Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

In this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve, one American woman’s vision in post WWII Germany will tie together three people in an unexpected way.

Lost in the streets and smoldering rubble of Occupied Germany, Ethel Gathers, the proud wife of an American soldier spots a gaggle of mixed-race children following a nun. Desperate to conceive her own family, she feels compelled to follow them to learn their story.

Ozzie Philips volunteers for the army in 1948, eager to break barriers for Black soldiers. Despite his best efforts, he finds the racism he encountered at home in Philadelphia has followed him overseas. He finds solace in the arms of Jelka, a German woman struggling with the lack of resources and even joy in her destroyed country.

In 1965, Sophia Clark discovers she’s been given an opportunity to integrate a prestigious boarding school in Maryland and leave behind her spiteful parents and the grueling demands. In a chance meeting with a fellow classmate, she discovers a secret that upends her world.

Toggling between the lives of these three individuals, Keeper of Lost Children explores how one woman’s vision will change the course of countless lives, and demonstrates that love in its myriad of forms—familial, parental, and forbidden, even love of self—can be transcendent.

Kindle Edition, 464 pages

Expected publication February 10, 2026

by Simon & Schuster CA

5/5 stars

The Keeper of Lost Children is a moving historical fiction novel that brings to light a remarkable, largely overlooked chapter of post–World War II history. Given the author's 2 previous books I knew I was in for a captivating read.

Inspired by the life events that explores the aftermath of World War 2 through a couple points of view. One perspective follows an American woman living in Germany with her husband, longing to become a mother but unable to conceive.  Her desire for motherhood becomes inseparable from the children society has abandoned.

Interwoven with this is the perspective of a teenage girl growing up on a farm in Maryland, yearning for more than the life she has been handed. Her coming-of-age story is marked by determination, resilience, and a quiet but powerful sense of purpose. This viewpoint adds depth and hope, showing how ambition and compassion can take root even in the most ordinary of places.

Keeper of Lost Children is a story of family, hope and how one woman decided that these children mattered. It was well written and researched and now weeks after I finished it has stayed with me.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster CA for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan

In this intriguing historical novel, a young woman who is sent to a horrific "bride school" to be molded into the perfect Nazi wife finds her life forever intertwined with a young Jewish woman about to give birth.

Germany, 1939

As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother's death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a "bride school." There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a "proper" German wife. The lessons of hatred, prejudice, and misogyny disturb her and she finds herself desperate to escape.

For Mathilde Altman, a German Jewish woman, the war has brought more devastation than she ever thought possible. Torn from her work, her family, and her new husband, she fights to keep her unborn baby safe. But when the unthinkable happens, Tilde realizes she must hide. The risk of discovery grows greater with each passing day, but she has no other options.

When Hanna discovers that Tilde hiding near the school, she knows she must help her however she can. For Tilde, fear wars with desperation. The women must take extraordinary risks to save the lives of mother and baby.

Will they both be able to escape with their lives and if they do, what kind of future can they possibly hope for?

Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 26, 2022 

by William Morrow Paperbacks

3.5/5 stars

Contrary to what the name of this book implies, The School for German Brides takes up very little of the story. Rather, it’s the story of two older teens, one a Jewish girl hiding in plain sight, and the other a German sent to live with Nazi supporting relatives.

Beginning in 1938 and alternating between the 2 points of view, Europe is feeling the birth pains of the horrible changes to come. For both Hanna and Mathilde their hopes and dreams for the future quickly vanish. As each of these young women go through their own sets of trials and heartache it is their friendship with Klara that slowly bind them together. I would have loved to hear Klara‘s point of view as she struggled and had a story to tell just as the others.

The School for German Brides is a coming of age story set during a horrible time in history, it is about family, heritage and the resilience to survive and begin anew. 

Aimie K. Runyan is not a new author to me. I have read many of her books, beginning with her debut series, Daughters of New France, which I highly recommend for those looking for some Canadian historical fiction reading.

