The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff
A Historical Fiction, 2017 by Mira, 353 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Insta love. It’s my least favorite trope and it definitely appeared in this one. You find one of the main characters risking everything for insta love which just doesn’t work for me.
- Flat characters. I felt like I didn’t know anything about these characters beyond the basics. I wanted to understand what made them original, what they loved, what they wanted out of life. I didn’t get that here.
- I didn’t buy into the idea that the trapeze would be an act you can learn easily. Really, since such a huge part of the story hinged on that, I had trouble relating to much of the story.
What I Did Like:
- I like WWII historical fiction. I like circus fiction. This was an interesting blend of the two.
- People making possibly stupid choices in the face of dangerous times and regimes is realistic. You can’t turn off who you are and what you believe. I liked how many unsung heroes risked everything with these decisions.
- Focus was really on friendship. Yes there’s romance, yes there are children involved. But at the end of the story you’ll look back and realize this is really a tale of friendship that developed in the worst scenario.
Who Should Read This One:
- Fans of stories of female friendship in terrible situations.