Roxanne Veletzos

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A sweeping family saga and love story that offers a vivid and unique portrayal of life in war-torn 1941 Bucharest and life behind the Iron Curtain during the Soviet Union occupation—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah’s Key. On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger, undergoing increasingly violent persecution. The girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets the parents who were forced to leave her behind. They are even further from her mind when Romania falls under Soviet occupation. Yet, as Natalia comes of age in a bleak and hopeless world, traces of her identity pierce the surface of her everyday life, leading gradually to a discovery that will change her destiny. She has a secret crush on Victor, an intense young man who as an impoverished student befriended her family long ago. Years later, when Natalia is in her early twenties and working at a warehouse packing fruit, she and Victor, now an important official in the Communist regime, cross paths again. This time they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor’s dark secrets. When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful enigma of her past.

A Novel

The Girl They Left Behind

“This compulsively readable tale of loss and love during and after the Second World War is a masterpiece.” —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author “A gorgeously written, impeccably researched historical novel, spanning decades and continents, and filled with a richly drawn cast of characters.” —Jillian Cantor, USA TODAY bestselling author This epic World War II tale of star-crossed lovers separated by class, circumstance, and ​tragedy—from the international bestselling author of the “gripping…filled with passion and hope” (Kate Quinn, New York Timesbestselling author) The Girl They Left Behind—explores the impact of war on civilian life and the indestructible resilience of first love. Hungary, 1943: As war encroaches on the country’s borders, willful young Eva César arrives in the idyllic town of Sopron to spend her last summer as a single woman on her aristocratic family’s estate. Longing for freedom from her domineering father, she counts the days to her upcoming nuptials to a kind and dedicated Red Cross doctor whom she greatly admires. But Eva’s life changes when she meets Aleandro, a charming and passionate Romani fiddler and artist. With time and profound class differences against them, Eva and Aleandro still fall deeply in love—only to be separated by a brutal act of hatred. As each are swept into the tides of war, they try to forget their romance. Yet, the haunting memory of that summer will reshape their destinies and lead to decisions which are felt through generations. From the horrors of the Second World War to the tensions of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and beyond, When the Summer Was Ours is a sweeping story about the toll of secrets, the blurred lines between sacrifice and obsession, and the endurance of the human spirit.

When the Summer Was Ours

An epic World War II tale of star-crossed lovers separated by class, circumstance and tragedy from the bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind Hungary, 1943. As war encroaches on the country's borders, willful young Eva arrives in the idyllic town of Sopron to spend her last summer as a single woman on her aristocratic family's estate. Longing for freedom from her domineering father, she counts the days to her upcoming nuptials to a kind and dedicated Red Cross doctor whom she greatly admires. But Eva's life changes when she meets Aleandro, a charming and passionate Romani fiddler with a love for painting. With time and profound class differences against them, Eva and Aleandro still fall deeply in love - only to be separated by a brutal act of hatred. As their lives diverge and they are each swept into the tides of war and its aftermath they try to forget what they once shared. But as the years pass, the haunting memory of their romance will reshape their destinies and drive them to decisions that will change their lives forever. From the horrors of World War II to the tensions of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and beyond, When the War Was Here is a sweeping story about the toll of secrets, the blurred lines between desire and loyalty, sacrifice and obsession, and the endurance of the human spirit. Praise for When the War Was Here 'A lyrical and deeply moving story ... Book clubs will love this intimate tale of courage and sacrifice' Anita Abriel, bestselling author of The Light After the War 'Veletzos deftly weaves a tale of music, heartbreak, survival and, ultimately, enduring love' Jillian Cantor, author of Half Life 'A Tale of Two Cities meets The Nightingale in this luminous wartime love story' Laurie Lico Albanese, author of Stolen Beauty

When the War Was Here

Januari 1941, Boekarest. Op een koude nacht in januari wordt een vierjarig joods meisje gevonden bij een flatgebouw. Roemenië werkt samen met de nazi's en de joodse bevolking loopt groot gevaar. Het meisje belandt in een weeshuis. Ze wordt geadopteerd door een rijk echtpaar dat haar Natalia noemt.Na de oorlog heerst het Sovjetregime in Roemenië. Wie te vertrouwen in deze hopeloze, grijze wereld? Natalia groeit op. Haar geheime verleden blijft haar achtervolgen.

