House of Israel, Vol. 1: The Return

by Robert Marcum

Electrifying novel about one woman's desperate quest for freedom

Genres: Historical Fiction, Lds Fiction, Lds, Book Club, World War II, Religion

437 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[T.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical fiction novel deals with the plight of the Jews in Europe at the close of World War II. I know a fair amount of history, but I have read little or nothing about what happened to the Jews once the concentration camps were closed, and thus found this book really informative (it seems well-researched and has chapter notes). Also, the story is quite compelling and often had me in tears. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Jodielayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, a great look at post war life for the jews.
Even after going to the holocaust museum in D.C. this year, you don't grasp what a mass of confusion europe was after world war 2. This book explains it pretty well.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, learned so much

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next one. The story in this book takes place at the close of the war in Europe and guides the reader through an adventure with all the emotions, hardships, sadness, unfairness, devotion, love. The story creates in the reader a feeling of being there with Hannah and compatriots. The reader feels the fear when finally they are within site of their goal and are being ordered to stop and return to where they had just come from.

This book is well written and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. One thing I do like is the author ended the story of this book in this book and didn't leave you hanging.

Great book I recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading about the Jewish fight to survive after WW 2

[Mindy Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very gripping story of the horrors of the concentration camps of WWII. The greater focus is on the aftermath of the Jewish survivors struggle to get back to any kind of normal life, physical and emotional health in a world where no one really wanted them. Characters are extremely well defined, information seems very well researched. Issues such as political wrangling, misinformation, and almost total chaos in most European countries are brought to light. Many aspects of this time in history I had not even thought of.

A very good read for anyone interested in this era of history.

[Rebecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research

I have done extensive reading on WWII and still learned much from this narrative! Well written, hard to put down and I loved the notes at the end of the book! It is interesting that after such horrific annihilation of their people, the current generation of Israelis are treating the Palestinians so cruelly! It's a complex situation--nobody wins with war

[Jesse Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Marcum writes painstakingly researched historical novels. What makes them really great is that he doesn’t let all that research get in the way of his story. Rather he puts a set of characters into history and lets them live through it, allowing us to watch them struggle and fight for survival.

He’s one of the few writers among the LDS publishers that is actually a good writer.

The Return takes place in Europe just after the end of the second World War. The Americans have won the war and rescued millions of Jews from death camps only to have the Russians and British put them right back into camps because they didn’t know what to do with them or how to feed them. Many of those Jews, unable to face the horrors of camp life – even if it was drastically better than they got from the Nazis, many times it was the exact same camp – fled to Italy and from there to Israel. The problem was that the British controlled Israel at the time and it was full of Muslims. Neither of them wanted the Jews to get there.

Hannah and a group of her friends, recovering from malnourishment and trauma from years in the Nazi camps, decide there is no place for them in Europe and they must return to the land of their ancestors.

Thus begins their journey across a continent that still hates them, to a land they’ve never seen, through governments and armies that don’t want them to leave.

Many times the history books end when Hitler shot himself but the cruelty and dissociation continued. Many times simply because there was nothing anybody could do about it, but frequently because nobody wanted to.

I really enjoyed this book and think that most everybody would.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to get my hands on this book since I loved the first book I read by this author, Joseph and Mary. This book was not as well written but still had an interesting plot and characters.
My biggest problem was that there were some parts that felt scripted from a missionary discussion and other parts that were supposedly people's thoughts but read like a history book...as if a young girl caught in the post WWII mess would have known so much about the big picture worldwide going on after being stuck in a concentration camp? To me, those parts weren't believable.
However, I did love the characters in this book and will probably read the second book when I run out of things to read. It also offers a fairly rare look at what was happening after WWII and how a person might have felt after surviving concentration camps. For some people, it wasn't so much about going home but rather finding a new home.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in Robert Marcum's series about the Jews' fight for their state of Israel. I'd done some reading about that time period in history, as well as a great deal of books written during WWII, but I liked that this book started right after WWII and the liberation of prisoners in the concentration camps, and then spent some time talking about what it was like in Germany and Europe during that time. It was interesting about all of this from and LDS perspective, as well. There were times this book was a little predictable, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and went on to finish the series. I especially enjoyed reading the chapter notes that not only explained things from Marcum's storyline but expounded on what was happening in history. I like when I can learn something from reading a fiction book.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had finished my other book on a Sunday morning and I didn't have the next one ready and wouldn't until visiting the library the next morning. I got this book from Grandma's bookshelf. She promised it a page turner. I didn't find it to be that.

