Rated of 5
by Jeff M. (Morris Plains, NJ) The Imposter Bride
A mother's instinct is to protect their child, not abandon them abruptly without a reason. The mystery behind this disappearance is the heart of the story and the driver in reading the book. You feel compelled to learn as much as possible about this mother from other characters in the storyline. The daughter, mother-in-law and adult friend provide tidbits of information throughout the story until near the end when a hidden identity situation is revealed and explained. Didn't know whether I would particularly enjoy this book at the outset, but it held my attention and I would recommend it, especially to book clubs.
Rated of 5
by Virginia W. (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) Review of The Imposter Bride
This thought provoking novel is about identity and what defines it. Themes include how disaster, emotional upheaval, aging and even geographic relocation strongly impact our identities. Largely told through a young girl's search for her mother with clues along the way from an old diary written in Yiddish and the fragments of memories and perceptions of her relatives concerning her mother the "imposter". It is about our universal need "to know where we come from, to connect it to who we are and where we are going". I think there is much for book clubs to discuss from this story and the personal connection most readers are likely to feel.
Rated of 5
by BamaCarol (Indian Springs VIllage, AL) The Imposter Bride
I wanted to love this book but in the end I just liked it. I have read quite a few books lately about WWII and the aftermath and the premis of the book interested me. The book is from the view of Lily, the imposter, and her daughter, Ruth. I felt like the husband and daughter did not really want to find out about Lily or what happened to her and that part was slow for me. Like I said, the book was OK but I have read much more compelling novels about this time period so it would be difficult for me to recommend this one over others.
Rated of 5
by Lisa R. (Salem, OR) Beautiful sense of place
I enjoyed this book, and felt like the author really gave me a sense of the family and the emotions. I also enjoyed the Jewish references, and how the family interacted with each other. Also the realistic depiction of the people - not everyone was sweetness and light, but they were more like the everyday people we know.
Updated Review: I wanted to add more to my review, but I had to think about this book for a bit. It was hard to put into words how I felt about it, so my first review was somewhat bland. This is a wonderful, moving, poignant book. I had to absorb parts of the story before I could move on to the next part. The undercurrent of feelings was so realistic, and at the end, I was crying. I think this was a humanistic portrayal of the understanding and misunderstanding of people that survived the war, or perhaps, more honestly, made their way through the war, as only they can know.
Rated of 5
by Diane S. (Batavia, IL) The Imposter Bride
The title lends one to believe that this is a romance story, but I was very glad it was not. I found the closeness of the Canadian Jewish fascinating and felt that this author was at her best in her descriptive imagery. This is a novel about the after effects of war, relationships and new identities. Many of the characters were fascinating, Sol and Elka, Ida and Nathan himself. This was a pretty solid novel for lovers of historical fiction as well as those who just enjoy stories about family relationships.
Rated of 5
by Joan C. (Warwick, RI) The Imposter Bride
Who is Lily? Is she who she says she is? She came to Canada as a "mail order bride" for Sol Kramer. Why does Sol reject her before he has even spoken to her? Why does his brother Nathan marry her? The entire story of Lily Kramer is like filling a basket of unanswered question and you ask yourself: "when is the author going to fill in the blanks?" This novel offers much insight into the aftermath of WWII - how people from European countries relocated to a new continent, missing and lost relatives, starting over and becoming a part of the "brave new world" they were forced to adopt. Somewhere is all of this you find Lilly Kramer and her role in a "brave" new family. Through it all the reader is trying to answer provocative questions and make sense of Lily's actions. This is a story you must burrow into to find the answers to questions of how people transition in life and their resiliency in facing everyday life. Ironically, I discovered this story isn't really about Lilly at all, but about the people whose lives she affected.
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of 5
by Jeff M. (Morris Plains, NJ) 
of 5
by Joan C. (Warwick, RI) 
