The Girl They Left Behind: A Novel

Roxanne Veletzos's debut novel is a tour de force. She has created a piece of historical fiction regarding a time and place which most people know little about - pre- and post- WWII Romania - and made it both relevant and gripping. Writing in an epic, sweeping style that expertly moves back and forth between an ensemble of complex and fully thought out characters, Veletzos has a writing style that is fluid, descriptive and thoroughly entertaining.The story of the protagonist, Natalia, is not limited to just simple character development, though. Rather, it weaves in historically accurate and fascinating details of wartime chaos, anti-semitism and a post-war world dominated by communism, fear and political power. The journey of this young girl is made all the more amazing when compared to the state-controlled might of this little-known Iron Curtain country that Veletzos so clearly understands.Mostly, though, this is simply a great story. Drama, suspense, tales of hidden and expressed love, and a truly satisfying ending make it a page-turning thriller. What makes it particularly appealing is that it is actually BELIEVABLE (probably because it is based on a true story). Whereas many of today's books and movies are made ridiculous by super human feats that could never happen in the real world, The Girl They Left Behind is a story that you believe - you want to believe! - because it affirms your faith in the human spirit and the power of love to prevail in a world where hatred often seems unbeatable.A brilliant story brilliantly told by an author who has made quite an auspicious debut in the literary world.

The first two Books carried a consistent pace I found appealing, suspenseful, and quite enjoyable - the final book was a SPRINT to the finish. Overall good read!

This was honestly the most beautifully written book I have read in my life! The book reads like a poem from start to finish and is so intensely emotional and at the same time cathartic and healing. I can see how writing this book helped the author to process her experiences living in Romania under the Communist regime, and the experiences of her parents and grandparents. I am so happy to have read this book as I really enjoy non fiction historical novels and although the story was not strictly non fictional it was largely based on the lives of the author’s mother and grandparents and of course the historical details are accurate (and eye opening). I lived for a long time in Greece and had no idea of the difficulties the Romanians went through under the Communist regime. There is a lot here to learn for all of us, and hopefully we will not allow history to repeat itself.

I've read so many war stories, but none about Romania...stories about Communism, but again, not about Romania. How quickly a regime change can destroy the fabric of life! The fight for freedom in Eastern Europe is still unfolding before our eyes in the newspapers. We Americans take a lot for granted. Our education does not cover the breadth it should, to fully understand what is at stake in these wars so far from our shores and how quickly evil (even here) can warp minds and alter futures.This book made me think (especially the Victor parts), weep, and rejoice.

As a Romanian myself, I was very eager to read this book. I was fascinated by the story that the author shared with the world. I believe in those books that teach us about the hardships that our ancestors had to go through. Those stories teach us to treasure what we have—simple but valuable things like freedom, food, clothes, and a roof over our heads. There are sacrifices in our lives that, when we take them, might not make sense to others, but down the road, we can shed light and explain why we did what we did. I believe in the value of family, but down the road of our lives, we must show gratitude to those who blended us into their family and treated us as their own family—a beautiful reading with a significant meaning.

Well written and I was not able to put it down. The authors true family history is moving and emotional. The truth always is and she was able to bring out every emotion from fear, anger, love, gratefulness, and forgiveness,

Initially, I felt that the author couldn’t write. The first paragraph had mixed tenses and I thought that the book wouldn’t be good. But how wrong I was. The characters came to life, and the joys of Pre-war Bucharest were amazing. And the contrast with life behind the Iron Curtain was eye-opening. The pathos of that life, then followed by a twist I didn’t see coming. Wonderful, imaginative, lovely story!

It took me four months to finish this book because I would read it, get bored, then pick it up again a few weeks later, get board again, then read it again. I read a lot, but this was very difficult to finish. The writing could have definitely been fleshed out. It’s a 400 page story that could have been written in 200 something pages. The writing involved a lot of natalia’s thoughts, but lacked a lot of character interactions for me to really be interested in natalia or the story overall.

Another excellent story.Based on a real life couple though fictionalized, I was engaged in this story from beginning to end, with no exceptions.Not only was Veletzos able to keep the reader's attention throughout every page, but her literary style made the entire journey such a pleasure. Rich in language, metaphor, and other figurative speech I could so easily picture every scene, every thought, every emotion.To top it all off, I'm seriously considering offering this novel up as my suggestion for next year's choice for my book club. There are several good points of conversation brought up in the story, and one in particular that is a choice some parents had to make in their time.Definitely a novel I recommend, whether for personal reading or as a book club selection.

The characters are so really it felt like I knew them. It’s horrific to see the way people were treated behind the Iron Curtain. Books like this remind us how lucky we are and hopefully inspire us to make changes and do what we can for others less fortunate.

Good story and well written

Really enjoyed the story, it is heartbreaking on two fronts a little girl loses her parents but a really lovely life with her adoptive parents. It is very touching and breaks your heart at times, would recommend it as a good read, It is well written.

Wonderful story, good historical information. Hard to put the book down !