Pam Jenoff knows how to craft WWII era novels
It's hard not to like Pam Jenoff's evocative WWII novels. Last year's The Orphan's Tale is a hard act to follow but she rarely disappoints, starting with the immersive The Kommandant's Girl, her debut as an historical novelist whose State Department diplomatic experience in Poland gave her an invaluable understanding of Jewish Holocaust history. This ma be one of the only novels by her I haven't read and it sounds compelling.
The first chapter, set in the grand Grand Central Station, ends with Gracie, a young widow of the war, discovering a suitcase that sets up the plot so that you can't help but want to read Chapter 2. Most certainly, it will lead to secrets about the suitcase's owner tied to the war, presumably one of the female spies in France the novel is about. I think readers will want to know more about the French resistance as we've read more about Polish resistance and London's efforts, plus in the age of #Me Too and female empowerment, reading about brave women who stood up against evil is perfect for today's rise of female activism.
The first chapter, set in the grand Grand Central Station, ends with Gracie, a young widow of the war, discovering a suitcase that sets up the plot so that you can't help but want to read Chapter 2. Most certainly, it will lead to secrets about the suitcase's owner tied to the war, presumably one of the female spies in France the novel is about. I think readers will want to know more about the French resistance as we've read more about Polish resistance and London's efforts, plus in the age of #Me Too and female empowerment, reading about brave women who stood up against evil is perfect for today's rise of female activism.