Another great addition to an already great series. I do like Roberta Kagan's books and writing and she continues to bring more books to my reading list that I just can't put down. A book of war, survival, family and courage this book really gets to the heart of what people went through in war. It is another wonderful read/book and I don't know how this author continues to give us books like this that we just can't stop reading.

Wonderful writing and characters and always great storylines that make you want to read more. Heartfelt at times sad but always leaves me wanting more, wanting the next book. Bring it on.

Thank you NetGalley and Book Whisperer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Faith and Determination

This book was filled with faith and determination by Pitor to find his son Jakup after he lost Mila. I cannot believe the danger he is in and what he has done to find his son. It was inspiring.

I enjoyed the interaction between Pitor and Steffi as well as that between Steffi and Emilia. I do hope that Pitor returns to Steffi.

I enjoyed the story and the characters and now I can’t wait for the next book to find out if Pitor finds his son.

I was given a free advance copy to read. The review and the words are my own.

War has stolen everything from Pitor Barr—his home, his family, and the woman who gave him hope. But before she dies, Mila makes him swear two things: that he’ll survive and that he’ll find their son. Pitor embarks on a dangerous journey deep into the heart of Nazi Germany. Taking on a Nazi uniform and a false he walks among his enemies, searching for a boy who may no longer remember him.

Searching for Jakup is a gripping novel of survival, sacrifice, and the quiet, defiant power of a father’s love in the face of unimaginable evil.

I read the first one in this series so was glad when the second one was offered. I have read 6 books by this author and love her characters, descriptions and how she blends them into real events. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering this book. I highly recommend both books in the series as well as her other books written almost exclusively about WWII.

I received this ARC by Roberta Kagan from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge fan of Roberta Kagan’s books. I was disappointed that this was not a stand alone book. It is #2 in the “A Million Miracles” series. The story is about Pitor Barr who escaped with his wife from the Warsaw Ghetto. Before she died, she made Pitor promise (1) that he will survive and (2) that he will find their kidnapped son . To find Jakup, Pitor must become the person he hates the most. This novel details the Lebensborn program that the Nazi’s started to breed “racially pure Aryan children. This is another well researched Holocaust story. I was disappointed that there was no conclusion and the reader must continue with the series to get to the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Book Whisperer for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I normally do not read Historical Fiction, but Roberta Kagan has written these so well that I love them. I usually read these in one day. I loved the storyline and thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

I love all of Roberta Kagans book and this one is no exception.
I look forward to reading the next one in this series.
Could not put this book down wanting all the time to find out what happens next.
Mila and Pitors son has been kidnapped by the Nazis, and Mila has been shot.
Pitor promises her on her death bed that he will get their son back and take him to,safety.
Mila dies and Pitor wants his son back.
The story then goes on in finding his way to find his son but how he is going to,do this is quite impossible to get to him.
Please send me the next one cannot wait.

Searching for Jakub, by Roberta Kagan, is the second in a series, but can easily be read on its own. It is the compelling story of a Jewish father searching for his stolen son in the midst of Nazi Germany's intensification of its plan to eradicate the Jewish population. In all of her books, Kagan meticulously sheds light on lesser known aspects of the WWII and their impact on individual lives. In this book, the emphasis is on the Nazi program of "racial purification." and its utter brutality. Unfortunately, her characters seem a bit wooden and unnatural. Many of the plot twists strike me as improbable. Finally, the cliffhangers at the end manipulate the reader towards the next entry in the series without offering any satisfaction of a conclusion. Kagan has the historical chops and writing ability to offer her readers more substance in a single volume. Yes, I was a bit disappointed .Three stars because this author is absolutely relentless in her efforts to insure that people do not forget the horrors of WWII. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and of course, Roberta Kagan, for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. I am grateful for every chance to remember.

