The Woman with the Blue Star
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- Create Date：2021-05-14 12:31:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Pam Jenoff
- ISBN：1665068698
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Summary
1942。 Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Kraków Ghetto during World War II。 When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto， Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous sewers beneath the city。 One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers。
Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother， who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans。 Scorned by her friends and longing for her fiancé， who has gone off to war， Ella wanders Kraków restlessly。 While on an errand in the market， she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street。 Upon closer inspection， she realizes it’s a girl hiding。
Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close， but as the dangers of the war worsen， their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds。 Inspired by harrowing true stories， The Woman with the Blue Star is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive。
Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother， who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans。 Scorned by her friends and longing for her fiancé， who has gone off to war， Ella wanders Kraków restlessly。 While on an errand in the market， she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street。 Upon closer inspection， she realizes it’s a girl hiding。
Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close， but as the dangers of the war worsen， their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds。 Inspired by harrowing true stories， The Woman with the Blue Star is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive。
Reviews
Emily
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3。5
Mitzi
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The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam JenoffSet in WWII Poland， The Woman with the Blue Star introduces us to two young women from different backgrounds brought together by a chance meeting。 The story unfolds in an alternating narrative between Sadie and Ella。 Sadie lives with her parents in the Krakow Ghetto。 They are faced with finding refuge and sanctuary with another Jewish family in the city’s sewer system。 Ella lives with her stepmother who befriends and entertains German officers。 After Ell The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam JenoffSet in WWII Poland， The Woman with the Blue Star introduces us to two young women from different backgrounds brought together by a chance meeting。 The story unfolds in an alternating narrative between Sadie and Ella。 Sadie lives with her parents in the Krakow Ghetto。 They are faced with finding refuge and sanctuary with another Jewish family in the city’s sewer system。 Ella lives with her stepmother who befriends and entertains German officers。 After Ella meets Sadie through a sewer grate， they become friends， and Ella provides any help she can。 This well-written and well-researched novel explores hardship， friendship， family， love， and resilience。 I found this to be an incredible story of survival and sacrifice。 If you enjoy reading WWII historical fiction， don’t miss this one！ I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Penney J。 Klein
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Couldn't put it down！ Read it in 2 days。 Couldn't put it down！ Read it in 2 days。 。。。more
Sonja Baker
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Intense book to read
Carole Ann
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Slow starter but nice twist ending！
Christine
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I read this in two days。 I liked it as much as one can like such a subject as this。 There were many moments that this was a tough read。 How horrific things were that living in a sewer was the better option。 Wow。 I liked the main characters and their friendship quite a bit。 The other characters were all good as well。
Joanne
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Wow！ Pam Jenoff pulled off a terrific book yet again！ The ending is astounding。
Ashley Curran
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The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff In 1942 Poland， Sadie is living with her parents when the ghetto she lives in is raided by nazis。 Sadie and her family seek refuge in the sewers beneath the city。 When Ella， an affluent polish girl is running errands she sees something beneath a sewer grate in the street。 When she looks closer she realizes it’s a girl hiding。 Ella and Sadie begin an unlikely friendship in the most harrowing of circumstances。 This book gripped me right away and I couldn’ The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff In 1942 Poland， Sadie is living with her parents when the ghetto she lives in is raided by nazis。 Sadie and her family seek refuge in the sewers beneath the city。 When Ella， an affluent polish girl is running errands she sees something beneath a sewer grate in the street。 When she looks closer she realizes it’s a girl hiding。 Ella and Sadie begin an unlikely friendship in the most harrowing of circumstances。 This book gripped me right away and I couldn’t put it down！ The horrible things Jewish people went through just to survive is jaw dropping， especially when I read the author's note and learned this book was inspired by a real family living in a sewer。 Jenoff’s writing was engaging and I enjoyed this story of friendship， courage， and strength！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Cindie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This was 3 star read until the last part of the book。 The twist and double twist at the end made it all worth it。 The middle dragged a bit -- life in the sewer can get pretty tedious no offense -- but the end saved it for me。 Worth the read。
Trigger Warning Database
