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Counting Lost Stars
New York Times bestselling author of Orphan #8, Kim van Alkemade returns with a gripping and poignant historical saga in which an unmarried college student who's given up her baby for adoption helps a Dutch Holocaust survivor search for his lost mother.
1960, New York City: College student Rita Klein is a pioneering woman in the new field of computer programming--until she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. At the Hudson Home for Unwed Mothers, social workers pressure her into surrendering her baby for adoption. Rita is struggling to get on with her life when she meets Jacob Nassy, a charming yet troubled man from the Netherlands who is traumatized by his childhood experience of being separated from his mother during the Holocaust. When Rita learns that Hitler's Final Solution was organized using Hollerith punch-card computers, she sets out to find the answers that will help Jacob heal.
1941, The Hague: Cornelia Vogel is working as a punch-card operator at the Ministry of Information when a census of Holland's population is ordered by the Germans. After the Ministry acquires a Hollerith computer made in America, Cornelia is tasked with translating its instructions from English into Dutch. She seeks help from her fascinating Jewish neighbor, Leah Blom, an unconventional young woman whose mother was born in New York. When Cornelia learns the census is being used to persecute Holland's Jews, she risks everything to help Leah escape.
After Rita uncovers a connection between Cornelia Vogel and Jacob's mother, long-buried secrets come to light. Will shocking revelations tear them apart, or will learning the truth about the past enable Rita and Jacob to face the future together?
1960, New York City: College student Rita Klein is a pioneering woman in the new field of computer programming--until she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. At the Hudson Home for Unwed Mothers, social workers pressure her into surrendering her baby for adoption. Rita is struggling to get on with her life when she meets Jacob Nassy, a charming yet troubled man from the Netherlands who is traumatized by his childhood experience of being separated from his mother during the Holocaust. When Rita learns that Hitler's Final Solution was organized using Hollerith punch-card computers, she sets out to find the answers that will help Jacob heal.
1941, The Hague: Cornelia Vogel is working as a punch-card operator at the Ministry of Information when a census of Holland's population is ordered by the Germans. After the Ministry acquires a Hollerith computer made in America, Cornelia is tasked with translating its instructions from English into Dutch. She seeks help from her fascinating Jewish neighbor, Leah Blom, an unconventional young woman whose mother was born in New York. When Cornelia learns the census is being used to persecute Holland's Jews, she risks everything to help Leah escape.
After Rita uncovers a connection between Cornelia Vogel and Jacob's mother, long-buried secrets come to light. Will shocking revelations tear them apart, or will learning the truth about the past enable Rita and Jacob to face the future together?
432 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2023
About the author
Kim van Alkemade
3 books434 followersNYTimes bestselling author Kim van Alkemade was born in New York City and spent her childhood in suburban New Jersey. Her late father, an immigrant from the Netherlands, met her mother, a descendant of Eastern European Jewish immigrants, in the Empire State Building. She attended college in Wisconsin, earning a doctorate in English from UW-Milwaukee. For many years, she was an English professor at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. Now a full-time writer, she lives in Saratoga Springs, NY, with her partner, their two rescue dogs, and three feisty backyard chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
August 5, 2023
I can’t remember the last time I struggled so much to ‘get into’ a book. My house is clean. My laundry is done. My freezer is organized. The carpet on my deck has been vacuumed. I kid you not. I found every excuse.
While this brought the realities of the Holocaust tumbling to the forefront, I couldn’t get my mind off the implausibility of HOW a character found themselves behind the barbed wire compound.
Holy Guacamole - I didn’t care for the romance direction the author took in this one and felt it was worthy of putting a content warning on the back…not for WHO but WHAT was going on. Way too steamy for this reluctant romance reader. Graphic.
I was intrigued with the parallels to artificial intelligence and learned about Hollerith cards. This drove me to Google - something I love to do as I read.
I’ll be honest, I skipped CHUNKS in this one. I cannot recommend it.
Not every hyped book lives up to expectations. And that’s ok. Glad it's a library book and can be returned!
