Book Blurb:
It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.
In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom’s Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.
In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.
In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are in the first weeks of COVID lockdown and hating Zoom school, when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray was such an excellent, informative and compelling read! I’ve heard of this author, but the books never fell onto my radar because they’re in the YA (young adult) category. If you’ve followed me a while, you’ll know that books dealing with the Holocaust always interest me, so I had to read it as soon as the ARC (advanced reader copy) became available.
Told in three completely different timelines, in the 1940s – during WW2, the 1980s – right after the wall separated West and East Germany, and the 2020s – when covid hit. Yep, this book touches on many subjects between these three distinct time periods that seamlessly come together by the end of the book.
Some of the topics include the resistance, art, LGBTQ+, coming out, punk music, magic, parenting, living abroad and family. I still can’t believe how well these stories/timelines were knit together.
I kept switching back and forth as to which of the time periods I liked best. They all had something compelling to offer the reader. I will definitely check out her back list and read more of her work.
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