This was my 10th read of the year.
Tom Hope doesn’t think he’s much of a farmer, but he’s doing his best. He can’t have been much of a husband to Trudy, either, judging by her sudden departure. It’s only when she returns, pregnant to someone else, that he discovers his surprising talent as a father. So when Trudy finds Jesus and takes little Peter away with her to join the holy rollers, Tom’s heart breaks all over again.
Enter Hannah Babel, quixotic smalltown bookseller: the second Jew—and the most vivid person—Tom has ever met. He dares to believe they could make each other happy.
But it is 1968: twenty-four years since Hannah and her own little boy arrived at Auschwitz. Tom Hope is taking on a batttle with heartbreak he can barely even begin to imagine
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This book was totally different than I thought. I believe I would be seeing more scenes connected to the bookshop, but I was wrong. But than wouldn’t stop me from enjoying the book. It was also another book focusing on two time periods, and you will able to easily tell them apart- as the chapters made that obvious.
I am STRONGLY particular when it comes to stories dealing with The Holocaust. While yes, you will able to see some of the horrors when you entered the 1940s timeline, at least it didn’t go too much into it, as in to make you feel too traumatized. That wasn’t the main timeline- it was actually the 1960s- the one dealing with Tom Hope and Hannah (but the 1940s does help explain some of Hannah’s actions).
I loved Peter, who is Tom’s son—-yes, not biological but still his son. His first wife, Trudy, is his biolgocial mother (explaining how Peter is Tom’s son). I didn’t like that woman- how can she can’t love him and send him to that terrible place- yes it’s called Jesus Camp, but home to a horrible rector. The punishments are too severe and Peter hates it there- he made it clear the first time he escaped.
About the Bookshop- it barley plays a part in the book, even though that is how Tom and Hannah met. I thought the book would be another “power of literature” story, but it isn’t. It is more about Tom and Hannah’s journey’s- both of them had hardships in their life. Hannah is still dealing with her loss during The Holocaust- probably explaining why she rejected Peter at first (maybe reminded her of Micheal). Tom, currently, had to put up with a terrible wife and her taking away Peter- he wanted Peter to be with him; not with Trudy.
Meg's Magical Musings 