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Eli's Promise: A Novel

par Richard H. Balson

Membres	Critiques	Popularité	Évaluation moyenne	Discussions
99	10	274,072	(4.03)	Aucun
"A "fixer" in a Polish town during World War II, his betrayal of a Jewish family, and a search for justice 25 years later-by the winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Eli's Promise is a masterful work of historical fiction spanning three eras-Nazi-occupied Poland, the American Zone of post-war Germany, and Chicago at the height of the Vietnam War. Award-winning author Ronald H. Balson explores the human cost of war, the mixed blessings of survival, and the enduring strength of family bonds. 1939: Eli Rosen lives with his wife Esther and their young son in the Polish town of Lublin, where his family owns a construction company. As a consequence of the Nazi occupation, Eli's company is Aryanized, appropriated and transferred to Maximilian Poleski-an unprincipled profiteer who peddles favors to Lublin's subjugated residents. An uneasy alliance is formed; Poleski will keep the Rosen family safe if Eli will manage the business. Will Poleski honor his promise or will their relationship end in betrayal and tragedy? 1946: Eli resides with his son in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany hoping for a visa to America. His wife has been missing since the war. One man is sneaking around the camps selling illegal visas; might he know what has happened to her? 1965: Eli rents a room in Albany Park, Chicago. He is on a mission. With patience, cunning, and relentless focus, he navigates unfamiliar streets and dangerous political backrooms, searching for the truth. Powerful and emotional, Ronald H. Balson's Eli's Promise is a rich, rewarding novel of World War II and a husband's quest for justice"--… (plus d'informations)

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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a WWII fan fiction with a great storyline. This story begins just as Hitler is starting his reign of terror. The difference in this story is that the timeline goes from before the war, through the war, and after as certain criminals are being sought.

The story of Eli, Esther, and their son Izaak is one I had not read before and that was the way the concentration camps are mentioned in passing as survivors recount their stories will in the displaced persons camps set up by the United States. The story then does into the 1960s when Eli is helping the government look for a con man, who was a Nazi collaborator, he knew from the days of the war who betrayed him in the worst way possible.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and believe anyone with an interest in historical fiction would enjoy taking the journey of the Rosen's life to see how it all turns out. (

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Micareads | Jun 21, 2022 |

This book follows three different timelines, all focusing on Eli and his family. In 1939, Eli and his family are struggling with the restrictions on Jews. Forced to sign his company away to Max, Eli demands that Max keep his family safe. In the post-war period, Eli lives with his son in a displaced persons camp. When he hears word that a man named Max is selling immigration documents to the U.S., Eli is determined to find him and seek revenge. In the mid 1960's, the pov changes to Mimi, a young girl who is connected to Chicago politicians via her best friend. Here, Eli is investigating corruption with the U.S. government.

I had trouble with this book. I did not find Eli to be a very likeable character. He seemed unreasonable and hot tempered throughout the pre and post wartime scenes. The third timeline did not work at all. Switching pov halfway through the book was pretty jolting. Overall, this is not a book I would reread or recommend. (

)

JanaRose1 | Jan 22, 2021 |

This novel covers the life of Eli Rosen in three parts, beginning in 1939 when he lives with his wife, Esther, and their son, Issak, in Poland. With the Nazi invasion of their small village, Eli is forced to rely on the dubious support of Maximillian, a Nazi sympathizer and sycophant. Maximilian immediately takes over Eli's family business with promises to get his family to safety while lining his own pockets. Eli, near death, is eventually rescued from Buchenwald during the liberation and reunited with Issak with no idea what happened to Esther. The next part takes place in a displacement camp, where his previous nemesis, Maximilian, has resurfaced once again engaged in self-promoting, nefarious schemes. Somehow, Maximilian, once again slips through the nets of law enforcement. The final section takes place in Chicago where Eli is once again in pursuit of Maximilian and the promises he made to bring him to justice. (

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pdebolt | Nov 24, 2020 |

3.5 stars
A story that takes place in 3 separate points of time, where one man takes on the responsibility of nabbing the man who destroyed his family. WW2 and Eli has come to trust and rely on Nazi middleman, Max, a fellow Jew who is full of false promises and lies. The search for him goes from Poland to Germany and ultimately to the U.S where Eli and his son come to live....
ELI'S PROMISE is a good read with an interesting storyline. (

)

linda.marsheells | Nov 7, 2020 |

There is a certain element of this book that was very reminiscent of The Girl From Berlin. Both share transitions between different eras and both deal with WW11 and Jewish injustices. That is where the similarities end. This story follows the story of Eli Rosen, a family man with an esteemed business supplying construction materials and services in the small Polish town of Łódź. As the German threat creeps across Europe, Eli Rosen and his little family are slowly swept into the fray. With few options, Eli puts his trust into a shady figure who has allayed himself with the Nazi’s, while simultaneously promising to protect Eli and his family. As the war drags on the family is fractured apart, and by the time the Allies liberate the camps, Eli is left with little other than his young son. Thinking that the man who betrayed his trust is dead, Eli tried to move on. When the camp of liberated Jews where Eli now lives finds evidence of a black market visa dealer in their midst, Eli suspects his old foe may have returned from the dead. He spends the next 2 decades hunting the man that continuously lied to him and put his family in jeopardy. There is a certain bittersweet quality to this story. The characters lose so much, and while they move on and rebuild their lives, they can’t ever get everything they lost back. Ronald Balson is always a master of blending real characters, times and events with fictional characters that feel real. For fans of the genre or the author this should fit right in as a must read to your library. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. (

)

hana321 | Nov 1, 2020 |

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"A "fixer" in a Polish town during World War II, his betrayal of a Jewish family, and a search for justice 25 years later-by the winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Eli's Promise is a masterful work of historical fiction spanning three eras-Nazi-occupied Poland, the American Zone of post-war Germany, and Chicago at the height of the Vietnam War. Award-winning author Ronald H. Balson explores the human cost of war, the mixed blessings of survival, and the enduring strength of family bonds. 1939: Eli Rosen lives with his wife Esther and their young son in the Polish town of Lublin, where his family owns a construction company. As a consequence of the Nazi occupation, Eli's company is Aryanized, appropriated and transferred to Maximilian Poleski-an unprincipled profiteer who peddles favors to Lublin's subjugated residents. An uneasy alliance is formed; Poleski will keep the Rosen family safe if Eli will manage the business. Will Poleski honor his promise or will their relationship end in betrayal and tragedy? 1946: Eli resides with his son in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany hoping for a visa to America. His wife has been missing since the war. One man is sneaking around the camps selling illegal visas; might he know what has happened to her? 1965: Eli rents a room in Albany Park, Chicago. He is on a mission. With patience, cunning, and relentless focus, he navigates unfamiliar streets and dangerous political backrooms, searching for the truth. Powerful and emotional, Ronald H. Balson's Eli's Promise is a rich, rewarding novel of World War II and a husband's quest for justice"--

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