In Daughters of the Fatherland, a griping true-to-life historical Holocaust novel, Berlin-born Rosa is abandoned as a baby during the height of Germany’s Great Depression but rescued by an elderly Romani (gypsy) couple in a passing caravan. Ten years later, on the brink of World War II, Rosa is the unwitting cause of her adoptive family being incarcerated: Rosa and her mother are sent to a Women’s Gypsy Concentration Camp in Austria, while her father is sent to a Men’s Gypsy Camp in Berlin. Despised for her rebellious spirit in the camp, Rosa vows to escape to rescue her beloved father. However, before she can enact her plan, Rosa and thirty other Romani children are conscripted to appear in Nazi Director Leni Riefenstahl’s ill-fated movie about a Gypsy Queen, Tiefland.
Daughters of the Fatherland highlights the plight of the children during World War II with a special focus on the Romani Holocaust, Porajmos (devouring or destruction). Wars tear families apart, with children being left to fend for themselves in a chaotic world. During war, the conflict between and within nations can result in the loss of humanity; however, in Rosa’s case, love and peace ultimately restore her community allowing personal redemption for Rosa.
Now an immersive audiobook narrated by the very talented Alyona Popova!
Listen to the preview of Daughters of the Fatherland on SoundCloud
Connect to Jericho’s website.
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
Rosa was rescued by a passing Gypsy caravan during Germany’s Great Depression. She and her family will end up in concentration camps. This is her story of survival, strength, hardship and hope. We will be introduced to Leni Riefenstahl and the film she directed.
Well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). This novel is centred on the children affected by WWII, how they were treated and conditioned. We learn more about the Romani Holocaust, Porajmas.
– Julie Friar(Reviewer)
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
Daughters of The Fatherland by Jericho J Johnson was an historical fiction book that took a close examination of the fate of the Romani or Gypsy families during World War II and the Holocaust. It captured the strong ties these people had with one another and how they traveled and lived together. Daughters of The Fatherland paid close attention to the fate of the children during this horrific period in history. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by Alyona Popova.
During the dire economic crisis in Germany that followed World War I and just prior to the start of World War II, a Gypsy caravan was traveling through Berlin seeking a safer place to settle when an older couple noticed something along the road they were traveling on. After stopping to retrieve it, they discovered a tiny baby girl that wrapped in a thick blanket that a mother had abandoned. The gypsy couple decided to keep the girl and raise her as their own. They named the baby Rosa. She grew up to be a very inquisitive child who loved to read. Her grandmother had gifted her a book of fairytale stories. Her favorite was Little Red Riding Hood. Rosa often chose to read instead of doing her chores. She was constantly getting into trouble for her outbursts and lashing out at others. When Rosa was about ten years old, the Gypsies in the caravan voted to separate themselves from Rosa and her family because of Rosa’s defiant behavior. It was because of this that Rosa and her parents were arrested by the Nazis. Rosa and her mother were sent to the Women’s Gypsy Concentration Camp in Austria and her father was sent to the Men’s Gypsy Camp in Berlin.
Life at the Women’s Gypsy Concentration Camp was hard. It was lucky that Rosa’s mother was skilled at tailoring. Unfortunately, Rosa’s behavior had not changed and it continued to get her in trouble more often than not. Rosa was determined to find a way to escape from the camp. Then one day Leni Riefenstahl, the photographer and movie producer, visited the camp. Leni was working on directing and starring in a film called Gypsy Queen, Tiefland. She needed gypsy children for the movie. What better place to find the children she required than at the Women’s Gypsy Concentration Camp. Without any regard of separating the children she chose from their mothers, Leni Riefenstahl took about thirty gypsy children in all. Rosa was one of them. She did not want to be separated from her mother. Rosa had promised her father that she would take care of her mother. She was breaking her promise to her father. Leni ended up keeping the gypsy children for about six months before she sent them back to the camp. When the gypsy children returned, it wasn’t long before the camp was dissolved and all the remaining gypsy prisoners were sent to Auschwitz where they were killed. Leni knew that this would happen but she sent those innocent children back regardless. Rosa remained with Leni as her assistant until she was able to escape. She was determined to get to Berlin to find her father. Would Rosa be able to reach Berlin? How would she get there? What dangers would she encounter along the way?
Daughters of the Fatherland by Jericho J Johnson was inspired by real events and some real people. So many children were robbed of their parent’s care and had to learn to fend for themselves during the war. What the Nazis did to the Romani people was horrific and tragic. This is a side of the Holocaust that needs to be recognized as another atrocity committed by the Nazis. I found Daughters of The Fatherland interesting and informative. I recommend this book to those of you who gravitate towards historical fiction about World War II.
Thank you to Interactive Publications Pty Ltd. for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Daughters of The Fatherland by Jericho J Johnson through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
– Marilyn Kurtis (Educator)
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
Daughters of the Fatherland by Jericho J. Johnson is a powerful, concise historical novel that brings the overlooked Romani Holocaust into sharp focus. Centered on Rosa—a young girl abandoned at birth and forced to navigate the brutalities of WWII—the narrative captures her fierce determination to survive and restore her fractured world. Johnson’s vivid, emotionally charged storytelling offers both a moving tribute to resilience and an insightful look at a dark chapter in history.
