi, especially when he is in the German barracks. It is a book with an addictive story that I loved. I thank NetGalley, Harper Collins 360, and HarperCollins NZ for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
November 22, 2025
i was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Random choice and not my usual thing but it was a great story told simply and well.
I felt like the last part of the book that brought in lots more about the family was unecessary and a weird way to finish, but it was only afterwards I found out this is the third book in a family series so it makes total sense in hindsight to tie them togther.
I felt like the last part of the book that brought in lots more about the family was unecessary and a weird way to finish, but it was only afterwards I found out this is the third book in a family series so it makes total sense in hindsight to tie them togther.
December 3, 2020
When I read this book I truly believed that it was a fictionalized true story of a man who lived and suffered under Hitler as well as his own conscience. And who is to say I was wrong. The presentation is that of remaining family members now living in England in 2017 being apologized to by the current espionage branch because as they were digitizing records ignored facts were discovered. The story shifts back and forth between 2017 and the life of Levi Horowitz regarding his service as an English spy in the heart of the Reich.
Levi comes from a practicing Jewish family in Berlin and is sent to England (with a hiccup or two) to work and live in London where he is eventually tapped by the service to become a British agent in Berlin. There are many things that test his Faith as well as his sense of self.
A heartwrenching pageturner of a read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Harper 360/HarperCollins NZ via NetGalley. Thank you!
There are two previous books in this series of the Horowitz family.
Levi comes from a practicing Jewish family in Berlin and is sent to England (with a hiccup or two) to work and live in London where he is eventually tapped by the service to become a British agent in Berlin. There are many things that test his Faith as well as his sense of self.
A heartwrenching pageturner of a read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Harper 360/HarperCollins NZ via NetGalley. Thank you!
There are two previous books in this series of the Horowitz family.
November 3, 2019
I didn't expect this book to be particularly amazing when I picked it up, but oh, what a clunky, childishly-written occasionally unintentionally hilarious novel. Here are my issues with it.
- The writing style! It's very didactic, and there's this unnecessary framing device where the experiences of the titular Levi are being relayed by Levi in a filmed interview from the 1940s, which his modern-day surviving family are now watching (as well as some guys at the national archives.) The archives men talk as if they're from the 1940s themselves, saying things like "good god, man!" meaning that for a few minutes I would have been confused as to when parts of the story were set if the author didn't keep telling us it was 2017. We're also continually reminded of who the modern-day characters are and how they're related - not just in a chart at the beginning of the book saying who's who's nephew/grandson/son/wife/mother etc but in the text it keeps saying "Kobi was Elizabeth's son. Elizabeth had been born in Germany and secretly adopted. Her mother was Rachel, Levi's sister," or whatever. Just over and over! This would be acceptable in a book written for children or a middle grade audience (and indeed, the writing style often felt like that, if it weren't for the fact that I've read kids and YA 2nd world war stories that were considerably more elegantly written) but it's extremely clunky in a novel for adults. There are also a lot of clumsy call-backs to a previous book in this series.
- Levi's sexuality is a bit ridiculous too. He has two major relationships in the book, and EACH TIME the potential partner wants to figure out if he's interested, he says, literally, "are you a homosexual, Levi?" Like that was how gay men would have casually talked to each other outside of a sexuality sciences study in the second world war. Yeah sure. It's like he's at a job interview for the position of "Licensed homosexual."
- The inclusion of Hitler as a character who has actual dialogue in the story (as opposed to being historical background) and having the main character interact directly with him seems like a stretch, and also a bit tasteless.
I will say that the basic plot is alright, with plenty of exciting and interesting things happening, but it's contrived and I HATED the framing device so much. The story ground to a clunking halt whenever the family was watching the film and making comments on it, like a crap MST3k of the book's own plot.
If you want a WW2 Jewish story with a modern day relatives framing device that actually works, even though it's technically written for a younger audience than this one, I'd definitely recommend Sisterland by Linda Newbery, which is extremely good.
