mauibeachreads 's review for:

A Castle in Brooklyn: A Novel by Shirley Russak Wachtel

4.0

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This book, from the first few pages, drew me in and held me captive long after I finished. It's not perfectly written and has flaws, but the story and the trajectory of the lives of the characters were told in a way that felt so believable and likely relatable to so many other stories of immigrant families post-WWII through the present day. This is really a family saga. There is tragedy - multiple times over - but realistic tragedy that so many families have had to face in this world. I cried multiple times, but I couldn't put the book down. I would say that I loved the first 80% of the book. I was a bit annoyed with the introduction of new characters toward the end, but these characters' stories also helped tell the history of familial tragedy / trauma of American families in the later half of the 20th century. I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it to fans of 20th century historical fiction / post-WWII historical fiction, immigrant stories. There are a few trigger warnings to be aware of - Holocaust violence and atrocities, war and associated violence, loss of a child, Japanese internment in the US, animal cruelty. I did feel all of these issues were handled with appropriate sensitivity.