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-Synopsis-

Auschwitz, 1945. The gates are flung open. Prisoners flee for their lives. But as Celina stumbles toward safety, a man in a German uniform seizes her arm. She knows it’s impossible… but he looks just like her husband.

Celina has given up hope of ever leaving Auschwitz. Only memories of her beloved husband Noah keep her sane—her childhood sweetheart, her protector, once her entire world. If she allows herself to remember that he was killed, she knows she’ll be lost too…

Now, as the Soviets liberate the camp, Celina screams when a man in a German uniform grabs her. But the familiar green and gold sparkling in his eyes steals her breath. He looks exactly like Noah. But it can’t be him. Not here, not in this uniform…

As a Soviet officer hauls him away, Celina can’t let him go without making absolutely sure. Did her husband somehow survive the war, disguised as a German soldier?

To find the truth, she must follow as the Germans—now prisoners themselves—are marched away through the snowy forests of Poland. Staying hidden, and staying alive, will prove almost impossible.

But if it’s really Noah—and he’s still the good man Celina fell in love with—can she find a way to rescue him before she loses him all over again?

-Review-

*Trigger Warnings – mentions of previous rape (quick mention), murder, and abuse, on-page murder and sight of dead bodies, high tension, starvation, torture, sickness, blood and vomit, miscarriage, antisemitism, mild language, intense fear and characteristics of PTSD.*

I would like to thank Bookouture and Shari Ryan for allowing reviewers access to this ARC copy of The Lost Husband in exchange for our honest opinions. Thank you!

As my third WWII historical fiction I have recently read and reviewed, The Lost Husband was the most intense of the three I would say. The overwhelming feelings of dread and trauma felt so much more overwhelming, mainly because this book takes place, in part, within the walls of one of the most infamous death camps of the Holocaust. That being said, Shari did not use an over abundance of detail, leaving the more gruesome scenes up to the imagination. I appreciated this since there are already so many harrowing personal stories out there from survivors of the Holocaust, that gives the full picture of depravity if you wish to go down that rabbit hole.

This book is written through Celina’s perspective, of whom gets caught up in WWII while living as a Jew in Amsterdam with her husband Noah. The story is written in both the present day (after the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz), and the past, chronicling the events that brought Celina to the camp in the first place.

I enjoyed this back and forth between time because you know what ultimately ends up happening to Celina so it felt like living in a parallel world for the majority of the book. It truly felt as though her life ended after a certain point and did not continue until the story reached another crescendo. Very good writing and set up from Shari for sure.

One aspect of this book that was one of the most realistic and yet heartbreaking facts of the war, was how untrusting the Jewish prisoners were to other Jews. When you have shared such immense trauma, you find it difficult to trust your own people. No face looks friendly anymore since anyone could have their own hidden agenda. This is apparent once the prisoners are in the unfortunate circumstance of being stuck within the wilderness in Winter. Sure they were no longer trapped within the death camp, but now they have to battle continued starvation along with the elements, with no idea where the nearest shelter is.

All while the Soviets are advancing on the Germans with no idea where the lines are. It constantly feels as though the characters are in a massive cat and mouse chase through an unknown land, not knowing who they should trust.

The tension and fear of the Jewish characters is intense and ever-present.

When it came to the other characters Celina sticks with, I found some issues with how they were interacting with each other. Avi and Elias are two other ex prisoners that escape after the Soviets take over. Right off the bat, Avi is grabbing Celina on multiple occasions, pulling her around and simply being very rough with her at times. While I can understand some situations in which Celina was about to give their position up to the soldiers, I felt like this was happening too often.

I do not know if people who had collectively been through regular physical abuse and man handling by the Nazis, would be so regularly doing that to a fellow Jew. Maybe that was just me though?

Also the fact Celina was purposefully putting the whole group at risk during the moments in which she was trying to get a closer look at the German prisoner who looked like Noah…It became a bit exasperating especially with Avi’s complete fear of the Soviets. While I can understand the desperation Celina had, it was a bit selfish to put everyone at risk due to a fleeting glance she had.

Besides that, I thought Avi and Elias were great side characters. Avi is a particularly headstrong individual who has an intense personality. You can tell her past trauma has caused her to put a shell over herself. Elias is a more levelheaded one of the group. He attempts to keep things in control and pretty quickly draws closer to Avi.

Christoph is yet another side character who ended up being a good friend to Noah and Celina before the war. He makes an appearance pre-liberation and plays a crucial role in the main plot of Celina trying to reunite with Noah. Christoph was my favorite character in this story, as he was not a Jew but he refused to turn his Jewish friends into the Germans and even stuck his own neck out for Celina on multiple occasions.

The relationship between Celina and Noah was very sweet at the beginning as they have been friends since childhood. You experience bits and pieces of their pre-war relationship that leads up to marriage and them settling down in Amsterdam. As the war outside heats up, Noah remains ever vigilant, keeping Celina and himself as safe and hidden as possible. Unfortunately his diligence would not be enough, as Celina assumes she saw him get shot by the Nazis.

Throughout the story, those few glimpses Celina has of a man that eerily looks exactly like her deceased Noah, pushes her forward. There were many moments in which she could have given up all hope but as it turns out, love is a strong motivator that can carry us through anything.

All in all, The Lost Husband is a great historical fiction to give a shot if you enjoy World War II emotional stories. There were several scenes that brought tears to my eyes so maybe prepare for that with some tissues.

Seeing how Shari’s written works consists of other WWII fiction, I am full heartedly looking forward to reading more from her.

Once again, I would like to thank Bookouture and Shari J. Ryan for allowing me access to this ARC of The Lost Husband for my honest review. Thank yall!

-About the Author-

Shari J. Ryan is an award winning USA Today and International Bestselling Author of over 40 novels, with more than 700,000 copies sold and translations in 13 languages. She writes emotionally evocative WWII fiction inspired by true stories that have resonated with readers around the globe. Her work has earned Top 100, Top 10, and #1 chart rankings, as well as two Rone Awards.

As the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Shari brings a deeply personal connection to her work. Her stories are rooted in truth and remembrance, written to ensure history is never forgotten.

For Shari, writing is more than a passion; it’s a way of expressing herself and connecting with others. She strives to share the emotions she experiences with every reader who picks up one of her books.

Shari holds a bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University and began her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer until 2012, when she discovered her true calling in writing novels.

Some of Shari’s bestselling books include The Nurse Behind the Gates, The Stolen Twins, The Bookseller of Dachau, The Doctor’s Daughter, and The Last Words Series—gripping stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

A lifelong Boston girl, Shari now lives in a small town in the suburbs with her adored husband and two incredible sons, who make her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.