Jennifer Rosner (1)

A gripping, riveting audiobook. The tension never stopped, and yet the scenes were never overdramatized. The events always felt real, and more intense because of it.

My one disappointment was that the girl was too perfect, always giving and cooperative. Even if she were unkind at times, like a real child, perhaps even having a tantrum or two, she still would have been worth loving and saving, whether in real life or fiction. A less perfect child would have added more subtlety and realism.

But, show more no matter. I cared about the characters and was rushed along in the story, gasping on occasion.

The author created this beautifully written tale based on real stories. I loved the way the music theme was woven throughout, especially toward the end. The music descriptions were so enchanting, I could hardly believe that it could be described so incredibly in words. I lay down and listened to the end of the story with my eyes closed.

Yes, there are plenty of books about children in the Holocaust, but this one is definitely worth reading.

Highly recommended to all! show less

I am always fascinated by an author’s ability to write about an abhorrent time in history and turn it into something of beauty and this is just what Jennifer Rosner has accomplished in her latest novel.

A Jewish mother and her 5 year old daughter find themselves seeking shelter in a barn in the Polish countryside. Luckily for them, the farmer and his wife agree to let them stay for a time in as long as they remain quiet and hidden. Of course, it does come at a cost, but it is not as great show more as what they would face on the run.

Having had a background in music, the mother keeps her daughter entertained by telling her lyrical stories. From these stories, the daughter creates a make believe world in which she has a yellow bird as her companion.

As time goes on it becomes too dangerous for them to be hiding in the barn, so the mother makes an agonizing decision to separate them and send her daughter to live in safety with some nuns at an orphanage.

It is there that the child’s talent is brought forth, and in a sense, becomes her safety net. Throughout their time of separation, the mother is facing her own struggles as she tries to find her daughter while the war is coming to an end.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction and beautiful, descriptive writing will find their sweet spot with this novel. Others will be happy to hear there are no concentration camps featured in the story. I rate this a solid 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review. show less

During the lockdowns, in an effort to support my favourite booksellers, I bought a whole lot of (mostly Australian) books that I wouldn't normally buy. I'm gradually working my way through them and sad to say, quite a few were very quickly abandoned and sent off for recycling. Commercial fiction is what it is, and I don't regret my purchases because booksellers need to sell enough of what's popular in order to be able to stock less profitable titles. Plus, as with cafés and restaurants, show more booksellers can't afford to be left with unsaleable stock... commercial fiction needs to be sold when it's newly released before along comes The Next Big Thing.

The Yellow Bird Sings by US author Jennifer Rosner was one of these lockdown books, purchased in June 2020. Set in Poland in 1941, it's a story of flight from the Nazi genocide, so since there's some tawdry Holocaust fiction around at the moment, I set my bar by the generally favourable reviews in the Jewish Chronicle and by the US Jewish Book Council.

Their reviews suggest that people like it because it is what it promises to be, a powerfully gripping and deeply moving novel about the unbreakable bond between parent and child and the triumph of humanity and hope even in the darkest circumstances. It's very well written and it doesn't sanitise the fact that the Nazis had plenty of anti-Semitic support in Poland, whatever they may be saying about that now. Even the 'good' Poles who give refuge to Róza and Shira in their barn are hostile at first, and have dubious motives for allowing them to stay: the farmer Henryk rapes Róza every day.

Notwithstanding that, it's still Holocaust Lite. The reality of the Holocaust was that the unbreakable bond between parent and child was broken for millions of parents and children.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/05/14/the-yellow-bird-sings-by-jennifer-rosner/ show less

In Poland during WWII, Róża and her 5-year-old daughter, Shira, must go into hiding to avoid the Nazi round-up of the Jewish people. They hide in their neighbor’s barn and Róża makes up a story about a yellow bird to help her daughter remain silent and avoid detection. Shira is from a musical family, and she is a musically gifted child, which plays an important role in the narrative. When soldiers get close, Róża must make difficult decisions.

“Then Róża tells the story of a show more little girl who, with the help of her bright yellow bird, tends an enchanted garden. The little girl is five years old, the same age as Shira. The garden must be kept silent—only birdsong is safe—yet there is a princess who can’t stop sneezing and giants who must never hear them. There are adventures and threats averted by the little girl’s quick thinking; and each time, the story ends with the girl and her mother curled together in a soft heap of daisy petals for a good night’s sleep.”

It communicates how agonizing it would be to face a horrific situation while having to safeguard and interact with a young child, who would have little understanding of what was happening. It keeps the atrocities at a distance. There is no doubt what has happened (for example, rape) without going into excessive detail. It is a tribute to the author that, while not minimizing the misery of their experiences, she has written a poignant story of maternal love. show less