About the Book: 
Publication Date: September 2013
CreateSpace
Formats: eBook, Paperback
186 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Young Adult


Munich, 1938, Nazi Germany. War is on the horizon. A timid Hitler Youth member contracts polio. Photographs she takes of fellow polio patients are turned into propaganda, mocking people with disabilities. She is now an outsider, a target of Nazi scorn and possible persecution. Her only weapon is her camera.

This well-researched historical fiction novel unveils a seldom-seen side of the Nazi agenda. A sequel is in the works.


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Review: 

Fourteen year old Sophie Adler lives in Germany in 1938; she is part of the Hitler Youth.  The Hitler Youth train young people on Hitler’s ideals and prepare them to defend their country.  Sophie contributes to the Hitler Youth as a photographer.  Sophie doesn’t fully agree with all of Hitler’s ideals, and is confused when her Jewish friend and neighbor is sent away.  Sophie’s father, who taught her how to take photographs, also does not agree with everything in Nazi Germany; he tells her to take pictures of the whole truth when she is photographing for the Hitler Youth.  When Sophie contracts polio, she worries that her disability might cause her to be considered worthless by the regime, luckily her value as a photographer is still useful.  She is ordered to take photographs of fellow patients with polio, which are then turned into propaganda.  After that, she decides to take her father’s advice and take photos of the whole truth.

Risking Exposure shows a different side of Nazi Germany from a teenaged girl’s point of view.    The fact that disabled people were also targeted is often forgotten, Sophie’s story helps to bring this aspect of the time period to light and is historically accurate.  Sophie’s character is wonderful; she feels like a real person and has many difficult decisions to make.  Sophie finds courage in the hardest of times in order to carry out what is right, even though it would be easier just to do what everybody else in doing and not have to worry about getting in trouble.  Through her actions, Sophie is able to show people that everyone has worth and is able to make an impact.  The ending is quite abrupt, but very exciting and I believe a sequel is in the works.  Overall, Sophie’s story is a good lesson in doing what is right along with a unique look into this time in history from a German girl’s prospective.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

 

 

About the Author
Jeanne Moran reads and writes stories in which unlikely heroes make a difference in their corner of the world. In her everyday life, she strives to be one of them.

For more information visit Jeanne Moran’s website.  You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: Random House (April 14, 2015)

New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg has written a lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the nineteenth-century writer George Sand—which is perfect for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.
 
At the beginning of this powerful novel, we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband, a loveless marriage, and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name—George Sand—and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle.

Paris in the nineteenth century comes vividly alive, illuminated by the story of the loves, passions, and fierce struggles of a woman who defied the confines of society. Sand’s many lovers and friends include Frédéric Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Marie Dorval, and Alfred de Musset. As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she fights to overcome heartbreak and prejudice, failure and loss. Though considered the most gifted genius of her time, she works to reconcile the pain of her childhood, of disturbing relationships with her mother and daughter, and of her intimacies with women and men. Will the life she longs for always be just out of reach—a dream?

Brilliantly written in luminous prose, and with remarkable insights into the heart and mind of a literary force, The Dream Lover tells the unforgettable story of a courageous, irresistible woman.


Purchase Links:  Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble


Review: 
Aurore Dupin was born into a tumultuous family in early 19th century France.  As an adult, she left her husband, moved to Paris, dressed in men’s clothing and made her dream of having a career in writing come true, under the name of George Sand.  She lived a scandalous life for the time; left a number of affairs in her wake, was a free thinker, and placed her career before family. 

I did not really know anything about George Sand going into this novel, except that she was a writer.  So, for me this book was extremely informative.  The Dream Lover follows George’s life from birth to death in alternating, first-person narratives of her childhood and adulthood.  At first, this style offers a fast paced read with a lot of insight into the way George’s upbringing affects her decisions in the future.  As the timelines came closer together, it became a little more difficult to delineate the two.  The passages are very detailed, accounting for many of George’s affairs and many intimate moments in her life.   I did feel a strong sense of place throughout the book and enjoyed reading about 19th century Paris as well as all of George’s contemporaries including Chopin, Musset, Liszt, Hugo and Browning.   I felt a strong sense that George was independent and intelligent; however, I did not feel a strong connection with her. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

 

About the Author: 
Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including Tapestry of Fortunes, The Last Time I Saw You, Home Safe, The Year of Pleasures,and Dream When You’re Feeling Blue, as well as two collections of short stories and two works of nonfiction. Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club selection, Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year, Talk Before Sleep was short-listed for an Abby Award, and The Pull of the Moon was adapted into a play. Berg has been honored by both the Boston Public Library and the Chicago Public Library. She is a popular speaker at venues around the country, and her work has been translated into twenty-seven languages. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a reading series designed to serve author, audience, and community. She divides her time between Chicago and San Francisco.