Galerie by Steven Greenberg

Galerie by Steven Greenberg

Publication Date: October 26, 2015

Evolved Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller/Literary

WINNER: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Fall 2015 -- Best Books in Fiction.

Every family has secrets, but some are far darker, reach deeper, and touch a rawer nerve than others.

For Vanesa Neuman, the past is a closed book. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, her childhood in the cramped intimacy of south Tel Aviv is shadowed by her parents’ unspoken wartime experiences. But when her father passes away, the closed book falls literally open. Vanesa decides to unravel the mystery of the diary she has received, and strange symbol in it, at all costs.

Set against the backdrop of the Jewish Museum of Prague during the Nazi occupation - Adolf Eichmann's "Museum of an Extinct Race" - Galerie is fast-paced historical fiction in the tradition of Tatiana De Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key. From Jerusalem’s Yad V’Shem Holocaust research center, to the backstreets of Prague, and into the former “paradise ghetto” of Theresienstadt – Vanesa’s journey of understanding will reveal a darker family past than she ever imagined and a secret kept alive for over half a century.

PERFECT FOR BOOK CLUBS: A book club guide is included at the end of the story.

My review

Three Stars

Copy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for an honest review

"Galerie" by Steven Greenberg was a very impactful book.  Often books about the Holocaust are very difficult to read because of the terrible atrocities committed.  When I liked about this book that Greenberg did, was that we learned about Vanesa Neuman's family with her.  I thought that this helped me develop a type of kinsmanship with her. Vanesa's family were Holocaust survivors but she does not learn this until she reads her father's diary. The book goes back and forth from present to the past.  I found it interesting that Vanessa had a PH in history and yet knew so little about her own families history. I also found it interesting that the story is narrated by her husband and its his voice we hear in this story describing what is happening. I really liked how the author pushed some limits. He brings up many thought probing questions... One was the relationship between Vanessa's father and uncle. Instead of an intense bond, they are reminders of the past they share and the hardships that they encountered.  A little off topic but their bond reminds me " Even Silence Has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle" by Ingrid Betancourt.  None of the people that went through this ordeal came out of it with a bond.  Another interesting aspect of this story is that the more Vanesa discovers the more her life is in danger.  Slowly the symbols that are present in her father's diary become a matter of survival.  Overall, this was an intriguing story.  The mixture of history and mystery kept me intrigued. The story moved from Wisconsin to Prague were very enlightening and helped shift the plot. Very intriguing. 

Praise

"...dark and gritty...the story and writing lift it up to the point of being nearly sublime. Buy this book and say goodbye to your family for the weekend, because you will not want to put it down once you get started." ~ Eric W. Swett

"Galerie is a gripping read, rich with intrigue from beginning to end. As much a thriller as a Holocaust novel..." ~ BookWormNZ

"Imagine Stephen King wrote Schindler's List...Galerie manages to break away from the accepted treatment of Europe's darkest hour and explore the horror from an unexpected point of view." ~ Nikki

"...uncomfortable in moments, but so provocative that it is impossible to put down." ~ Sydology

About the Author

Steven Greenberg is a professional writer, as well as a full-time cook, cleaner, chauffeur, and work-at-home Dad for three amazing young children, and the lucky husband of a loving and very supportive wife. Born in Texas and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Steven emigrated to Israel only months before the first Gulf War, following graduation from Indiana University in 1990. In 1996, he was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces, where he served for 12 years as a Reserves Combat Medic. Since 2002, Steven has worked as an independent marketing writer, copywriter and consultant.

You can find more information at Steven Greenberg's website. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 5
Review at Library Educated

Wednesday, April 6
Review & Giveaway at Man of la Book
Interview at Library Educated

Thursday, April 7
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court

Friday, April 8
Review & Giveaway at Singing Librarian Books

Monday, April 11
Guest Post & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Tuesday, April 12
Review at Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne

Wednesday, April 13
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, April 14
Review at Bookramblings
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, April 15
Review at Book Nerd