The Blood Years

Rieke and her sister, Astra, are living in a time of fear and uncertainty. Their home life is unstable; cared for by their doting grandfather and a distant mother, the girls struggle to hold on to any semblance of normalcy as it becomes more and more dangerous to be a Jew. When war breaks out in Europe, Rieke tries desperately to hold onto her family and her life, even as everything seems to be breaking apart. To protect all that she knows and loves, Rieke must make decisions that mean the difference between being able to hold onto her family – or letting go of them forever.

This book was dark, harrowing, and necessary. Inspired by stories of the Holocaust that ran in the author’s own family, the book shared true life events respectfully and profoundly. I loved the realistic characters and relationships, especially the way the author wrote Rieke and Astra’s complicated sisterhood. The book is not a lighthearted read, but it presents horrific human rights issues in a compassionate and accessible way. Anyone who wants a thought-provoking, beautiful read should pick this up.