While this brought the realities of the Holocaust tumbling to the forefront, I couldn’t get my mind off the implausibility of HOW a character found themselves behind the barbed wire compound.
Holy Guacamole - I didn’t care for the romance direction the author took in this one and felt it was worthy of putting a content warning on the back…not for WHO but WHAT was going on. Way too steamy for this reluctant romance reader. Graphic.
I was intrigued with the parallels to artificial intelligence and learned about Hollerith cards. This drove me to Google - something I love to do as I read.
I’ll be honest, I skipped CHUNKS in this one. I cannot recommend it.
Not every hyped book lives up to expectations. And that’s ok. Glad it's a library book and can be returned!
October 31, 2022
Congratulations!
I recently read a novel by Benjamin Labatut, When We Cease to Understand the World, about the advances in science, mainly mathematics and physics, and how those advances are what in turn are destroying humanity.
In Counting Lost Stars we see once again how the civilized world helped Hitler, consciously or unconsciously (more like consciously).
This novel, about intelligent, strong, determined women, has to overcome an era that was not up to them.
As a father, too, I identified very much with the story.
I recently read a novel by Benjamin Labatut, When We Cease to Understand the World, about the advances in science, mainly mathematics and physics, and how those advances are what in turn are destroying humanity.
In Counting Lost Stars we see once again how the civilized world helped Hitler, consciously or unconsciously (more like consciously).
This novel, about intelligent, strong, determined women, has to overcome an era that was not up to them.
As a father, too, I identified very much with the story.
January 30, 2023
For me, the best historical fiction does three things: 1) takes the reader into another era
through carefully constructed details 2) introduces complex and nuanced
characters who help us understand the realities of their world and 3) helps us
understand how the events of the past impact on our current world. This novel
scores on all counts. We are introduced to, not one, but two historical eras in alternating chapters.
Little known events in the war-torn world of 1940s Europe and their impact on
the world of 1960s NYC are brought to life by a cast of well-drawn and compelling
characters. This is also a cautionary tale of the dangers of data collection in the
hands of a despotic government that thrives on hate and divisiveness. As we
charge headlong in celebration of every 21st century technical advance, this
narrative subtly reminds us of the possible repercussions of these new
capabilities. This novel captured my attention, becoming a page turner as I was pulled into the
lives of these characters. It is a story about secrets; personal, political, and
institutional secrets. Pull up a chair, let the story take you away and then bring
you back to consider the world of today.
Ms. Van Alkemade is a masterful storyteller in the best sense of the word. Well
done.
through carefully constructed details 2) introduces complex and nuanced
characters who help us understand the realities of their world and 3) helps us
understand how the events of the past impact on our current world. This novel
scores on all counts. We are introduced to, not one, but two historical eras in alternating chapters.
Little known events in the war-torn world of 1940s Europe and their impact on
the world of 1960s NYC are brought to life by a cast of well-drawn and compelling
characters. This is also a cautionary tale of the dangers of data collection in the
hands of a despotic government that thrives on hate and divisiveness. As we
charge headlong in celebration of every 21st century technical advance, this
narrative subtly reminds us of the possible repercussions of these new
capabilities. This novel captured my attention, becoming a page turner as I was pulled into the
lives of these characters. It is a story about secrets; personal, political, and
institutional secrets. Pull up a chair, let the story take you away and then bring
you back to consider the world of today.
Ms. Van Alkemade is a masterful storyteller in the best sense of the word. Well
done.
July 16, 2023
A difficult book to read, due to the subject matter, but very intriguing.
It always amazes me to read about the remarkable efficiency of the Nazis in WW2, and how they used their methods to wipe out millions of people. Fortunately, there were some brave souls who managed, in small but important ways, to do their part in fighting against evil. Even if it was only the act of messing with an IBM card that could have sent someone to their death in a concentration camp, but instead gave a doomed soul their freedom…
Great reading for history buffs.
