A review by kne
City of Women by David R. Gillham

3.0

I was looking forward to reading this book for book club because [b:Annelies|38721012|Annelies|David R. Gillham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522566594l/38721012._SY75_.jpg|60301679] was one of the best books I read this year. I must admit to being a bit disappointed. I don't think he fully captured what Berlin was like when so many men left during WWII (making it a "city of women"), particularly so much of the plot focused on the men who were there. There was entirely too much emphasis on romance (if you want to be generous) and/or sex (if you want to be realistic). General consensus in book club was that too much of the book read as a male fantasy of female sexuality. The horny housewife bit was taken entirely too far, and said housewife's entrée into the Berlin underground movement seemed too implausible and contrived. The plot also gets increasingly melodramatic. It's true I wasn't blown away, but it was still a decent read and had its positives. Gillham is a good writer, and I enjoy his words. It was also an interesting choice to make a Jewish character during WWII so morally ambiguous rather than as as two-dimensional victim. While I wouldn't recommend this as must-read historical fiction, it does fill a niche for stories of the German homefront during WWII. But if you've never read Gillham before, definitely start with Annelies instead.