Tears of Amber
- Downloads：3657
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-12 08:32:01
- Update Date：2025-09-15
- Status：finish
- Author：Sofía Segovia
- ISBN：B08CDWLTD8
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Dianne
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Range of emotionsThe characters are fully developed and experience a full range of emotions。 The book fully exposes the ugliness of war。 It shows what extremes people are capable of in order to survive and in their hate of others that are different。
Joanne Van Couwenberghe
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Read thisIf you like historical fiction， this book seems very realistic about war survivors。 I did not pit it down。 Great。。
Robyn Steinbrueck
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This was a masterfully woven tale of two families。 I absolutely could not put it down！ It reminded me of Skeletons at the Feast。
alex snow
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Heartbreakingly good readStory of the reality of the devastation of world war two on the many displaced refugees of Prussia and Germany and how through mind numbing cold and unimaginable hardship hope can survive
Scott J Pearson
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In twentieth-century Europe， the two great wars not only wrote the unfolding of history but also dramatically altered the landscape of life。 This story tells the tale of how two peaceful families survived the Second World War and became intertwined by fate。 Neither German family was particularly nationalistic。 Sure， they did not stand up against oppression and slavery， but neither did they revel in it。 Both families were ineluctably pulled into the ethnic and nationalist fighting that tore the c In twentieth-century Europe， the two great wars not only wrote the unfolding of history but also dramatically altered the landscape of life。 This story tells the tale of how two peaceful families survived the Second World War and became intertwined by fate。 Neither German family was particularly nationalistic。 Sure， they did not stand up against oppression and slavery， but neither did they revel in it。 Both families were ineluctably pulled into the ethnic and nationalist fighting that tore the continent apart。Both families lived in a region called East Prussia， now in modern-day Poland。 After Hitler’s invasion， one family had Polish slaves – “subhumans，” as they were called。 They heard about， but did not participate in， the cruelties of Jewish extermination。 As Germans， they survived during the war until the Russians invaded。 Then， they， as Germans， became the subhumans， and the marvels of story， based on a true historical tale， take over。This book portrays in vivid detail how World War II negatively affected the life of everyday folk。 It’s easy to treat this war with a top-down approach， but Segovia reminds us how it darkened the lives of common people。 Rape， murder， flight， enslavement， starvation， and death all fill this tale。 Although some literary freedoms are taken （and acknowledged in the Author’s Note）， the story adheres to the historical narratives。 It leaves the reader with a lingering feeling of the senselessness of such nationalist campaigns of war。This work， though dark in the main， ends on an optimistic note that is historically rooted。 Its proper audiences include the advanced reader who is not disturbed by the ugliness and horrors of human life。 Some ethnic stereotyping dwells within its pages。 Russians， with only one real exception， are portrayed as uncivilized fiends。 This story is a European tale of how so many groups dwelt upon the continent in unending wars and of how such a configuration constrained the human spirit。 。。。more
Deborah O。 Lichfield
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Just absolutely wonderful。 It was also heart wrenching to see the other side of the war。 Not just the usual stories。
Susan
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Very worthwhile readWhat I loved best about this story was that it tells a story very different from the typical WWII one。 We often hear of those who suffered through the war and died in the war and fought the enemy in the war。 But the primary focus of this story was the ordinary citizen。 The horror of what civilians lived through during WWII is unimaginable。 The moral ambiguities， the loss， the will to survive， these were all brought to life quite well。
Gary Henderson
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A Great ReadThis rating is based on the wonderful writing and character development 。 This book gives the reader a historical view that little is written about。 Having read many books about world war 2 i found this book very unique。 I enjoyed it very much。。nown
Jo Fountain
