We Were the Lucky Ones

This is a historical fiction novel where the author, Georgia Hunter, creates these characters and places them in the period of World War II when Hitler invaded Poland. It’s a very challenging mode of writing because you have to have well-developed characters and accurate historical facts. The author executed this wonderfully. It is life. It is a very realistic depiction of life in general with the added complexity and emotion of war.

The imagery and insight into the characters’ emotions are abundant. “Tears flow down her cheeks. She sobs silently, too paralyzed to wipe her eyes, her nose.” Written from different points of view, the novel drew me in right from the start with the first character. The story follows a family, their children, and their children’s spouses or future spouses. Beautifully added at the end of each chapter is a paragraph of information, like a news brief, giving you specific dates and factual background information. Perhaps this is more touching, more detailed, and more realistic because she shares a personal connection, having come from a family of Holocaust survivors.

I recommend this book for those who are interested in World War II as well as in complex love stories.