When Noa is found near frozen to death with a Jewish infant in her arms, Astrid, an aerialist in the circus, and her troupe take them in. To earn her keep and a safe haven for baby Theo, Noa is put to work on the trapeze. As the ‘catcher’ for Noa, Astrid insists no secrets be kept between them. But Noa is set on holding her past close to the vest while Astrid, a Jew and the former wife of a Reich officer, is also living a lie.

As the Nazi hold tightens in France, the circus is in peril of crumbling and the secrets of the past threaten to surface. When a fire races through the big top, split decisions must be made and only one of the aerialists will survive.

While not biographical there are a lot of truths woven into Pam Jenof’s, The Orphan’s Tale. She has done an excellent job researching the time, the circus, and some wonderful characters that lived at that time.

Given our climate, this is a good reminder to keep the past alive. ( )

I'm a historical fiction junkie and one of the many things I love about reading WWII fiction books is being enlightened about things that really happened during the war that we never learned in school.

In this book, it's no different. I had no idea the circus played a part during the war in helping to hide people. I've read other books by this author and have loved every one of them. Her characters are real, flawed, and written so that we care what happens to them.

Of course, this book is filled with much heartache, but it also reflects the resiliency of the human spirit and the goodness in most people who go far beyond their duty to help each other in times of need.

Another great Pam Jenoff novel! ( )

Amazing literature around both WWII in occupied lands and circus life. ( )

Pam Jenoff writes consistently good novels. This is no exception. I look forward to reading her next offering. ( )

"Sometimes our forever life does not last as long as we think."
Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep... When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night. Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another--or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.
This book was not at all what I expected and I think I loved it for that. The last thing I anticipated was a WWII novel set within a circus! Noa is very much a sixteen year old girl who has been forced to grow up too quickly, and it shows repeatedly throughout the book. However, her adoration for this child she rescues from the boxcar is unexpected and beautiful. I think Astrid, being in her 30s, provided a nice and more realistic contrast to Noa's character. Astrid was very much jaded by the world and the realities of the world she lived in. Noa was still naive enough to be hopeful about love and life. I think the most beautiful thing is that these two develop such an unexpected friendship.
I will admit at times I was so frustrated with Astrid who seemed to forget that Noa was a child; but somehow the two always resolved their issues. I think it was mostly easy at times to forget this was a story of WWII, but when you were reminded it was in the most intense and memorable types of ways. I will admit the book was a little slow to get started but by the end it just felt like everything was coming at you at once. The story has romance and betrayal and loss and grief and hope. It is a story of sacrifice and survival. But most of all it is a story of friendship. It really is a must read story for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. ( )