Historical Fiction
We Were the Lucky Ones
by Georgia Hunter
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: Feb. 14, 2017
Number of Pages: 416
Geographical Setting: Europe, Russia, United States, South America
Time Period: Takes place from 1939-1947; present
Series (If applicable): None
Plot Summary: The Kurc family was just like any other Jewish family in the year of 1939. They tried to live a normal life before the Nazi forces began to take everything that they held dear. The Kurc family is torn apart by the events of World War II. One sibling tries to flee the European content, other siblings find romance, some even have babies in the nightmare of wartime, while others are forced to work in the ghetto. The strength of love and commitment in the Kurc family is no joke. They continue to hope for the best and they will somehow be together again. But with the horrors of the Nazi Regime grow closer and closer, the Kurc family holds on for the best, hoping that one day they will all be reunited.
Subject Headings: World War II, Justice, Family
Appeal:
- Different perspectives - Hunter jumps from one character to another, leaving you in suspense for what will happen next
- True events - Even though parts of this book are fictional, it is based on the author’s family.
- World War II/Holocaust - Anyone who is interested in World War II events and the Holocaust will become intrigued by this family’s story.
Rule of 3:
- Descriptive - Hunter paints an epic picture of Europe and South America during World War II.
- Vivid Characters - The characters all have different dreams, goals, and personalities; you’ll want to root for each one’s success.
- Haunting - The events and people that the Kurc family interacts with are like nothing you have ever heard before. The horrors of World War II come to you firsthand, from a perspective of someone who actually lived during that time period.
Elements of Historical Fiction (taken from Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction)
- A wealth of historical detail relating to setting as well as characters and events.
- Mood runs the gamut from rollicking to somber; changes with each new event
- Storylines focused on World War II time period
- Characters may be real or fictional; their lives and actions are shaped by the historical times and details.
- Authentic writing style
- The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, from one perspective to another, makes the reader want more
Similar Authors and Works:
- Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
- The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
- Moonglow by Michael Chabon
- The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff
Resources
Goodreads. (2018). We Were the Lucky Ones. Book image and suggestions retrieved from
Saricks, J. (2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (2nd e.d.). Chicago: American
Library Association.
Hi Paige!
ReplyDeleteWow, that sounds like an amazing book! I've recently discovered my niche in Historical Fiction, and that is anything to do with World War II, so I was happy to discover your annotation was on the same subject! I've always been fascinated by it, and saw at least one book that I had on my list that we have in common in our read-alike list- Lilac Girls. It's definitely on my list to read. I just read In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen. She writes Historical Fiction with a Mystery crossover, and she is generally amazing, but when she switches to third person, she is a much better writer! I find that World War II is a major theme in Hollywood right now, too. They just released Dunkirk, which was such a powerful movie, and then The Darkest Hour, and next they are releasing the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie, with Lily James.
When I lived in Michigan, they had a historical reenactment of D-Day on the beaches. They closed down a really popular beach to have real duck boats on the shores and costumed actors and actresses. They had a 1940s fashion show, and worked with the local airport to host original World War II airplanes for people to see. It was really quite an event, but sadly they shrank down the number of activities throughout the years. I wished they would keep going with it. They truly did a wonderful job.
Wow! Thank you so much for your response! Yes, historical fiction is definitely a "niche" for me. And the reenactment of D-Day is so intersting! I would have loved to see that. I love how organizations can bring history to life like that. I think it's crazy how so many people - including me - are interested in World War II. It was a huge event, yet so much terror and destruction shook the world. Maybe that's why it's so interesting, plus many World War II veterans aren't around anymore. It's important to conserve their memory. Thank you, again!
DeleteYou teased out a point about this book that makes me think it might be a good suggestion for folks who might avoid Historical Fiction because of its typically "leisurely pace." Specifically I wonder if readers of Suspense or Adventure, for example, might be taken in by the "cliff hanger" effect you felt was established by the jumping around from character to character. The Historical Fiction book I read also jumped around, but it mainly jumped forward in time to different characters. This did not create much suspense, though there was pleasure in making connections between generations, etc.
ReplyDeleteCraig,
DeleteI agree! Some historical fiction novels are slow and don't contain a lot of action. This book was frustrating, yet good! It kept jumping around to a different character right when the plot was escalating. It didn't come back to that character for a while...and it just did that for most of the characters. Very suspensful, which I enjoyed.
Craig makes a good point, the overlap of appeal of genres (thriller, suspense, historical fiction). Do you think this title would make a good book club choice?
DeleteI love that it has an element of suspense by jumping from one character to the next. It's sometime hard to keep interested when the genre is historical fiction I've noticed. Writing the novel must have been rough for the author and their family to have to relive these events. I am definitely interested in reading this book. I am not someone that is too interested in ww2, but if it the story centers around a more personal narrative than it could be great.
ReplyDeleteMasada,
DeleteIt definitely is a personal narrative. I didn't think of it as a historical fiction novel, but more of a story that the author told about her family. I didn't realize it was about her family until the end, but it just made the book so much more meaningful in the end. Check it out!
Hi Paige! I read Lilac Girls for my historical fiction annotation. I remember you liked the book. It's interesting you picked another WWII book. Are you a history buff with an interest in this time period? I liked Lilac Girls, but dang, it was depressing. I guess I would rather watch a documentary or a movie about events like this than read a book. I'm so much more affected by things I read than things I watch so I tend to gravitate towards happy books rather than sad ones. Did the events of the book stay with you after you finished reading it? I know I'm still very disturbed by the teacher and her "good baby" from Lilac Girls.
ReplyDeleteKatie,
DeleteI'm so glad that you read Lilac Girls! It was definitely one of my favorites, even though it was depressing. I got my mom to read it too! Yea, I'm not sure why I really like this era. It's so interesting. Similar to how I responded to my first comment, I find it weird that I like this era. It is filled with so much evil and destruction. This book defintely struck me...and I still think about it today. This was a story about a family and how they were separated by the war...and were brought back together. To read about these people and how much evil they faced...and how they overcome it...it just is astounding to me. I couldn't imagine living in that time. I think I also like reading about this era because my grandparents were involved in World War II and I never got to talk to them about it because they passed away early on. Many World War II vets and Holocaust survivors are leaving this world quickly. I guess I want to keep remembering before they are gone.
Excellent annotation! Your summary and appeals are amazing. Full points!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete