Once We Were Home: A Novel by Jennifer Rosner
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Beautifully told in her mesmerizing style, Jennifer Rosner introduces us to four characters who suffered through the war and beyond. We meet Ana and Oskar whose mother had to give her children to a Polish family who would raise them as their own to keep them safe. The children had a wonderful life of learning and love but a life that heart-wrenchingly changed after the war. Where will Ana and Oskar end up? We meet Roger who grew up in a convent to be kept safe, who was very inquisitive, a clever, witty writer of stories and jokes, and sadly had no parents to go home with on holidays. We find out what happens to him and where he goes. We meet Renata as an adult who is a scientist in Israel at an archeological dig. We learn of Israel’s beauty as Renata takes side trips to Tel Aviv and other places. On her shopping trip she finds a hand-chiseled chessboard and an ornately carved set of nesting boxes. Could the craftsman in the shop be none other than Oskar whose uncle taught him to whittle and make beautiful shapes out of wood? I will dearly miss the characters…especially Oskar….he was my favorite. It also was fun to see our favorite violinist again from THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS. Another beautiful, beautiful but heartbreaking-to-the-core read based on true events. ONCE WE WERE HOME does have some happy stories tucked inside as well, along with comments you will ponder, and thoughts about life’s worries and lessons. Historical fiction fans will devour this marvelously written, impeccably researched read where Ms. Rosner introduces readers to a little known program organized after the war for displaced children. Ms. Rosner’s writing is exquisite. 5/5 The book was given to me by the author for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Emotional
Roger has been sent to a monastery in France to protect him from the Nazis. Oscar and Renata have been sent away to be raised in the country by a totally different family, also, to save them from the Nazis. But, now the war is over and no one will relinquish these children for various reasons. It would be so hard on some of these children to be gone and never remember their past. Oscar is a character in which my heart went out to, along with Roger, for different reasons. Each of these boys had different situations and different outcomes. And then there is Renata. Her situation when she had her own children broke my heart for her. I totally understand why she did not want them in the “community”. You will have to read this to find out! I did fluctuate between 4 and 5 stars on this one. Mostly because there were some “flat” places. But it is very emotional so I rolled it all the way up. The narrators, Gabra Zackman and Vikas Adams made this story come to life. I loved their tag team on the characters and sections of this novel m Need an emotional read about something you would never know occurred….this is it! Grab your today. I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
5.0 Displaced, conceal, protect…
5.0 Displaced, conceal, protect… No goodbyes… Roger, Ana, Oskar, and Renata’s stories merge in Israel, post-war. All were removed or stolen during wartime and relocated . Roger was placed at 3yo in a French monastery . He has been baptized Catholic, but the church can no longer resist the court system. Roger has been “harbored, hidden, sanctified, saved,” and now been claimed by his Jewish aunt from Israel. Brother and sister Oskar and Ana (Daniel & Mira) are taken to the Dabrowski family farm in Poland . Oskar learns to whittle, play chess, and tend to farm duties. Ana remembers their parents but Oskar doesn’t remember, and considers the Dabrowskis his family. When they are relocated again, Ana sees it as a way to reconnect with her roots but Oskar sees it as a loss of home and family. Renata is an archeology grad student currently on a dig in Israel. Her mother recently died; she never told Renata the truth about her past. We will learn about their past and future struggles amid the uncertainties of life. It will be a voyage of discovery for all . * STUNNING! * I enjoyed the significance of the nesting boxes and chess sets! * A very tender, moving story . * A story of relationships * Highly recommend!
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A heartbreaking historical fiction story!
