Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Spotlight: Karolina's Twins by Ronald H. Balson




Book Description:

Series: Book Three in the Liam and Catherine Series
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

From the author of Once We Were Brothers comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to fulfill a promise, return to Poland and find two sisters lost during World War II.

Lena Woodward, an elderly woman, enlists the help of both lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart to appraise the story of her harrowing past in Nazi occupied Poland. At the same time, Lena’s son Arthur presents her with a hefty lawsuit under the pretense of garnering her estate—and independence—for his own purposes. Where these stories intersect is through Lena’s dubious account of her life in war-torn Poland, and her sisterhood with a childhood friend named Karolina. Lena and Karolina struggled to live through the atrocity of the Holocaust, and at the same time harbored a courageous, yet mysterious secret of maternity that has troubled Lena throughout her adult life. In telling her story to Catherine and Liam, Lena not only exposes the realities of overcoming the horrors of the Holocaust, she also comes to terms with her own connection to her dark past.

Karolina’s Twins is a tale of survival, love, and resilience in more ways than one. As Lena recounts her story, Catherine herself also recognizes the unwavering importance of family as she prepares herself for the arrival of her unborn child. Through this association and many more, both Lena and Catherine begin to cherish the dogged ties that bind not only families and children, but the entirety of mankind. 







Author Bio


RONALD H. BALSON is a Chicago trial attorney, an educator, and writer. His practice has taken him to several international venues. He is also the author of Saving Sophie and the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers.







Quotes:

“Readers who crave more books like Balson’s Once We Were Brothers (2013) and Kristin Hannah’s bestselling The Nightingale (2015) will be enthralled by Karolina’s Twins.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A heartbreaking tale of a mother’s love, friendship, and family in the face of increasingly brutal conditions and the constant threat of imminent death in Nazi-occupied Poland…reminiscent of the author’s first novel Once We Were Brothers…compelling.” —Library Journal

“The third in Balson’s promising series about a husband-and-wife investigation team specializing in Holocaust cases. [Lena Woodward’s] survivor account becomes the main source of suspense, since she is reluctant to reveal the full horror of what she experienced until the end…and [it] does not disappoint.” —Kirkus

"Balson kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what the next chapter would reveal. He did an excellent job in staying true to the historical facts of those years of the Holocaust and what Lena, the main character and survivor, had to go through. Balson keeps the suspense so riveting that it was difficult to put the book down. I would say most will read it in one night sitting—kudos to Ronald Balson." —Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Director of the University of Miami Holocaust Teacher Institute

“Secrets, friendships, survival, and the Holocaust are woven together in Ronald H. Balson’s haunting Karolina's Twins.” —Family Circle

38 comments:

  1. I have such a weakness for WWII stories and this one sounds absolutely wonderful. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

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  2. Wow...you know I am drawn to stories set in WWII, and ths sounds interesting.

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    1. I know, I thought so too. I definitely need to read it, sadly I just didn't have time this past week to squeeze it in.

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  3. This one sounds like an amazing read. Adding it to my tbr list.

    Simply Angela

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  4. This sounds like a great book for those who like reading this sort of story.

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  5. This sounds so interesting with WWII and the Holocaust in the background. Thanks for the spotlight on Karolina's Twins!

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  6. I would so Love this book. Thanks Kindlemom!

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  7. I've seen this one around but didn't really know what it was about. Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. It really does, I bet it will be fabulous and more than likely heartbreaking as well.

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  9. I know so many people who loved Nightingale by Hannah so I will definitely pass this recommendation along to them.

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    1. I still have to read that one but I agree, they both sound like they would be great stories and very similar.

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  10. Definitely sounds interesting, thanks for sharing!!

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by and checking it out!!

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  11. This sounds really interesting, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks so much Tyler for stopping by and checking it out.

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  12. Awesome praises! If you're reading this at some point, I hope you love it Ali :)

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  13. Oo the cover on that one is lovely and a little haunting.

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  14. I love stories from WWII, but I declined to review this one. Something about it doesn't call to me, but I may take a look at it one day.

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  15. I have not read any books set on WWII and this series might be the first. Thanks for putting it on my radar. <3

    Yani // Paper Boulevard

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  16. I don't mind books set in WWII, but if the Holocaust is involved I just can't. It upsets me too much even now to think of the horrors. I did read and love The Nightingale and that involved it, but had I known it did involve it I never would have read it. I admit it, I am a wuss when it comes to this subject and always have been. Sorry it's not for me.

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    1. It is a hard time to read about but so important to not forget either. ;)

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  17. Interesting! Thanks for sharing! Not a big WWII fan though :/

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    1. That's okay, thanks for checking it out anyways. :D

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  18. I don't think I've ever heard of this series. Sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing! :D

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