Title: YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE: A HOLOCAUST NOVEL
Author: Roberta Kagan
Series: Book Two of the ALL MY LOVE, DETRICK Series
Type of Book: eBook
Length: 436 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: March 2014
Publisher: CreateSpace
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This novel is an amazing work of historical fiction. I have read many fiction and non-fiction books about Nazi Germany and most of them focus on Jewish people being hidden and trying to stay alive long enough for the war to come to an end. This book is not that at all. In fact, this book actually takes into account how ordinary German citizens also suffered under Hitler’s Third Reich.
I liked the fact that this book actually tells the story from several different perspectives. It also illustrates how people of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, different religions and even from varying socioeconomic backgrounds all became inextricably linked to one another during the Holocaust.
This story is based on actual events and it is a heart-breaking and gripping read. I was drawn into the story and read it in its entirety in only 24 hours.
This is the second book in a series and I am definitely interested in reading the next novel.
The only negative comments I have about YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE: A HOLOCAUST NOVEL would be the fact that there are a multitude of editing and proof-reading errors. These errors take away from the enjoyment of the story and I find them very distracting.
Error Example Number One:
“Unlike his small stature, Hitler’s voices rang through the halls like an entire marching band.”
– Since Hitler is only one person, it should say “voice” rather than “voices”.
– Also, in my opinion to say “…like an entire marching band” comes across sounding awkward. If I were the editor of this novel I would have changed the above sentence to say: “Despite his small stature, Hitler’s voice was anything but small. In fact, it was so loud that it rang throughout the hall with a power that could not be rivalled, even by an entire marching band.”
Example Two: “He took the ring out of his pocket and pulled the top back to reveal the ring. It was diamond, over a carat. So much more than a poor boy like Manfred would ever have been able to afford. Before, before he became a part of the New Germany…”
– Obviously there are multiple errors in the above paragraph, including one sentence that repeats the word “before” twice.
Example 3:
– “Before the war, ended British had promised the land of Palestine to be awarded to the Jews.”
– There are several errors in this single sentence. Firstly, the comma is in the wrong place. Secondly, it should say “Britain” or “the British” not “British”. Thirdly, the wording is wrong. This sentence should read: “Before the war ended, Britain had promised that the land of Palestine would be awarded to the Jewish people.”
– There are so many other errors that it is impossible for me to list even a portion of them. There are misspelled words. Words with letters missing (such as “llies” where it should say “Allies”) and many instances where words are written twice.
Because of the editing errors I feel that I have to reduce my overall rating for this book by one star which means that rather than a five star rating, I rate this book as 4 out of 5 Stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Roberta Kagan’s ancestors experienced Nazi cruelty first hand and both of her grandparents lost their entire extended families to the Third Reich. She has written many historical fiction novels.
To learn more about her and her books visit her website at www.RobertaKagan.com
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