Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I’ve always enjoyed historical drama novels, but for some reason the presence of this genre in my own book collection is scarce. Christina Shea‘s ‘Smuggled� has ignited my curiosity with books themed around World War II and the Holocaust, and I will definitely be reading more.

‘Smuggled� had me riveted from the very beginning. The author did a wonderful job instantly engaging the reader with a heart wrenching opening scene—the smuggling of five year old Eva Frakas into Romania. Now, living with her Aunt and Uncle Eva is forced to give up her Hungarian roots and given the name Anca Balaj.

Being too young to have experienced a World War, I was fascinated to read what the world was like during World War II. Today we take so much for granted it’s almost hard to imagine a time when bananas were considered an exotic fruit, bribery became its own currency, or a government could take your home out from under you. It was fascinating to read about the length humans will go to for their own survival and the survival of their loved ones. Shea did a great job bringing all these elements together to give the reader a complete account of what life was like during this time.

I also thoroughly enjoyed how ‘Smuggled� spanned over half a century. It was interesting to read and watch Anca’s character develop from her life’s experiences and see how those experiences influenced her adult decisions and ultimately her life’s path. She went from a feisty five year old, to a young woman wise beyond her years, with each page turn. The characters within ‘Smuggled� added and heightened the development of another, leaving the reader with a remarkable and thought provoking read, which I truly recommend to historical drama fans.