My Review for The Berlin Wife's Resistance by Marion Kummerow (German Wives Book 3)

I love this series from Marion Kummerow. The Berlin Wife’s Resistance is the third book in the German Wives series and we start this book as we finished off the second, where Julius and Edith are at the Swiss border hoping to escape Germany to begin a new life.

Once again, I had my heart in my mouth throughout the entire book. Just what was in store for the families that were simply trying to stay alive in the country of their birth? A country that no longer wants them and will go to the utmost atrocities to rid Germany of these people, by any means necessary.

Marion Kummerow always researches her books brilliantly, and this one was no exception. I always learn something new when reading one of her novels and as I closed the cover on this one I was blown away by the attitude of the women who tried to save their families.

I recommend that you read this series in order to enable yourself to get the full story, and if you enjoy historical fiction and in particular a war story, then I hope you’ll enjoy this one too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review The Berlin Wife’s Resistance by Marion Kummerow.

About the Book

The soldier looks her dead in the eye, his weapon raised. “You must leave now,” he warns. But this is her last chance to save her husband, and she won’t be silenced…

1943. Fleeing Germany had been Edith Falkenstein and her Jewish husband Julius’s last hope, selling their remaining precious possessions to make the gruelling journey. But to their horror, they are turned away at the Swiss border. Devastated, they return to the tiny Berlin apartment they share with other Jewish families, with its peeling wallpaper and bare kitchen cupboards. It is a world away from the heady glamour of their lives before.

Edith’s worst fears come true when Julius is brutally arrested and imprisoned alongside thousands of other Jewish men, destined for the camps. When she hears the news, Edith feels her heart crack wide open with unbearable grief.

But then she hears of women gathering outside the prison in their hundreds—wives and mothers from every walk of life whose relatives have also been taken. They are united by a single, desperate wish. She links arms with the woman next to her and takes up the chant.

Standing among these brave women offers Edith a flicker of hope. But can they really save their loved ones? And as Edith faces the lines of German soldiers with cold savagery in their eyes, will she pay the ultimate price for this small act of courage?

An absolutely unputdownable, heartbreaking and hopeful story of love and courage. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, My Name is Eva and The Nightingale will be swept away by this book based on incredible true events.

About Marion

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.

Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.

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My Review for The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford

I have just closed this book, and a shiver went right through me, as it did throughout the time I was reading it. We all know about Auschwitz and many of you will have read fiction books based on actual events throughout this time, indeed one of my favourite genres is historical fiction. However, I have never been as moved and affected as when reading The Stable Boy of Auschwitz. ‘A heartbreaking true story of courage and survival’, as stated on the cover; honestly, this is an understatement. Henry (Heinz) Oster was just eleven years old when the Second World War began and this book is his memoir as he revisits those heart-wrenching and traumatic years of his childhood.

The first three chapters are primarily about the history of the Jewish people and how Adolf Hitler came to be in power. The next fifty-four are an account of Henry’s horrific story, how he coped and how he endured and survived the Holocaust. Told from a very personal viewpoint, The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is just one man’s account. Never forget that, sadly, there were hundreds of thousands more like Henry.

The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is a must-read for anyone who has any interest in the horrors of the concentration camps during WWII and is an educational read for anyone who needs to know more. In my opinion, this is something every person should be aware of, and something that must never, ever be forgotten.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thread Books for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford.

Book Description

This heart-wrenching memoir from a Holocaust survivor reveals the terrible realities of life in Auschwitz—and how a courageous young stable boy survived against all odds to tell his story.​ “ I couldn ’ t last much longer. But just as I was beginning to give up, I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, with rows of stalls filled with horses.” Henry Oster was just five years old when Adolf Hitler took power in 1933. He was the last survivor of the 2,011 Jews who were rounded up by the Gestapo and deported from Cologne. Assigned to back-breaking labor in the Auschwitz horse-breeding stables, Henry clung to the belief that if he made himself hard to replace, he might stay alive.

Henry was one of the 2,011 Jews who were deported from Cologne, through it all, he found the strength to survive and was one of only 23 to emerge alive from the concentration camps after the war.

How did one starving boy, alone and forgotten, survive this ultimate hell on earth? The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is the heart-breaking, mesmerizing, and unforgettable true story that will destroy your faith in humanity . . . and then build it back up again.

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My Review for The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle Van Rijn

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another World War II story that needed to be told. Based on true events, The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle van Rijn was first published in the Netherlands and has now been translated into English.

Betty is our protagonist and comes across as such an inspiring young girl. She put her own life at risk, countless times, in order to try to save children from being deported to the dreaded concentration camps as the war progressed. 

