When they discover a Jewish Allied paratrooper stranded outside of their small mountain village in Poland, 18-year-old twin sisters Helena and Ruth Nowak hide him from the Nazis, but soon jealousy and a devastating betrayal set in motion events that will reverberate across the decades. Original. - (Baker & Taylor)
Eighteen-year-old Helena begins harboring a Jewish-American paratrooper stranded in her Polish village during Nazi occupation, and when she falls in love with him, she must contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in her twin sister, Ruth. - (Baker & Taylor)
A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale
Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn't be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.
Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam'a Jew'but Helena's concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all'and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.
Originally published in 2014.
Look for Pam Jenoff's new novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, an unforgettable story of courage and friendship during wartime.
Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.
The Lost Girls of Paris
The Orphans Tale
The Diplomat's Wife
The Kommandant's Girl
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
The Ambassador's Daughter
- (Harlequin)
A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale
Life is a constant struggle for the eighteen-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn’t be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day.
Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam—a Jew—but Helena’s concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all—and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.
Originally published in 2014.
Don’t miss Pam Jenoff’s new novel, Code Name Sapphire, a riveting tale of bravery and resistance during World War II.
Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff:
The Woman with the Blue Star
The Lost Girls of Paris
The Orphan’s Tale
The Ambassador’s Daughter
The Diplomat’s Wife
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach
The Kommandant’s Girl
- (Harlequin)
Booklist Reviews
Jenoff (The Ambassador's Daughter, 2013) specializes in stories of forbidden love with dramatic wartime settings. Here, twins Helena and Ruth live in the small Polish village of Biekowice. The Nazi invasion is looming, and with their father dead from drinking and their mother dying in a Jewish hospital in nearby Krakow, the two young women are raising their three younger siblings on their own. The bond between the two sisters has deteriorated as they have taken on different roles—Helena as the provider and Ruth as the nurturer—and the schism deepens when Helena discovers an injured American soldier in the woods near their home. A young Jewish American man named Sam, he was trying to get a message to the local resistance fighters when his plane crashed, and as Helena cares for him, the two fall in love. Afraid of endangering her family or Sam, Helena tries to keeps him secret. Helena is a resourceful and brave heroine with a bit of a lucky streak, while Ruth shows her mettle in the novel's heart-pounding ending. Brisk, romantic, and emotionally satisfying. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
