New Review! The Other Blue Sky by Shari J Ryan 5 Cranky Stars

The Other Blue Sky by Shari J. Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Cranky Stars


This is definitely a 5 Star book. The author states that it can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend that you read “The Last Word” to have a better understanding of these characters. In “The Last Word” we were introduced to Amelia and her two daughters, Annie and Clara. This is Annie’s story and what a story it is.


Ever since she was young, Annie has felt lost and out of place. She overhears her parents discussing the fact that they have no legal birth papers for her, but she is too young to understand the ramifications. She knows that she was born in Europe but doesn’t know the circumstances. If you have read “The Last Word”, you know her history.


On her 13th birthday, she is given a diary and she begins her quest for the truth. When she is 14, she discovers that the lack of a legal birth certificate is something she must hide. All her life she has had to hide the fact that she is Jewish but at 16, she finds out why. A former Nazi soldier comes to her school to speak about the Holocaust. For the first time, she finds out that not all the soldiers agreed with what they were forced to do. When she admits to him that she is indeed Jewish, her best friend walks away in disgust. This is when her true quest begins to find out the truth of her birth.


Of course, she imagines all the bad things that could have happened to her. She is sure she was kidnapped, and her real family is out there somewhere. All her life, her mother has refused to discuss the Holocaust, so she cannot openly asked questions. Through secrecy and several years of investigation, she finally discovers the truth. At the age of twenty, she finds the love of her life in Prague and the lies and deceit continue. It is not until her mother almost dies at the age of 94 that Annie finally gains the courage to force her mother into telling the truth.


Be sure to have a big box of tissues handy when you read this book. These characters could be your neighbors and best friends and your heart will ache for all they have gone through.



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