tayloreve07's review against another edition
I actually found this to be one of the better ARCs I’ve gotten since I would pick them up according to almost no standards. Free is free you know? I found this one to be quite absorbing and I wanted to read it as opposed to just feeling obligated to finish it. Also the writing wasn’t bad at all.
However, most of the characters here are or were Nazis (or worked in some capacity for Nazi Germany) and that didn’t...sit great with me. I think it’s important to understand that, like Shrek, humans have many layers and things shouldn’t be painted black and white. And I think the main character did somewhat come to terms with her own responsibility for some horrible things that happened during the war. But then the fact she was thinking about this stuff made the ending feeling both rushed and unearned. I don’t know I feel conflicted.
However, most of the characters here are or were Nazis (or worked in some capacity for Nazi Germany) and that didn’t...sit great with me. I think it’s important to understand that, like Shrek, humans have many layers and things shouldn’t be painted black and white. And I think the main character did somewhat come to terms with her own responsibility for some horrible things that happened during the war. But then the fact she was thinking about this stuff made the ending feeling both rushed and unearned. I don’t know I feel conflicted.
rrickman33's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting look at Germany after WWII ended, rarely done with historical fiction. However, the characters were hard to like, many were war criminals. The ending was also too quick and too neatly wrapped up. It felt disingenuous after the rest of the book.
hodginb's review against another edition
4.0
I started this book and couldn’t put it down. I really liked the plot and the twist and turns that it had to offer. The only thing I would’ve liked more of was the romance between Jakob and Clara.
msvenner's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars… this is not what I expected but I enjoyed it. With so many books written in multiple timelines these days, I expected this to follow a similar pattern. Instead it stayed in a post war timeframe and offered glimpses as to what had occurred during the war. I liked the nuance of telling the story like this. I also really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into what it was like for Germans post war and the look exploration of choices Germans had to make when living under a Nazi regime. The exploration of what is collaboration, what is collusion and what is simply survival.
agustinap's review against another edition
4.0
I want to thank NetGalley, Anika Scott and HarperCollins for providing me this advanced copy.
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. As such, I have read many books revolving WWII but I don't believe I ever read one that is focus on the aftermath of the war. Having just come back from Mauthausen in Austria and reading about how most SS officers went on to live their lives after the war without any repercussion. It was interesting to see the British officer seeking everywhere for criminals of war.
I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends. Great read.
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. As such, I have read many books revolving WWII but I don't believe I ever read one that is focus on the aftermath of the war. Having just come back from Mauthausen in Austria and reading about how most SS officers went on to live their lives after the war without any repercussion. It was interesting to see the British officer seeking everywhere for criminals of war.
I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends. Great read.
curlygirl71's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Die Nachkriegszeit wird oft übersehen. Man hat den Zweiten Weltkrieg und startet dann meist gleich mit dem Kalten Krieg durch. Doch wie ging es den Menschen in der Zeit, die unmittelbar auf die Beendigung des Krieges folgte? Vor allem jenen in Deutschland?
Anika Scott, die selbst seit Jahren in Deutschland lebt, hat sich auf die Suche nach Antworten gemacht. Diese hat sie in diesem Buch verarbeitet und legt ein gut recherchiertes Werk vor, das mich tief berührt hat.
Die Autorin schafft es, das Leben der Menschen in den Trümmern zu schildern. Jener mit Vergangenheit und jener, die einfach nur überleben wollten. Dabei schafft es Scott, die Verbrechen der Kriegszeit weder schönzureden, noch zu vertuschen. Im Gegenteil - durch die zerbombte Umgebung werden die Schrecken der Kriegszeit umso greifbarer und deutlicher.
Die Frage nach der Schuld ist keine einfache, und Anika Scott versucht auch nicht, irgendetwas zu beantworten. Sie möchte nur darstellen, wie sich das Leben angefühlt hat. Das Leben in den Ruinen dessen, das einst ein Zuhause war.
Anika Scott, die selbst seit Jahren in Deutschland lebt, hat sich auf die Suche nach Antworten gemacht. Diese hat sie in diesem Buch verarbeitet und legt ein gut recherchiertes Werk vor, das mich tief berührt hat.
Die Autorin schafft es, das Leben der Menschen in den Trümmern zu schildern. Jener mit Vergangenheit und jener, die einfach nur überleben wollten. Dabei schafft es Scott, die Verbrechen der Kriegszeit weder schönzureden, noch zu vertuschen. Im Gegenteil - durch die zerbombte Umgebung werden die Schrecken der Kriegszeit umso greifbarer und deutlicher.
Die Frage nach der Schuld ist keine einfache, und Anika Scott versucht auch nicht, irgendetwas zu beantworten. Sie möchte nur darstellen, wie sich das Leben angefühlt hat. Das Leben in den Ruinen dessen, das einst ein Zuhause war.
wombat_88's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
3.0
Fraulein Muller is an insignificant woman living in Hamelin in 1946. When she accepts the proposal of a local doctor she is shocked to find out that he worked in a death camp. She decides to confront her past and visit Essen, her former home. Fraulein Muller is an alias, she is really Clara Falkenburg, heiress to a vast industrial empire, former poster girl for the Reich and a wanted woman - Clara is forced to confront the decisions she made during the war and risk everything for those she loves.
I liked the premise of this book but not the execution. There is a really interesting story here but it gets bogged down in too much detail and I found whole stretches of it too long and not very interesting. The final ending was just a little too convenient!
I liked the premise of this book but not the execution. There is a really interesting story here but it gets bogged down in too much detail and I found whole stretches of it too long and not very interesting. The final ending was just a little too convenient!