Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion
Written by Karen White, Jenna Blum, Sarah Jio and
Narrated by Carla Mercer-Meyer
4/5
()
About this audiobook
A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother...
A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room...
On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York City's Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell.
Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set on the same day, just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal.
Karen White
Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Dreams of Falling and The House on Prytania, as well as the Tradd Street mystery series. She currently writes what she refers to as “grit lit”—Southern women’s fiction. She is a graduate of the American School in London and has a BS in management from Tulane University. When not writing, she spends her time reading, singing, and avoiding cooking. She has two grown children and currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two spoiled Havanese dogs.
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Reviews for Grand Central
39 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I am not a fan of short stories so this kind of put me off a bit. However, I did think that it was kind of nice that each short story was tied to each other in some way. This made for a great effort by each of the authors.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Each story is a gem reflecting changes in the US and around the world because of World War II and by the Holocaust. The stories capture the many emotions, memories, losses, hopes and plans of the realistic characters in each. Many scarred by the past, are frightened by the present but hopeful for the future. All the stories were moving but the ones about women touched me the most for many reasons. Women, at that time, were mostly dependent on men so losing a husband, fiance, or father was life-changing as it was to Molly and her mother in Tin Town, as well as to Ella and her family in Strand of Pearls whose father was as good as lost. And the women who did become independent still needed men to give them job opportunities like Liesel in Going Home. And women like Mary in I'll Walk Alone who knew what harm her husband's return would do to her and their son, allowing a stranger to help her flee. But like Cata in The Branch of Hazel who lived through hell, these women chose to try to take control of their futures. Would love to read longer versions of each of these stories. I also enjoyed the small connections each story had to the next showing that human experience and emotion are all connected.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Comfortable and fairly predictable post-World War II stories play out in September, 1945, in Grand Central Station. There are few genuine surprises aside from the fate of THE LUCKY ONE. African American and Japanese American perspectives would have been a welcome addition,as would non fiction biographies with the same element of meeting.Cover photographs are Classics!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a great collection of short stories, all taking place in Grand Central on a day in September 1945. These are bittersweet tales of new beginnings that use a blend of history, hope, trust, and romance. All of these authors have a style of their own, adding their own personal touches, some of whom are my favorites, and a few that I’ve been inspired to read more of their books. A few of my favorites____Going Home by Alyson Richman – The violin had the capacity to speak sorrow and to sing joy to Gregori, and the music fed his soul. Liesel was deeply moved by her love of dance and music. The violinist at the terminal, and his beautiful musical selections, began to draw her in like a magnet and touched her emotionally. The Kissing Room by Melanie Benjamin – Marjorie is on her way to Grand Central for a screen test to be held in the Kissing Room. Hopefully this would be a ticket for her future as a young starlet. I’ll Walk Alone by Erick Robuck – A woman and her 3 year-old-son await the arrival of her husband. This is a story about an abusive marriage. Josie lived in a war, but not in Europe, at home. I’ll Be Seeing You by Sarah Jio – Rose’s future hinges on this cross-country journey. She is a woman in conflict and must learn to trust her heart and know that she is in control of her own destiny. The endings did not always have a solid resolution, but the reader is provided with questions to ponder, giving us the opportunity to face questions about how lives were so deeply touched by World War II. Definitely a worthwhile read – 4 stars. I received this book as a Goodreads “First-Reads- Winner” to read and give an honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I like reading stories that take place in the WWII era. This time period fascinates me. This is why when I heard about this anthology I had to check it out. I have to say that this is a fantastic anthology. I loved almost all of the stories in this collection. Not to say that the ones I did not love were bad because they were good. It is just that I wanted more out of them. They kind of felt incomplete as short stories. Or they did not bring me into the story as well as the others did. Although I felt like I was living in this era and could picture Grand Central Station and all of the characters in this book hanging out there. Even though I have never been there. The lives of everyone in these stories were great. Of course I enjoyed reading Karen White and Pam Jenoff's stories. Two authors that I am familiar with their work and enjoy reading. The other authors I am not so familiar with but now I can say I am after reading this anthology. I will look for more books by these other authors. Grand Central is a joyous, lovely anthology. Check it out for yourself.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is an anthology of short stories by a group of top selling women authors and all of the stories at least partially take place in Grand Central station in New York City at the end of World War II. Some of them are romances, some are stories of Holocaust survivors trying to survive in a new environment - the stories touch on many aspects of life during this tumultuous time period in America. All of the stories are fantastic but some of them will stay with you long after you long after you have read them. I especially liked the short stories by Alyson Richmon and Kristina McMorris but all of the stories were very good. This is a must-read!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Last year Grand Central Station turned 100 years old. This drew a renewed interest in its history and the millions of stories of people who had passed through its doors. A group of best-selling authors decided to create their own stories set at Grand Central on the same day, just after the end of World War II. After reading each other's stories, the authors found a way to piece their stories together, connecting characters from one story into the next. The result is truly well-done. All of the stories in this anthology are connected to the war. A Jewish violinist plays at Grand Central for the pure joy of it and for a beautiful woman who visits a pastry stand every day. A Holocaust survivor works as a busboy at the Oyster Bar, but can't seem to forget his previous life before the war. A woman returns home to a man she loved before the war and finds life isn't as she expected. An abused wife and son wait for her husband to return from the war and meet a woman who will change their lives forever. A woman pilot visits the family of her best friend and realizes she needs to trust her instincts in order to move on. A budding actress waits for the audition of a lifetime in the famous Kissing Room. These stories and five others bring in iconic pieces of Grand Central that visitors to the terminal will be able to envision and feel part of the story. Every single story left me in tears and wishing there was more, but Sarah Jio's and Erika Robuck's are ones I am still thinking about days later.In each of these stories, you feel the devastating pain of war and the love that kept hope alive. You will be left wanting more and you won't be able to forget the characters or their choices. The unique way the stories are intertwined is a treat that the reader will enjoy finding as they read. This anthology is emotionally moving and so descriptive that you will be able to place yourself in Grand Central and see the lives played out. It truly is a splendid compilation of high-caliber writing. Fans of historical fiction and love stories will be riveted and deeply moved. It was a book I didn't want to end.