Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar

I don't always post my NetGalley book reviews on here, but this was a really good book that I would recommend to those who like World War II historical fiction.

Another World War II historical fiction book.  There are a lot of them out there and I have been enjoying them, even though they are rather hard reading. 

This book is more historically based than some historical fiction books are.  It follows the lives of two fictitious Jewish boys, Jacob and Moses, on the quest to find their parents. It is based in France during the Nazi occupation, so it was a setting I was unfamiliar with. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon was a simple village in France that was home to thousands of refugees during the war.  It was fascinating to read about real people who were willing to risk all to help their brothers and sisters regardless of race or religion.

Jacob and Moses showed the resilience of the human spirit. They were determined and willing to move forward in spite of great risks. They longed to find their parents and they were thwarted at every turn and it seemed they would never find them.

This is a story of familial love, compassion, resilience, and ultimately reunion. I just really enjoyed the story. Mario has a good way of writing and the translator, Gretchen Abernathy, did a superb job of making the story flow smoothly. This is the second book I have read by Mario and I will keep on the look out for more of his books. They are worth reading, though they are not the easiest, lightest reading material.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.