- The writing style! It's very didactic, and there's this unnecessary framing device where the experiences of the titular Levi are being relayed by Levi in a filmed interview from the 1940s, which his modern-day surviving family are now watching (as well as some guys at the national archives.) The archives men talk as if they're from the 1940s themselves, saying things like "good god, man!" meaning that for a few minutes I would have been confused as to when parts of the story were set if the author didn't keep telling us it was 2017. We're also continually reminded of who the modern-day characters are and how they're related - not just in a chart at the beginning of the book saying who's who's nephew/grandson/son/wife/mother etc but in the text it keeps saying "Kobi was Elizabeth's son. Elizabeth had been born in Germany and secretly adopted. Her mother was Rachel, Levi's sister," or whatever. Just over and over! This would be acceptable in a book written for children or a middle grade audience (and indeed, the writing style often felt like that, if it weren't for the fact that I've read kids and YA 2nd world war stories that were considerably more elegantly written) but it's extremely clunky in a novel for adults. There are also a lot of clumsy call-backs to a previous book in this series.
- Levi's sexuality is a bit ridiculous too. He has two major relationships in the book, and EACH TIME the potential partner wants to figure out if he's interested, he says, literally, "are you a homosexual, Levi?" Like that was how gay men would have casually talked to each other outside of a sexuality sciences study in the second world war. Yeah sure. It's like he's at a job interview for the position of "Licensed homosexual."
- The inclusion of Hitler as a character who has actual dialogue in the story (as opposed to being historical background) and having the main character interact directly with him seems like a stretch, and also a bit tasteless.
I will say that the basic plot is alright, with plenty of exciting and interesting things happening, but it's contrived and I HATED the framing device so much. The story ground to a clunking halt whenever the family was watching the film and making comments on it, like a crap MST3k of the book's own plot.
If you want a WW2 Jewish story with a modern day relatives framing device that actually works, even though it's technically written for a younger audience than this one, I'd definitely recommend Sisterland by Linda Newbery, which is extremely good.
April 6, 2021
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I found this book to just be ok. It was a very interesting idea that built on actual events during WWII, when Jewish refugees were trained as spies and returned to Nazi Germany. Added to that, the story of a young man who had to hide both his religion and his sexuality at a time and in a place where both would likely end in his death, I had anticipated a tense thriller of a novel. And, in broad strokes, the story itself was interesting. The scenes in the past were set around present day scenes where Levi's family finally learn through British Intelligence records what he had been doing during those war years.
And yet... the writing seriously let down the story. The writing was not compelling at all, and even with as much time as we spend in Levi's perspective, we only ever seem to get a surface level of a personality. There is a lot of repetition in the writing, as though in the course of two pages we've forgotten who is who, and have to be reminded about the relationships between people.
The book does not transition well between the scenes in the past and the scenes in the present. In fact, it is several chapters into the book before we even get the first present-day scene, which as a narrative device is rather jarring. The ending as well was very contrived, and rather anticlimactic. Not what you would expect for a book about anti-Nazi espionage.
It is a shame, because this could have been a very interesting, powerful book. We know that there were Jews who returned as spies for the Allies. We know that homosexuals were persecuted in Nazi Germany. Telling their stories is important, and that is why this book is so disappointing. It does not do justice to the stories that need to be told.
It was only when I looked at Goodreads that I realized that this was actually the third book in a series; I don't know how much better my view of this book and its writing would be if I'd read the others, but I don't plan to. It's a shame to see such an interesting story be so utterly let down by the writing.
Overall, I found this book to just be ok. It was a very interesting idea that built on actual events during WWII, when Jewish refugees were trained as spies and returned to Nazi Germany. Added to that, the story of a young man who had to hide both his religion and his sexuality at a time and in a place where both would likely end in his death, I had anticipated a tense thriller of a novel. And, in broad strokes, the story itself was interesting. The scenes in the past were set around present day scenes where Levi's family finally learn through British Intelligence records what he had been doing during those war years.
