From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: Review of Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar

Author: Mario Escobar

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: February 2020

August 1942. Jacob and Moses Stein, two young Jewish brothers, are staying with their aunt in Paris amid the Nazi occupation. The boys’ parents, well-known German playwrights, have left the brothers in their aunt’s care until they can find safe harbor for their family. But before the Steins can reunite, a great and terrifying roundup occurs. The French gendarmes, under Nazi order, arrest the boys and take them to the Vélodrome d’Hiver—a massive, bleak structure in Paris where thousands of France’s Jews are being forcibly detained.

Jacob and Moses know they must flee in order to survive, but they only have a set of letters sent from the south of France to guide them to their parents. Danger lurks around every corner as the boys, with nothing but each other, trek across the occupied country. Along their remarkable journey, they meet strangers and brave souls who put themselves at risk to protect the children—some of whom pay the ultimate price for helping these young refugees of war.

This inspiring novel, now available for the first time in English, demonstrates the power of family and the endurance of the human spirit—even through the darkest moments of human history.

Children of the Stars takes place during the Nazi occupation of France during WWII. Jacob and Moses are two young brothers who set out on a journey to locate their parents. Their parents have gone ahead looking for a safer place for their family to live. They meet a variety of people who help them along the way.

For the most part, I enjoyed the boys story. There were definitely times and circumstances in the book where I probably would have given up. So, I admired their drive to locate their parents. While the setting of the Nazi occupation and their treatment of the Jews was horrific, I never really sensed that the boys were in grave danger. There were a lot of things that seemed too easy for them. Helpful people seemed to always show up to help just at the right moment. I also felt like this was written for a much younger audience It read like a YA novel, so I'm not sure if there was something lost in the translation. I don't normally read a lot of WWII books, so I'm not sure if there are many out there from a child's point of view. Because of that, I would recommend this one to younger YA readers who are looking for starter WWII fiction. I think it would be perfect for them.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Thomas Nelson

About Mario Escobar

Mario Escobar Golderos (Madrid, Spain) has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans. Books.

Connect with Mario

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review tour:

Monday, February 24th: Reading Reality

Tuesday, February 25th: Jathan & Heather

Wednesday, February 26th: Helen’s Book Blog

Friday, February 28th: The Lit Bitch

Monday, March 2nd: From the TBR Pile

Tuesday, March 3rd: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Wednesday, March 4th: @reading_with_nicole

Thursday, March 5th: Books and Cats and Coffee and @bookncatsncoffee

Thursday, March 5th: Kritter’s Ramblings