This is one of those books that reminds me why I love historical fiction so much. It was raw and painful, but the imagery!! I could SMELL the butter and the croissants in the beginning, and I could feel the hunger and the dread as the story wore on. Unbeknownst to me, this is based on a very, very true story, so I highly recommend the author's note at the end - only once you've finished of course.