The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

I've read a lot of books about the Holocaust. Non-fiction, fiction, biographical and eyewitness accounts. I admit to being shocked and saddened when I read a fact about the Holocaust I wasn't previously aware of.

Unfortunately it is usually something even more inhumane and heartbreaking than the facts I have already read about.

After all these years, and all the accounts, I still find it hard to fathom and comprehend the atrocities committed during the Nazi era. Pam Jenoff discovered the reference to and details of the baby train in the archives of Yad Vashem.

A train carriage full of babies on their way to a concentration camp. No food, no water or milk, no human touch and no saviour in sight. Just helpless infants on the road to certain death. Many of them succumbing to the lack of care before they reached their final destination.

Jenoff combines this horrific fact with the true story of circus families who hid Jews in the midst of their travelling shows, during the Nazi-era.

The baby in this story is pivotal in connecting and binding all the characters. The child is a symbol for Noa and is synonymous with survival. The survival of every Jew, every gypsy and every victim of the regime. It doesn't matter where he came from or who he really belongs to, all that matters is making sure he lives to tell the tale.

Jenoff tugs on the heartstrings, whilst awakening the moral compass in every one of us. She mixes fact with fiction to create memorable reads. If you want your heart to bleed, your eyes to weep and want to reach inside the book and hug the characters, well that's what this author does best.

Buy The Orphan's Tale at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @PamJenoff  @HarlequinBooks on Twitter, on Facebook PamJenoffauthor, or visit pamjenoff.com

Read The Last Embrace or The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff.

The Last Embrace by Pam Jenoff

All roads lead back to Addie's past and the way she was separated from her own family. Her inability to focus her affections on one person, her indecisiveness, and not being able to see beyond her rose-tinted glasses.

As a reader I found myself feeling sympathy for Addie, but also being annoyed at her thoughtless decisions and often devil-may-care attitude towards everything.

Saying that, the story takes place over the period of a few years and everyone involved is quite young, which explains the dramatic changes of heart and flighty behaviour.

Like many displaced families and people during war-time, Addie finds herself isolated and feeling as if she doesn't really belong. It isn't actually until well into the end of the story that she comprehends how much she loves her aunt and uncle, and how lucky she is compared to others in similar situations. Children, teens, young adults ripped from the warmth and security of their homes and family, not knowing that goodbye for now usually meant forever.

Addie encounters Charlie and his perfect family life at exactly the right time. She becomes enamoured with the thought of being part of their family, and some of them become enamoured with her.

Once again Jenoff shows the complexity of family dynamics in the midst of war-time and emotional fallout from tragedies within families.

Buy The Last Embrace at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @PamJenoff on Twitter, on Facebook PamJenoffauthor, or visit pamjenoff.com

Read The Orphan's Tale or The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff.