When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

 When Among Crows by Veronica Roth-166 pages

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Dymitr seeks out and acquires a special fern flower to break a zmory's curse so that he can exchange the potential cure for a potential audience with the legendary Baba Jaga. He doesn't say why he wants an audience with Baba Jaga. He only says that he wants one. Dymitr appears to be a "normal" human surrounded by monsters in Chicago. He is unafraid, however, and the "creatures/monsters" wonder why he's not afraid. There may be more to him than meets the eye. 

I liked reading this, but I found the world building a bit lacking which is why I didn't give it 4 stars or higher. I like that the book is short, but that is both good and bad because it doesn't allow for enough background and world building. 

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer, 448 pages
 

CW: war, assault, violence

"In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.
Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of modern life, Kelly Rimmer creates an emotional and finely wrought narrative that weaves together two women’s stories into a tapestry of perseverance, loyalty, love and honor. The Things We Cannot Say is an unshakable reminder of the devastation when truth is silenced…and how it can take a lifetime to find our voice before we learn to trust it." --Goodreads blurb

This was an beautiful epic tale of war, family, and love. Many intriguing characters to follow and fall in love with, as well as some great background stories, namely the main character's son. The story became a little hard to follow at certain points, but it all came together and the story was wonderful. 

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

 (Lilac Girls #1)

487 pages / 17 hrs, 30 mins

"Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption, and secrets that were hidden for decades.
 
"New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.
 
"An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.
 
"For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.
 
"The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten."  --from the publisher

Overall, this is quality historical fiction. I struggled a bit trying to determine who the Lilac Girls were supposed to be, and how Herta Oberheuser fit into the story. I probably won't continue with the series. I rounded up from 3.5 to give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
(The Tattooist of Auschwitz #1)
262 pages

"In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tatowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

"Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism--but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

"One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her."  --from the publisher

I read this for a book club and while it is good, I don't think it lives up to its reputation. One very noticeable problem for me was that two-thirds of the way through, the story began moving faster and with much less detail. The last third had a very different voice. I gave it three out of five stars.

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus, #2) by Art Spiegelman

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus, #2)  by Art Spiegelman-136 pages

In this second and final graphic novel in the series, Art Spiegelman finishes telling his father's Holocaust story. It is both harrowing and hopeful. The detail in which the Holocaust is described is heartbreaking and the Nazi atrocities described cause anger to rise in one. This series is a great read on one man's experience (which was probably similar to many other survivors' experiences) before and during the Holocaust. Overall, I am glad to have read these two books. 

The Property, by Rutu Modan, 232 pages

The Property, by Rutu Modan, 232 pages

Mica accompanies her grandma on a trip from Israel to Poland, ostensibly to reclaim some family property lost during WWII.  What Mica finds is family secrets and a nice Polish boy, while her grandma finds that some wounds never heal.  I thought this was a really good, solid graphic novel, that read more like a short movie.  There is alot more humor than drama, but the drama is quite poignant.