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As I was reading online reviews for The Postmistress, I noticed quite a few of them mentioned Sarah's Key (which I read earlier this year) and Those Who Save Us. I chuckled to myself because I had read one of the two books mentioned and I guess I do read a lot of war books after all. Then I went to the pantry to get the next book from my library pile and lo and behold, it's Those Who Save Us.

Time to try something new?

TWSU was so promising. Right off the bat it reminded me of Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (which I loved). Both are told in a series of alternated flashbacks and current day story lines. The mother's story is set in WW2, she falls in love, she is separated from the man she loves, she has his child (or children), and then she has to somehow survive with her children. Eventually she is rescued by a strong American (because oh yeah, she's beautiful beyond compare) who doesn't care that she is now bascially a stone because of the things she experienced.

The daughters hate their moms because they've never once communicated anything to them. Love, acceptance, what they survived through, their own histories...all a mystery.

That's where the similarities end.

I loved Winter Garden.

Those Who Save Us was much harsher. It was brutal. Graphic. Violent. Though the story was very good, and I definitely felt carried along with it, I wondered what would redeem all the sadness we had to struggle through. Would mother and daughter come to some acceptance? Would any of the issues the daughter struggled through be resolved? Would the mother forgive herself and find healing?

I don't know. Because the book just ends.

And seriously, I hate that! Especially since there were so many aspects of both characters journeys/lives we had to endlessly read about...and suddenly no resolution. Crap.

I don't know if I recommend or not. Very, very hard to read.