And yet... the writing seriously let down the story. The writing was not compelling at all, and even with as much time as we spend in Levi's perspective, we only ever seem to get a surface level of a personality. There is a lot of repetition in the writing, as though in the course of two pages we've forgotten who is who, and have to be reminded about the relationships between people.
The book does not transition well between the scenes in the past and the scenes in the present. In fact, it is several chapters into the book before we even get the first present-day scene, which as a narrative device is rather jarring. The ending as well was very contrived, and rather anticlimactic. Not what you would expect for a book about anti-Nazi espionage.
It is a shame, because this could have been a very interesting, powerful book. We know that there were Jews who returned as spies for the Allies. We know that homosexuals were persecuted in Nazi Germany. Telling their stories is important, and that is why this book is so disappointing. It does not do justice to the stories that need to be told.
It was only when I looked at Goodreads that I realized that this was actually the third book in a series; I don't know how much better my view of this book and its writing would be if I'd read the others, but I don't plan to. It's a shame to see such an interesting story be so utterly let down by the writing.
April 7, 2021
Levi's War is the story WWII through one man's experiences, experiences which his family knew nothing about until following his death.
Levi Horowitz is working at his father's bank in London, when he is approached by British Intelligence and asked to be a spy in Germany. Levi speaks multiple languages, is a talented pianist, and as a Jew, is interested in helping with the British war effort. Following extensive training, he is dropped into Berlin as a German soldier, where he is to garner what information he can and report back to them. His musical ability soon brings him to the attention of the high command of the Nazi party, and he is asked to play at their parties in their homes, in time gaining access to Hitler himself.
After several years as a spy, he makes a personal decision based on a relationship to go to Italy and fight with the resistance there. As the war ends, the British military debriefs him and learns about the rest of his war efforts. In 2017, they discover a tape made by Levi in 1945 which tells his story. The Brits want to make it into a documentary about his courage and bravery and gather his remaining family to ask their permission to air it.
Though this is a fictionalized account, it is representative of what many actually did during the war; willingly putting themselves in personal danger to fight against those who would take their freedom and homeland from them. The author does a fine job of making Levi's story captivating, and I enjoyed the read very much.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins NZ for allowing me to read an e-copy of the book with hopes of an unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are freely given and are my own.
Levi Horowitz is working at his father's bank in London, when he is approached by British Intelligence and asked to be a spy in Germany. Levi speaks multiple languages, is a talented pianist, and as a Jew, is interested in helping with the British war effort. Following extensive training, he is dropped into Berlin as a German soldier, where he is to garner what information he can and report back to them. His musical ability soon brings him to the attention of the high command of the Nazi party, and he is asked to play at their parties in their homes, in time gaining access to Hitler himself.
After several years as a spy, he makes a personal decision based on a relationship to go to Italy and fight with the resistance there. As the war ends, the British military debriefs him and learns about the rest of his war efforts. In 2017, they discover a tape made by Levi in 1945 which tells his story. The Brits want to make it into a documentary about his courage and bravery and gather his remaining family to ask their permission to air it.
Though this is a fictionalized account, it is representative of what many actually did during the war; willingly putting themselves in personal danger to fight against those who would take their freedom and homeland from them. The author does a fine job of making Levi's story captivating, and I enjoyed the read very much.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins NZ for allowing me to read an e-copy of the book with hopes of an unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are freely given and are my own.
March 23, 2021
Levi’s War continues Julie Thomas series about the Horowitz family, this time focusing on eldest son Levi, who’s path through WWII was much different than his siblings.
Alternating between 1938 and modern day, we find out about Levi’s war, which was a far cry from most German Jews, but not less difficult. Through his father’s banking connections, Levi was granted passage to London to work in a friend’s bank in 1938, fleeing the Nazi’s ever-increasing control over Jewish lives in Germany. Not long after arrival in England, the British government recruited Levi to spy for the Allies. With his control of multiple languages, Aryan looks, and giftedness as a pianist, he had the potential to infiltrate even the highest command in the SS. Many of the choices he was forced to make tested his faith as well as his sense of self.
