"An Innocent Child", by Roberta Kagan

                                               

“Margot’s Secret” book #2

It is highly recommended to start with the first book “The Secret They Hide” in order to enjoy and not be lost. Book#2 picks up where the first left off and we have little back information to situate us.

Nazism is right around the corner. Margot is married to Max and they are close friends with Ben, a Jewish doctor. When their sickly son Erik grapples with a life-threatening illness they turn to Ben, but the rising tide of anti-Semitism, Ben doesn’t have the medication to take care of him. In desperation Margot turns to her sister Trudy, who is married to an ambitious Nazi officer but Trudy has deep feelings for Max and wants his attention at no cost.... She is holding back a family secret that could change everything if revealed and will shatter families....

Although this historical fiction is set before and during WW11 it is mainly of sisters and how far one is willing to go to help a sick child. Ms. Kagan doesn’t shy away from the horrors of Action T-4 a program set by the Nazis to euthanized individual not deemed to be part of the Aryan society: mentally ill or physically deformed individual. These poor souls where sent to a hospital who would give them special care...the author also tackles in her storyline the Lebensborn Program, a program set to increase Germany’s population.

We have a lot going on which fans of historical fiction may find repetitious but around all the known events we do have an interesting family saga and an intriguing backstory of Trudy’s maid. As usual Ms. Kagan has painted a dramatic story that could have happened during war time. The emotional struggles and the many changes the citizens had to endure are well noted and highlight how power to a group ruined the lives of many. I am with some reviewers saying that Ms. Kagan’s words are not simple words but words we need to learn from....

The writing is simple and well-done. The narration flow smoothly and keep a steady pace, in all very active. This is an interesting storyline that held my attention from start to finish. I cared for the characters; they each have a strong personality to love or to hate. In all this is a good book.

Well-said, well-done

I received this ARC from the publisher Book Whisperer via Netgalley