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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved this book. I have read so many WW2 books but never from the perspective of a German family involved with the nazi party. This book did such a good job at making you feel something for Sophie and her family. On paper you would hate them for how the flourished during the war and the husbands rocket work contributed to thousands of deaths. But it really made me think: you don’t know what you would do if you were put in the same position. It’s easy to say you’d find ways to not join the party or secretly fight back, but if your children’s lives are threatened you might think twice. The hatred they faced when they came to America I guess was their penance but the ones who truly suffer are the children. I was so happy her friend survived it made the ending so much better (and glad her husband survived his gunshot wound too!). Such a good story! I wasn’t crazy about Lizzie’s character and how she floated about but overall great read!
I found this work of historical fiction to be interesting, thought-provoking, and compelling. While the characters are fictionalized conglomerations of real people, the moral questions and issues addressed through the stories are important to reflect upon. I was struck by so many of the things that Sofie rationalized, worried about, and kept inside. Standing up for what one knows to be right is noble and good, but is not isolated and can have unforetold consequences. It’s too easy to look at a period, such as the Nazi regime, and say “if you didn’t stand against it, you were complicit.” I appreciated the nuance this story offered, the tricky shadows that leave any semblance of black and white thinking behind.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Suicide
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Hell is simply the place where hope is lost.” ~ Kelly Rimmer, The German Wife
This dual timeline/narrative really works in this novel. It’s rare to find a book in which I am invested in all the characters, a mark of great writing. Rimmer had my emotions tied in knots as I contemplated the turmoil Sofie felt as she watched her beloved Berlin transform into something unrecognizable and was forced to consider what she and her husband must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security. Opposing the Nazi regime had severe consequences. I found it especially disturbing that the Nazis brainwashed impressionable children against the Jews. When the family moved to Alabama, Sofie was thrust into a foreign environment in which she is a complete outsider, loathed by most of those around her.
Rimmer’s research was impressive. Operation Paperclip was an immense undertaking that brought 1,600 German scientists and engineers—specialists in rocketry, chemistry, physics, architecture, and medicine—to the United States to design and built rockets. Jürgen’s career loosely follows that of the historical figure Wernher von Braun. Another storyline was inspired by the life of Gerda Weissmann Klein, a concentration camp survivor liberated after a death march wearing the ski boots her father insisted would help her survive.
The German Wife is my favorite Kelly Rimmer book. 4.5 stars rounded up to five.
* Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy of this book. The opinions are my own.
This dual timeline/narrative really works in this novel. It’s rare to find a book in which I am invested in all the characters, a mark of great writing. Rimmer had my emotions tied in knots as I contemplated the turmoil Sofie felt as she watched her beloved Berlin transform into something unrecognizable and was forced to consider what she and her husband must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security. Opposing the Nazi regime had severe consequences. I found it especially disturbing that the Nazis brainwashed impressionable children against the Jews. When the family moved to Alabama, Sofie was thrust into a foreign environment in which she is a complete outsider, loathed by most of those around her.
Rimmer’s research was impressive. Operation Paperclip was an immense undertaking that brought 1,600 German scientists and engineers—specialists in rocketry, chemistry, physics, architecture, and medicine—to the United States to design and built rockets. Jürgen’s career loosely follows that of the historical figure Wernher von Braun. Another storyline was inspired by the life of Gerda Weissmann Klein, a concentration camp survivor liberated after a death march wearing the ski boots her father insisted would help her survive.
The German Wife is my favorite Kelly Rimmer book. 4.5 stars rounded up to five.
* Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy of this book. The opinions are my own.
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with historical fiction. At the start, I love the way fiction simplifies complex historical issues to make them more accessible. But by the end, I always hate the oversimplification. This book is no exception. I didn’t love the writing, and it’s a little too tidy at the end, but it’s a very compelling story.
Audio. Historical fiction about German families coming to Alabama to help with space science after WWII. The stories of the women coming into conflict with each other were realistic and engaging, and the setting was one that I had not heard about, so that was good for me. I found myself angry at the blinders they wore and the assumptions they made, which means it was well-written.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced