Born Under Fire by RIna Z. Neiman [Book Review] : Nicole Pyles

I’m so excited about this latest book Born Under Fire by Rina Z. Neiman. Lately, I’ve slowly started getting into historical fiction. I think it’s a result of WOW! Women on Writing, because there have been so many amazing historical fiction books that I’ve been introduced to and a few others I’ve read and reviewed as well. So, as I broaden my reading horizons, I encourage you to open yours! Or, if you simply are in love with historical fiction this is a book for you.

Here’s a bit about the book:

Born
Under Fire is a historical novel that
tells the story of a girl coming of age and her drive to excel despite the
devastating effects of long-term war. Born in Jerusalem under British rule in
1928, Shula grows up in a world in turmoil as Hitler rises to power and nations
enter into war. Amid a landscape of ancient stone ruins next to modern Bauhaus
architecture, and desert scrub ending at newly verdant farmlands, Shula grows
into her independence as the State of Israel is born. Based on historical
documents and events, Born Under Fire is also about the
context surrounding the founding of the State of Israel, as well as the horrors
and dangers of growing up in a conflict zone. Shula battles grief and
depression due to the shattering events affecting her, her family, and the
entire world. Despite this struggle, her resilient spirit enables her to reach
great heights as a concert pianist.

What I Thought:

This was such a well-written book. I thought the author did an excellent job in placing me in the middle of this tumultuous time in history and I loved how she told the story from the viewpoint of someone growing up in this time period. I felt close to Shula and enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. The setting was also very vivid and you can tell the author definitely did her research. One really awesome thing sprinkled throughout the book were links to the actual songs that the book talks about! I thought that was so unique! It added so much to the book and was so perfect because of how close Shula was to her music.

I absolutely recommend this book!