This is a story about a family who walks through the shadows of unimaginable darkness—sometimes running with wolves, sometimes hiding from bears—but always moving forward toward the miraculous sunrise. This is the kind of story that is necessary, and it nestles into the deepest parts of your soul, reminding you of “the power of dreams and the magic of life” (409). This is a hard read, but an important read. And in the words of the author: “This is an American story, an immigrant story, a spiritual and universal story. May we all dare to chase such dreams, experience such grace, and lead such miraculous lives” (435). ( )

This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk. I would also like to say that I won this book via a giveaway on Goodreads (my first and only winner so far lol). I'm not sure if they are different, but this book is the advanced reader's copy.

The first thing I want to say about this book is that the cover is gorgeous and I'm not sure what they used to make it, but it doesn't feel like a normal book cover. It feels really cool and I like to touch it, which sounds weird but that's how it is lol

The first scene I want to talk about is the scene with them running away from the tanks. It was so damn intense, I swore for a moment I was watching an action scene playing out in a movie. I almost started crying when the horses got hurt, but I can't be mad at Emil. He was scared and trying to save his family! He even felt guilty about it and did his best to help mend their wounds, bless him.

One of the first things I thought about when I was a few chapters in was about how people always write about these supernatural creatures as these evil hellbent beings, but the real monsters, the real demons, are human beings. That's not to say this book talks about supernatural beings, it doesn't, but that's just what I thought about when they were describing the cruelty that was happening around them. This book just reinforces the fact that I would take a demon or a supernatural creature any day over a human being.

I think the scene that left me the most speechless was when Haussman shot at Emil. The way it was written, I was sure he had shot him dead and my mouth hung open in shock. I stopped and stared at that paragraph for a solid minute or so before I moved on. I was ready to cry, too, because I really love Emil. Such a good man and father!

"We come in with nothing, and we go out with nothing." - Emil Martel.

Now, let me say this - I am an atheist. I don't believe in god or religion at all. Not to say that's bad. If someone wants to believe or needs to believe in order to get through the hell that is life, then that's on them, I won't tell them otherwise unless they try to force it on me. Honestly, I just try to avoid it and I felt uncomfortable every time it was mentioned, but I understand. With everything the Martel clan went through, all the horrors they faced and saw, they needed something to believe in. I did find myself getting a bit annoyed at Adeline when she would get upset at Emil when he stopped believing. But as the book went on, she got better about it, which I'm thankful for because I really like Adeline. She's a damn good mother and a strong woman. I don't think I could have survived what she went through, she's a good role model.

Another part that was unbelievable was what happened to Rese. I was in shock at what had happened to her. No one deserves that mess, but Rese of all people? She was such a free spirit, so much fun and full of life. To go through something so traumatic and life-changing... I felt so sorry for her.

Karoline, on the other hand, is a character I'm perfectly satisfied with hating. She's such a bitch. Manipulative and self-centered. She doesn't care about anyone but herself and her own beliefs. What she said about Rese... I get being in shock but goddamn. That was too far. I really fucking hate her, even thinking about her pisses me off. How someone like her can raise such an amazing son such as Emil, I will never understand.

And Marie! Poor Marie, losing both of her babies in such a short time. I'm still shocked that she jumped into that truck and I hope whatever life that led her to, she was able to find some peace within herself.

I feel like the Martel clan splitting up was a bad idea. It's the first rule of any horror movie, you know? Never split up because you're much stronger together. It broke my heart when they separated, I really liked Adeline's side of the family. Though I felt betrayed on Adeline's part when her mother said those things about Emil.

I never went to school, so the things most human beings learned about history, I never did, so the things I read about in this book were... appalling. To think that the women had to hide out in a fucking church with the doors barred just to avoid being raped as a fucking reward of war... I mean, I know women weren't equal back then but that's just ridiculous. I would have flipped my shit if Adeline didn't talk her way out of being raped by that douchebag.

"When you suffer and curse your life, the Almighty listens closely. When you have no goodness in your heart or your prayers. No love. No calm. No desire to help others. No thankfulness for the miracle of your life. When you hold things like hatred or anger in your heart or envy or comparison, when life is all about how everything is unfair to me, me, me, the Divine understands those ancient languages of self-destruction, too. The thing is, the Universal Intelligence will help you even if your dreams come from a dark place, but the dreams will end up destroying you in the process. If you don't believe me, think of Hitler or any other tyrant. So live here, Martel. Love life like it is a miracle every day, every moment, and dream in a way that helps others." - Colonel Gheorghe

Colonel Gheorghe was a weird one when he first appeared, but my god is he one of the very best characters in this book. A wonderful and wise man and I'm so fucking happy he reached his dreams.

Finally, I was surprised when I heard that Emil was only getting .50𝇍 an hour. I guess things really were different back then. I mean, I knew that already, but hearing how little he got paid when he put in so much work. Though I imagine things weren't nearly as expensive back then as they are today.

I feel like Adeline and Emil are the true couple goals. They love each other so damn much that they risked life and limb to be together again. To be a family again. Their story is inspiring and unbelievable. The things they witnessed, the things they went through, the hardships they suffered... they are so damn strong and brave and, in my opinion, they are heroes. I'm so fucking thankful they made it to their beautiful valley where they were able to raise their children and see their grandchildren.

"Don't chew on the bad things that happen to you, dear. Try to see the beauty in every cruelty. It sets you free. Forgive hurt if you want to heal a broken heart. Try to be grateful for every setback or tragedy, because by living through them, you become strong." - Adeline Martel.

Rest in peace, guys. You were all so strong and beautiful and thank you for sharing your story and for sharing you life lessons. Many people can learn for their story if given the chance. ( )

This is a fictional retelling of a true story of how a family escaped the horrors of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and eventually emmigrated to the United States after the war. It was well written and hard to put down. My only problem was with the strange mix of the family's Christian faith mixed with the father who depended on a faith in animism to help him escape the prison camp. ( )

tale of the Martel family who were German residents of the Ukraine, which was being invaded by the Nazis. They had a choice to make: wait for Stalin to liberate them or follow the Nazis to a resettlement camp----they could do this as they were Germans. The Martel's had been persecuted for being Kulaks by the Communist Party and the father had been sent to Siberia never to be seen again. They decided to follow the Germans, who also treated them terribly. This book is based on a true story. 457 pages ( )

One of my favorite books ever! I loved Adeline and want to be more like her. Also loved the enthusiasm and optimism of Corporal Gheorghe. I could not put this book down! ( )