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Trigger & Content Warnings:AntisemitismHomomisiaSuicide & suicidal ideationPregnancyBlood & gore depictionChronic illnessGrief & loss depictionDeath of a parentDrowning
Jen
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Oh my stars。。。this book was BEAUTIFUL！ Heartbreaking but written so spectacularly。 I can’t stop gushing about it！These stories of survival during WWII never fail to annihilate me。 This one in particular was a gut punch of emotion as people live in the sewer to escape the Nazis。 And yet again， I’m struck at the strength they possessed and horrified at the lengths they had to go to just to merely survive。 It’s a powerful story of courage and strength， loss and love。 It’s inspired by true stories a Oh my stars。。。this book was BEAUTIFUL！ Heartbreaking but written so spectacularly。 I can’t stop gushing about it！These stories of survival during WWII never fail to annihilate me。 This one in particular was a gut punch of emotion as people live in the sewer to escape the Nazis。 And yet again， I’m struck at the strength they possessed and horrified at the lengths they had to go to just to merely survive。 It’s a powerful story of courage and strength， loss and love。 It’s inspired by true stories and while bleak， it also highlights the “helpers” who stepped in to help these families survive。 The Woman With The Blue Star is equally heartbreaking and hopeful。 It’s a stunning book and the writing is extremely powerful。 The sewer setting was unique and written in an excellent， sensory laden way。 The characters were portrayed fabulously。 I loved every minute of it and my life is better for reading it。 5 ⭐️ My thanks to @parkrowbooks for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Susan Dixon
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The story is wonderful。 If I had read it， I would have given it four or five stars。 But the narrators were overly dramatic， and it started to sound sappy fairly quickly。I’ll stick to reading Pam Jenoff’s books。
Jan Norton
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I borrowed the audio version from my library。 It kept me listening。 Each of the characters drew you in even a few you don’t always like。 The ending though was fairly predictable which is why I gave it four stars instead of five。 I figured what was Going to happen。
Marcia
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One of the things I enjoy about reading historical fiction is coming away with curiosity about the real-life event that sparked the story！ This was the first WW2 book that I’ve read that centered in Poland。。。I had no idea about the sewers！
Eileen
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The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff， grabbed me from page one， keeping me hostage until I finished reading it， later that day。 I will warn you to keep a box of tissues nearby while reading this book。 This is more than a survival story during the Holocaust; it is a story of connections， courage， remembrance and an unlikely friendship。 It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery in the face of evil。 Taking place during the 1942 Nazi assaults on the Jews of The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff， grabbed me from page one， keeping me hostage until I finished reading it， later that day。 I will warn you to keep a box of tissues nearby while reading this book。 This is more than a survival story during the Holocaust; it is a story of connections， courage， remembrance and an unlikely friendship。 It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery in the face of evil。 Taking place during the 1942 Nazi assaults on the Jews of Kraków， eighteen year old Sadie Gault is forced to seek refuge in the dangerous tunnels beneath the city with her pregnant mother and another family。 Peering through a sewer grate， Sadie catches a glimpse of a girl her age buying flowers。 Ella Stepanek， an affluent Polish girl， is living well along with her stepmother， who has built close alliances with the occupying Germans。 While on an errand in the market， Ella sees something moving beneath a grate in the street。 When she looks more closely， she realizes it’s a girl hiding。 Ella begins to help Sadie and these two become close， but as the dangers of war worsen， their lives are set on a dangerous path that will test them， especially in the face of overwhelming odds。 Ms。 Jenoff wrote a tale， inspired by amazing true stories， that is an unforgettable testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive。 It is a journey of twists， turns， displays of bravery， and love that in unforgettable。 I highly recommend The Woman with the Blue Star， a must read， to other readers。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book。 。。。more
pelobess
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Lovely book。
Carol
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3。6 Poland during WW II; story of two girls who became friends （one Jewish） during the Nazi persecution of Jews。 Story centers on a group of Jews who took refuge in sewers… which many actually did。
Ann Boytim
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4。0 1942Sadie Gault is 18 years old and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Krakow Ghetto。 The Nazis are determined to destroy all the Jewish population by liquidating the ghetto。 Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to flee and are hidden in the sewers along with another family。 Sadie's father is swept away in the waters and the two women must fend for themselves。 How will Sadie's mother survive it will be a miracle if they keep hidden and what will happen when the baby is born。 4。0 1942Sadie Gault is 18 years old and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Krakow Ghetto。 The Nazis are determined to destroy all the Jewish population by liquidating the ghetto。 Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to flee and are hidden in the sewers along with another family。 Sadie's father is swept away in the waters and the two women must fend for themselves。 How will Sadie's mother survive it will be a miracle if they keep hidden and what will happen when the baby is born。 It is a cruel life and food is at such a shortage but they are helped by the man who hid them but then he is captured and questioned。 Meanwhile Ella Stepnak is a polish girl living with her stepmother who has now befriended the Nazis much to Ella's disgust。 Ella's fiance' has gone off to war and she has no other friends so she wanders around Krakow and one day she spies a pair of eyes down in the sewer。 The two young women make contact and so forms a friendship that is very dangerous but long lasting。 Ella is determined to help with an escape but at what cost？ Sadie's mother gives birth but finds a way out as the baby will make noise and bring attention to the others in the sewer she said she will return after she has taken the baby to a convent but does not come back。 A heartbreaking story。 。。。more
