The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
Chapter One sets the stage for the story that is to come. An old man attending his grandson's wedding can't keep his eyes off the bride's grandmother. She is so familiar yet he struggles to figure out why. And then he realizes she is his wife. A wife, he long ago had been told had died in a Nazi concentration camp.
Lenka is a young girl living in Prague in the 1930's. She is also a Jew. She is fortunate enough to attend art school and works diligently to perfect her craft as an artist. She meets Josef, the brother of one of her classmates. The two fall hopelessly in love. They marry in haste as the Germans invade Czechoslovakia, limiting their freedoms. Josef's family has secured visas to leave but Lenka refuses to go with them unless her own family can come too. Time and money are scarce and additional visas are not forthcoming. A stubborn and determined Lenka says a tearful goodbye to the man she adores.
This is another wonderful story that I lost myself in, turning each page with anticipation of the next. The author did a skillful job of taking me from the present to the past and back again all while keeping me fully engaged. Josef's and Lenka's separate stories seamlessly entwined throughout the novel. As a writer myself, I know that's not an easy thing to do.
The Lost Wife is a captivating story of love in the midst of great evil. And it is a story of hope and the will of the human spirit. Never give up on hope and love will always prevail. A must read.
Chapter One sets the stage for the story that is to come. An old man attending his grandson's wedding can't keep his eyes off the bride's grandmother. She is so familiar yet he struggles to figure out why. And then he realizes she is his wife. A wife, he long ago had been told had died in a Nazi concentration camp.
Lenka is a young girl living in Prague in the 1930's. She is also a Jew. She is fortunate enough to attend art school and works diligently to perfect her craft as an artist. She meets Josef, the brother of one of her classmates. The two fall hopelessly in love. They marry in haste as the Germans invade Czechoslovakia, limiting their freedoms. Josef's family has secured visas to leave but Lenka refuses to go with them unless her own family can come too. Time and money are scarce and additional visas are not forthcoming. A stubborn and determined Lenka says a tearful goodbye to the man she adores.
This is another wonderful story that I lost myself in, turning each page with anticipation of the next. The author did a skillful job of taking me from the present to the past and back again all while keeping me fully engaged. Josef's and Lenka's separate stories seamlessly entwined throughout the novel. As a writer myself, I know that's not an easy thing to do.
The Lost Wife is a captivating story of love in the midst of great evil. And it is a story of hope and the will of the human spirit. Never give up on hope and love will always prevail. A must read.
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