Title: Beneath a Starless Sky
Author: Tessa Harris
Release Date: December 9, 2020
Length: 358 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
****My Review ****
The never-ending inspiration for numerous novels whose pages were written with the events of the Second World War left a great mark not only on history but also on humanity, the sufferer of all injustices.
I didn’t even read the blurb. I chose this book quite randomly. I liked the title. The front page attracted me with its simplicity. I didn’t even think that the title was hiding pages that were simply dripping with emotion. Emotions that will touch you. ‘Beneath a Starless Sky’ is a book that every fan of this genre should read.
Can a young girl carry all the burden on her fragile shoulders? Each new day, marked by the danger that arrives, brings new challenges. Great patience and much wisdom. Calmness in every stimulus, intentional or unintentional. Along the street of life, each one pushes his burden. Everyone silences the noise of their thoughts, and everyone alone binds their words so they don’t fly out at every turn.
Lilli Sternberg, the young and promising ballerina will lead us on a journey from Munich to Hollywood. A road paved with resentment, and sadness, but also hope. A young lady’s bravery during the war. Will she let out a voice, the cry in weakness that is suffocating her?
We discover everything about this gentle Jewish girl, and her family at the beginning of the story. They are living in a city where things are slowly becoming extremely dangerous, especially for a Jewish family. We experience the joy of her first love as soon as she meets Marco, the young Italian soldier. A Jewish Girl and a Nazi soldier- a couple whose relationship is doomed before it even begins to develop.
We also feel her pain when Marco puts an end to that gentle love. We feel her disappointment but also her strength. And together with her we pack our bags and leave on the road to success, in Hollywood. But will this girl succeed in making her dreams come true?
Whenever I write a review for a captivating story set in wartime, I struggle to find the right words. No matter how many stories I read. No matter how many fates I empathize with, I don’t think I will ever get used to the horror that war brings with it.
It is difficult for me to accept what a person is ready for in a time of insanity. What the human hand can do in the name of some senseless purpose? And I persistently read such stories.
Maybe I’m looking for a shred of logic or sanity in all that bloody chaos. And I often find authors who have an incredible talent for conveying all that anguish through their skillfully crafted stories.
Tessa Harris is such an author because she has created a complex story with a perfect balance of scenes and emotions to attract and keep the reader until the very end. Love and prejudice skillfully intertwined with action and suspense, with just the right amount of historical elements that in no way overshadow the story.
Through a lavish style mixed with vibrant descriptions, the author conveys complex questions and exposes everyday dilemmas that even modern man faces. And the persecution of the Jews is painted so emotionally and skillfully that it somehow manages to impress me.
A timeless must-read story of a young woman’s struggle to survive and help her loved ones during WWII. An insight into the past that must not be repeated. An insight that hurts and saddens, but also brings hope for a better tomorrow. Highly recommended for all readers.
Wonderful review, Ana. This is one I have not heard of, but it definitely sounds like a book I would enjoy. I will have to see if I can get a copy. I like that this has a twist that I have not seen in other books I have read.
Thanks very much my dear! I most definitely recommend it. Eventhough I usually read romances, or books that are sweet and pleasant to read, I enjoyed this read very much.