Debbie
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WWII Poland historical fiction
JM Spade
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Departing from the typical historical fiction theme， The Woman with the Blue Star takes the reader underground and views life in a completely different way。 Rather than fighting against Nazi Germany， Sadie and her family flee to the sewer to save their lives。 The journey along the way is filled with plenty of loss， love， and friendship。This book was thought provoking from start to finish， it was something fresh and new， and it definitely pulled at my heart strings。 Told from two view points， the Departing from the typical historical fiction theme， The Woman with the Blue Star takes the reader underground and views life in a completely different way。 Rather than fighting against Nazi Germany， Sadie and her family flee to the sewer to save their lives。 The journey along the way is filled with plenty of loss， love， and friendship。This book was thought provoking from start to finish， it was something fresh and new， and it definitely pulled at my heart strings。 Told from two view points， the reader is given the view of life in the sewer as well as outside of the sewer fighting to help protect those living in the sewer。The writing， as always， is fabulous and I genuinely enjoyed reading this。 。。。more
TMClark
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Friendship。 Family。 Love。 Loss。 Struggle。 Freedom。 And an ending I somehow didn’t see coming。The Woman with the Blue Star is a masterfully woven tale， with characters you want to know in real life， that I didn’t want to put down。 Yes。。。go get it， clear your schedule to read it in one sitting， prepare for the book hangover。
susan howard
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This book was spellbinding。 I was caught in the suspense and could not put it down。 It was definitely the page turner I was looking for。 I both loved and loathed characters in this book。 The end of the book had me in tears and a number of times throughout the book I found my eyes watering！ I thought Pam Jenoff came back with a spectacular book， and what a compelling story。 I recommend this book because it is intense historical fiction and also a love story。
Darcia Helle
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This story took all my emotions， tossed them in a washer—an old model， with an agitator—and left them to jostle around， spinning and clashing， so I came out soggy and spent， but somehow better because of it。Set in Poland during WWII， we’re given the perspectives of two young women: one Polish， with status and relative security， and one Jewish， whose only way to survive is to live in a sewer。 When their lives intersect by pure chance， both are faced with life-altering decisions。The writing is bea This story took all my emotions， tossed them in a washer—an old model， with an agitator—and left them to jostle around， spinning and clashing， so I came out soggy and spent， but somehow better because of it。Set in Poland during WWII， we’re given the perspectives of two young women: one Polish， with status and relative security， and one Jewish， whose only way to survive is to live in a sewer。 When their lives intersect by pure chance， both are faced with life-altering decisions。The writing is beautiful， immersive， raw， and honest。 While this story calls attention to the worst atrocities of modern humanity， it also emphasizes the power of friendship， love， and sacrifice。Based on true events， The Woman with the Blue Star is a haunting read that will stick with you。*I received an eARC from Park Row Books， via NetGalley。* 。。。more
Vickie
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This was a powerfully written and emotion-stirring novel about the horrors of war and the ability to survive。 I will be honest and state from the beginning that this was a hard book for me to read because the author did such a fantastic job of painting the setting and describing the events of 1942 Poland in graphic detail。 As I read， I found myself captured by the story and the characters， but I was biting my nails and crying as I read parts of the story of Sadie and Ella， two unlikely friends。 This was a powerfully written and emotion-stirring novel about the horrors of war and the ability to survive。 I will be honest and state from the beginning that this was a hard book for me to read because the author did such a fantastic job of painting the setting and describing the events of 1942 Poland in graphic detail。 As I read， I found myself captured by the story and the characters， but I was biting my nails and crying as I read parts of the story of Sadie and Ella， two unlikely friends。 Sadie is a young woman， eighteen years old， when the story begins and has been moved by the Nazis to the ghetto， along with her family。 Before the Nazis can clear out the ghetto and move all of the Jews there to concentration camps， Sadie and her family escape to live under the city in the sewers。 Dark， smelly and filled with rats， the sewer was described in excruciating and heartbreaking detail。 One day， as Sadie looks up through the grate， she sees another young woman。 Ella’s father went to war and never returned， so she is stuck living with her stepmother who seeks to gain favor with the Germans by inviting them to parties at her home。 When Ella and Sadie spy each other through the grate， an unlikely friendship begins and the story really took off。 I kept waiting for the two of them to be caught and dragged away to some Nazi place of torture。 What happens is what makes the story， so I can’t say much about the events following their propitious meeting。 I can say that this story wrapped itself around my head and my heart and made me think long and hard about how thankful I should be for my freedom and the things I take for granted。 This book was thought-provoking and well written as well as obviously well researched。 It is an extremely emotional tale of the atrocities committed by the Nazis， the desperation of those desiring to survive and the friendship and hope that took place during these horrific times。 Fans of historical fiction will not want to miss this book！DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255， “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising。” 。。。more
Hillary roberts
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It is going to be really hard to review this book and not just force it on everyone I meet。 Historical Fiction has always been a hit or miss for me， but The Woman With a Blue star was a great big hit。 It is now on a list of books that are contending for my top 10 for 2021。 I really love to pick out 10 for 2021。 I have to admit that I thought Krackow was the Polish name for Warsaw for the whole book。 It is not。 Once I did see that Krakow was a whole different city， things started to make a lot m It is going to be really hard to review this book and not just force it on everyone I meet。 Historical Fiction has always been a hit or miss for me， but The Woman With a Blue star was a great big hit。 It is now on a list of books that are contending for my top 10 for 2021。 I really love to pick out 10 for 2021。 I have to admit that I thought Krackow was the Polish name for Warsaw for the whole book。 It is not。 Once I did see that Krakow was a whole different city， things started to make a lot more sense。 Such as the sewer open up near the river。。。I was like， what river？？ Then I looked at a polish map and。。。felt kind of stupid， but there you go。 It is never too late to learn stuff。I couldn't imagine how horrible the circumstances were in that they felt that the sewer tunnels were the best place to hide until they could get out of the city。 As long as the German had control， German soldiers would shoot every Jew on sight。 There was this one scene that really drove home about how bad it was under the Germans。 The Germans found a Jewish woman and tried to arrest her， but when she saw she was cornered， she took her two kids and jumped in a river that most likely killed all of them。 If a mother jumped， you know that it had to be equally bad if mothers thought the best course of action was to jump to their death。This book also shows the power of friendships even when all the odds are stacked against them。 I know many friends， and even I sometimes feel as everything is absolutely 100 percent a time。 We think that if something or someone was evil， then there was no good in them。 A Woman with the Blue Stars shows how many things exist in a morally grey area。。。 I love to watch how Ella and Sadie's friendship grew even though they were worlds apart。 As e see things determining in Poland and how the Germans were flushing every Jew out into the camps， we also can see where love and friendship blossoms。And yes， I said love。 I am not going to say more than that， but after reading the book and knowing what I am talking about， feel free to hit me up。 Needless to say， I was blown away when I read that。 It is not often that I get the shock of reading things。 I can usually tell what will happen because their author follows a trope， and most of them I have seen/read millions of times。 Then there is The Woman With the Blue Star type books where the author comes up with a fresh way of seeing things， so when you are reading the Epilogue， it is so out there you spend all day making sure you read it correctly。All in all， I LOVED this book。 I loved it so much that I found Pam Jenoff's backlist and will be working my way through them！This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land 。。。more
Heather Brooks
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Absolutely stunning！ A beautifully told story of love， loss and life in Nazi occupied Poland。
Pam
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Good but SadThis story dragged a bit in the beginning and was just a sad story all around。 I’m glad I got it from the library。
Ann Sheldon Mezger
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I hate to give bad reviews because I know how hard it is to write a novel and I appreciate all the work an author puts into it。 But "The Woman with the Blue Star" just doesn't work -- as adult fiction anyway。 （Revised for a young teen audience， maybe。） The two protagonists are supposed to be 19-year-old women， but they act and sound like immature 12-year-olds， at best。 Their voices are interchangeable。 Minor characters are simply stereotypes。 Evil stepmother， anyone？ Situations strain belief。 No I hate to give bad reviews because I know how hard it is to write a novel and I appreciate all the work an author puts into it。 But "The Woman with the Blue Star" just doesn't work -- as adult fiction anyway。 （Revised for a young teen audience， maybe。） The two protagonists are supposed to be 19-year-old women， but they act and sound like immature 12-year-olds， at best。 Their voices are interchangeable。 Minor characters are simply stereotypes。 Evil stepmother， anyone？ Situations strain belief。 No one notices a young woman spending a lot of time around a sewer grate？ I could go on， but that's enough complaining from me。 Like I said， I hate to give bad reviews and usually manage to do so by only choosing to read books that I'm fairly certain I'll like or find worthwhile。 I made a mistake when I picked up this one。 。。。more
Kristen Hollingsworth
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