It always amazes me to read about the remarkable efficiency of the Nazis in WW2, and how they used their methods to wipe out millions of people. Fortunately, there were some brave souls who managed, in small but important ways, to do their part in fighting against evil. Even if it was only the act of messing with an IBM card that could have sent someone to their death in a concentration camp, but instead gave a doomed soul their freedom…
Great reading for history buffs.
August 3, 2023
Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the review copy of Counting Lost Stars by Kim Van Alkemade.
What job in the past would you like to learn more about? I enjoyed learning about punch card operators in Counting Lost Stars. I didn’t realize that punch cards were used in WWII to categorize people. It was an unfortunate use of a new technology.
Rita Klein is a college student going into her senior year at Barnard in 1960. She has just taken a summer class on computer programming that has gotten her excited about her future. After she becomes pregnant, her parents send her to a Home for Unwed Mothers where she is forced to give away her baby. Afterwards, she is unable to return to Barnard and takes a job with her programming skills at a firm located in the Empire State Building. There she meets a tour guide named Jacob. They grow close, but both of them harbor dark secrets. Jacob is a Dutch Jew who survived the holocaust and is tormented by the fact that he could never find his family. Will Rita be able to resolve her own troubles and to help Jacob?
Cornelia Vogel works as a punch card operator with her father at the Ministry of Information in 1941 in the Netherlands. She slowly realizes that the census that they are working on is being used to find and categorize the Jewish citizens. She gets to know her neighbor, Leah Blom, who teaches her English. As she grows closer to Leah, she realizes that she loves her. She also realizes she has to help her escape. Will she be able to help Leah?
I really enjoyed this novel and couldn’t put it down at my kids’ soccer tournament this past weekend (don’t worry, I only read it between the games). I liked both stories, but I kept wondering how they were related. I liked how both stories came together perfectly at the end. I like how the story showed that you could make choices that would make a difference to other people and your own lives.
I always love stories with a technical angle, and I loved learning about punch card operators and basic coding in the 1940’s and 1960’s. It was considered a female job in those days.
I felt very bad for Rita. It seems terrible to me that you were pressured into giving up your baby when you were an unwed mother. I’m glad that has changed in the present day.
Cornelia and Leah are unconventional women who have a same-sex relationship in the 1940’s. It would have not only been scandalous at the time, but also could have been deadly as homosexuals were rounded up and sent to concentration camps in the Nazi regime. Alkemade does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and making me care about them. She also does an excellent job of making me care both about Rita and Jacob’s budding romance as well as Cornelia and Leah’s relationship. I was vested in both of their stories.
The concentration camps and WWII experiences were harrowing and sad to read. Author Kim Van Alkemade does an excellent job of bringing the WWII experience to life and also creating great settings for both the 1940’s and 1960’s eras. They were two distinct and different time periods.
Favorite Quote: “Our secrets do us no good if we end up buried beneath the weight of them.”
I highly recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2023...
What job in the past would you like to learn more about? I enjoyed learning about punch card operators in Counting Lost Stars. I didn’t realize that punch cards were used in WWII to categorize people. It was an unfortunate use of a new technology.
Rita Klein is a college student going into her senior year at Barnard in 1960. She has just taken a summer class on computer programming that has gotten her excited about her future. After she becomes pregnant, her parents send her to a Home for Unwed Mothers where she is forced to give away her baby. Afterwards, she is unable to return to Barnard and takes a job with her programming skills at a firm located in the Empire State Building. There she meets a tour guide named Jacob. They grow close, but both of them harbor dark secrets. Jacob is a Dutch Jew who survived the holocaust and is tormented by the fact that he could never find his family. Will Rita be able to resolve her own troubles and to help Jacob?
Cornelia Vogel works as a punch card operator with her father at the Ministry of Information in 1941 in the Netherlands. She slowly realizes that the census that they are working on is being used to find and categorize the Jewish citizens. She gets to know her neighbor, Leah Blom, who teaches her English. As she grows closer to Leah, she realizes that she loves her. She also realizes she has to help her escape. Will she be able to help Leah?
