
The Corset Maker is an epic story of bravery, survival and resistance. Loosely based on the author's mother, I can only imagine that she was an absolutely tremendous woman. Rifka's character captured me from the very beginning as she defended a neighbor. I was constantly amazed by her ability to question what was happening around her, stand up for what is right, and make choices for herself. While not all of her choices were for the best, she stood by her decisions and carried on. Through Rifka we are able to see the effects of three wars as well as the people who gave everything to fight in them. Rifka's story spans a long amount of time and while I was absorbed in the details of each period of her life, I wanted to know more about her feelings and connections during some of the more tense moments when we just got a play-by-play. Some of the time hops also took me by surprise as well as the switch in perspective between Rifka and Bronka. Bronka's story seemed to just be there to tie up loose ends instead of contributing to the story. I do wish there had been a fuller arc for her. As Rifka's journey landed in France, the suspense heightened with her involvement in the Resistance. I would have loved to have more details of her involvement with removing children from danger. Overall, a factual-based story of hope, resilience and adapting while keeping true to yourself.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.