THE VIOLIN MAKER’S DAUGHTER by Sharon Maas

Note: I am not a paid reviewer, and I have purchased this title to read for my personal enjoyment.

A half-Jewish family in Alsace-Lorraine hides in plain sight during WW2, but is given up to the Nazis and must flee. They plan to escape in waves, and oldest daughter Sarah goes first. Character point of views in early scenes are presented in a scattered, omniscient style, which seems effective in highlighting the chaos surrounding the family’s plight. Then the story focuses on Sarah, and her transition from sheltered teenager to survivor, and ultimately a belligerent. Sarah’s journey is aided by Nazi deserter Ralf. Sarah and Ralf encounter numerous obstacles on their journey, though a number of potential high-tension situations seem under-developed. Much more time is spent of Sarah’s internal narrative as she sorts out her feelings for Ralf, sadness and speculation on her family’s fate, fear, anger at the Nazis, and even a sense of adventure. Her relationship with Ralf centers the book, though her feelings swing from an extended period of hatred of him as a representative of the Nazis to worshipful love, in what feels like a quick transition. Many recent WW2-based novels focus on the plight, and flight, of the persecuted (e.g. The German Girl, The Things We Cannot Say, Fugitive Colors, The Orphan’s Tale, The Tattooist of Auschwitz). For me, this one is enjoyable, but doesn’t capture dramatic tension of life and death moments as well as some of the others.