Ana and her baby brother Oskar, are smuggled out of the Polish ghetto, their mother and sick father remain behind. Farmers Agata and Jozef Dabrowskis, agree to look after Ana and Oskar and of course they have to change the children's names. As time goes on, Ana remembers her parents and Oskar doesn’t, when a woman from the Jewish reclamation organization snatches them, Oskar is very upset and Ana is hopeful. Roger, grows up in a monastery in France, he and his friend Henri like to have fun making up stories and telling jokes. His aunt lives in Jerusalem, she has been looking for Roger for years and the church has been reluctant to give him back. Father Jacques and Roger cross the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain and he eventually makes it to Israel. Roger lives with his aunt, uncle and their five children and Roger misses his best friend and Brother Jacques. Renata, has finished her degree at Oxford University, she travels to Jerusalem and she's an archaeologist. Renata’s mothers has recently passed away, she was always told by her to say she was born in Switzerland and not Germany. Renata is grieving for her mum, she wishes she asked more questions about why they left Germany and now it’s too late. Twenty years later, the three main characters of Ana, Oskar and Roger are trying to make a life for themselves in Israel, all are dealing with issues from their traumatic childhoods, nightmares, having trouble forming romantic relationships, not sure if they want to get married and have children. Renata and Roger meet, and everything is going fine until she mentions one thing! In her narrative, Ms. Rosner explores what happened to Jewish children during the Holocaust, how far desperate families went to protect their children and I can’t imagine how traumatic this experience was for the parents and children. Some children lived with Christian families and attended church, many were hidden in orphanages and monasteries, and others spent years hidden in attics and behind false walls. Thousands of Polish children were kidnapped, given to German couples to raise and as part of the Lebensborn program. Numerous were never reunited with their parents, they didn’t know their real names, where they were born, others felt guilty for not looking after younger siblings as instructed and that’s a terrible burden for a child to carry. A historical fiction story that makes you think about life, family heritage and culture, persecution and religious beliefs and the repercussions. I highly recommend, Once We Were Home and the authors previous novel, The Yellow Bird Sings and four stars from me.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartbreakingly Beautiful Story
Once We Were Home by Jennifer Rosner is the thoughtful and heartbreakingly beautiful story of displaced children in Europe following WW2 and their struggle to find what was stolen from them—identity, family, and a sense of belonging. The book focuses on the aftermath and consequences of the decisions made on behalf of these children. Once We Were Home is one of those special books that will stay with me. Fans of Ruta Sepetys will appreciate this author’s focus on bringing little known history to light. I highly recommend this intricately layered story. This would also be a wonderful book club selection. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Historical Fiction Gem!
“I was so sure it was the right thing…reclaiming every possible child. Redeeming them. Ransoming them. There were debates over what to call it. At the time, I didn’t consider that there might be exceptions, that some children might be better off staying put.” Just when I thought my WWII historical fiction fatigue was creeping into the red zone, author Jennifer Rosner graciously sent me a copy of her latest novel, and boy am I glad she did. This gorgeously written exploration of the experiences of “relocated” children at the end of the war and beyond left me shocked and searching for more answers. The novel is told from alternating point of views of 3 children and their experiences from 1942-1968. Their travels are vast and complicated, with both long and short stays in Europe and the Middle East. Another voice is that of a young archeologist in Jerusalem in 1968, who begins to unearth some family secrets of her own. Two religions are at play, each laying claim to the salvation of children’s souls, and while seemingly well intentioned, there are some nefarious attitudes at play. The question of home, and how one defines it, is the heart of this incredibly well researched novel. I admit to using my typical cheat sheet to sort out characters and storylines, and Ms. Rosner’s masterful conclusion dovetails each element of the story in a way few authors can accomplish. If you were moved by Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosney and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, I highly recommend putting Once We Were Home on your to-be-read list!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Must Read! What an incredible story!
Wow. I am still processing Once We Were Home, Jennifer Rosner's follow-up novel to one of my all times faves The Yellow Bird Sings. I finished this gorgeous World War II historical fiction novel almost 2 weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about Roger, Ana, and Oskar. Once again, I have learned something. While I had some knowledge of what happened to Jewish children during the Holocaust, I didn't realize the extent to which families went to protest their children - placing them with strangers, sending them to live in Christian orphanages, etc. I really just assumed that those children who survived must have survived with their families. I certainly had no idea the lengths to which people on both sides - Christian and Jewish - went in order to "do what they thought was right" for these lost children of the Holocaust. This is the kind of book that will really make you think about yourself, your identity, what makes you who you are, who or what your family is, and what it means to make a home. Watching these characters struggle into adulthood really broke me When I watch current events and hear the anti-Semitism that still exists today, 60+ years later....when are we going to break the cycle.
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