The Lost Wife

The Lost Wife (Alyson Richman, 2011) 

How I stumbled upon it: Bargain section in McKay's bookstore in Nashville, TN.

What it's about: Lenka and Josef are in love in pre-war Prague before the war tears them apart--her to Terezin, a concentration camp, and him to the safety but terrifying reality of a new life alone in New York.  The story is told using flashbacks from the present time in which two old strangers recognize one another across the room.

What I thought: I won't lie, sometimes I am lured by the promise of a NYTimes Bestseller or a fancy hardcover on the front table of a bookstore.  This book was on the back shelf of a used bookstore in Nashville, but I was so caught up in the story that I read it straight through without stopping!  It is really well written and the story flows very quickly, with lots of suspense and rich culture.  It's well researched and speaks intelligently on the experience of people like Lenka during the Holocaust, while also weaving a love story between two people over decades and continents.

You can get it here.