Simon, Levi’s younger brother, who has a novel of his own—The Keeper of Secrets, is contacted late in life by the British government as they digitize film and rediscover Levi’s contributions to the war. In these private viewings, Levi reveals not only his service secrets, but personal ones as well, that he took with him to the grave.
Levi’s war was a quick read and interesting for sure. The historical chapters were much better written in my opinion. The novel could stand on its own, but references to his siblings and their instruments could cause confusion if you haven’t read the other novels in the Horowitz Chronicles.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360/HarperCollins NZ, and Julie Thomas for an advanced copy of this book. I would give this 3.5 stars.
instagram.com/passionforprose
Alternating between 1938 and modern day, we find out about Levi’s war, which was a far cry from most German Jews, but not less difficult. Through his father’s banking connections, Levi was granted passage to London to work in a friend’s bank in 1938, fleeing the Nazi’s ever-increasing control over Jewish lives in Germany. Not long after arrival in England, the British government recruited Levi to spy for the Allies. With his control of multiple languages, Aryan looks, and giftedness as a pianist, he had the potential to infiltrate even the highest command in the SS. Many of the choices he was forced to make tested his faith as well as his sense of self.
Simon, Levi’s younger brother, who has a novel of his own—The Keeper of Secrets, is contacted late in life by the British government as they digitize film and rediscover Levi’s contributions to the war. In these private viewings, Levi reveals not only his service secrets, but personal ones as well, that he took with him to the grave.
Levi’s war was a quick read and interesting for sure. The historical chapters were much better written in my opinion. The novel could stand on its own, but references to his siblings and their instruments could cause confusion if you haven’t read the other novels in the Horowitz Chronicles.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360/HarperCollins NZ, and Julie Thomas for an advanced copy of this book. I would give this 3.5 stars.
instagram.com/passionforprose
January 8, 2021
"Levi's War" by Julie Thomas is the third book in the trilogy of the Horowitz family. I did not realize this was a trilogy until after I downloaded the book and added it to my GoodReads account.
Levi is a pianist and bank clerk; he is also Jewish. Levi's father finds a way to gain passage to London for Levi in 1938. He eventually arrives in London, moves into a boardinghouse, and works at a bank. After war is declared, Levi registers as a German national, and eventually is declared an Enemy Alien and sent to a camp. There, he is approached about being a spy for Britain and dropped behind enemy lines to play piano and listen for information to help the Allies win the war. There, Levi meets a young man who he cares about very much. This young man is then arrested and taken to Dachau Concentration Camp for being gay. The two eventually join the Resistance fight.
The research completed by the author is outstanding; there is much detail. I appreciate how 'God' is written as 'G-d," as many Jews feel that writing it this way does not show any disrespect to God.
I do not prefer historical books that flip from the past to present day, and this book does, since Levi's descendants are invited to watch a video created by the national archives. I also found some of the information shared a bit much, and that took away from the story.
This is definitely not a standalone novel, as there were references to violin and a painting, that was probably explained in the previous books.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for my review.
Levi is a pianist and bank clerk; he is also Jewish. Levi's father finds a way to gain passage to London for Levi in 1938. He eventually arrives in London, moves into a boardinghouse, and works at a bank. After war is declared, Levi registers as a German national, and eventually is declared an Enemy Alien and sent to a camp. There, he is approached about being a spy for Britain and dropped behind enemy lines to play piano and listen for information to help the Allies win the war. There, Levi meets a young man who he cares about very much. This young man is then arrested and taken to Dachau Concentration Camp for being gay. The two eventually join the Resistance fight.
The research completed by the author is outstanding; there is much detail. I appreciate how 'God' is written as 'G-d," as many Jews feel that writing it this way does not show any disrespect to God.
I do not prefer historical books that flip from the past to present day, and this book does, since Levi's descendants are invited to watch a video created by the national archives. I also found some of the information shared a bit much, and that took away from the story.
