Review: Those Who Are Saved

Every time I read a book about World War II I learned something new, and am reminded of the atrocities most of us born post-war cannot even fathom.

The story is told from three points of view: Vera, a woman who must leave occupied France and decided to leave her daughter with her governess to keep her safe; Lucie, her daughter, who was four-years-old when her parents left; and Sasha, a Hollywood writer and director who enlists in the army the day Pearl Harbor is bombed, who has parent issues of his own, and connects with Vera.

Most of the story is about Vera wondering if Lucie is alive and safe, and hoping she can be reunited with her someday, as well as the new life she is building for herself after escaping Europe.

One of the things about World War II that I hadn't thought much about was the displaced children, some of whom were never reunited with their families. Whether they were Jewish or parents of Resistance fighters or any number of other reasons they had to be hidden and given new identities, the tragedy of children being separated from their parents at such a scary time is almost unimaginable.

Then, after the war, the struggle to reunite the families is heartbreaking at times -- from both the parents' and children's points of view.

One thing I found especially interesting was the role  The Hotel Lutetia played in reuniting families because when I visited Paris many years ago that's where I stayed. You can read more about the hotel and its history <a href="https://www.hotellutetia.com/history">here</a>.

I'll be interviewing the author next week and will include a link to that shortly afterward.