Natalia

Girl They Left Behind

Inspired by the author’s true family story of survival during the Second World War, Natalia’s story is an unforgettable portrait of the triumph of the human spirit. ‘In anguish and despair we release this child into the hands of God, with hope and faith that she may be saved...’ On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of a building in Bucharest. With Romania now in league with the Nazis, the Jewish population is doomed. The child is placed in an orphanage and adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she adapts to her new life, she all but forgets the parents forced to leave her behind. Yet, as Natalia comes of age under Soviet occupation, traces of her identity pierce the surface of her everyday life, leading to a discovery that will change her destiny. When she meets Victor, an important official in the Communist regime, she is drawn into a passionate affair despite overwhelming obstacles and her lover’s dark secrets. When Natalia is offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonising decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she loves, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms – and to confront the painful enigma of her past. ‘There are stories that must be told because in doing so, they shed light on the irreparable consequences of war in the lives of so many innocents.’ Armando Lucas Correa, author of The German Girl

A sweeping historical romance that is “gripping, tragic, yet filled with passion and hope” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author), offering a vivid and unique portrayal of life in war-torn 1941 Bucharest during World War II and its aftermath—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah’s Key. On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger so the girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets the parents who were forced to leave her behind. As a young woman in Soviet Romania, Natalia crosses paths with Victor—an important official in the Communist regime that she used to know as an impoverished young student. Now they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor’s dark secrets. When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful enigma of her past. The Girl They Left Behind “is a vividly told, beautifully written, impossible-but-true story” (Helen Bryan, internationally bestselling author of War Brides) that you won’t soon forget.

O poveste emoționantă având ca fundal Bucureștiul din anii celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial Într-o noapte friguroasă din ianuarie 1941, o fetiță evreică este găsită pe treptele unui bloc din București. De vreme ce România s-a aliat recent cu naziștii, populația evreiască este în mare pericol, persecuțiile fiind din ce în ce mai violente. Fetița este plasată într-un orfelinat și adoptată în cele din urmă de un cuplu înstărit, fără copii, care îi pune numele Natalia. Pe măsură ce se obișnuiește cu noua ei viață, fata uită cu totul de părinții care au fost forțați să o părăsească. Se gândește la ei chiar și mai puțin când România intră sub ocupația sovietică. Deși Natalia crește într-o lume sumbră și fără speranță, urme ale identității ei străpung suprafața vieții de zi cu zi, conducând treptat la o descoperire care îi va schimba destinul. Se îndrăgostește în secret de Victor, un tânăr impetuos care devenise prieten de familie cu mult timp în urmă, când era doar un student sărac. Natalia împlinește douăzeci de ani, iar ea și Victor, acum un important funcționar în regimul comunist, se întâlnesc din nou. De data aceasta, au o aventură pasională, în ciuda obstacolelor care îi înconjoară și a secretelor întunecate ale lui Victor. Când Nataliei îi este oferită brusc o șansă unică la libertate, Victor este hotărât să o ajute să scape, chiar dacă asta înseamnă să o piardă. Natalia trebuie să ia o decizie dureroasă: să rămână în București cu părinții săi adoptivi și cu bărbatul pe care a ajuns să-l iubească sau să profite de șansa de a-și trăi în cele din urmă viața și de a se confrunta cu enigma dureroasă a trecutului ei. „Un roman de debut proaspăt, original, care îmbină o dramă de familie cu istoria mai puțin cunoscută a României din vremea celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial. Cititorii vor fi entuziasmați de această poveste emoționantă despre două mame devotate, fiica pe care și-o dispută și sacrificiile pe care sunt gata să le facă pentru un viitor mai bun. Captivant, tragic, dar plin de pasiune și speranță – nu am putut să-l las din mână!“ Kate Quinn, autoarea bestsellerului Rețeaua Alice „Scrisă în stilul captivant al Listei lui Schindler de Thomas Keneally și al Hoțului de cărți de Markus Zusak, povestea puternică și tragică a lui Veletzos și scriitura ei limpede îi vor entuziasma pe cititori.“ Library Journal

Fetita Pe Care Au Lasat-O In Urma

Das Mädchen, das von Freiheit träumte. Bukarest, 1941: Ein kleines Mädchen wird auf den Stufen eines Hauses gefunden, nur mit einem Brief, in dem seine jüdischen Eltern darum bitten, man möge ihr Kind retten. Natalia wird adoptiert und freundet sich mit Victor an. Die Zeit der sowjetischen Besatzung beginnt, und Natalia verfolgt trotz aller Schikanen ihren Traum, Pianistin zu werden. Als sie Jahre später Victor wiederbegegnet, scheint er zu den neuen Machthabern zu gehören. Dennoch verlieben die beiden sich ineinander. Dann erhält Natalia unerwartet die Chance, aus Bukarest zu fliehen – doch um welchen Preis? „Diese eindringliche Geschichte erinnert an Markus Zusaks ‚Die Bücherdiebin‘ und wird viele Leser berühren.“ Library Journal

Roxanne Veletzos

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