This is definitely not a standalone novel, as there were references to violin and a painting, that was probably explained in the previous books.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for my review.
June 19, 2021
Levi's War is the story of Levi Horowitz. Levi is a German Jew whose father runs a bank in Berlin. Right after Kristallnacht, Levi is sent to London to stay safe. Not long after arriving he is picked up with other foreigners and sent to a camp to live out the war. It turns out that because he came from a prosperous family Levi was a piano player which comes in handy when the British government comes calling. When the Brits want someone who can get close to the Nazi leadership they pull Levi in for that job. It turns out that the Nazi's love to hold parties and their music.
Levi's goes on to spend the war in Germany and Italy spying on and then fighting the Nazis. In 2017, the Brits find a recording from 1945 of Levi telling his war story. When the Brits go to find Levi, they discover that he has passed but his brother and family are still around. The family is invited to view the video and for the first time they learn about Levi's War.
This is apparently part of a trilogy centering on Levi and his younger brother and sister. Now you do not have to have read the other two in order to read this as the stories do not really intertwine. I did not know there were other books until the acknowledgements at the end. This WWII story feels different than others I have read recently which seem to be about female protagonists that work for the resistance. I really enjoyed this story and found the convention of the two time frames worked really well and was not just a "new" way to tell a story.
Levi's goes on to spend the war in Germany and Italy spying on and then fighting the Nazis. In 2017, the Brits find a recording from 1945 of Levi telling his war story. When the Brits go to find Levi, they discover that he has passed but his brother and family are still around. The family is invited to view the video and for the first time they learn about Levi's War.
This is apparently part of a trilogy centering on Levi and his younger brother and sister. Now you do not have to have read the other two in order to read this as the stories do not really intertwine. I did not know there were other books until the acknowledgements at the end. This WWII story feels different than others I have read recently which seem to be about female protagonists that work for the resistance. I really enjoyed this story and found the convention of the two time frames worked really well and was not just a "new" way to tell a story.
July 6, 2020
Levi's War by Julie Thomas is the third book in the appropriately named the Horowitz Chronicles. Here the reader is able to follow along with the Horowitz family history and are able to place more pieces into the puzzle on what happened to the family, in particular Levi, during WWII.
I have to admit I have not read the first two installments, however with a bit of summary here and there, I was able to pick up the prior information that was given in the previous stories. If one has read the other two books, The Keeper of Secrets and Rachel's Legacy, one might be able to appreciate an additional background element, however it is certainly not needed.
The reader gets to follow along as we see all of the turmoil, risky ventures, and tasks that Levi has to endure as he trains and returns to infiltrate the ranks under enemy lines.
There were moments of sadness, suspense, and pure awe as I was able to reflect how much one man was able to do despite the risks involved. The material is heavy, as one would expect, however the pacing and plot flowed nicely. I will definitely look up the author's first two works under this trilogy to learn more of this story overall.
4/5 stars
Thank you EW and HarperCollins for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, and B&N upon publication.
I have to admit I have not read the first two installments, however with a bit of summary here and there, I was able to pick up the prior information that was given in the previous stories. If one has read the other two books, The Keeper of Secrets and Rachel's Legacy, one might be able to appreciate an additional background element, however it is certainly not needed.
The reader gets to follow along as we see all of the turmoil, risky ventures, and tasks that Levi has to endure as he trains and returns to infiltrate the ranks under enemy lines.
There were moments of sadness, suspense, and pure awe as I was able to reflect how much one man was able to do despite the risks involved. The material is heavy, as one would expect, however the pacing and plot flowed nicely. I will definitely look up the author's first two works under this trilogy to learn more of this story overall.
4/5 stars
Thank you EW and HarperCollins for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, and B&N upon publication.
April 25, 2021
Levi Horowitz is a talented Jewish musician who is caught up in the Nazi Regime. It is not by choice, but he is asked to spy on the elite of Hitlers posse at their parties where he will be the concert pianist. He is befriended by many individuals and eventually he becomes noticed by the man himself, Hitler.
