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Book Summary and Reviews of The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

The Things We Cherished

A Novel

by Pam Jenoff

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Readers' Rating (23):
  • Published:
  • Jul 2011, 304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Set during the Holocaust and rich in historical detail, this suspenseful story of love and betrayal by the author of The Kommandant's Girl is a testament to true love under the worst of circumstances.

Spanning decades and continents, The Things We Cherished tells the story of Charlotte Gold and Jack Harrington, two fiercely independent attor­neys who find themselves slowly falling for one another while working to defend the brother of a Holocaust hero against allegations of World War II–era war crimes.

The defendant, wealthy financier Roger Dykmans, mysteri­ously refuses to help in his own defense, revealing only that proof of his innocence lies within an intricate timepiece last seen in Nazi Germany. As the narrative moves from Philadelphia to Germany, Poland, and Italy, we are given glimpses of the lives that the anniversary clock has touched over the past century, and learn about the love affair that turned a brother into a traitor.

Rich in historical detail, Jenoff's astonishing new work is a testament to true love under the worst of circumstances.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"A powerful novel rich in period detail, The Things We Cherished is a fascinating contemporary and historical drama, a unique glimpse into a disappearing world, and a reminder that past and present often come together in unexpected ways." - Booklist

"Unlike much romantic historical suspense, this is quiet and credible - even the surprise twists - further cementing Jenoff's reputation for adeptly using the harsh realities of WWII Europe as a context for a timeless love story." - Publishers Weekly

"...Jenoff pins her tale on a near impossibility. The author might know her European history, but she hasn't quite figured out how to tell a convincing tale." - Library Journal

"[A] skillfully rendered tale of undying love, unthinkable loss and the relentless grip of the past on the present." - Kirkus Reviews

"Pam Jenoff weaves an intriguing and intelligent story with a delicacy that is captivating. The triangular love stories are threaded together with skill and passion, while at the heart of the tale ticks the clock that holds the answers. Jenoff evokes in touching detail a significant point in twentieth-century history and makes it resonate for readers today." - Kate Furnivall, author of the national bestseller The Russian Concubine

This information about The Things We Cherished was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Pam Jenoff Author Biography

Photo: Dominic Episcopo

Pam Jenoff is the author of The Kommandant's Girl (a Quill Award finalist, a Book Sense pick, and a finalist for the ALA Sophie Brody Award), The Diplomat's Wife, Almost Home, and Hidden Things. She attended George Washington Univer­sity, Cambridge University in England, where she received a master's in history, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. A former Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and State Department Officer, she lives in Philadelphia where she works as an attorney.

Author Interview
Link to Pam Jenoff's Website

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