Publisher: Faber and Faber Ltd
Release date: 2 May 2024
Back cover blurb: ONE MAN. ONE CHOICE. TWO LIFETIMES. A house fire, Vienna, 1933: thirteen-year-old Max is orphaned, disfigured and adopted by an Aryan family who change his identity – and his prospects. A house fire, Vienna, 1933: thirteen-year-old Max saves his parents and escapes unharmed, to face life as a Jew in 1930s Austria. In one unforgettable night, Max Spiegelman’s life splits in two. As war looms and Nazism continues to rise, Max is forced into choices that place him and his alter ego on opposing sides of a divided world. Tethered by their dreams, the boys watch helplessly, haunted by visions of what could have been. But in each parallel universe, they share a magnetic bond with an enchanting, grey-eyed girl. The Two Loves of Sophie Strom is a profound story about how tragedy, choice and life-altering love shape our future.
Vienna 1933, and Max Spiegelman's life is about to change forever.
At just thirteen years old he saves himself and his parents from their burning building. It is no accident. The Spiegelman's music shop has been targeted because they are Jewish.
Vienna 1933, and Max Spiegelman's life is about to change forever.
At just thirteen years old he saves himself, but cannot save his parents from their burning building. It is no accident. The Spiegelman's music shop has been targeted because they are Jewish.
In a Sliding Doors type scenario, Max's life splits in two on the fateful night that his parent's shop is burnt to the ground.
In the life where his parents survive, he remains Max, but his life and his parents become more and more difficult as the Nazi regime tightens and they head towards War. The family is torn apart by pain and suffering, and Max is forced to flee to safety and hope its never discovered that he is a Jew.
In the life where he is orphaned, he becomes 'Hans', his recovery is slow, and he is adopted by a local family, who have lost a son. He gains a brother by this arrangement. The Hitler Youth member, Jew hating, bully, Karl.
Struggling to fit in, he allows himself to be led by Karl and his acquaintances into a world that Max would never have entertained. Eventually becoming an SS Officer.
Both Max dreams, and has visions of the other, and is haunted by what could have been.
Each of Max's lives is connected by one person, Sophie Strom. A beautiful girl who Max meets briefly the evening before the fire. He doesn't think he'll see her again. But each version of himself can't seem to escape Sophie, and she ultimately helps Max to become the best version of himself in all scenarios.
The Two Loves of Sophie Strom is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.
Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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