thebookbasics's review against another edition
3.0
“The Women in the Castle” tells the story of how three German women were thrown together and survived WWII. Aptly named, these women camped out in a castle previously in main character Marianne’s family. Marianne was a force to be reckoned with from the beginning. In a time where women were kept in the dark about “men’s work,” Marianne was the only wife to know about her husband’s plan to take down Hitler.
Marianne’s husband Albrecht worked with a large group of like-minded men within Germany that formed a resistance beneath Hitler’s rule. When it became clear that Hitler could not be stopped, they set out to assassinate them. Their failed attempt triggered their executions and Marianne’s endeavor to protect the wives of the other resistors in Albrecht’s network. Marianne brings together two other women – Benita and Ania – and their respective children. This makeshift family grew together over the years and were bound together long after the war ended.
An acclaimed author, Jessica Shattuck delved into a narrative that has rarely been discussed. Most novels focus on the allies and those who opposed Hitler, but very few that I’ve read so far go behind enemy lines to talk about life from a German standpoint, particularly for a group of women from various backgrounds.
Of course, “The Women in the Castle” was exceedingly compared to “The Nightingale.” “The Nightingale” is quite possibly my all-time favorite book, but this comparison has increasingly become a pet peeve of mine because it sets up unrealistically high expectations and the only common thread is that they are both novels about women surviving during WWII.
The two books are wholly different and “The Women in the Castle” focuses more on family and friendship than heroic acts of defiance. It’s easy to understand how Marianne and “her women” became a family during the war, but the most interesting part of this novel to me was the years after the war and the friendships that developed. Seeing how each woman changed, evolved, and tried to move on from their pasts was incredibly moving and realistic. The story lagged at times going into an in-depth history lesson, but one that is so important to read and understand because it is so seldom considered.
For this and other reviews: https://thebookbasics.wordpress.com/
Marianne’s husband Albrecht worked with a large group of like-minded men within Germany that formed a resistance beneath Hitler’s rule. When it became clear that Hitler could not be stopped, they set out to assassinate them. Their failed attempt triggered their executions and Marianne’s endeavor to protect the wives of the other resistors in Albrecht’s network. Marianne brings together two other women – Benita and Ania – and their respective children. This makeshift family grew together over the years and were bound together long after the war ended.
An acclaimed author, Jessica Shattuck delved into a narrative that has rarely been discussed. Most novels focus on the allies and those who opposed Hitler, but very few that I’ve read so far go behind enemy lines to talk about life from a German standpoint, particularly for a group of women from various backgrounds.
Of course, “The Women in the Castle” was exceedingly compared to “The Nightingale.” “The Nightingale” is quite possibly my all-time favorite book, but this comparison has increasingly become a pet peeve of mine because it sets up unrealistically high expectations and the only common thread is that they are both novels about women surviving during WWII.
The two books are wholly different and “The Women in the Castle” focuses more on family and friendship than heroic acts of defiance. It’s easy to understand how Marianne and “her women” became a family during the war, but the most interesting part of this novel to me was the years after the war and the friendships that developed. Seeing how each woman changed, evolved, and tried to move on from their pasts was incredibly moving and realistic. The story lagged at times going into an in-depth history lesson, but one that is so important to read and understand because it is so seldom considered.
For this and other reviews: https://thebookbasics.wordpress.com/
nicolesnook's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend this book. It was beautifully written. The novel tells the story of three German widows of WWII who are brought together from circumstances after the war. The way the author switches time periods and point of view in different chapters really keeps the reader interested and allows the story to develop. Each woman has such a different perspective, that you really see how deeply an entire generation was affected by the Nazi regime. The change in time period allows characters to reflect on the decisions they have made and lets the reader see the same events differently with the progression of time.
mltd54's review against another edition
3.0
I felt like this book was a bit of a letdown. I loved the history but the title made it seem like the castle would play a bigger roll than it did. I think the character development was average but some areas were washed over.
rosann's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion...
I didn't love this book - which surprised me base on the books that its been compared too - loved The Nightingale, didn't love Sarah's Key but thought it was a good book, haven't yet read The Light Between Oceans. So I fully expected to be awestruck. But I wasn't. I didn't hate it either... I think it has it's good points - I appreciated learning more about the typical German - resistor and Hitler supporter - and learning more about how brutal life in Germany was after the war for everyone. But I felt like I kept waiting for it to do something more - some surprise twist or revelation or something that would make it stand out... it never came. Don't regret reading it, but I probably won't ever read it again.