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

The New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.

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.

Paperback, 464 pages

Published June 28th 2022 

by Graydon House

5/5 stars

I am definitely late when it comes to reading The German Wife, which came out last summer. Kelly Rimmer has been on my radar set since reading, Truths I Never Told You, which I loved.

Beginning in 1950, Sofie is reunited with her husband, Jurgen in Huntsville, Alabama.  She is met with prejudices because of her German background, and if the rumours are to believed they are a family that supported Hitler. Alternating between her point of view and that of Lizzie brings about an explosive story with many layers.

This is a world war two story with a pov from within the SS that was gripping, heartfelt and definitely a unique setting. The early years for Lizzie are through the depression, the dust bowl, and eventually she is left to her own devices with a brother created an ambitious young woman.

The German Wife was my first read of 2023 and I love that it was a five star read. It was well written, the characters and the storyline were authentic, it was hard to put down and it was evident that the author did a lot of research, especially when you look at the line of history that was involved. I was unfamiliar with what took place within the rocket program, both in Germany and the US and I love learning history and being entertained with some awesome characters.

The German Wife is the story of friendship, family, heartache, and sacrifice. I don’t feel this review does justice to how much I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

This book is part of my own personal library and book 1 in my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

Review: Wunderland by Jennifer Cody Epstein

An intimate portrait of a friendship severed by history, and a sweeping saga of wartime, motherhood, and legacy by an award-winning novelist 

 East Village, 1989

Things had never been easy between Ava Fisher and her estranged mother Ilse. Too many questions hovered between them: Who was Ava's father? Where had Ilse been during the war? Why had she left her only child in a German orphanage during the war's final months? But now Ilse's ashes have arrived from Germany, and with them, a trove of unsent letters addressed to someone else unknown to Ava: Renate Bauer, a childhood friend. As her mother's letters unfurl a dark past, Ava spirals deep into the shocking history of a woman she never truly knew.

 Berlin, 1933

As the Nazi party tightens its grip on the city, Ilse and Renate find their friendship under siege--and Ilse's increasing involvement in the Hitler Youth movement leaves them on opposing sides of the gathering storm. Then the Nuremburg Laws force Renate to confront a long-buried past, and a catastrophic betrayal is set in motion... An unflinching exploration of Nazi Germany and its legacy, Wunderland is an at once a powerful portrait of an unspeakable crime history and a page-turning contemplation of womanhood, wartime, and just how far we might go in order to belong.

Kindle, 384 pages

 Published April 23rd, 2019

 by Crown Publishing Group

*****

Wunderland is a powerful story of relationships, whether between mother/daughter or girlfriends. The first chapter was captivating, the next few left me wondering - with big jumps in time, what was going on but after that, I was glued to my kindle...well sorta. Knowing I had some driving to do and with my need to continue reading I grabbed the audiobook (from Scribd) and listened to parts. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning I finished reading. This book got better the deeper I went.

While there are a number of books in the HF WW2 era I don’t recall too many books from the other side.  Beginning in 1933 Berlin things are changing and spiraling out of control for these 2 friends. The author vividly showcased the changes as Hilter started to take control, how the youth got caught up in the changing tide. The choices both Ilse and Renate make, have ramifications through the years.  Secrets don't always stay buried, it's through a series of letters delivered 50 years later that questions are answered.

Wunderland was a well written, well-researched story, heartbreaking in parts there were twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I'm still giving this book 5 stars for the captivating and unique storyline.  It's an emotional story and one that will stay with me for a long time.  Wunderland is a book I highly recommend.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: In Another Time by Jillian Cantor

A sweeping historical novel that spans Germany, England, and the United States and follows a young couple torn apart by circumstance leading up to World War II—and the family secret that may prove to be the means for survival.

