They Went Left

Thought it was predictable but I was wrong. Surprise ending. Worth the read!

I actually was able to read almost all of this novel on a rainy Saturday. Set after the end of WWII, it tells the story of a young girl who survived the holocaust with physical and mental scars but resiliency that allows for survival. Determining what was real events and what were mind games was challenging. A good book, in general, but tough to read.

Excellent read. Emotional

This novel is captivating. The details are excellent and do not give away the ending prematurely.

My new favorite book! I couldn't put it down, and when I did.... Jaw to the floor and still pondering over this book days later! I want more like it!

I listened to the audiobook, which was well-done. The story was intriguing, and you could tell early on that Zofia is struggling with her memory about the events that happened to her during the Holocaust. How do you force your brain to revisit trauma? I admired Zofia's tenacity in finding what family she could. I don't want to give any spoiler alerts, but I liked the message of 'choose love.' In the end, I think Zofia does...but to the extent she feels able. This story is a reminder of the depravity of WW II, but also the strength and love that some humans showed one another as well. I enjoyed listening to it.

I have not read a book that made me this emotional in years. I was already ugly crying halfway through the book, and once I started part 3 I finished the book in the same night, and the punches just kept coming. I've highlighted so many sections from the book- some beautiful passages & just as many heartbreaking ones. The plot twist I saw coming a mile away, and I one that absolutely knocked me off my feet... This was just an amazing work of art through & through. 100/10 recommend, just have tissues nearby.

I loved The Girl in the Blue Coat. This book is much grimmer, and because the character has some mental issues, the thought processes and fears expressed by the main character are a little hard to follow, and frustrating for me at times. It’s worth sticking with, but I did have to make myself keep plowing for a few chapters. It has a good message and ends well, but if asked if I would recommend to a friend, I’m not sure what my answer would be.

Amazing read.. couldn’t put it down!

The author is so true in the afterword where she says most books about the Holocaust end at liberation but actually there is so much more to the stories of the survivors after the war that we rarely hear. The pain and torment they must have gone through, after distracting themselves so long with the act of staying alive to then be alive but have all of the horrible memories come back with a vengeance, be hidden or replaced, or a combination, is unimaginable - however, this book goes some way to capturing it. Zofia's story is the story of so many, and a story so many more of us cannot fathom. To lose everything and everyone, and then come out of it and hold on to a reason to keep living, most of us have the privilege of not having to experience this, but the importance of listening to those that have resonates throughout this book. The author brings the pain, the joy, the confusion and every other emotion alive, leaving the reader exhausted but it is so worth it!

A great book that shows the life after a horrible war and how families desperately tried to find missed family members. Really good researched and has a great plot! I really recommend it.

I love when I read a novel about WW2 and it comes at things from a whole different perspective than anything I've read previously. I've never given a lot of thought to how families who were ripped apart by the Holocaust found each other again. This book gives a credible and well written account of exactly that. Very well done.

Very good read. Makes you think.