I really enjoyed this novel and couldn’t put it down at my kids’ soccer tournament this past weekend (don’t worry, I only read it between the games). I liked both stories, but I kept wondering how they were related. I liked how both stories came together perfectly at the end. I like how the story showed that you could make choices that would make a difference to other people and your own lives.
I always love stories with a technical angle, and I loved learning about punch card operators and basic coding in the 1940’s and 1960’s. It was considered a female job in those days.
I felt very bad for Rita. It seems terrible to me that you were pressured into giving up your baby when you were an unwed mother. I’m glad that has changed in the present day.
Cornelia and Leah are unconventional women who have a same-sex relationship in the 1940’s. It would have not only been scandalous at the time, but also could have been deadly as homosexuals were rounded up and sent to concentration camps in the Nazi regime. Alkemade does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and making me care about them. She also does an excellent job of making me care both about Rita and Jacob’s budding romance as well as Cornelia and Leah’s relationship. I was vested in both of their stories.
The concentration camps and WWII experiences were harrowing and sad to read. Author Kim Van Alkemade does an excellent job of bringing the WWII experience to life and also creating great settings for both the 1940’s and 1960’s eras. They were two distinct and different time periods.
Favorite Quote: “Our secrets do us no good if we end up buried beneath the weight of them.”
I highly recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2023...
January 27, 2024
Gospođo, svaka čast na svemu, realno je trica, ali zbog istraživanja o temama dodatna zvezdica, sve ću vaše da pročitam. ✔️
July 29, 2023
I received this book as a part of a giveaway, so I felt obligated to read the entire thing in order to create an informed review. This review contains MILD SPOILERS ABOUT MAIN CHARACTERS, and I felt I had to include the information for those who are more sensitive to provocative sexual content.
The premise of the book was interesting, and I enjoyed the fresh take on world war II, and the writing style was not as trashy as some. However, the reason I gave this book a one star is because the two main female characters are lesbian, and there are a couple of explicit sex scenes. I am not a fan of sex in books, no matter the sexuality of the characters, and I wish it had been more clear in reviews that this was included.
Besides the fact that it was an interesting take on there was nothing extraordinary about this book that would cause me to recommend it. It was mid at best.
The premise of the book was interesting, and I enjoyed the fresh take on world war II, and the writing style was not as trashy as some. However, the reason I gave this book a one star is because the two main female characters are lesbian, and there are a couple of explicit sex scenes. I am not a fan of sex in books, no matter the sexuality of the characters, and I wish it had been more clear in reviews that this was included.
Besides the fact that it was an interesting take on there was nothing extraordinary about this book that would cause me to recommend it. It was mid at best.
December 28, 2022
The writer does an amazing job bringing to life the two historical periods of time and place in how the people dress, their mannerisms, their diction, their slang, and what they eat. But more than that, as a reader I was invested in what happened to the characters in the book because they became flesh and blood. I was deeply rewarded when the chapters from the two different periods of time and place coalesced. Everything the individuals endured and sacrificed for their loved ones finally made sense.
May 4, 2023
Thank you Goodreads for this giveaway win.
I loved this book and its characters. At first I was not sure if I would like it but after the first two chapters I started to get into it and the more I read the more I loved it. I wanted to keep knowing more about Cornelia and Rita.
This is my first book I have read by this author and I can not wait to read more books by her.
I loved this book and its characters. At first I was not sure if I would like it but after the first two chapters I started to get into it and the more I read the more I loved it. I wanted to keep knowing more about Cornelia and Rita.
This is my first book I have read by this author and I can not wait to read more books by her.
August 8, 2024
I love historical fiction with a mystery and this book gave me history, love, loss, family, powerful women, and so much more! If you love reading about history and smart women who make the most out of absolutely horrific circumstances, read this book!
August 11, 2023
I would give this book an overall 3.5 🌟. I really enjoyed the historical aspects, but the homosexual romance scenes had me skipping over several paragraphs. I don’t think any romance scene needs to be graphic when the history is what I want to enjoy.
October 4, 2023
Really enjoyed the historical information on how the Germans kept track and processed the people that they imprisoned. The character that was responsible for doing that census recording struggled with her involvment but found a way to use it for good. This topic is always a difficult read but this story gave different historical information than I had ever heard before.