This is a third book and final in a series of three of the Horowitz family. I was luckily enough to have read one of the other books to be familiar with the family, but this could be read as a stand alone until the end and then you may be confused about all the players. However, I do believe if you read further it all comes together and the book will make complete sense.
I personally thought this book moved slower than the other two books. Yes, of course I had to read the other one before jumping into this one. I think there were still areas left unanswered and some things that should have been left private, but during wartime nothing is private.
Overall, the book was written very well and the characters were dynamic, but I think there could have been more interesting twists and turns with things between the family dynamics in the states .
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.
This is a third book and final in a series of three of the Horowitz family. I was luckily enough to have read one of the other books to be familiar with the family, but this could be read as a stand alone until the end and then you may be confused about all the players. However, I do believe if you read further it all comes together and the book will make complete sense.
I personally thought this book moved slower than the other two books. Yes, of course I had to read the other one before jumping into this one. I think there were still areas left unanswered and some things that should have been left private, but during wartime nothing is private.
Overall, the book was written very well and the characters were dynamic, but I think there could have been more interesting twists and turns with things between the family dynamics in the states .
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.
December 9, 2020
In 1938 Levi Horowitz, a bank clerk and talented musician, is on his way to London with fake papers, and hidden family jewelry and his real papers. At the border checkpoint to Norway, he is stopped by the German guards, who suspect his papers and they detain and arrest him. Desperate, Levi slashes out at one guard, knocks him down and is able to sneak away from the other guard and make his way to Norway and safety. With help from friends he does get to London and for a while works in his father’s friends bank, but as the war increases, he is declared an Enemy Alien and is sent to a camp. That is pretty much what his family, those that survived the camps, know about Levi during the war. In September 2017 they are requested by a Major Richard Stratton from the National Archives in Kew, London to come and watch a film made by Levi in 1945. What and why and how could Levi have made a film?
This is number three of the a trilogy written by Ms Thomas and although I had not read the first two I found this did not interfere with enjoying a great story. I immensely enjoyed this book and heartily recommend. One of the most creative stories written about WWII I’ve ever read.
This is number three of the a trilogy written by Ms Thomas and although I had not read the first two I found this did not interfere with enjoying a great story. I immensely enjoyed this book and heartily recommend. One of the most creative stories written about WWII I’ve ever read.
July 23, 2021
I’ve read 3 books about the Horowitz family, the first were “The Keeper of secret”, second was “Rachel’s Legacy” and lastly is “Levi’s War” by Julie Thomas. I am sad that I have read all of those three books. They were truly impressively splendid, I couldn’t put down. I loved how the author Julie brings a heart-rending story of love, loyalty and family during ww2. Love the story and characters.
The experiences that the main character had were extraordinary difficult. During the World War Two was very painful for so many people and in so many countries. The last book I just have finished reading about oldest brother Levi. His war story.
It is set in the past and present day. He was a Jewish boy grew up in Berlin, his family works as a banking and also a musician background. His father decided to send him to England in 1938 after the kristallnacht, then the British asked him to go back to his naive home as a spy and play the piano for Hitler, then he escaped to Italy to join the partisan to fight for their freedom so on.
Levi told the British army his word and he states “I will tell my story this once time and never speak of it again”
The experiences that the main character had were extraordinary difficult. During the World War Two was very painful for so many people and in so many countries. The last book I just have finished reading about oldest brother Levi. His war story.
It is set in the past and present day. He was a Jewish boy grew up in Berlin, his family works as a banking and also a musician background. His father decided to send him to England in 1938 after the kristallnacht, then the British asked him to go back to his naive home as a spy and play the piano for Hitler, then he escaped to Italy to join the partisan to fight for their freedom so on.
