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Sep 18, 2017m0mmyl00 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Seems like I'm reading a lot of books these days about young women being forced to give up their babies -- this one, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, and The Aquariums of Pyongyang. Also, several unlikely "joining the circus" books. This was an engaging book written by a most accomplished woman. Her bio states that she's written numerous books, is a lawyer, and mother of three. Sheesh. The Orphan's Tale is about a young woman, Noa, who got pregnant by her Nazi boyfriend. She was cast out by her family and forced to give up her baby. When she heard babies' cries coming from a train car, and realized they were bound for extermination, she took one and claimed it as her brother. She was taken in by a traveling circus under the condition that she become a part of their act; she was to become an aerialist, i.e., a flying trapeze artist. Pretty far-fetched, but the author made it work. The author knows the right buttons to push to engage the reader and advance the story. But she did not find any new buttons; I did not feel a sense of discovery or insight in reading her book. It was simply enjoyable reading.