valerylh's review against another edition
3.0
This one's a little hard for me to rate - I'm going with 3.5 stars. There were times when I loved the book and times when it moved too slowly, or was I just bored? My opinions of different characters changed as I moved through the story - I liked Marianne at the beginning but then she became far too judgmental of everyone else. I loved Anya's story when they finally got to it. And while the ending was somewhat satisfying, it didn't blow me away.
auntblh's review against another edition
2.0
Although I liked the writing, I didn't care much for the content. I guess I was hoping for something cheerier instead of the horrors of war. I got about halfway through and didn't want to listen anymore. It might have something to with the time of year or just wanting a happier story.
kreinard's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
I was really surprised by this one and the direction it took. It is not common among WWII books to be about Germans and Nazi's and painting them in a compassionate light. I think the author did this well and with great care (which I found out more about in the Author's Note at the end).
I really liked that this book continually made me put myself in the shoes of each of the characters; I was at once a young girl trying to escape her peasant past and dreaming of a better life with a strong man. I was then a self-righteous yet burdened wife of a resister coming to terms with my role in the war. And lastly, I was a young German blinded by the atrocities around me as well as those I was committing.
Jessica Shattuck did a wonderful job of putting me in each of these roles and helping me to understand the characters choices, their lives and the way they live with themselves after the war is over. It was a new and fresh perspective for me and I enjoyed that it stretched me and made me really think about the choices we make and under what circumstances.
I was really surprised by this one and the direction it took. It is not common among WWII books to be about Germans and Nazi's and painting them in a compassionate light. I think the author did this well and with great care (which I found out more about in the Author's Note at the end).
I really liked that this book continually made me put myself in the shoes of each of the characters; I was at once a young girl trying to escape her peasant past and dreaming of a better life with a strong man. I was then a self-righteous yet burdened wife of a resister coming to terms with my role in the war. And lastly, I was a young German blinded by the atrocities around me as well as those I was committing.
Jessica Shattuck did a wonderful job of putting me in each of these roles and helping me to understand the characters choices, their lives and the way they live with themselves after the war is over. It was a new and fresh perspective for me and I enjoyed that it stretched me and made me really think about the choices we make and under what circumstances.
sheilabookworm3369's review against another edition
4.0
There were a couple times I worried this story would go on forever, but I'm so glad I ignored those brief concerns, because this is a really good book. It's told from the perspective of three German women that witness (and in one case, rebel against) the uprising of the Nazi army & it's subsequent downfall. Besides the stories of these characters, the stuff going on in the background struck me as very interesting; how the people had to deal with and overcome a communal shame for the crimes their country committed, whether the characters participated or not. It's a perspective I hadn't given much thought to prior to The Women in the Castle.
janetreads's review against another edition
4.0
Novels based in WWII can often be full of tropes that, at best, are tiring. So I was interested in but wary of this book at first. This author avoided tropes of WWII literature/stories/films/tv shows and created an emotionally and ethically compelling novel that sought to understand the big questions you hope literature shines a light on: what is it to be human, and does this change with time and place?; how much agency does have an individual have?; what should one prioritize in choices? And how do we reflect on our experiences?
pmg227's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve read many books of historical fiction that take place during World War II, but few that are from the vantage point of German characters. (One exception that comes to mind is the excellent The Book Thief by Markus Zusak). The Women in the Castle is a new book of historical fiction coming out in April, and it is a story of three German women whose husbands were involved in an attempt to assassinate Hitler during the war. What happens to these women during and after the war because of this (obviously, unsuccessful) attempt creates a story that examines good and evil in the choices that people make. How do our choices affect, not only ourselves, but also those we love and want to protect?
In spite of the inevitable sadness running through this book, I was easily caught up into the story and could commiserate with each character and the hard choices they were forced to make. The three women were distinct with their own personalities. They came from different backgrounds with secrets to hide, children to protect, and the need to find their way through a new world after their old one was destroyed.
Shattuck was able to write her story because of the memories and recollections of others, among them her own grandmother, mother, and aunt. There really was a German resistance and because of the research Shattuck has done, we can learn much of what people endured and why they may have made some of the decisions that they did.
Lovely writing and intriguing characters set in a difficult, but important time in history. Highly recommend!
In spite of the inevitable sadness running through this book, I was easily caught up into the story and could commiserate with each character and the hard choices they were forced to make. The three women were distinct with their own personalities. They came from different backgrounds with secrets to hide, children to protect, and the need to find their way through a new world after their old one was destroyed.
Shattuck was able to write her story because of the memories and recollections of others, among them her own grandmother, mother, and aunt. There really was a German resistance and because of the research Shattuck has done, we can learn much of what people endured and why they may have made some of the decisions that they did.
Lovely writing and intriguing characters set in a difficult, but important time in history. Highly recommend!
clsl's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written, perhaps a little slow, material you've heard about before but from a very different angle and with new insights. Only gave it three because it's a hard book to "like" even if it is meaningful.
tedigould23's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
suvata's review against another edition
3.0
#LitsyBuddyRead for February 2018
Post-WWII novel about a woman whose husband was murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. She promised him that she would find and care for the other widows and children of his allies in the resistance movement. The story was very good and I may have rated it a little higher but, at times, it seemed a little “dry“ and slow moving.
Post-WWII novel about a woman whose husband was murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. She promised him that she would find and care for the other widows and children of his allies in the resistance movement. The story was very good and I may have rated it a little higher but, at times, it seemed a little “dry“ and slow moving.
sewcialist_librarian's review against another edition
3.0
War novels are not my thing. In fact, chic-lit-y war novels are even less my thing. While I wouldn't run out and buy another similar book, Shattuck is gifted in her craft.
There are no mind-blowing secrets. There are no wildly improbable events. This a simple, almost understated, fictional tale of three women tied together by time and circumstance.
There are no mind-blowing secrets. There are no wildly improbable events. This a simple, almost understated, fictional tale of three women tied together by time and circumstance.