Karolina's Twins by Ronald H. Balson

I wanted to read this book because it was written by Ronald H. Balson and I loved Once We Were Brothers. What I didn't realize is that Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart are characters in this book too! It reads more like a series now, especially since Sophie (from Saving Sophie - RHB's other novel) is mentioned at the end of this book. I really like Catherine & Liam, so I am fine with that.

I really didn't like Arthur at all. I tried to put myself in his shoes, and believe that he only cared about the well-being of his mother, but it didn't really come across that way. He seemed like a jerk to me. Trying to get his polished and well-spoken mother - who certainly did not have any memory issues associated with old age - legally labeled as "mentally disabled". Honestly. And I detested his lawyer!

I hate secrets!! I want to know what the secret is asap - and then let the story unfold. Waiting until the very end to find out what Lena was hiding was painful. The conclusion was the only thing that makes sense though. There would be no other secret that would affect Arthur - so I didn't understand why Lena was holding back information - until I knew what the secret was. I DID cross my mind earlier in the story that Lena was the mother to the twins, but I moved on from that idea due to the way Lena told her story. I still want to know whose idea it was to throw the girls from the train. I guess is makes sense that it was Karolina, since she is the one who could not live with the decision afterward. Plus, as a mother, you would want to hang on to your children as long as possible, which Lena did with Rachel. It's complicated though because Catherine (or Liam? I can't remember now) said to switch the actions/events between Lena & Karolina. So who knows really.

This was actually the 5th book I have read about the Holocaust/wartime in 2018 - and it's only March 5! It's weird how certain subjects get lumped together without intent. And I still have one more to go (Marcel's Letters). Anyway, stories about Nazi Germany are incredibly disturbing. My mind has a difficult time accepting that people could treat each other that way - even though I know it is still going on today in other countries. Again, I read these books not because of the atrocities of Hitler and the Nazis, but because of the incredibly brave men and women (including Germans) that worked with the resistance, hid Jewish people, fed them, helped them escape - despite the risk to themselves and their own families. It's astounding. All of it.

Wendy's Rating: ****