 Love brought them together. But only time can save them… 

1931, Germany. Bookshop owner Max Beissinger meets Hanna Ginsberg, a budding concert violinist, and immediately he feels a powerful chemistry between them. It isn’t long before they fall in love and begin making plans for the future. As their love affair unfolds over the next five years, the climate drastically changes in Germany as Hitler comes to power. Their love is tested with the new landscape and the realities of war, not the least of which is that Hanna is Jewish and Max is not. But unbeknownst to Hanna is the fact that Max has a secret, which causes him to leave for months at a time—a secret that Max is convinced will help him save Hanna if Germany becomes too dangerous for her because of her religion.

In 1946, Hanna Ginsberg awakens in a field outside of Berlin. Disoriented and afraid, she has no memory of the past ten years and no idea what has happened to Max. With no information as to Max’s whereabouts—or if he is even still alive—she decides to move to London to live with her sister while she gets her bearings. Even without an orchestra to play in, she throws herself completely into her music to keep alive her lifelong dream of becoming a concert violinist. But the music also serves as a balm to heal her deeply wounded heart and she eventually gets the opening she long hoped for. Even so, as the days, months, and years pass, taking her from London to Paris to Vienna to America, she continues to be haunted by her forgotten past, and the fate of the only man she has ever loved and cannot forget.

Told in alternating viewpoints—Max in the years leading up to WWII, and Hanna in the ten years after—In Another Time is a beautiful novel about love and survival, passion and music, across time and continents.

Audiobook, 8 hours 47 minutes

Published March 5th, 2019

by Harper Perennial

****

Romance novels are not my thing but a good love story packed full of history, with a unique plot is right up my alley. In Another Time is that kind of story.

This book was an audio read for me. The story alternated between Max and Hanna and I loved the use of two distinct voices, one male and one female - a female trying to imitate a male voice can be awkward and distracting. The story also alternated between time periods giving me a glimpse of both pre and post war eras. I’ve read my fair share of WW2 books but rarely have I read any that actually takes place in Germany itself.

German is changing so much during the 1930s, I was drawn in and captivated by this story. In Another Time is a mysterious story of survival, love, and music spanning across time. Jillian Cantor is a new author for me and definitely one I will read more of.

Review: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

A suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare...

Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears....

Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced. . . .

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published March 20th 2018

by Berkley

*****

 Dual time period books are a favorite of mine and with an action filled prologue the author grabbed my attention and did not let go till the very end.

From 1950 we meet four teen girls left at Idlewild Hall for various reason, sent there because they are troubled and/or uncontrollable. Idlewild Hall is said to be haunted by the ghost of Mary Hand...

Mary Hand, Mary Hand,
Dead and buried under land...
Faster, faster.
Don’t let her catch you.
She’ll say she wants to be your friend..:
Do not let her in again!

In 2014 Fiona is still struggling from the tragic death of her sister, her body was discovered on the deserted field of Idlewild but something just doesn't feel right and she can't let it go.

The Broken Girls is flawless, between a unique plot with characters I couldn’t help feeling heaps of compassion for, where others rubbed me the wrong way. They are flawed, troubled and believable. While I tried to predict the next move the author keep me on my toes as the many layers started to unwind.

I loved the writers style, there was depth of character and she stayed true to both time periods. The historical aspects weren't what I expected and totally worked perfectly here, it was a bonus I didn't see coming.  The ending wasn't rushed and tied everything up nicely.

Another thing that I really loved is the synopsis, there is enough information to get the just of the story but there are no spoilers or any 'this happens, that happens', it’s a pet peeve of mine when the synopsis gives too much of the story away and removes those elements of surprise.

If it was possible to give The Broken Girls more than 5 stars I would, as soon as I saw the cover it landed on my TBR, my gut feeling told me this would be a gem and I wasn't disappointed at all.

My sincere thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Anna's Crossing (Amish Beginnings #1) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

When Anna Konig first meets Bairn, the Scottish ship carpenter of the "Charming Nancy," their encounter is anything but pleasant. Anna is on the ship only to ensure the safe arrival of her loved ones to the New World.