September 16, 2023
2.5 ⭐️s rounded up. I was interested in this one because of my occupation and love of data systems and technology. The parts of the book that talked about it were pretty fascinating, and I was not aware of the Hollerith cards and machines to track data in a computerized way.
However, while the cards and computers were a recurring theme in the book, so much of the theme of the book was also a couple different love affairs between both lesbians and a transgender woman, or pretty terrible male characters. The way the author depicted all the men in the book, it’s like she had a very low opinion of men as a whole. Only Frank McKay was a good male character - all the rest were either villains, completely self-absorbed, or portrayed as helpless and unstable. It just felt really unbalanced. The female characters I thought lacked a lot of depth, and felt like they made leaps from one thought or feeling to the next at times. The ending felt a little too perfectly solved as well and didn’t feel believable.
However, while the cards and computers were a recurring theme in the book, so much of the theme of the book was also a couple different love affairs between both lesbians and a transgender woman, or pretty terrible male characters. The way the author depicted all the men in the book, it’s like she had a very low opinion of men as a whole. Only Frank McKay was a good male character - all the rest were either villains, completely self-absorbed, or portrayed as helpless and unstable. It just felt really unbalanced. The female characters I thought lacked a lot of depth, and felt like they made leaps from one thought or feeling to the next at times. The ending felt a little too perfectly solved as well and didn’t feel believable.
August 14, 2023
I’m glad I gave this book a chance despite the 2 star review that pops up on the top. I loved the book and gave it 5 stars. It’s always interesting how what appeals to one reader does not appeal to another. I guess there are stories for everyone, you just have to find the right book for you.
This is the first book I’ve read that gives a glimpse of how technology was used during the Holocaust, and I found that very interesting.
Someone in a previous review mentions the romantic descriptions as graphic, but I did not find them graphic, just descriptive. Nothing like The Song Of Achilles, if you’ve read that you’ll be fine.
The writing reminds me of Kristin Harmel or Kristin Hannah. I highly recommend!
This is the first book I’ve read that gives a glimpse of how technology was used during the Holocaust, and I found that very interesting.
Someone in a previous review mentions the romantic descriptions as graphic, but I did not find them graphic, just descriptive. Nothing like The Song Of Achilles, if you’ve read that you’ll be fine.
The writing reminds me of Kristin Harmel or Kristin Hannah. I highly recommend!
July 18, 2023
Highly recommend! It’s an amazing historical fiction and the romance is incredible and the lesbians make it better!
May 21, 2023
This book was a goodreads giveaway. Thank you. I truly enjoyed the stories between the two main characters, and how they came together to tell this awesome story. Great book, look forward to reading more from this author.
August 21, 2023
This novel moves between two timelines, one in 1940s Netherlands and one in 1960s New York City, but united by similar themes. I honestly can't say which storyline I enjoyed more, but I did find this book highly compelling and the last hundred pages flew by.
May 29, 2023
Fabulously written book that gives insight as to the Nazi desire to organize and categorize everything and everyone.
October 17, 2023
Overall a good book and the dual timelines worked well. It tackled several big subjects that each could’ve been a storyline that dig deeper. Everything also kept working out too well.
June 27, 2023
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. It takes an interesting approach to World War II Holocaust history, taking a different route than other stories that I’ve read. While you do know that people are dying, I feel like this story focuses less on death and more on survival than most Holocaust novels. This book takes place in alternating chapters, mostly alternating between World War II (1941-1944) and 1960. Toward the end of the novel, the story is all set in 1960.
While this book doesn’t focus on death as much as many other similar novels, it does address some issues that might be controversial, especially for the time periods when this story takes place. There are some same-sex intimate relationships happening both in 1941 and in 1960, which would have been pretty scandalous at the time. There’s an unmarried woman who has recently given birth in the 1960 part of the novel. As a warning to readers, one character attempts suicide. While we don’t get the graphic details, it might be difficult for some readers to handle.
