The Stolen Child – ARC Book Review

Hide Karl in plain sight.
That was the idea. It was meant to be foolproof.

Who would think of finding an Aryan-looking Jewish child in the household of a high-ranking Nazi officer?
What could possibly go wrong?

When four-year-old Karl, Kara’s son, suddenly disappears, Kara’s worst fear becomes her painful reality. Has someone seen through her cover?

An increasingly frustrating search for the missing boy ensues. Kara is succored by Oskar, an SS officer who would do anything to have Kara’s love. His compassion is in stark contrast to his office’s macabre nature.

As her world is turned upside down, the grim nature of the Third Reich becomes much more apparent to Kara. The rot has eaten deep into many German hearts, even that of her beloved sister Anka.

As a fog of fear and evil envelops Kara’s life, the hope of a love she had always ached for stirs ever so slightly.

How far would one go to get a hold of what they so desperately want?

Will Kara see her son ever again?

Date published:- will be published on 19th September 2021

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

I have been waiting eagerly for the second book of the series Jews, The Third Reich and Web of Secrets series and was so mighty excited when I got the ARC from the author herself!!!

Note:- If you have not read My Son’s Secret, the first book of the series, then you must read that book before reading The Stolen Child.

So in the previous book, we see Kara leaving her son Karl behind with a babysitter only after returning did she find out that both the babysitter and Karl are missing, the first book ending with Abram in Auschwitz concentration camp.

This book follows the story after Karl goes missing. Oskar, the Nazi officer with whom Kara gets acquainted through her sister Anka and brother-in-law Ludwig, using his own connections helps Kara to find her son–which he eventually succeed. And Kara soon starts falling for Oskar, which make her conflicted with her own feelings as she still loved Abram. But throughout this book, we see Oskar’s facade, the brutal treatment towards Jews and Polish, indifference to their feelings. As a person who did Holocaust history in school and later on in college, I have read all those brutal atrocities and treatments committed by the Nazis towards the Jews so reading this book, the author gave us a picture of both sides–what it is to live as a German during the war and what it is to live as a Jew or Pole during the war. While the Germans with connections as high ranking Nazi officials lived a life of luxury, on the other hand, Jews and Poles lived in a life of fear and hate instilled in their minds. So kudos to the author, who did a good job painting that image, which was realistic and actually happened in real life! Naturally, I feel hatred towards Oskar, Anka and Ludwig for their blind faith towards Hitler and I am glad that Kara did not succumb to it, probably due to the fact that she still loved Abram. I just feel like I was living during that time and I actually felt so scared for Kara–will Oskak find out her secret? What’s going to happen? This book was literally unputdownable and I manage to finish this book within two days!

Besides that, the writing was really great and I was engrossed in the book, from the first chapter till the end. And the end….wow!!!! Now I cannot wait for the third and final book to come soon! Will Abram and Kara get back together? What’s going to happen to Oskar and Kara once when the war is coming to an end? We shall see if these questions are answered in the next and final book!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.