– Heather Grit, Librarian (4/5 stars, NetGalley)
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
I loved this book! This is a very thought-provoking story about the life of a young Romani girl in WWII. It’s a perspective I haven’t read about before and to know that this is based on real life events breaks my heart even more. I was hooked from the very beginning – there are so many historical references throughout the story, so I was often googling events along the way.
I listened to the audiobook and mostly enjoyed the narration. I did find that the narrator sounded too young, and the characters didn’t really come to life for me. It came across more as if my teenage daughter was reading a story to me, which wasn’t unpleasant, but also wasn’t to the standard I’m used to. I soon got over this and allowed myself to enjoy the story; it’s just a personal preference as opposed to bad narration. The narrator spoke clearly, and I certainly didn’t consider not finishing the story because of the delivery.
The author’s notes at the end are very informative, and I’m always eager to separate fact from fiction, so I was very happy that the notes were included in the audiobook edition. I’ll be looking for more books by this author in the future.
– Lisa Arvidson, Reviewer (4.5/5, NetGalley)
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
I don’t even know how to start this review. I guess I’m still trying to process everything that happened. In all fairness, I just finished the book.
Let’s begin at the start. It is the beginning of World War II, and we follow 10-year-old Rosa and her family, who are Romani trying to get out of Germany. Unfortunately, when the war starts, they are captured in Köln and sent to prisoner camps. Rosa and her mother are sent to a women’s prisoner camp in Austria, while her father is sent to Berlin. Early in the book, we learn that Rosa was adopted by the couple who found her mother dead during Germany’s Great Depression. To conceal her German appearance, she is forced to dye her hair black. Rosa is emotionally driven, and this trait often leads to a lack of self-control that gets her into trouble.
After facing particularly severe consequences for her actions, she decides to escape the camp to find her father. But before she can escape, she is recruited by Leni Riefenstahl to participate in the filming of her movie Tiefland. And that is where her adventure begins.
The development of Rosa’s character is quite impressive; she grows and learns a great deal throughout the story. It’s hard not to, in such challenging circumstances. Rosa is determined, and she tries to move heaven and earth to find her parents. It is important to note that she is also entering puberty, which makes her journey more complicated.
I’m not sure how to describe it, but this book broke my heart. It does show how resilient children can be, especially stubborn ones. It breaks my heart because we see the perspective of Rosa, a child who was persecuted during the war. At the same time, we have the perspective of younger German boys who were thrown into combat at the end of the war. And by younger I don’t mean to teenagers I mean the 10-year-olds.
I have to say this is probably one of the best books I have read this year, if not the best so far. I would give it five stars. The author did a lot of research, which you can see, and has a way with words. There is a beautiful message about fairy tales and storytelling in the book that I believe is going to stay with me. We are all children at heart, especially when we are sad or crying. In the end, this is a story of survival.
I had the opportunity to listen to this book narrated by Alyona Popova, who nails every character. This is a personal preference, but I appreciate when an audiobook is easy to listen to, letting me multitask. And the way she did it, just nailed it.
– Carolina Barcena, Reviewer (5/5, NetGalley)
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
The characters in this book were beautifully written and seamlessly intertwined with the real life historical figures throughout it. Rosa seems to be a World War II Forest Gump, appearing at many major events throughout the war that highlight both her luck and misfortune. Not only did I care about these characters, but the writing also made me do additional research into people and places that Rosa ended up and interacted with. I will definitely be recommending this to some of my students with special interests in World War II and Holocaust research.
– Emily Judson, Librarian (NetGalley 4/5 stars)
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
I read and listen to a ton of WWII historical fiction as well as WWII nonfiction. It’s a time period I cannot get out of my head and I’ve been interested since I was a child. I however, have rarely found anything that focuses so much on the Romani people so this was something I found myself not wanting to press pause on and I’m inspired to learn more about the Romani experience during this time.
I thought this was well written, I felt invested in Rosa’s experience and I was HEARTBROKEN when Peter died just as Rosa learned about their impact on each other’s lives long before they ever “met”.
All in all, I thought this was a great book.
–Vicki Woodard, NetGalley 4/5 stars
IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) –
Another 5/5 for the audiobook of Daughters of the Fatherland!
Daughters of the Fatherland by Jericho J. Johnson is a poignant and powerful historical novel that sheds light on the experiences of children during World War II, with a focus on the Romani Holocaust, known as Porajmos. The story follows Rosa, a young girl navigating the chaos and brutality of war, as she seeks love and redemption amidst unimaginable loss. Johnson’s evocative prose and vivid storytelling capture the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring hope for peace. This novel is a moving exploration of humanity’s capacity for both destruction and healing, making it a deeply impactful read.”
– Sasha Samms, Educator & NetGalley Reviewer