CHILDREN OF THE STARS By Mario Escobar @THOMASNELSON @TLCBOOKTOURS

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 25, 2020)
• Language: English

SYNOPSIS:

From international bestselling author Mario Escobar comes a story of escape, sacrifice, and hope amid the perils of the second World War.

August 1942. Jacob and Moses Stein, two young Jewish brothers, are staying with their aunt in Paris amid the Nazi occupation. The boys’ parents, well-known German playwrights, have left the brothers in their aunt’s care until they can find safe harbor for their family. But before the Steins can reunite, a great and terrifying roundup occurs. The French gendarmes, under Nazi order, arrest the boys and take them to the Vélodrome d’Hiver—a massive, bleak structure in Paris where thousands of France’s Jews are being forcibly detained.

Jacob and Moses know they must flee in order to survive, but they only have a set of letters sent from the south of France to guide them to their parents. Danger lurks around every corner as the boys, with nothing but each other, trek across the occupied country. Along their remarkable journey, they meet strangers and brave souls who put themselves at risk to protect the children—some of whom pay the ultimate price for helping these young refugees of war.

This inspiring novel, now available for the first time in English, demonstrates the power of family and the endurance of the human spirit—even through the darkest moments of human history.

THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

I enjoyed this amazing heart wrenching story of brotherhood, family, hope and resilience in the midst of the horrors and perils of the second World War.

It is the summer of 1942 when brothers Jacob and Moses Stein are with their aunt in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Their parents in Germany are famous playwrights who are trying to reunite the family. The children end up forcible detained at the Vélodrome d’Hiver. They escaped the harrowing conditions of that place and returns to their aunts apartment but she is no longer there. With only a postmarked letter with an address for the south of France, the boys’ determination and strength are tested as they struggle to survive through their journey.

The story of their ordeal through their journey in hopes of reconciling with their parents was both intense and also inspiring to see how people will go to lengths of helping others.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

Mario Escobar Golderos has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the executive director of an NGO and directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans.