Book details

Karolina's Twins

A Novel

Author: Ronald H. Balson

Karolina's Twins

Karolina's Twins

About This Book

From Ronald H. Balson, author of the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers, comes a saga in the tradition of The Nightingale,...

Page Count
384
Genre
On Sale
10/29/2019

Book Details

From Ronald H. Balson, author of the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers, comes a saga in the tradition of The Nightingale, Sarah's Key, and Lilac Girls, inspired by true events—a Holocaust survivor’s quest to return to Poland, find two sisters lost during World War II, and fulfill a promise.

“A heartbreaking tale of a mother’s love, friendship, and family.”—
Library Journal

Lena Woodward, elegant and poised, has lived a comfortable life among Chicago Society since she immigrated to the US at the end of World War II. But now something has resurfaced that Lena cannot ignore: an unfulfilled promise she made long ago that can no longer stay buried.

Driven to renew the quest that still keeps her awake at night, Lena enlists the help of lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart. Behind Lena’s stoic facade are memories that will no longer be contained. She begins to recount a tale harkening back to her harrowing childhood in Nazi-occupied Poland, of the bond she shared with her best friend, the beautiful, vivacious Karolina. Lena has cherished the memory of Karolina her whole life. But there is something about her own story that is unfinished—questions about Karolina and herself that remain unanswered. Soon Lena must decide what she is willing to risk to uncover a dark secret from the past…and face the ultimate truth.

Triumphant.” —Chicago Tribune

Imprint Publisher

St. Martin's Paperbacks

ISBN

9781250236203

Reading Guide

In The News

“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 heart-wrenching but ultimately triumphant story." —Chicago Tribune

"Karolina's Twins is involving right from the start, it reads quickly, and fans of historical fiction are sure to enjoy it." —Chicago Jewish Star

“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

"A novel of survival, justice and redemption...riveting." —Chicago Tribune, on Once We Were Brothers

About the Creators

Karolina's Twins

Karolina's Twins