Levi told the British army his word and he states “I will tell my story this once time and never speak of it again”
October 14, 2025
To read about Levi's war experience was so harrowing and heart warming for how courageous he was. He was so brave but also so human at the same time. His love with Erik was lovely and heart warming and it was so heart breaking when he lost him and his openness for romantic love. The way he was a spy for the British was brilliant and courageous, the work he did in this novel was a great testament to all the spies in Germany at the time. The relationships that he built during his time fighting in the war was brilliant and resourceful. Reading about the family and where they are now was alright but it had some, aspects to it that were hard to stay connected to the story. Where it was easier to read when we were learning about how Levi served in the war. The writing made the story easy to follow and it was a fast paced read, that kept me on the edge of my seat to see what happened next. Levi's story was a brilliant homage to the many diffrent brave men and women that fought, lived and survived the world war 2. This was so worth the read and such a compelling read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2020
I have read countless books that center around WW2. The author surprised me with this story as it had a unique viewpoint. Levi Horowitz, the main character, is an immensely talented musician. So while this book centers on the war, music and culture also play a prominent role.
This is the third novel in the trilogy of the Libowitz family. Although this book can certainly be read without reading the prior two, I do believe a lot would be confusing or missed if the others not read beforehand.
I felt that the book did a good job making you believe that the majority of these characters could have been real life people during this time in history. So while fiction was certainly a factor in this book, there were several facts present as well. Overall, a well written book, but I did feel it dragged on a bit too long.
I received an ARC of "Levi's War" by Julie Thomas in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third novel in the trilogy of the Libowitz family. Although this book can certainly be read without reading the prior two, I do believe a lot would be confusing or missed if the others not read beforehand.
I felt that the book did a good job making you believe that the majority of these characters could have been real life people during this time in history. So while fiction was certainly a factor in this book, there were several facts present as well. Overall, a well written book, but I did feel it dragged on a bit too long.
I received an ARC of "Levi's War" by Julie Thomas in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2021
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others in this series. Some of the dialogue felt a bit rehearsed and artificial and there were moments in the book where I felt like it was asking a bit much to suspend belief as far as I'd have had to in order to be fully involved with the story.
The first half of this book, in my opinion, was more exciting than the last half. I lost my way toward the end and just didn't really care to follow what was happening any longer. The partisan activity and the backstory of Levi was interesting enough. I enjoyed some of the characters more than others. This is not a bad book, but it did have some slower moments that caused me to lose interest.
If you are interested in historical fiction set in this period then you should give it a chance and see what you think.
This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The first half of this book, in my opinion, was more exciting than the last half. I lost my way toward the end and just didn't really care to follow what was happening any longer. The partisan activity and the backstory of Levi was interesting enough. I enjoyed some of the characters more than others. This is not a bad book, but it did have some slower moments that caused me to lose interest.
If you are interested in historical fiction set in this period then you should give it a chance and see what you think.
This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
April 5, 2021
With thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre of book, and I particularly gravitate towards World War 2 historical fiction. I am always amazed that despite the number of WW2 books I have read I still learn more about what happened during the war.
Levi's War goes back and forth between 2017 and the early 1940's but is set mostly during WW2. Levi, and his family, grapple with a number of secrets and the story explores the impact of these secrets coming out. Levi spent the story taking on a number of disguises and trying to hide his homosexuality. I found it a bit difficult to follow how Levi's story jumped around from Berlin to interacting with Hitler to various other storylines. I think it would have helped if it had focused on fewer plot elements.
Notes: I would give this 3.5 stars. This is book 3 in a trilogy but it can be read as a stand alone.
Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre of book, and I particularly gravitate towards World War 2 historical fiction. I am always amazed that despite the number of WW2 books I have read I still learn more about what happened during the war.
Levi's War goes back and forth between 2017 and the early 1940's but is set mostly during WW2. Levi, and his family, grapple with a number of secrets and the story explores the impact of these secrets coming out. Levi spent the story taking on a number of disguises and trying to hide his homosexuality. I found it a bit difficult to follow how Levi's story jumped around from Berlin to interacting with Hitler to various other storylines. I think it would have helped if it had focused on fewer plot elements.
Notes: I would give this 3.5 stars. This is book 3 in a trilogy but it can be read as a stand alone.
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