After receiving a scholarship to attend a school of architecture in Paris, Andras, a 22-year-old Hungarian Jew, leaves his home country to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. He meets and falls in love with the beautiful Claire Morgenstern, who is also Hungarian but reluctant to share information about why she is dwelling in Paris. It’s 1939 and Hitler is shaking things up as the threat of war looms in Europe. The Hungarian Consulate refuses to renew Andras’ visa because he is Jewish, and he is forced to return to Budapest without finishing his degree. Claire returns to Hungary with him. They marry and Andras is called up to serve in a forced labor camp in the Ukraine. For three years, Andras barely survives the labor service. Meanwhile his family is stripped of their homes and sent to live in the Jewish ghettos. Claire’s secretive past nearly causes complete devastation for her family. It is the love between Andras and Claire that helps them endure their hardships. A detailed, well-written historical novel and one of my favorite books. Fans of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See will enjoy The Invisible Bridge.