Publication Date: January 27, 2025
Germany, 1943. Jordanna cries out desperately to her mother, tears spilling down her cheeks. She is being torn one way, her parents another. And in Jordanna’s terrified, wide brown eyes, there is only one question: Will I ever see you again?
Poland: Day in and day out, fifteen-year-old Jordanna holds tight to the hands of her siblings as they’re forced into back-breaking labor. They’ve been transported to a camp for Polish orphans, but at night, Jordanna weeps silently, clinging to the hope that they’re not actually orphans. That when they finally escape, their mother Dalia will be waiting with open arms. But the only thing she knows for sure is that to survive, she cannot let the cruel guards discover they are not just Polish, they are Jewish…
Auschwitz: More than a hundred miles away, Dalia shivers in her tattered striped uniform, wary eyes darting around for any sign of trouble. She’s seen other women lost to the bitter sting of the frozen air and the brutal regime and she can’t let it be her. Every day, Dalia prays that her husband will find a way to save their children. But when another prisoner approaches her about joining their secret resistance, Dalia decides to take rescuing her family into her own hands—despite the terrible danger it puts her in…
The only thing keeping Jordanna and Dalia’s spirits alive in the darkest of places is the hope that they will one day be reunited. But will Dalia fight her way out to cradle her daughter in her arms once more—or will she die trying?
A heartbreaking, emotional, yet ultimately hopeful World War Two page-turner about the strength of the love between a mother and daughter triumphing over evil. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Choice will be blown away by this gripping, unputdownable story.
The horrors of World War II unfold for a Jewish family as the parents and children are separated, destined for places unknown.
Author Shari J. Ryan brings the struggle to life in The Family Behind the Walls. While the children are deemed Polish orphans, they are shipped off to an orphanage where they are forced to work. Jordanna, the eldest daughter, serves as the main character for this piece of the story.
The author takes readers deep into the heartbreaking days where the children are undernourished, overworked, and used as targets by cruel overseers. Jordanna knows if the guards discover the children are Jewish, they will face even worse conditions.
Meanwhile, her mother, Dalia, is in Auschwitz, where she tries to survive in order to reunite with her family. It’s always painful to read stories about the Holocaust; this is no exception. The suffering a mother faces not knowing whether her children are safe is gut-wrenching.
Amid the sickness, the working conditions, and the lack of adequate food and shelter, the question is whether this family can withstand the challenges and reunite.
The Family Behind the Walls will make you cry, but at the same time, you will celebrate the victories that come with resilience.
Shari J. Ryan is a USA Today Bestselling Historical Fiction writer. Her desire to write stories revolving Jewish livelihood during World War II stems from being a descendant of two Holocaust survivors. After the passing of Shari’s grandmother, she pursued an active interest in learning more about the inherited stories she yearned to understand better.
Shortly after earning a bachelors degree from Johnson & Wales University, Shari began her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer. She then found her passion for writing books in 2012. In 2016, Shari began writing her first Historical Fiction novel, Last Words, a story about a lifelong journey through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor, and Shari quickly found a new passion to share untold World War II stories within a fictional setting. In 2023 she will explore her first foray into the world of psychological thrillers with the gripping, twisty The Homemaker…
Shari is a lifelong New England girl who lives to make people laugh. She is happily married with two wonderful sons and a spunky Australian Shepard, who fits right in with the family.
