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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Berlin, 1930 —When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.
Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.
It's books like The German Wife that made me fall in love with historical fiction. Kelly Rimmer has been on my to-read list for a while, how I haven’t read her books earlier? When I finished The German Wife I couldn’t wait to check out the rest of her books. This story was one of the most emotional historical fiction books that I have read in a while. I always loved historical fiction that told stories in dual storylines, and that featured more than one character. The German Wife tells a story of a German wife, Sofie, and an American wife, Lizzie. The two of them are such different people, and that’s what made this book unique. Lizzie changed so much since the Dust Bowl, and in the present time, Lizzie was not the Lizzie I remember during the 1930s. I wondered if Lizzie wished that she gave Sofie more of a chance, and not judged her because she was German. My heart broke for Sofie, and her children, and how she was treated just because she was German, even if she had nothing to do with what happened.
I was afraid that Henry was up to something, but I had no idea how far he was willing to go. There was so much tension in this story, to the point where I knew that I should put the book down, but I couldn’t. There was one part of me that wanted to see how the story would end, but there was another part of me, that wasn’t sure that I wanted to know how it would end. From the book, the last few chapters were the most intense ones and had you on the edge of your seat until you turned the last page. When I turned the last page, the story was still with me, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I ended up telling my mom, and some of my friends because it has so much impact on me.
It was…haunting, magnificent.
Having two timelines, told from two different character worked great for this book. I knew a little about the Dust Bowl, but I learned even more once I read this book. I wondered how Sofie and Lizzie would come together in the present time story. I did not like how Lizzie treated her, I didn’t like the new Lizzie. What I loved about Lizzie is how she protected her brother. The lengths you would go, to protect your family, your loved ones. I loved the story between Sofie and Jürgen the most, the way they tried to protect each other, and sometimes make the decisions that they didn’t want. I cried, laughed, and got angry along with them. I felt like I was there. I would highly recommend this to any historical fiction fans.
Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.
It's books like The German Wife that made me fall in love with historical fiction. Kelly Rimmer has been on my to-read list for a while, how I haven’t read her books earlier? When I finished The German Wife I couldn’t wait to check out the rest of her books. This story was one of the most emotional historical fiction books that I have read in a while. I always loved historical fiction that told stories in dual storylines, and that featured more than one character. The German Wife tells a story of a German wife, Sofie, and an American wife, Lizzie. The two of them are such different people, and that’s what made this book unique. Lizzie changed so much since the Dust Bowl, and in the present time, Lizzie was not the Lizzie I remember during the 1930s. I wondered if Lizzie wished that she gave Sofie more of a chance, and not judged her because she was German. My heart broke for Sofie, and her children, and how she was treated just because she was German, even if she had nothing to do with what happened.
I was afraid that Henry was up to something, but I had no idea how far he was willing to go. There was so much tension in this story, to the point where I knew that I should put the book down, but I couldn’t. There was one part of me that wanted to see how the story would end, but there was another part of me, that wasn’t sure that I wanted to know how it would end. From the book, the last few chapters were the most intense ones and had you on the edge of your seat until you turned the last page. When I turned the last page, the story was still with me, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I ended up telling my mom, and some of my friends because it has so much impact on me.
It was…haunting, magnificent.
Having two timelines, told from two different character worked great for this book. I knew a little about the Dust Bowl, but I learned even more once I read this book. I wondered how Sofie and Lizzie would come together in the present time story. I did not like how Lizzie treated her, I didn’t like the new Lizzie. What I loved about Lizzie is how she protected her brother. The lengths you would go, to protect your family, your loved ones. I loved the story between Sofie and Jürgen the most, the way they tried to protect each other, and sometimes make the decisions that they didn’t want. I cried, laughed, and got angry along with them. I felt like I was there. I would highly recommend this to any historical fiction fans.
emotional
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Ths is not just another World War II story. It is the story of 2 women growing up under very different circumstances half a world away from each other until, one day, their paths tragically cross.
The backdrop is Project Paperclip: the American government's plan to poach German scientists in the chaos immediately following the war's end in order to build the U.S. space program. The tension is in living and working alongside someone who was previously your mortal enemy.
The book tells the story of these 2 women swinging back and forth between the pre and post war periods. While fiction, the author touches upon the social issues of the time in a very personal way. It challenges the reader with the complex ethical dilemmas faced by the book's characters. Things are always more complicated than we'd like to think.
A worthwhile read that was hard to put down.
The backdrop is Project Paperclip: the American government's plan to poach German scientists in the chaos immediately following the war's end in order to build the U.S. space program. The tension is in living and working alongside someone who was previously your mortal enemy.
The book tells the story of these 2 women swinging back and forth between the pre and post war periods. While fiction, the author touches upon the social issues of the time in a very personal way. It challenges the reader with the complex ethical dilemmas faced by the book's characters. Things are always more complicated than we'd like to think.
A worthwhile read that was hard to put down.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Antisemitism, War
One of my favorite quotes I highlighted while reading was, “thinking of my children asleep upstairs. If love was the antidote to hate, surely the vastness of the love I felt for them could make some difference, even with everything else they were exposed to.”
This book is full of action, heartache and intensity. There were multiple times I had to walk away from it to breathe. I felt so much of what the characters were going through even though I have not experienced the exact circumstances.
My only complaints have to do with the organization of the content, not the content itself. It is well written and compelling; however, the beginning was difficult to get past. There are short chapters at the beginning that jump between two women in different countries at different time periods. It was a lot to piece together.
I would still highly recommend this book to historical fiction lovers but not if you are not a fan of split points of view or time jumps.
This book is full of action, heartache and intensity. There were multiple times I had to walk away from it to breathe. I felt so much of what the characters were going through even though I have not experienced the exact circumstances.
My only complaints have to do with the organization of the content, not the content itself. It is well written and compelling; however, the beginning was difficult to get past. There are short chapters at the beginning that jump between two women in different countries at different time periods. It was a lot to piece together.
I would still highly recommend this book to historical fiction lovers but not if you are not a fan of split points of view or time jumps.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I just couldn’t get myself all that interested in this book. The last chapter was the best one.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This was really challenging to read but added a perspective to my view of the second world war I don't often consider.