Thanks so much to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I'm always surprised when I read a book with yet another atrocity I hadn't heard of that occurred during World War II. This is a novel based on actual events when Jews were being rounded up and forced out of their homes in Germany. Hannah and her parents were well-to-do, lived a life of high society and were well-respected in their community. None of that mattered when the round ups started. Hannah's parents were lucky enough to obtain visas and book a passage on the ship St. Louis to Cuba, who was opening their doors for the refugees. Hannah's best friend, Leo, and his father also came on the boat with them, thanks to Hannah's parents. The ship was just an extension of their wealthy and glamorous lifestyle and Hannah and Leo had the run of the ship.
Then reports started coming in that Cuba was closing their borders. Eventually, only Hannah and her mother were allowed entry into Cuba along with a small number of others. The rest were turned away. They were also denied entry into the United States and Canada and were forced to return to Germany, where their fates were sealed.
This book is told in two different voices - Hannah's starting in 1939 and going to 2014. Anna's story begins in 2014 - Anna has lost her father and her mother is a shell of the person she was. Anna receives a letter from Hannah on her birthday - explaining that she raised Anna's father and wanted to meet. Anna and her mother travel to Cuba to meet with Hannah.
The contrasting yet similar stories of Hannah and Anna are at turns heartbreaking and hopeful. Such a horrible period in our history - stories like this make us think and hope that we will never repeat them. However, reading current stories of refugees barred from asylum in countries, including the US, make you wonder how much we've really learned.
The author's note and chilling list of real passengers on this fated voyage add to the horror of this story's background.
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