The Daughter's Tale - by Armando Lucas Correa (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the internationally bestselling author of The German Girl, an unforgettable, "searing" (People) saga exploring a hidden piece of World War II history and the lengths a mother will go to protect her children--perfect for fans of Lilac Girls, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.

Seven decades of secrets unravel with the arrival of a box of letters from the distant past, taking readers on a harrowing journey from Nazi-occupied Berlin, to the South of France, to modern-day New York City.

Berlin, 1939. The dreams that Amanda Sternberg and her husband, Julius, had for their daughters are shattered when the Nazis descend on Berlin, burning down their beloved family bookshop and sending Julius to a concentration camp. Desperate to save her children, Amanda flees toward the South of France. Along the way, a refugee ship headed for Cuba offers another chance at escape and there, at the dock, Amanda is forced to make an impossible choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Once in Haute-Vienne, her brief respite is inter-rupted by the arrival of Nazi forces, and Amanda finds herself in a labor camp where she must once again make a heroic sacrifice.

New York, 2015. Eighty-year-old Elise Duval receives a call from a woman bearing messages from a time and country that she forced herself to forget. A French Catholic who arrived in New York after World War II, Elise is shocked to discover that the letters were from her mother, written in German during the war. Her mother's words unlock a floodgate of memories, a lifetime of loss un-grieved, and a chance--at last--for closure.

Based on true events and "breathtakingly threaded together from start to finish with the sound of a beating heart" (The New York Times Book Review), The Daughter's Tale is an unforgettable family saga of love, survival, and redemption.

Review Quotes

"Breathtakingly threaded together from start to finish with the sound of a beating heart." --The New York Times

"A beautifully rendered tale about sacrifice and resilience, and of a mother's relentless will to save her daughters in the face of annihilation. Set against one of the most harrowing events committed by the Nazis on a civilian population, this novel is heart-wrenching as it is luminous, proving that familial bonds cannot be shattered by brutality or weakened by distance and time--and that it is in our darkest moments that we find our true strength. Correa's masterful prose sank deeply into my heart." --Roxanne Veletzos, bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind

"A deftly woven novel of women who find the courage to make impossible choices in a terrible time, of sisters split apart by the cruelties of war, of identities lost and found, of families formed and shattered. Through the stories of unique and sympathetic characters, Correa explores the tension between focusing on the present in order to move forward--and the heartbreaking consequences of forgetting who we are. The Daughter's Tale continues to live on in my imagination long after I reached its redemptive closing scene." --Kim Van Alkemade, New York Times bestselling author of Bachelor Girl and Orphan #8

"A detailed, immersive chronicle of World War II's tragedy, the power of love and the lengths to which a mother will go to save her children when there are no choices left. . . . Correa starkly portrays the many horrors that were visited on an innocent citizenry." --BookPage

"A searing novel." --PEOPLE

"As he did in The German Girl (2016), but focusing this time on occupied France, Correa offers a gripping and richly detailed account of lives torn apart by war." --Booklist

"Quite simply, I devoured this book! The Daughter's Tale is immersive, both heartbreaking and redemptive, steeped in harrowing historical events and heroic acts of compassion that will have you reflecting on the best and worst the human heart has to offer. Fans of WW II history and book clubs will find depth and skillful storytelling here, but on a deeper level, searing questions about life, love, and the choices we make in the most impossible of circumstances." --Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

"Sweeping and searing, The Daughter's Tale doesn't shy away from tragedy, but author Armando Lucas Correa's memorable latest reminds us that it is in the darkest gardens that the brightest seeds of hope are sown." --Kristin Harmel, international bestselling author of The Room on Rue Amélie