Author: Mim Eichmann
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 355
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Chicago, IL – December 1923
Terrified, racing from an irate shopkeeper who has accused her of stealing, her comatose mother sprawled in a dark hallway, four-year-old Tayvie Jackson falls asleep while hiding in a car. Hours later, Tayvie, who understands almost no English, awakens many miles from a home she barely knew. Forced to live with deceitful relatives during the Depression in the Jim Crow south, Tayvie and her adopted mother later escape, hoping to build on young Tayvie’s fledgling career as a jazz singer.
In 1938, Tayvie innocently signs a six-month contract to appear at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Almost immediately, distorted allegations erupt surrounding her involvement with the historically devastating Kristallnacht, the propaganda broadcasts called Charlie and His Orchestra, and the elite Nazi playgrounds in Berlin and Paris, all of which force her into a demoralizing relationship with a strategic member of Hitler’s most despised inner clique, Dr. Joseph Goebbels.
An extraordinary coming-of-age journey of a talented, young, biracial jazz singer, who struggles to perfect her craft on two continents during the volatile 1930s & '40s despite appalling circumstances.
My Review: Tayvie’s Story is the sequel to Muskrat Ramble. Tayvie was adopted at the age of four. She went by the name of Helen Mason Campbell. Helen sings at the Moulin Rouge with a six-month contract hoping to advance her jazz career. Shortly before her contract is over, she is suspected of being involved in the murder of a Nazi officer. Her adopted mother is sent to a work camp, and Helen is forced to become a mistress to Dr. Goebbels.
I found Tayvie to be very interesting. She had a harsh childhood. However, she loves to sing and participated in a movie. Tayvie loves her mother. She tries to work for her mother’s freedom when she is captured and is forced to work at a work camp. Tayvie is also a survivor and is willing to do anything to survive. Therefore, I found her to be very strong, and I wanted to know her ending.
Overall, this book is about survival, racism, and war. Besides Tayvie, I found all of the characters to be very well-rounded. I thought that most of the novel had an excessive amount of exposition. It focused more on the historical details more than the plot. I also thought that the second half of the novel was very rushed. Therefore, I would have liked the second part of the novel to move at a slower pace. Nevertheless, I thought that Tayvie’s Story was meticulously researched. I also liked the settings in the book, especially Memphis and Berlin during the Second World War. Tayvie’s Story is an emotional novel about a woman struggling to survive during war-torn Europe. I recommend this book for fans of The Lisbon Affair, Goodnight from Paris, and The Mitford Affair!
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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