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Definite 5* from me！！I chose this as my monthly first reads and what a super long saga！ I feel quite bad that I got it for free actually。I love historical fiction， it is my favourite genre。 However I admit I did not know until I'd finished reading it that the story is loosely based around the true journey that Ilse told the writer。 Ilse being the main little girl， who starts the story aged 3！！ I won't say anymore as it will give spoilers。However reading it mainly through the eyes of 3 children， Definite 5* from me！！I chose this as my monthly first reads and what a super long saga！ I feel quite bad that I got it for free actually。I love historical fiction， it is my favourite genre。 However I admit I did not know until I'd finished reading it that the story is loosely based around the true journey that Ilse told the writer。 Ilse being the main little girl， who starts the story aged 3！！ I won't say anymore as it will give spoilers。However reading it mainly through the eyes of 3 children， as well as a few adults， was very refreshing and was written excellently。 It is a long book through a long period of time but despite the heart wrenching circumstances & the dreadful stage of war that the story pulls you through， I could not put it down。The first half being crammed with their day to day intimate lives。 The sights， sounds， smells and emotions of these ordinary people。 Their struggles at a very volatile and poverty stricken time period leading up to WW2 never mind what they went through during it！！ The circumstances that eventually lead all of them into the second half of the book。 How anyone survived is a true testament of character and it's heartbreaking to read。 There are NO winners in war and as it is said a few times， war never ends because the survivors have a constant ache for all those they lost！I highly recommend giving this a read and I am now going to look for anything else she has written！ 。。。more
Dee
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Another must read wwll novel。5 stars because this is one of the best WWll novels out there！ You will cry when the characters cry， feel the fear they feel， run when they run， despair as they do and live the hope they live with。 These are the gifts of the author of this novel。 The characters are unbelievably real， what they went through is unfathomable - you can only hope for a happy ending。 How sad that most of this story borders on the truth of wars。 God save us from ever entering another abomin Another must read wwll novel。5 stars because this is one of the best WWll novels out there！ You will cry when the characters cry， feel the fear they feel， run when they run， despair as they do and live the hope they live with。 These are the gifts of the author of this novel。 The characters are unbelievably real， what they went through is unfathomable - you can only hope for a happy ending。 How sad that most of this story borders on the truth of wars。 God save us from ever entering another abomination such as WWll！ 。。。more
Nancy
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Deadly dull。 Couldn't finish。 Deadly dull。 Couldn't finish。 。。。more
Gwen Landon Ross
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I loved Murrmer of Bees and was excited to read this book。 It was slow going for the most part。 The insights into how WWII impacted people in Prussia and Poland were very interesting and thought provoking。 The language is uneven - sometimes very expressive and sometimes mundane。 That may be a function of the translation rather than the original work。 The reminder that in the end no onewins from war is timely and appreciated。 It is worth wading through some of the early chapters to get to the hea I loved Murrmer of Bees and was excited to read this book。 It was slow going for the most part。 The insights into how WWII impacted people in Prussia and Poland were very interesting and thought provoking。 The language is uneven - sometimes very expressive and sometimes mundane。 That may be a function of the translation rather than the original work。 The reminder that in the end no onewins from war is timely and appreciated。 It is worth wading through some of the early chapters to get to the heart of the story。 。。。more
Cara
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An Amazon First Read kindle book， translated from the original SpanishTears of Amber is the story of 2 German children growing up in rural East Prussia （now part of Poland） during the Third Reich and the Second World War and its aftermath。 Ilse and Arno’s stories are told in alternating sections throughout the book， from their happy early childhoods to the chaos of the end of the war and the Russian advance when they and their families were forced to flee west。 Not many books set around the WW2 An Amazon First Read kindle book， translated from the original SpanishTears of Amber is the story of 2 German children growing up in rural East Prussia （now part of Poland） during the Third Reich and the Second World War and its aftermath。 Ilse and Arno’s stories are told in alternating sections throughout the book， from their happy early childhoods to the chaos of the end of the war and the Russian advance when they and their families were forced to flee west。 Not many books set around the WW2 period tell of the experiences of those German settler families and it was fascinating to read about this time from such a different perspective。 Both Arno and Ilse were well written characters you couldn’t help but love， though my favourite was Janusz， the young Polish gentle giant brought as slave labour to Ilse’s family farm after the German invasion of Poland。 An excellent and informative read， Tears of Amber is recommended for anyone with an interest in how ordinary people were affected by a war not of their making。 。。。more