The main reason that this is not a 5-star book for me is that things feel too happy. Maybe, that sounds weird, but it just feels like things fall into place a little too easily considering the subject matter of the book. For example, everyone who knows about the same-sex relationships seems 100% fine with them, which really doesn’t feel realistic for that time period. I don’t want to ruin the book, so I won’t go into details with this, but there are also several events that just seem a little too convenient. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book. To me, it just felt a little surface level considering the seriousness of the subject matter.
This book has some swearing. The level of violence is surprisingly low considering the subject matter of the book. There are a few scenes where you know the characters are about to have sex, are having sex, or have had sex, but the sexual content is pretty mild overall.
I got a free ARC of this book through Goodreads. If you enjoy World War II novels, I would recommend this one.
While this book doesn’t focus on death as much as many other similar novels, it does address some issues that might be controversial, especially for the time periods when this story takes place. There are some same-sex intimate relationships happening both in 1941 and in 1960, which would have been pretty scandalous at the time. There’s an unmarried woman who has recently given birth in the 1960 part of the novel. As a warning to readers, one character attempts suicide. While we don’t get the graphic details, it might be difficult for some readers to handle.
The main reason that this is not a 5-star book for me is that things feel too happy. Maybe, that sounds weird, but it just feels like things fall into place a little too easily considering the subject matter of the book. For example, everyone who knows about the same-sex relationships seems 100% fine with them, which really doesn’t feel realistic for that time period. I don’t want to ruin the book, so I won’t go into details with this, but there are also several events that just seem a little too convenient. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book. To me, it just felt a little surface level considering the seriousness of the subject matter.
This book has some swearing. The level of violence is surprisingly low considering the subject matter of the book. There are a few scenes where you know the characters are about to have sex, are having sex, or have had sex, but the sexual content is pretty mild overall.
I got a free ARC of this book through Goodreads. If you enjoy World War II novels, I would recommend this one.
November 26, 2023
Such an interesting historical fiction on all counts!
In this novel, there are 2 timeframes : 1 in the 1960s in NYC & 2 in the Hague in around 1940s.
We learn about Rita Klein in the 60s, a young intelligent woman who has a baby out of wedlock & how her parents persuade her to give him up in order to make something out of herself. Previously to her pregnancy, she was studying computers & computer languages.
In the other part of the novel, we meet 2 key characters : Cornelia Vogel & Leah Blum. Cornelia works for her father on a Hollerith computer, imputing punch cards & what she finds out is that her dad has come up with a way to track the Jews of Holland from their birth to their death. Her best friend, Leah, is a neighbour who lives upstairs of the Vogel home & she is Jewish. Cornelia goes to huge lengths to save Leah & her family.
How the 2 stories collide is truly fascinating & who knew that the Germans were using such a new technology to track their censoring.
A most interesting read!
In this novel, there are 2 timeframes : 1 in the 1960s in NYC & 2 in the Hague in around 1940s.
We learn about Rita Klein in the 60s, a young intelligent woman who has a baby out of wedlock & how her parents persuade her to give him up in order to make something out of herself. Previously to her pregnancy, she was studying computers & computer languages.
In the other part of the novel, we meet 2 key characters : Cornelia Vogel & Leah Blum. Cornelia works for her father on a Hollerith computer, imputing punch cards & what she finds out is that her dad has come up with a way to track the Jews of Holland from their birth to their death. Her best friend, Leah, is a neighbour who lives upstairs of the Vogel home & she is Jewish. Cornelia goes to huge lengths to save Leah & her family.
How the 2 stories collide is truly fascinating & who knew that the Germans were using such a new technology to track their censoring.
A most interesting read!
August 19, 2023
Thank you @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted copy.
Before reading this book I’d had no idea what a Hollerith computer was or how big a roll it played in WWII. It was created by Herman Hollerith who, in 1911, founded the company now known as IBM. It was used to by the SS to register people and allocate food to themselves and how the Nazis kept track of who was loaded into the trains headed for concentration camps.
