Michael Daniels loves his grandmother, Emma, dearly, but when he stumbles across her murdered body one morning, he realizes he might not have known her. He then embarks on a journey around Europe and the U.S., beginning for the sake of safety, but continuing to discover the truth of his family history. Along the way, he gathers pieces of that truth, connecting post-war Nazi trials, the KGB, Picasso, plenty of secrets, and more.

Nothing Is Forgotten by Peter Golden starts slow, and admittedly, I wondered where Michael’s story would go (I didn’t refresh my memory of the blurb when I started). But when he starts his travels, I was hooked. The truth he gradually uncovers about Emma’s life is both intriguing and devastating. It broke my heart that such events could be based in reality, and Golden writes it so well that I felt the impact along with the characters.

Nothing Is Forgotten is an incredible historical read. I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

I will admit that at first I was struggling with this book. In fact, I put it down after getting about half way. After a while, I did go back and decided to start over again. The second time around was much better. So, my suggestion would be to other readers that might be feeling the same way as I did. Wait until you are in a better head space and can dedicate some more time to this book. You won't regret it.

I really liked Michael. I was drawn towards him and his story. I did feel the loss of his grandmother. She was not only a big influence in his life but she raised him after the tragic deaths of his parents. Therefore, I could understand what her death did to Michael and how it shaped him.

Whereas; Yuli's story is concerned, I did like it. However, it took me longer to warm up to Yuli. She did have a interesting story. I liked her mission. So for the first couple of times when the story would flash to Yuli, I was not as engaged and could not wait for the story to go back to Michael.

Overall, I liked this book. It features past history that should not be forgotten. Mr. Golden is a good storyteller. I would read another book from him. ( )

Nothing is Forgotten is a well crafted and deeply engrossing tale of a young man’s journey of discovery through a family history that was unknown to him. Michael had a pretty typical American upbringing; his parents owned a candy shop and his grandmother was there to care for him. He loves Rock and Roll and in all ways was living like any normal kid. Using some connections he soon turns his love of music into a job spinning records as a DJ and becomes known as “the mad Russian.” Then his grandmother is murdered and his life is turned upside down.

People around Michael feel that his life is in danger so they suggest he take an offer to work in Berlin. While overseas Michael starts to follow a trail that shows him parts of his grandmother’s life that he knew nothing about. He learns things about her and her family that shake the foundation of everything he knows about his family. He also finds himself caught up with a mysterious woman who helps him learn more about his grandmother and ultimately leads him to the answers he seeks about who killed her and why.

I found Nothing is Forgotten to be a hard book to put down. The characters are complicated and conflicted; there is much evil to be found in any novel that explores the impacts of Holocaust but there is also goodness as many people did what they could to battle the forces of hate. This book moves back and forth in time sharing Michael’s tale in the present with his grandmother’s life in the past.

There are no easy answers and this book doesn’t leave you with a clean and tidy ending. It does stay with you for days after you finish, popping into your thoughts at odd times. ( )

Golden’s Nothing is Forgotten features a central metaphor of Russian nesting dolls to drive deeper and deeper to reveal a story that keeps surprising the reader with all that it is-- a baffling murder mystery, a riveting historical novel, an espionage thriller with a dizzying cast of characters, a tragic family saga and, to top it off, a love story. This smorgasbord of interrelated plot points will certainly propel you through the pages, but as the novel crosses genres it also unfolds as a story of surprising charm and affection. I’m amazed at Golden’s skill in using love stories featuring open-hearted men entranced with complex women to ground his fresh takes on war-based stories we think we know-- from the Vietnam of Comeback Love to the World War II of Wherever There is Light and now the dual Cold War and Holocaust setting of Nothing is Forgotten. Golden is an historian, an edge-of-your seat storyteller and an optimistic romantic. The combination ensures you will not know where to put your bookmark as you read into the night. ( )

From the beloved author of Comeback Love and Wherever There Is Light, comes a novel about the life-changing journey of a young man who travels from New Jersey to Khrushchev’s Russia and the beaches of Southern France as he finds love and discovers the long-hidden secrets about his heritage.