barbaraalfond 's review for:

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

4.0

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I can't recall having quite the same reaction to a book, which was one of growing admiration as I moved through the chapters. Generally speaking, and I am sure that the same is true for most of you, I can eke out in fifty pages or so —or, in some cases, far fewer—whether I will be impressed with a writer's efforts. In this case, Jessica Shattuck's prose, and her story line, really seemed to get better and better, to the point that I was moved to tears several times towards the end, and was terribly impressed with the seriousness of her intentions. I cannot recall a novel that deals so intentionally and so successfully with the gestalt of German citizens since Ursula Heig's Stones From The River. The Women In The Castle compares favorably with what I still consider to be a masterpiece of this genre. It's definitely worth reading.