The German Girl: A Novel by Armando Lucas Correa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved this book! A deeply moving family saga that tells the story of Hannah, a young German Jew from the second World War and her great niece, Anna, a young girl who lost her father (Hannah’s grandson) in the Twin Towers on September 11, 2011.
Much of the book was Hannah’s story which Anna was so drawn to. Hannah left Germany with her family on the St. Louis on route to Havana where they had bought residency visas. As the ship full of nearly 1,000 Jewish passengers sailed closer to Cuba, it was learned that Cuba didn’t plan to accept the entire passenger list and, in the end, less than 30 passengers disembarked for their new lives in Cuba. Hannah and her mother were among those who settled in Cuba. Her dad and best friend were sent back. Her dad ultimately died in Auschwitz.
Although their situation seemed dire through the entire book, I grew to love this cast of characters. Excellent book! I hope to read more from this author.