I've listened to Martin Fletcher's reports on NBC news for years and was looking forward to reading this in our book club. Overall it was a good story, but I was left wanting by the end of the book. Some of the characters were not fleshed out very fully and I was left with a number of questions about some of the characters. In short, it was merely okay. ( )

Well written novel, The List is inspiring and optimistic. This topic, the aftermath of the Holocaust for the survivors, is not often covered. The author paints a great picture of what it was like for those sad people who had lived through all the atrocities. That individuals had the strength to keep living and create new life gave me a sense of awe. These sad people are also happy people, giving birth and changing countries, keeping on living. ( )

The audio version of this historically accurate novel is outstanding. The narrator, David Thorn, adds color and conveys real depth of emotion and meaning that I found completely compelling. He uses a great variety of accents deftly and consistently. It was pure pleasure to listen to this book. ( )

This story focuses on Edith and Georg, young Jewish refugees who fled their home countries during WWII. Edith's cousin comes to live with them after surviving in a concentration camp. This book highlights the prejudice that Jewish refugees faced in Britain post-WWII. Amidst the terror of not knowing which relatives had survived the war, the Jewish population were often thrust into the center of unwanted political attention as their British neighbors wanted them to "go back home," to make room for the returning British troops.

Living in the same building with Edith and Georg is the mysterious Arab: Ismael. It later turns out that Ismael is really Israel, an undercover Jewish man working as an activist for the Jewish people in Palestine, who want to get rid of the British, so that more Jews could go to Palestine.

There are lots of twists and turns in the plot here to keep you interested. Unlike most WWII books that focus primarily on the concentration camps, this book has as its focus the lives of the Jews that survived the war. It also focuses on how the British affected the immigration of Jews into Palestine, which was something I knew nothing about.

Overall, it was a fascinating read- the author really made the characters come to life. The only downside was that when the author wrote the chapters that were set in Palestine, it seemed a bit disjointed from the rest of the novel. However, after a few chapters, it all came together. Also, it seemed a bit farfetched to me that Edith's cousin would run off with Ismael/Israel, without knowing where they were moving to or why he had to leave England in such a hurry. These details aside, it was quite an interesting read. I'd recommend it for those who enjoy WWII historical fiction. ( )

A wonderfully written book about a little known incident between Palestine and England. Alternately sad as Edith and Georg who are living in England attempt to find family members who have lived through the Holocaust, crossing names off a list as they find most of their families are dead, and yet hopeful at times. A pregnant Edith is reunited with her cousin and learns that her papi survived the war and it is this thought that sustains her. What I didn't know is how much prejudice the survivors encountered after the war and that England threatened to deport all the Jewish people in their kingdom to Palestine or other places. Very informative. ( )