Roberta Kagan has once again delivered an engrossing historical novel with Searching for Jakup, the second book in her latest series. As with her previous works, Kagan’s storytelling is immersive, drawing readers deep into a world marked by hardship, resilience, and the search for justice.
This book focuses heavily on character development, while major resolutions remain elusive, heightening the anticipation for the next book.
Though this novel can stand alone, reading the first book beforehand enriches the experience, providing context.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this book - and in some ways, I did - but unfortunately, not as much as I’d hoped.

I'm usually very drawn to novels set during the Second World War, and the premise here was certainly intriguing. The story follows a Jewish father, Pitor, who has just lost his wife during their attempted escape from the ghetto, and is now desperately searching for his son, who has been taken by the Nazis. Through this narrative, the novel also sheds light on the horrifying reality of the Lebensborn programme - the Nazi initiative to breed “racially pure” Aryan children.

The historical background is compelling, and the premise holds real potential, even if certain plot turns occasionally felt a bit too convenient. That said, what pulled me out of the story at times were the dialogues and inner thoughts of Pitor. They didn’t always ring true - something about the way his character was voiced felt off or slightly unnatural to me.

But what most disrupted my reading experience was the repeated mention of the protagonist’s circumcised penis. While I understand that, as the character himself claims, it plays a significant role in the plot, the frequency and emphasis felt excessive and distracting.

Overall, the story addresses an important and lesser-known aspect of the war, and I do appreciate that. But the execution didn’t quite work for me - though I’m sure others might connect with it more.

Pitor has begun a dangerous journey in hopes of finding his son Jakup who he believes has mistakenly been kidnapped by the Nazis. He is posing as a Nazi officer to gain access to one of the nurseries where the children are kept. At a party given by Hitler, he catches a glimpse of Jakup and is now working to have a chance to get him back. This would give him a sense of peace and fulfill his promise to his deceased wife, Mila. He has to things that are repugnant to him but cannot think of another way. I love how the author develops her characters and I learn more and more about WWII than I had known before. I can’t wait for the next book.

Searching for Jakup
By Roberta Kagan

This is yet another book about World War II, the second in the "A Million Miracles Series". This book begins with Pitor and Mila, two Polish Jews, who have escaped the Warsaw ghetto. Unfortunately, Mila has been shot during the escape and dies after extracting a promise from Pitor to find their son Jakup, who was stolen from the ghetto by a Nazi. The brief reference to what happened to Jakup would indicate that the reader would not find this to be a standalone novel.

This book is about Pitor's attempt to find his son and the obstacles he encounters along the way. The plot line here is entertaining, but some happenings which push along Pitor's agenda are too easy to be believable: Pitor's meeting with Konrad; his ability to assume Konrad's identity; his being promoted to Hitler's personal bodyguard. Other subplots such as his meeting with Steffi and how easily she allows him into her life – and then allows him to leave; and the plot line about Zita and Asher and Gustav leave unfinished business.

The most disappointing thing here for me was the stilted, unnatural dialogue and Pitor's thoughts about the situation. None of this seems the way people actually think and speak.

Finally the ending leaves no doubt that the reader must wait for another book to find some resolution.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This powerful and emotional story follows Pitor as he searches for his toddler son, Jakup who was kidnapped from the Warsaw Ghetto. Mila, his wife was Pitor's bashert (soulmate), and was shot as she was walking through the Ghetto. With Mila's dying breath, she begs Pitor to find Jakup and to find a woman to marry again.
As he escapes into the forest, he finds a group of partisans and works with them to foil Nazi plans. Eventually, he leaves the group and meets up with a SS officer who gives him the identity papers of a dead SS officer because he looks Aryan with blonde hair and blue eyes). To say more would spoil the story, but the author draws out the conflict within Pitor's mind as he poses as the high level SS officer at a Nazi party at the Eagle's Nest where Hitler accepts him as a bodyguard.
The story described in heartbreaking detail, the lengths that persons will go through for those we love. I felt the tension that Pitor felt as he went through Nazi HQ posing as the officer. There were some good stops along Pitor's journey with honest, German people who were helpful to Pitor.
The ending was a cliffhanger - Pitor is so close to finding Jakup. I can't wait until the third book in the series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving my opinions voluntarily.

