Stolen Secrets

Stolen Secrets is an ambitious book, and an important one. Have no fear... it's certainly entertaining, full of humor and wit. Schulman's characters are human, flawed and seeking. She has brought together a number of persons with real motivations, real concerns, real fears and real hopes. I was delighted by the liveliness and freshness of Livvy's first encounters with San Francisco's people, sights, fog. Reminded me of my own arrival here many years ago. I say ambitious because this book deals with (for many readers, I suppose, introduces) subjects of the greatest importance and weight. I'm in awe of Schulman's masterful handling of this challenge. The story winds toward an unexpected surprise ending, and (like great books do) leaves a reader wondering what if.... Schulman's human characters are substantial enough that you can imagine them reacting differently at various stages of the story, particularly at the end. The novel ends with resolution, but one wonders how Livvy would contemplate her youthful experiences twenty years down the road. Indeed, in our current world, where the common recollections of Nazi atrocities seem to be gauzing over with time, Schulman has done something necessary by reminding a new generation of what happened not all that long ago, a set of incomprehensible crimes committed against people a lot like themselves, by -- yes -- people also a lot like themselves.

I enjoyed the book but felt the author could have gone into more depth regarding her grandmothers role during holocaust.

I love a surprise. The brilliant pacing of Stolen Secrets and the well planned weave of familiar history throughout a pretty contemporary story made for a page-turning novel. L.B. Schulman is masterful at characterization. Long after closing the book, I found myself thinking of Livvy, Franklin D, and mostly Adelle. For me, when a book plays in my head like a movie on a screen and I think about it long after I've closed it's spine, I know I've found magic. But the best part is the plot twist! No spoilers here...you'll have to read it for yourself. It's a delicious surprise.

I love this book. It's the best kind of book that has you turning pages, loving the characters, and feeling somehow different at the end. I haven't stopped thinking about it and the questions the story raises. This would be a great one to read with a friend, son, or daughter and then talk about it afterward. I don't want to spoil anything, but the complicated issues this book raises are very relevant today. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a book with both pacing and substance.

Warning, spoilers are included in the review. The premise of this book drew me in and I identified and liked Livvy and Franklin D. and enjoyed their relationship. I also enjoyed the emotional struggles Livvy went through in her relationship with her mom and friends. The ties in with actual historical events were intriguing and I enjoyed the hopeful ending. The story of Anne Frank has always been close to my heart and family as my own was greatly impacted by the Nazi soldiers. However, I thought the "bad guys" in this book were way too obvious; Livvy was characterized as a detailed, observant person with a photo memory and her friend Franklin D. was also portrayed as above average intelligence and both together at least would have seen this. Also, what mom would leave her teen, underage, not-even-driving daughter alone to care for a grandma she hardly knew and was in failing health? The police incident in which the officer drove the teen home and didn't make sure a responsible adult was present so late at night, was unbelievable and seemed a plot convenience. Overall, this book was enjoyable and would make a great book for a middle grade audience and possibly for use in the classroom to tie fiction to real historical events.

Stop now and read this book. Real people. Likeable and believable characters. Sense of place and sense of history. What can I say? Chapter 26 was perfection. I fell in love with them all, even the Oma.

I will start by saying that this was recommended to me as Christian fiction, and it was not. So, I was disappointed by the language in some instances. There was not a ton of bad language and the story line kept me engaged enough that I still wanted to read it, but it was nonetheless a bit disappointing due to the expectation I had been given. That said, this was an excellent story. The story is told first-person from the viewpoint of 16 year old Livvy Newman, who was just uprooted from her hometown in Vermont where she'd finally firmly established herself in the popular clique at school. Livvy has some secrets though, that would pull her from that crowd if she ever let someone see the real her. She and her mother have made a move to San Francisco. Livvy has been told that her mom was laid off from her job in Vermont and they are going to San Francisco because there is an excellent job there for her. As it turns out, her mom also has secrets and the grandmother that Livvy thought was dead is very much alive, but is in need of care. Her grandmother's secrets begin to come out through her Alzheimer induced ravings and as Livvy seeks to get to the bottom of her grandmother's story, she learns a great deal about what is truly important along the way. This is a great character-development driven story that shows the importance of being true to yourself, honesty and forgiveness. There's a lot of WWII history as well, as her grandmother's time in a concentration camp becomes the focal point of Livvy's research into her family's past. This book, while character driven, had a great mystery, a mild love story and a lot of excellent history. As long as you're not offended by mild language, I would definitely recommend this one!

This book is awesome. I loved the character development and found myself unable to put it down towards the end. I loved the twist at the end and the power of forgiveness and the freedom that comes with it.