Review of The Red Toque Love and Loss in the Time of Tito

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Kelsey Roy
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Review of The Red Toque Love and Loss in the Time of Tito

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Red Toque Love and Loss in the Time of Tito" by Cynthia Herbert-Bruschi Adams.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Red Toque Love and Loss in the Time of Tito by Cynthia Herbert-Bruschi Adams is a historical fiction novel set in Eastern Europe during WWII. The story follows the Lovrenc family as they grow up on the banks of Lake Bled in Slovenia and through WWII as they fight to survive by whatever means possible. The chapters alternately follow each member as they grow up, find love, and deal with the impending doom of the war.

My favorite part of this book is the shifting POV between family members. Every person in this family suffered unimaginable hardship. The plot provides a unique look into how war and suffering can reach their strangulating grasp over every corner of the world. The author showed us the horrific truth of the Nazi POW camps as Andrej was imprisoned and fought to survive. She showed Julijana's crippling guilt of befriending Nazis and turning a blind eye to known atrocities to save her son. She showed Rositha's and Vilma's struggle to survive the blitz in London after they fled Slovenia for what they believed was a safer area. These two sisters knew no one and faced discrimination for their Germanic accent.

There was nothing to dislike about this novel. The author gave readers a clear picture of all aspects of surviving WWII in Eastern Europe. Part of the family fled, part of the family joined the resistance, part of the family stayed to themselves on the farm, and some even befriended the Nazis to remain alive. Survival can lead people in many directions, and none is less painful than another option.

The author brilliantly brought these characters to life. Their painful existence pulled on my heart. WWII was long ago, but the pain and suffering it caused were so immense and unimaginable that we can never forget. Authors like Cynthia Herbert-Bruschi Adams bring these memories to life for readers fortunate enough to have never experienced these hardships.

I rate this historical fiction novel 5 out of 5 stars. This book appears professionally edited, as I found only a few minor errors throughout the chapters. As a lover of historical fiction, I appreciated the author's adherence to facts and timelines. The author highlights their immense effort in researching through the map, forward, appendix, and reference to the actual family this book's characters encapsulate.

I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly in Eastern Europe during the 1930s and 40s. This novel outlines complex human emotions of love and loss, so readers interested in interpersonal relationships will enjoy this narrative. While reading this book, I learned about Slovenian traditions and history, so readers interested in this culture will find much to appreciate. I caution young readers against reading this book, as there is violence and reference to sexual assault. However, young people must learn about the horrific events of WWII to never see it repeated.

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The Red Toque Love and Loss in the Time of Tito
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Ivana_5
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Post by Ivana_5 »

This is a history story why say us that never happened today. WWII is a terrible times of dark. This is emotional novels about survive a prisoner and strong love to give a reason to leave. Family relationship is very strong and important in bead times WWII. Young people must read a book because they learned how helpp together and how run of WWII.
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Post by Obc Contentor »

What I do like about historical books the features World War is the emotion I get from them as well as the action that characterized them. The book will also serve as history education for our generation.
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