I didn't love this book - which surprised me base on the books that its been compared too - loved The Nightingale, didn't love Sarah's Key but thought it was a good book, haven't yet read The Light Between Oceans. So I fully expected to be awestruck. But I wasn't. I didn't hate it either... I think it has it's good points - I appreciated learning more about the typical German - resistor and Hitler supporter - and learning more about how brutal life in Germany was after the war for everyone. But I felt like I kept waiting for it to do something more - some surprise twist or revelation or something that would make it stand out... it never came. Don't regret reading it, but I probably won't ever read it again.
trutiffany's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book as a part of Goodreads' first reads. An intriguing tale of a web of people and how WWII affected them.
mcerrin's review against another edition
3.0
I did like this book a lot and I'd recommend it to others. I just didn't feel any real connection with the characters and I found myself not really liking anyone very much so hence the 3 stars.
jenna_cross's review against another edition
4.0
This story was well done. The women each had their own histories regarding WWII and it was intriguing to have them revealed. Seeing it from German citizens points of view, some agreed, some disagreed and some thought there was no way crazy Hitler would come into power. It hit a little too close to home when the words from a radio broadcast of Hitler's propaganda were almost verbatim to some of the things my current president has spoken (tweeted). We are in a very volatile time.
knit3314's review against another edition
4.0
Another WWII novel however a different from a different perspective; that of German women who were either pro-Hitler or with the resistance in Germany. Each individual women's stories were well written intersecting narratives that fit together creating an overall picture of what the war and aftermath was like for women of means, women from poverty, and those in between.
A powerful novel about doing what one thinks is right and how those decisions impact lives and how they can be so wrong in hindsight.
Definitely a great novel.
A powerful novel about doing what one thinks is right and how those decisions impact lives and how they can be so wrong in hindsight.
Definitely a great novel.
bleyz16's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an unbiased review.
I really enjoyed this book. I typically love WWII novels, but tend to avoid them due to the horrors of the concentration camps. I think it's an important part of history which should never be forgotten otherwise we risk repeating history.
What I really loved about Jessica Shattuck's book was the telling of a different side of the war, what is was like to be a German resister living in Germany. Each woman had their own distinct personality and flaws which added to the overall beautiful and heartbreaking story. I loved the setting of the castle and I really feel like Jessica did an excellent job in explaining how and why people living in Germany tolerated and turned a blind eye to the horrors of Hitler and his Final Solution.
Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this book. I typically love WWII novels, but tend to avoid them due to the horrors of the concentration camps. I think it's an important part of history which should never be forgotten otherwise we risk repeating history.
What I really loved about Jessica Shattuck's book was the telling of a different side of the war, what is was like to be a German resister living in Germany. Each woman had their own distinct personality and flaws which added to the overall beautiful and heartbreaking story. I loved the setting of the castle and I really feel like Jessica did an excellent job in explaining how and why people living in Germany tolerated and turned a blind eye to the horrors of Hitler and his Final Solution.
Highly recommend!
kbfrantom's review against another edition
4.0
Marianna makes a promise to her husband to take care of the families of his friends if their plot against Hitler doesn't work out. After World War II has taken their husbands who were resistors to Germany, Marianne searches for other widows and they take refuge in a ruined castle. The story is shows how even those who opposed Hitler felt guilt about what happened, how they were helpless to really do much. Even though the women form a family, they hold secrets that may hurt their friendship. These quotes helped me understand how Germans who didn't agree with Hitler looked away for so long. It was a different time when without verifiable facts, many people did not believe the stories of horror they heard.
"Sometimes it is easier to see clearly from a distance. And what is up close is harder to make out."
"She knew of the horrors and she didn't. She half-knew-but there is no word for that. She knew it the way you know something is happening far away in a distant land, something you have no control over; earthquake refugees living is squalid conditions or victims in a foreign war."
"Sometimes it is easier to see clearly from a distance. And what is up close is harder to make out."
"She knew of the horrors and she didn't. She half-knew-but there is no word for that. She knew it the way you know something is happening far away in a distant land, something you have no control over; earthquake refugees living is squalid conditions or victims in a foreign war."