Katie Blake
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Beautifully writtenIt was interesting to read a historical novel from the perspective of two German families。 As becomes increasingly apparent， nobody wins during a war。 This is the second book I have read by Sofia Segovia and look forward to anything else she produces。
Kait
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4。5 Wow。 I absolutely loved Segovia’s first novel translated to English， The Murmur of Bees， and she did not disappoint with this novel either。 I love how the legend of Jurata， queen of the Baltic and her tears of amber influenced both Ilse and Arno’s stories。 For me， this book was unique i that it is the first piece of World War II fiction to offer a Polish perspective。 I also appreciated the author’s note at the end， explaining Segovia’s inspiration for this novel。 The only thing that bothered 4。5 Wow。 I absolutely loved Segovia’s first novel translated to English， The Murmur of Bees， and she did not disappoint with this novel either。 I love how the legend of Jurata， queen of the Baltic and her tears of amber influenced both Ilse and Arno’s stories。 For me， this book was unique i that it is the first piece of World War II fiction to offer a Polish perspective。 I also appreciated the author’s note at the end， explaining Segovia’s inspiration for this novel。 The only thing that bothered me was the inconsistent use of quotation marks。 。。。more
Paula Cox
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This was a very good book， I could not put it down。 A definite read。
Vika Ryabova
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Просто прекрасно。 Интересно， что не "до слёз" трогает， а как-то глубже。 То есть задевает не эмоции сверху， а чувства внутри :）Я читала по-английски。 Наверное， в том， что роман читается легко и плавно， большая заслуга переводчика， но хочется верить， что и оригинал прекрасен :） В оригинале， кстати， книга называется «Пилигримы»。 Название «Янтарные слёзы» （кроме того， что оно более «продаваемое»） смещает акцент с темы «нас разметал ураган войны и мы изгнанники в собственной стране – и лишь высшие си Просто прекрасно。 Интересно， что не "до слёз" трогает， а как-то глубже。 То есть задевает не эмоции сверху， а чувства внутри :）Я читала по-английски。 Наверное， в том， что роман читается легко и плавно， большая заслуга переводчика， но хочется верить， что и оригинал прекрасен :） В оригинале， кстати， книга называется «Пилигримы»。 Название «Янтарные слёзы» （кроме того， что оно более «продаваемое»） смещает акцент с темы «нас разметал ураган войны и мы изгнанники в собственной стране – и лишь высшие силы наши судьи， и перед ними мы склоняем голову и вручаем нашу судьбу в их руки， и движемся в направлении Святой земли» на более политизированную。 Тоже связанную с памятью и наследием предков， но более упрощённо демонстрирующую， что архетипы «рулят» - будь ты поляком или немцем。 。。。more
Teresa
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This was an exceptional book。 The writing style was so interesting。 The book was wonderfully edited， and I believe the translation to English was excellent as well。 I loved the characters。。。well， most of them。 The story was wonderful。 And happy。 And believable。 And horrible too。 I'd be up， then down， relieved， then crushed。 Just all over the emotional spectrum。。。as you would expect in a WWII story。 My only criticism would be the absence of closure of one of my favorite characters。 Otherwise， I'd This was an exceptional book。 The writing style was so interesting。 The book was wonderfully edited， and I believe the translation to English was excellent as well。 I loved the characters。。。well， most of them。 The story was wonderful。 And happy。 And believable。 And horrible too。 I'd be up， then down， relieved， then crushed。 Just all over the emotional spectrum。。。as you would expect in a WWII story。 My only criticism would be the absence of closure of one of my favorite characters。 Otherwise， I'd read this again in a heartbeat。。。and probably will。 。。。more
Mary Ann Slattery
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A True Image of the Suffering During WWII in Germany， Poland and Other CountriesI love historical fiction and have been reading a lot of books about the suffering of the Jews and many other people during the war。 This book was excellent， and I would recommend it highly。
littlelady65
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A view from the other sideYes， I highly recommend this book。 I have often wondered how a whole nation could blindly follow the way they did。 I now have a better understanding。 There are never winners in war。 I couldn't put this down。 A view from the other sideYes， I highly recommend this book。 I have often wondered how a whole nation could blindly follow the way they did。 I now have a better understanding。 There are never winners in war。 I couldn't put this down。 。。。more
Lee