Most of us are aware of the concentration camps and what happened within, but I’m pretty sure few of us are aware of all the differing struggles going on elsewhere. The Orphans of Amsterdam is a heartbreaking story which once again shows the cruelty that happened around eighty years ago and once again I found it difficult to believe that human beings could be so callous. That thousands of children were taken from their mothers and simply put on trains to die is unfathomable. 

If you are interested in learning about what happened during the war, then I would definitely recommend The Orphans of Amsterdam.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle Van Rijn.

Book Description

Amsterdam, 1941. My hands are so shaky I’m fumbling. Where to hide? I pull open the dresser, throw aside the blankets, put the baby in and push the drawer shut, just as the nursery door swings open. The German officer marches into the room, yelling over the crying downstairs: ‘You! Grab all the children – now!’

Based on the heart-wrenching true story of an ordinary young woman who risked everything to save countless children from the Nazis.

My name is Betty. Until a few months ago, I was just like every other nursery teacher in the city… then the Nazis came and began to take our children away. Now, the nursery is part of a German deportation centre. Little ones and their families are being forced across the border, to a place called Auschwitz. No one comes back.

So when I hear there’s an underground network to save the children, I know I have to help. Sometimes the parents won’t be parted from them, and sometimes we can’t get to them in time – there are spies everywhere. But each time I smuggle the warm, innocent bundle of a sleeping baby past the Nazi guards and into the arms of the resistance, I know it’s worth the risk.

Tonight, in the pitch black, we are readying five little ones to escape ahead of a transport tomorrow. We don’t know where they’re going, and they may never see their parents again. As I button their coats and smooth their hair, my hands trembling, I hear the nightmare sound of heavy army boots on the stairs. My breath catches and my blood runs cold…

A heartbreaking and gripping read that will have you reaching for the tissues. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Nightingale.

Author Bio

Elle van Rijn is a Dutch actress, screenwriter of series and films, and author of columns, although her greatest passion lies with writing novels.

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My Review for the Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I listened to The Hidden Village, by Imogen Matthews as an Audiobook which was narrated by Antonia Whillans. 

Set in Holland in 1943, The Hidden Village is a secret village that the Dutch people built to hide Jewish people and anyone else who needed protection from the Germans. We follow the variety of characters who are involved in the village, whether building it, living there or maintaining it and slowly we become immersed in their lives.

Although rather slow, it kept me hooked, as I was desperate to find out how things ended for Sofie and her friends. Based on true events, I was curious how an entire village could remain hidden from the Germans for so long, and it was interesting to research this further once I’d finished the book.

I have read many books set in World War II, and it’s eye-opening to read about it from another point of view, this time primarily from Dutch citizens. Everyone should know what happened in the war, and fiction books which are based on facts are an entertaining and insightful way to gain the knowledge.

Listening as an Audiobook, the narrator, Antonia Whillans, brought the characters to life and probably made the story more tense and foreboding than just reading alone might have done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to listen to and review an ARC of The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews.

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My Review For The Dream Keepers by Linda Keen

⭐⭐⭐⭐. My first book review was for The Dream Keepers by Linda Keen which I reviewed in August 2020 for Online Book Club.  I found it quite difficult to grab my interest at the beginning and I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to finish it but how wrong I was!

In essence, the book is about a young brother and sister who, together, learn to find their way in a world that isn’t always accepting or tolerating the people who live in it. The novel follows their lives as they develop from children into young adults and how they deal with various situations and other people along the way. From their families to their friends and from strangers both kind and not so kind, Star and Thatcher deal with whatever life throws at them as they continue on life’s journey, showing the true meaning of being there for each other.

The book covers a multitude of life’s issues, from race and culture to suicide and near-death experiences and although it took me a few chapters to become used to the characters, I was soon embroiled in their lives and this became a real page-turner. I found the sister to be an addictive character and I often discovered myself encouraging her in some of her adventures and wanting to be involved.

There are many dream experiences described in the book and these are what I disliked the most throughout the story. Although I understand the relevance and insight these provided, in my opinion there probably didn’t need to be as many and I wanted to read through these as quickly as possible and to return to the main characters and their stories.

On the flip side, I found that the descriptions of the different characters, cities, and environments the children found themselves in were what I enjoyed the most. They were well written and the author drags the reader into each situation and you can imagine yourself being with the kids along their journeys.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a novel with a spiritual undertone, for those who value the importance and learning that reading about race, culture, and diversity brings and for those that like to be immersed in someone else’s world for a while to bring you relief from your own. I will definitely be looking out for future novels by Linda Keen.

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