This book is about a Jewish Polish girl's survival at the end of WWII. She had survived a Nazi concentration camp and was determined to get out of Europe and migrate to Palestine. Of course, the hero is a Mormon American soldier that introduces her to an entirely new way to view God. Not my type of book, but it filled the gap. I won't read the rest of the series.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very personal view of life for Holocaust survivors AFTER WWII - as opposed to during the war). I now understand more why the Zionist Movement among Jews grew in strength and perhaps have more a sense of the necessity of this event (horrible as it was) as part of the fulfillment of prophecy regarding the House of Israel in the Latter Days. The characters were likeable and believeable enough for me to get attached to the storyline. So many historical novels have their story take place during WWII, while so few take place after. It was refreshing to experience post-war Europe through a compelling story such as this.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love historical fiction. The text of the book should have been shorter and the chapter notes longer. This was a little bit like reading Les Miserables, 2-3 pages about the battle at Waterloo is quite boring. Reading 3-4 paragraphs about some detail about WWII in the middle of a conversation between two characters seemed choppy. I really liked the characters. There was a realness to each person and I could visualize them very clearly in my mind. I just didn't like all of the explanations about history in the middle of the story. I liked the story enough to read the other 2 books in the series, maybe, we'll see.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by one of Mark's old seminary teachers and Mother gave it to him for Christmas. If was a great book and teaches you about what happened after the war with Hitler in novel form. After each chapter there are chapter notes so you can see what was real and what was fiction. There are 3 in the series but the first one was my favorite. Will this get you goodreads nazis off my back!

[goddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction....about a Polish girl who survives the Holocaust and struggles to get her way to Israel. She meets an LDS American soldier along the way (of course) who givers her hope for a new life. Great characters, great storytelling, and interesting plot lines. The chapter notes at the end of the book were also informative, and I learned more about the struggle of the Jews in Europe after WWII.

Can't wait to start the next installment.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

First book in the House of Israel series. I only read it because it concerns life in concentration camps(Jews/Poland) at the closing days of World War I. A Mormon novel (American LDS soldier meets, love, marries a Jewish women) that is very predictable and contrived. If you like the subject matter, read it. If interested in the history, strong points are the foot notes and bibliography.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about post-WWII Europe and the Jews and their dilemma, etc. I did find a few parts a bit forced (like when a stranger all of a sudden goes into a paragraphs-long monologue about what happened to them - it mostly felt like he was trying to get history in through dialogue) Other than that, however, it was a great read and I'm excited to read the next one.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a compelling account of post WWII events relating to the Jews. I really enjoyed the story and characters but there are some severely hokey and unlikely sections of dialogue that caused me to repeatedly roll my eyes in disbelief even leave the book for a little while. Luckily these episodes are infrequent enough that I plan to read the entire series.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading the first in the series. If you enjoy historical fiction, and want to learn more about the Holocaust, you will enjoy it. This is a LDS Author. It is about a girl from Poland who has survived the concentration camps and is introduced to the church by a returned missionary.

[Selina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have an avid interest in WWII and the HOlocaust and the Jewish surviors, so a friend got me this book because it had all three - but being an Lds fictional book, it just didn't have enough substance for me. Sorry...

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was great from a historical standpoint. Post-war era isn't often covered, and I was fascinated. I liked that the main character is Jewish, not LDS. I thought it ended rather abruptly, though, and I am eager to read the next book in the series.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried and tried to love this book, but couldn't succeed. It's about a former prisoner of war - historical fiction - I thought I'd love it. However, reading it felt like more of a chore; just didn't move fast enough for me

[Kassie Napoleon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really haven't read any post WWII books, so it is interesting to read about the aftermath. I especially like that Marcum includes his notes in the back so you can get the details on what actually happened, not just wonder if what you're reading is all fictional or not.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a series of 3 about a jewish girl and her family right at the end of WWII

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latter-Day-Saint story picking up in the aftermath of WWII and before the Berlin wall. Incredibly well done! (I'm reading the series.)

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series.

[cami nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book based on facts. This book was so educational about the holocaust and world war II. Very good love story also.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read. I learned a lot about life post WWII. I recommend reading all three in the series.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio Book Novel 5 CD\'s 437 pages Fiction 04/27/04

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book that showed what went on with the Jews post WWII...very interesting

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good read for fictional history. I will probably read the rest of the series if I don't have to buy them.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good novel with more historical accuracy than I thought at first. Now I need to find the other books in this House of Israel series.