Orphan #8

A Novel

De: Kim van Alkemade

Narrado por: Andi Arndt, Ginny Auer

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

In this stunning new historical novel inspired by true events, Kim van Alkemade tells the fascinating story of a woman who must choose between revenge and mercy when she encounters the doctor who subjected her to dangerous medical experiments in a New York City Jewish orphanage years before.

In 1919, Rachel Rabinowitz is a vivacious four-year-old living with her family in a crowded tenement on New York City’s Lower Eastside. When tragedy strikes, Rachel is separated from her brother Sam and sent to a Jewish orphanage where Dr. Mildred Solomon is conducting medical research. Subjected to X-ray treatments that leave her disfigured, Rachel suffers years of cruel harassment from the other orphans. But when she turns fifteen, she runs away to Colorado hoping to find the brother she lost and discovers a family she never knew she had.

Though Rachel believes she’s shut out her painful childhood memories, years later she is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan’s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Solomon. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveal to Rachel the complexities of her own nature. She realizes that a person’s fate—to be one who inflicts harm or one who heals—is not always set in stone.

Lush in historical detail, rich in atmosphere and based on true events, Orphan #8 is a powerful, affecting novel of the unexpected choices we are compelled to make that can shape our destinies.

Don't understand the negative reviews

So I went into this thinking it wouldn't be so good as many reviews I read suggested as much. I was so so wrong. I loved this book from beginning to end, and honestly don't understand what other reviewers didn't like about it. As for the narrators, the one that narrated the story line in the past was perfect, but the one for Rachel in the future was just ok. She wasn't terrible, but I won't be going out of my way to look for other books she reads.

Five Star Plus!

Amazing book, the details make you Invision exactly what the characters are going through in each chapter. a definite must read!

Good but not great

This was a good book, but I didn't love it. There were some parts that seemed to be totally unnecessary to the plot and were confusing. The characters were flat, but over all it was an adequate book. I have others I liked more, but it held my attention:

Interesting

So realistic. I'm not sure if this story is based on true life people or not, but it was believable and honest.

Great story

well written, thought provoking story. Only listen to audio books when a book is so good that I don't want to stop reading it to go to work. Narration wasn't terrible but also wasn't the best.