Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Poland 1941, Roza and her daughter Shira flee from their home in desperation. The Germans have raided it and taken Roza’s parents and shot her husband.
They hide in their neighbours barn loft, a cramped small space with no windows and only hay to lie on. Roza teaches Shira to keep silent so they won’t be discovered. What turns out to be a short stay of a couple of nights ends up being well over 100.
With the Germans needing to use the barn for storage, they have to escape and it is recommended that Shira is sent away somewhere safer. Roza has no idea where but agrees as she has no alternative. What ensues is an absolute fight for survival. With Shira left, Roza heads into the woods and fights to survive the coldest winters, the most extreme hunger and the ultimate loss of her family. Not to mention not knowing how to find her daughter again.

This book is absolutely heart wrenching but also so beautiful. The use of Roza and Shira’s passion for music is the root that entwines them together. Imagining their favourite songs is what keeps them going and ties in beautifully with the ending.

An absolute must read, I loved it. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This is the story of a mother and her young daughter who are forced to conceal their existence, or be erased from the world as easily as a pencilled note on a composer’s stave.

As the fearful tempo of their heartbeats match the unpredictable rhythm of life outside their flea-riddled sanctuary of straw, the song of an imaginary yellow bird accompanies the score to an expressive rendition of their very survival.

In contrast to enduring their arduous day-to-day existence, the pages show how some ties cannot be cut. Instead, the darkness that has fallen is replaced by a distinctive harmony that flows through the veins of what remains of one family, and reminds us that history must never be forgotten.

The strength and courage in the midst of atrocity will not fail to move you. Especially the exceptionally gifted little Shira and the subtle evolution of her constant feathered companion with its exquisite timing.

A moving novel that takes a slight new look into an well covered period of history. Moving and we’ll written the musical melody adds a new touch

A truly unforgettable novel of the bond between a mother and daughter, in an extremely harrowing period in history. A brilliant and touching addition to tales of wartime experience and the complexities of the choices people were forced to make. It will definitely prove to be an unforgettable read.

This takes (for me) a new angle of looking at a war that has been much written about.
Telling the story of a jewish mother and her daughter and how they survive together and apart when hiding from the Germans.
The long slow days of waiting silently in the farmers barn,being on the run,hiding who they were from those around them.
The musical prodigy storyline is what made it different,someone with that much music in them having to be truly silent.

Harrowing and heartbreaking, this story of a mother's love at the most difficult of times - and its aftermath - is one that will be very hard to forget.

The Yellow Bird Sings is a harrowing story of a Jewish mother and daughter and their struggle for survival during WWII in Poland. This book was at times very difficult to read but I found I couldn't put it down. This story will stay with me for a long time to come.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner is the story of a Jewish mother and daughter hiding from the Nazis during World War Two.
I found this story had to read in parts because of the content.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

*4.5 stars *

“A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.

-The Last Seance (from The Hound of Death and Other Stories, also Double Sin and Other Stories)”
― Agatha Christie, The Hound of Death

Poland 1941, and Roza and her 5 year old daughter Shira are hiding in a neighbour’s barn, and hoping beyond hope that they will remain safe, because as the only remaining Jews in the town, they know only too well what will happen to them if the Germans discover their whereabouts. Roza has already lost her husband and parents, all taken by the Nazis, and she will do anything to save Shira from that fate. Shira is a musical prodigy but she isn’t allowed to make a sound just in case anyone hears, and informs the Germans, so Roza makes up stories, one of which is about an imaginary yellow bird who sings whatever Shira composes in her head, and can make the sounds that Shira can only dream about.

Inspired by the true stories of hidden children during WW11, this is another of those books that leaves a silence in its wake long after you’ve turned the very last page. How do I write a review that honours the people for whom this scenario was a real and terrifying experience? I also ask myself, how can a novel that is so distressing, be so beautiful at the same time? I suppose it’s because in the midst of all the horror, the one thing that stands out is that the love for one’s child never dies, even in the darkest of times, that love remains solid, unchanging, because mankind at its most desperate, is often at its best. Heartbreaking but beautifully written, don’t miss this one!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I found this a really harrowing read to be honest and got quite upset in a lot of places.

How music helps a mother and daughter in their fight to survive during WWII

Poland, 1941. Jewish Roza and her six year old daughter, Shira, are the only survivors of a large, close-knit and very musical family. They are hiding in a barn from the Nazis. The farmer who owns the barn helps them, though at a price to Roza. They must stay silent, or they risk being exposed. Roza tells her daughter imaginative tales to pass the time. Shira makes up her own silent stories about a yellow bird, free to fly away. She also makes up violin music in her head, being already an excellent player. It is this that helps save her, in more ways than one. A moving story you won't want to put down.

