Based on a real life story of the author’s mother, Natalia is left behind during the Romanian progrom. She us adopted and fiercely loved during the war years when Romss as Mia is a Nazi ally and then taken over by the Soviets.
An interesting read of a time in WWII I have not read about ( )

Just when I thought I’d never read another WWII novel, this one comes along and steals my heart. A story inspired by true events in the author’s family history, this one will draw you in and won’t let go until you turn that final page in the wee hours of the morning. And even then, it keeps a firm hold on your senses.

Meet Anton and Despina, desperate for a family of their own, who can’t believe their luck when they have an opportunity to adopt an abandoned four-year-old girl, who was found on the steps of a nearby apartment building. Although disturbed at first, Natalia soon settles into a very happy life with her new parents, going to school, learning to play the piano. Natalia’s father Anton is charming and charismatic, and mother Despina is a beautiful and lively jewel, and they dote on Natalia, seeing to her every need.

However, darkness lurks on multiple fronts. The political climate is dangerous at best, as Poland supports first Germany and then switches its allegiances to the Soviet Union. As Anton has built up a successful chain of stores, the family finds their circumstances slowly but drastically changing, since the social winds are now blowing firmly against those seen as wealthy. In addition, Natalia’s birth parents are still looking for her, which leaves Anton and Despina, and eventually Natalia, with a weighty decision to deal with.

Unlike many stories of this era, this one is set in the Paris of the East, the beautiful city of Bucharest, in the Eastern Bloc country of Romania. While many of us Cold War babies are familiar with the mid-Century hardships of the Balkans, it seems in more recent years these have been largely overshadowed by tales of Germany and western Europe; it is heartening to see an author shedding light on this part of history again.

Grab a box of tissues, gird your heart, and after consuming all 340 pages, take a few minutes to delight in the photos of the real Anton and Despina in the novel’s notes.

Thank you, Ms. Veletzos, for a sweeping, engaging, and heart-warming story.

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Loved this book and the characters. I've read many WWII books and this one will stay with me for a long time. I could not put it down. It is beautifully written and I love that the book is inspired by the author's family history during WWII. The author paints such a vivid picture of each character and scene that you can't help to get drawn in and travel back in time and space. ( )

n mid-1940, Romania decided to ally itself with Nazi Germany. Shortly thereafter, the Romanian Iron Guard began a pogram rounding up Jewish citizens targeting them and their businesses with violence. The novel's protagonist and narrator, Natalia Goza as a young girl is abandoned by her parents with a note attached to her pocket for someone to take care of her. Her parents believing that if all stayed together, all would die, believed that the child would be the one most likely to survive. She is taken to an orphanage but quickly adopted by a childless couple seeking a child. The remainder of the novel is primarily about the Natalia and her adoptive family as WWII Romania gives way to a Communistic Romania behind the Iron Curtain.

Although the novel is fictional, it is based upon the experiences of the author's mother who also found herself abandoned as a child. As her mother became a young adult, she was able to emigrate through the Iron Curtain to the United States. If anyone is interested in reading about life under Nazi Germany influence or under socialistic control by Russia, I would recommend this book. ( )

An emotionally charged story of sacrifice and selflessness that had me gripped from beginning to the end. It’s also the story of tyranny which doesn’t change, only the name of the ideology inflicted.

The Girl They Left Behind is no polemic. The novel, set in Romania during World War II and aftermath, is really about the power of love. Abandoning a child seems an unconscionable thing to do but it gave Natalia’s parents and Natalia a chance to survive. Loving and a wealthy childless couple, Despina and Anton adopt Natalia. Anton owns a chain of stores and the family enjoys all the luxuries and lifestyle that wealth brings.

They are generous people so when penniless Victor comes into their lives, Anton becomes his mentor and friend. He moves in to accommodation above one of Anton’s stores and Anton ensures he has a much better start in life than he would have.

But as the war grinds on and Romania changes sides from nazi to communist, privations and fear become more prevalent. When Despina does the unthinkable, the family pays a high price. Victor comes to the rescue but life is never the same for them. The communist government forces them from their home and they move into a small apartment with strangers.

I enjoyed this story that will sadden, enlighten and move; a story of hope and the awe-inspiring strength of the human spirit. The Romania’s World War II plight gets deserved attention. France and Germany were central to that horrific conflict but many European countries, including Romania, had nazi horror imposed on them.
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