Both of the story lines that make up this book were beautifully written and made for an incredible story. It’s never easy reading about WWII but this was a very good book that gave insight into an unknown (to me) aspect of Nazi history.
Before reading this book I’d had no idea what a Hollerith computer was or how big a roll it played in WWII. It was created by Herman Hollerith who, in 1911, founded the company now known as IBM. It was used to by the SS to register people and allocate food to themselves and how the Nazis kept track of who was loaded into the trains headed for concentration camps.
Both of the story lines that make up this book were beautifully written and made for an incredible story. It’s never easy reading about WWII but this was a very good book that gave insight into an unknown (to me) aspect of Nazi history.
July 18, 2023
I loved this book! Appreciated winning on Goodreads! There are many historical fiction books written about the World War II era, and with each and every one that I’ve read, I learn something new. I always believed that it’s our duty to know & understand what happened. I was shocked ( I know I shouldn’t be ) to learn that a famous American company aided the Nazis through record keeping to persecute the Jewish people.
The author has a way of weaving a tale that keeps you turning the page with the multi characters that fall in love, take huge risks, dare to live their lives against all societal norms. I fell in love with all of them, the good ones that is!
The author has a way of weaving a tale that keeps you turning the page with the multi characters that fall in love, take huge risks, dare to live their lives against all societal norms. I fell in love with all of them, the good ones that is!
August 18, 2023
It is rare that I feel equally invested in both stories of a dual timeline, but I was fully absorbed in both Cornelia’s and Rita’s storylines. Cornelia’s tale began in the 1940s with the German invasion of Holland. Readers will feel the same conflicting emotions as our young protagonist weighing her own safety against the safety of those she loves. The chapters in between follow Rita as she tries to figure out what life could look like after giving birth to a child out of wedlock in 1960’s New York. The way their stories connected was quite satisfying.
Some readers may find that too many topics are attempted to be addressed, including: homosexuality; post traumatic stress; sexism, specifically against women in computing and in the matters of sex and children outside of marriage; and racism. This reader, however, thinks that life is complex and Van Alkemade’s story reflects that. And she does so with a cast of characters you will enjoy rooting for! The focus on the early development of computers and coding was a unique focus for a historical time period that has been much written about.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title!
Some readers may find that too many topics are attempted to be addressed, including: homosexuality; post traumatic stress; sexism, specifically against women in computing and in the matters of sex and children outside of marriage; and racism. This reader, however, thinks that life is complex and Van Alkemade’s story reflects that. And she does so with a cast of characters you will enjoy rooting for! The focus on the early development of computers and coding was a unique focus for a historical time period that has been much written about.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title!
August 23, 2023
I struggle with a review for this. The fact one of the characters accidentally gets taken to a concentration camp seemed not unlikely but like a stretch to the storyline. I anticipated it happening. I picked it up at an airport travelling home because I've been intrigued by historical fiction at this time. I have to say the sex scenes were not expected and a little off-putting. NOT because it is a lesbian narrative. The straight couple scenes appeared to be presented with more class. It was interesting to learn more about hollerith machines and what the behind the scenes workings of the Holocaust included. This piece is what prompts the 3 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2023
This was a Goodreads giveaway win, and I loved it! I’ve been trying to branch out into different genres, and this book was one of those branches. Counting Lost Stars was about the love, loss, and bravery of two female characters, Rita and Cornelia, whose stories eventually cross in the most unexpected of ways. While reading, I felt sadness, anger, anxiety, happiness, joy…I guess you could say it was a roller-coaster of a ride! Rita and Cornelia are both ridiculously intelligent, and so very brave.
July 5, 2023
I couldn't put it down!!! Absolutely gripping....
June 27, 2023
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I'll admit this wasn't my normal genre of choice but I thoroughly enjoyed Counting Lost Stars! The two storylines were interesting & I enjoyed the details to the era of time. The author brought both stories together in a way that captured my attention. This is the first time I've read anything from this author & I look forward to finding more of her books in tbe future.
June 30, 2023
Such a good read
July 8, 2024
4.5⭐️
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