Publication Date 05.03.20
Poland, 1941. A mother. A child. An impossible choice.
After the Jews in their town are rounded up, Róza and her five-year-old daughter, Shira, seek shelter in a local farmer’s barn. They spend their days and nights in silence to avoid being caught.
When their safe haven is shattered, Róza faces an impossible choice: whether to keep her daughter close by her side, or give her the chance to survive by letting her go.
A deeply moving novel about the unbreakable bond between parent and child, The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner powerfully portrays the triumph of humanity and hope in even the darkest circumstances.
Five Star Review
Gorgeous. Beautiful and Haunting. This broke my heart over and over. I just couldn't imagine the hardship and cruelty. The tension of keeping a child silent. The emotional pain in having to do so and the horrific consequences if she failed. How do you do that? It crushed my heart.
Exquisitely written and interspersed with the most beautiful pieces of music and culture, this book is simply mesmerising. The emotional attachment I had to both characters made me race to the last page. With so much danger surrounding them. I needed to find out what happened.
Róza is so very brave and her love for her daughter is so powerful that it made me cry more than once. Throughout the narrative, I couldn't help but think of my own children and how I would feel in her position. It is beyond inhumane. But this book is based on a true story, it really happened and did in various guises to so many. It makes you ashamed to be part of the same species that could inflict such horror.
The dual narratives are expertly crafted and I adored each story. Shira is such a beautiful young soul. One that should never have witnessed such cruelty and terror. It was heart wrenching to read her tale and I was terrified for her ordeal. The bond between her and her mother was tangible.
It is a very distressing book yet uplifting and powerful at the same time. I believe its message is about love, hope and courage. It is a tale of survival against the harshest odds. But most of all it is about remembering these people and what happened to them. I will never forget this book.
Highly Recommended