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Heart wrenching， yes。 But I could not put this book down。 I had to know what happened to these two displaced， war-torn families。 I was awed by their determination not only to survive the horrors of wartime as refugees searching desperately for food and shelter， but to do so in a way that was consistent with their values—even when everything they knew and loved was turned upside down and taken from them。 It is a compelling and vividly written novel that explores themes of war， family， courage and Heart wrenching， yes。 But I could not put this book down。 I had to know what happened to these two displaced， war-torn families。 I was awed by their determination not only to survive the horrors of wartime as refugees searching desperately for food and shelter， but to do so in a way that was consistent with their values—even when everything they knew and loved was turned upside down and taken from them。 It is a compelling and vividly written novel that explores themes of war， family， courage and loyalty。 It will make you take stock of what really matters in life。 。。。more
Mary Ellen
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This。was。a terrific story of love & war Historical novels。are a great way to。learn about history。 The told the human stories that war affects much more than just the soldiers， but the families who miss those soldiers and how human nature pushes us to do whatever we must to survive。
Mary Bradshaw
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A Mammoth of a book。I couldn’t stop reading this。 The intimacy of family life， mixed feelings， loyalties， resilience， hardship， loss， exhaustion， all combine to illustrate the beginning years of two lives， finally brought together in a schoolroom in post-war Germany。 It tells of the personal and harrowing experiences that Germany’s citizens experienced following surrender。
Linda Galella
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Based on real people and events， “Tears of Amber” is a sweeping saga of two war torn families united by a storytelling giant。Ilse and Arno are just toddlers at the start of the story with little comprehension of the war looming around them。 Hitler is the great god of the German people and pledging to the party keeps families fed and safe。 The story runs thru the entirety of the war and these two families face all the horrors you’ve read in other books of this genre。Sofia Segovia isn’t just anoth Based on real people and events， “Tears of Amber” is a sweeping saga of two war torn families united by a storytelling giant。Ilse and Arno are just toddlers at the start of the story with little comprehension of the war looming around them。 Hitler is the great god of the German people and pledging to the party keeps families fed and safe。 The story runs thru the entirety of the war and these two families face all the horrors you’ve read in other books of this genre。Sofia Segovia isn’t just another writer。 Her characters come to life on the pages and you’re never left wondering how they think or feel。 Some might complain she’s too wordy but I enjoyed the rich atmospheric prose as much as the dialogue。 The sights， smells， pain and brief moments of joy and humor were all done with finesse。 Even tho’ there’s great horror and suffering， none of this writing will assault your senses。Chapters are clearly marked， individually titled and written from the POV of rotating narrators。 It’s seamless and allows the reader to advance time without having to guess “how much longer？” or “how old are they now？” There’s no bouncing back and forth from past to present and back again; one continuous timeline， thankfully。The mothers in the story are women of substance， managing to keep their families safe under impossible conditions and rising to greatness well beyond their own expectations or physical abilities all because of love; mother’s love。 There are some extraordinary moments and some tender scenes and both have the same goal - survival。Janusz， the storytelling giant， is a character to be remembered。 Orphaned as an infant， assigned to one of the families as a laborer， they take him in as another child， almost。 He’s treated well and becomes critical to their survival。 After the exodus from the Russians， he happens across our other protagonist at just the right moment for a story。Arno and Ilse are teenagers by the 95% mark and a quick telling shares their adulthood。 Segovia has added her notes at the back of the book that explains how she came upon these two inspiring people and their story as well as the framework and liberties taken with writing it。 Make sure to take the time to read it， you might even consider reading it prior to starting the novel。 The family trees at the front of the book are also useful but the story is so well laid out， it’s not a desperate NEED like it can be for some lengthy sagas。BTW， fans of Russian literature will have fun finding one of its giants making a brief appearance in the story。Thoroughly engaging， well written， flawlessly translated and professionally published， “Tears of Amber” is an excellent historical fiction First Reads choice📚 。。。more
MissBecka Gee
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