Hardened by years of living at sea, Bairn resents toting these naive farmers--dubbed "Peculiars" by deckhands--across the ocean. As delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions afflict crew and passengers alike, Bairn finds himself drawn to Anna's serene nature. For her part, Anna can't seem to stay below deck and far away from the aloof ship's carpenter, despite warnings.

When an act of sacrifice leaves Anna in a perilous situation, Bairn discovers he may not have left his faith as firmly in the past as he thought. But has the revelation come too late?

Amish fiction favorite Suzanne Woods Fisher brings her fans back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing as seen through the eyes of a devout young woman and an irreverent man. Blending the worlds of Amish and historical fiction, Fisher is sure to delight her longtime fans even as she attracts new ones with her superb and always surprise-filled writing.

Amazon Marketplace Paperback, 336 pages

 Published March 3rd 2015

 by Fleming H. Revell Company

**** 1/2

In the timeline of history I love reading books on virtually unknown pieces of the past. Which is exactly what Anna's Crossing is.  Given the opportunity to review book 3 in this series (Amish Beginnings) I decided to go back to the beginning and I boy I sure glad I did. The year is 1737 and a sect of Germans are making the long voyage to begin a new life in America. I even can't begin to fathom what that voyage was like but the author does a great deal of painting a picture with not just the sights but the smells as well.

Told from the perspective of not just Anna and Bairn but also Felix, he added that spark and entertainment to this book, there were many times I couldn't help but smile at his antics.  I liked Anna, she was naïve in some instances but she was determined and compassionate in stark contrast to Bairn who had a chip on his shoulder especially for this sect of passengers. Anna didn't hold back about her faith, believing God would provide and see them through the rough times, which further infuriated Bairn.

This is the first time reading this author and I am quite impressed. Based on an actual ship named the Charming Nancy, captained by Charles Stedman, departing from Rotterdam heading to Philadelphia with a mix of Amish and Mennonite family's. They were seeking freedom to worship in the new land but none were prepared for toil the months at sea would take.

There were some wonderful pages of authors notes where Suzanne Woods Fisher described her research, what she included, what she omitted and why, further piquing my interest in the Anabaptist/Amish community. This whole book deals with the crossing and I'm glad I had read it first, the next book in the series is called The Newcomer and book 3 is The Return both of which I will be reviewing in the next few weeks.

This book was from my personal library, where I can see myself collecting more from this author.

Spotlight: The Soldier's Return by Laura Libricz

The Soldier's Return by Laura Libricz

Publication Date: September 15, 2017

eBook & Paperback

Series: Heaven's Pond Trilogy, Book Two

Genre: Historical Fiction

The year is 1626. A senseless war rips through parts of Germany. Ongoing animosity between the Catholics and the Protestants has turned into an excuse to destroy much of the landscape situated between France, Italy and Denmark. But religion only plays a minor role in this lucrative business of war. The young dutchman, Pieter van Diemen, returns to Amsterdam in chains after a period of imprisonment in the Spice Islands. He manages to escape but must leave Amsterdam in a hurry. Soldiers are in demand in Germany and he decides to travel with a regiment until he can desert. His hope of survival is to reach Sichardtshof, the farm in Franconia, Germany; the farm he left ten years ago. His desire to seek refuge with them lies in his fond memories of the maid Katarina and her master, the humanist patrician Herr Tucher. But ten years is a long time and the farm has changed. Franconia is not only torn by war but falling victim to a church-driven witch hunt. The Jesuit priest, Ralf, has his sights set on Sichardtshof as well. Ralf believes that ridding the area of evil will be his saving grace. Can Pieter, Katarina and Herr Tucher unite to fight against a senseless war out of control? ​

The Soldier’s Return is the second book in the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy and will be released on September 15, 2017.