First published on goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3058402722

4.5 PROFOUND AND HUMBLING ...

#NetGalley #TheYellowBirdSings #JenniferRosner #Picador

Aargh! Personal liberty and free will are so obvious in our lives, that this book makes you almost ashamed of it. Pointedly, it reminds you that even a commonplace activity like breaking into a song or having an extra helping was a privilege some people had to earn, thanks to dictators and misplaced ideologies.
Enter war-torn Poland of 1941. Roza, a Jewish mother has manged to escape her massacred village with her daughter Shira. They are hiding in a smelly barn, keeping still. They hush their growling stomachs, cramped muscles and ignore injuries and filth, while German soldiers march outside. The rest of Roza’s clan has met violent premature fates. The barn belongs to a family who were regular customers to her bakery in happier times. Although fearful, they keep her there, but there’s a price to pay. Help is never selfless, is it.

Meanwhile, life and war carry on outside.

Roza attempts to keep Shira quiet, distracting her with fantasy stories, letters, numbers, made up games and so on. But try as she may, she cannot ignore the fact that her five year old is a musical prodigy. Shira, in turn fails to understand why they must be hidden if they have committed no crime. Music escapes through her every pore and she can’t help it. Every little noise, crack or din can lead to their discovery and have devastating consequences. So, the mother conjures up a yellow bird to articulate her notes and fly around the enchanted gardens of her imagination. Shira trains in silence. The yellow bird is the closest thing Shira has to a playmate. They stay put in the barn for over a year, surviving raids, neighbors prying eyes, the biting Polish winters and diseases; at the mercy and later empathy of their protectors. Eventually, situations occur that force them to separate. Shira is sent off, and Roza has to test her fate in the jungles down south. Their detached tale takes a few unimaginable turns thereon.

The Yellow Bird is a story of love, loss and longing, narrated as a moving melody, silence permeating. The music in the language and the abject rawness of suppressed emotions is the testament to survival and the strength of love. Interestingly, the author is a mother to deaf daughters. It is poignant how her book is the exact opposite to her efforts as a parent.
***
What becomes of Shira’s musical talent? Do Germans discover them? Will the mother and daughter reunite? To get your answers, pick up the book when it releases on 2nd April, 2020!
NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Picador, I can’t thank you enough for this steal of a book. Uff, who knew there could be so much splendor in grief...

This is a beautifully written story. It is a really good debut novel. My heart broke for Roza and Shira. Their story is so sad. The love they had for each other and their strength shines out of every page.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The story of a Jewish mother and her daughter separated during WWII. A really will written story told from both perspectives. Really beautifully written well told story that's sad but so memorable and I'd highly recommend.

I’ve read a lot of WWII fiction, but this is the first from this perspective. I’ve mostly read about people’s experiences in Auschwitz and other camps. I enjoyed reading Shira and her mum’s story. It was very well written and I look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for the ARC.

War torn Poland in 1941. Roza and her daughter Shira are hiding from Germans soldiers in a barn. The rest of their family have been killed by the Germans. They hide in silence as they can here the footsteps of the soldiers nearby. They spend several months in the barn while there, Roza telling Shira magical stories and teaching her music passed down from generations of her family. Shira is a music prodigy. As the soldiers are getting closer and the rumours stir of the Jews that have been hiding dragged to be killed. Roza agrees to send Shira to a convent to be safe from the Nazi’s. Whilst there, they bleach her hair blond to disguise her. But the other children know what she is. When the nuns find out how gifted she is, they get a teacher to teach her to play a violin. She ends up playing concerts for the Nazi’s to stop them ram shacking the convent.
This is a beautifully written story of how a mother goes at all lengths to protect her child. It was a very emotional story which I loved especially Roza telling stories to Shira and the character of Shira. You can feel how innocent she was through the book. Although I loved this I thought the last quarter of the book was a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. 4 stars from me.

I was mesmerised by this beautiful book. Set in Poland during the Second World War, it follows the story of a mother and young child who are in hiding for their lives. #TheYellowBirdSings is absolutely perfect. The writing is exceptional, the characters are engaging, the plot is gripping, emotional and yet tender. I was so engaged that my plans for the day were put aside as I had to finish it.
I can’t recommend this exquisite book highly enough.
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read a book that I will be recommending to everyone and which will stay with me.

This is a beautiful read.

A warm and emotional story of the connection between mother and daughter. The characters are strong throughout the book and I really felt as thought I was on the journey with them. The struggle and pain of war comes across so well which feels so emotional all the way through the book.. Well worth the 5 stars.

A highly recommended book for all.

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NewGalley.

This was such an emotional and heart rendering read. I don't want to give the story away so I won't say too much of the plot, except that Rosner did a wonderful job crafting their stories that reflect real life peoples experiences during the Holocaust. I did find the first part of the book to be a little stilted, however the characters soon began to feel fully fleshed and three dimensional. I think the story attempted to move too fast for the amount of pages of the book. that being said, it was a real eye opener and I still connected with and empathised with the characters.

This is a beautifully written book.

In war torn Poland, Roza struggles to keep her daughter Shira safe. They rely on the kindness of strangers, but at what personal cost?

I do not wish to give away any of the plot so I won’t go into detail. But this book grabbed my heartstrings and pulled hard. As a passionate musician myself, I loved the descriptive passages and I cried real tears at the finish.

Read this book. You won’t regret it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.