A good follow on from Book 1. The pages are filled with love, loss and hardship. An easy read and shows the lengths a parent will go to for their children, facing many dangers, murder and deceit. A cliffhanger ending. Will Pitor and Jakup ever be re-united or will Pitor face more heartache and loss? Recommended.

Searching for Jakup by Robert Kagan is a Holocaust novel with a little different type of story line. Pitor has lost Mila on their escape from the Warsaw Ghetto and in a parting promise agreed he’d find their son, who had been taken by a Nazi soldier. At that point he had no idea how that would happen but he would not forget his promise. What happens next defies belief but he soldiers on, breaking down one door after another. Pretending to be a high-level Nazi officer is nye on to impossible but somehow he has managed so far. He has located Jakup, only to lose him again. But, he has a plan. Can it possibly work?

Kagan’s imagination knows no bounds although in a place as top heavy in high level personnel as Nazi Germany anything is possible. She imbues her characters with impossible strength so that even id the scenario is unlikely, we want to believes. Pitor is one such character: he is strong and creative, and determined. He meets every obstacle with memories of his family and it spurs him forward. It is a touching story which cannot possibly turn out well in the end, but the reader keeps going, hoping. As always, it is a good read.

I was invited to read Searching for Jakup by Book Whisperer. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #RobertaKagan #SearchingForJakup

This book picks up where the first ended...the continued journey of Pitor to find and rescue his son. This undying love of a father is what makes the series so endearing, but to be honest I felt that this would be closer to the conclusion of the story. Although I loved this continuation I think that the story is wearing thin for me.

"Searching for Jakup" is a powerful historical novel. It explores the depths of a father's love during one of the darkest periods in human history - World War II.
The story follows Pitor Bar, a father who has lost everything to war - his home, family, and beloved wife Mila. In her final moments, Mila makes Pitor promise to go on and find their son, Jakup. This promise becomes Pitor's mission, sending him on an incredibly dangerous mission into Nazi Germany.
This book really makes you look at the choices people face during extreme conflict. This book is perfect if you like historical fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy to preview. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Searching for Jakup is booked two in the series by Roberta Kagan. She again weaves a wonderful story. The first half of the book is a little repetitive, but this seems to be Ms. Kagan’s style, as she builds the story to a crescendo. The last half of the book has you on the edge of your seat. You can’t wait to see what is going to happen; it’s a real page turner. The characters are realistic and she makes you feel like you are there with them.

This story was "right up my alley" for many reasons. I'm drawn to historical fiction AND World War II novels. I also enjoy more than one "story" within a novel. I don't want to give anything away about this book other than that, although I'm assuming there will be another book, because there are unanswered questions at the end of this novel for sure!

This 2nd book in A Million Miracles by Roberta Kahan is a series although it is a book that can be read alone.
Pitor and Mila, his wife, are Polish Jews and have just escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto and she has been shot and died .
Their young son, Jakup, had been stolen from their home by a Nazi because he looked like an Aryan child. Mila’s final wish is that Pitor will find Jakup. There is many challenges and sacrifices but Pitor will do anything to find his son and I can't wait to read the 3rd book when it's released

I really enjoyed book 1 in this series, and I LOVED the second book!

The story picks up right where book 1 ended, and the way Piotr used his heartbreak to fuel himself to carry on and fight is inspirational. I found it really interesting to learn of the interactions between the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and their wives, and also to learn more of the lebensborn programme and how the “little brown women” were treated even though they were “pure” aryans.

I cannot wait to read book 3, this book left me wanting to know what happens next - if and how Piotr gets Jakup back, whether Horst will expose Piotr, and whether Steffi makes a reappearance in Piotr’s life.

5 stars out of 5 ⭐️