Available on Amazon

 

Laura Libricz was born and raised in Bethlehem PA and moved to Upstate New York when she was 22. After working a few years building Steinberger guitars, she received a scholarship to go to college. She tried to ‘do the right thing’ and study something useful, but spent all her time reading German literature.

She earned a BA in German at The College of New Paltz, NY in 1991 and moved to Germany, where she resides today.

When she isn’t writing she can be found sifting through city archives, picking through castle ruins or aiding the steady flood of musical instruments into the world market.

Her first novel, The Master and the Maid, is the first book of the Heaven's Pond Trilogy. The Soldier’s Return and Ash and Rubble are the second and third books in the series.

For more information, please visit Laura Libricz's website and blog.

You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Spotlight: The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlast War by Phyllis Edgerly Ring

Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father’s war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun.

Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did—that her mother and Hitler’s mistress were friends. The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna’s.

Plunged into the world of the “ordinary” Munich girl who was her mother’s confidante—and a tyrant’s lover—Anna finds her every belief about right and wrong challenged. With Hannes’s help, she retraces the path of two women who met as teenagers, shared a friendship that spanned the years that Eva Braun was Hitler’s mistress, yet never knew that the men they loved had opposing ambitions. Eva’s story reveals that she never joined the Nazi party, had Jewish friends, and was credited at the Nuremberg Trials with saving 35,000 Allied lives.

As Anna’s journey leads back through the treacherous years in wartime Germany, it uncovers long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that always outlast war.

 Ring Publication Date: November 14, 2015

 Whole Sky Books eBook & Paperback; 356 Pages 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

 Praise
“I was drawn in by Phyllis Ring’s economical and expressive language. Then the story took over! Protagonist Anna Dahlberg must face the emotional fallout from a traumatic plane crash, while simultaneously uncovering the first clues in a shocking generational mystery involving key players in the Third Reich. Everything’s complicated by a new romance that may help her overcome the past and find her true inner strength. But is it real? Love can manifest itself in enigmatic–and unexpected–ways.” -Elizabeth Sims, author and contributing editor at Writer’s Digest magazine

 “… fresh perspective of German women at opposing ends of the warring spectrum … a beautiful story of enduring friendship and the lengths people will go to for love.” -The Stellar Review “So persuasive is this novel that, before I could believe it was in fact a piece of fiction, I contacted the author and asked where she did her research and where she came up with the idea.” -Leslie Handler, The Philadelphia Inquirer

 Phyllis Edgerly Ring writes fiction and non-fiction. She left a part of her heart in her childhood home of Germany, which she visits as often as she can.

Her newest release, The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlast War, follows the lives of three women there before, during, and after the Second World War. The novel’s protagonist begins a journey that links past and present when she discovers that her mother shared a secret friendship with Hitler’s mistress, Eva Braun. The New Hampshire author loves writing, travel, and the noblest possibilities in the human heart and is always curious to discover how history, culture, relationship, spirituality, and the natural world influence us and guide the human family on its shared journey.

For more information, please visit Phyllis Edgerly Ring’s website.
You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Review: The House by the Lake by Ella Carey

Anna is content with her well-ordered life in San Francisco. But her world is turned upside down when her beloved grandfather, Max, reveals a startling secret: Anna is part of an aristocratic family who lost everything during World War II. What’s more, Max was forced to leave behind a precious item over seventy years ago in their estate in old Prussia. It’s now his ardent wish that Anna retrieve it.

Anna burns with questions as she heads for Germany: What memento could be so important to her grandfather? And why did he keep their history hidden? As she searches for answers, she finds herself drawn to Wil, a man who may hold the key to unlock the mystery. Together they discover that her family’s secrets are linked with an abandoned apartment in Paris, and these secrets go deeper than she ever imagined.

Alternating between 1930s Europe and the present, The House by the Lake illuminates the destiny of a family caught in the tumult of history.

Kindle Edition, 234 pages 

Published March 29th 2016

Lake Union Publishing

****

I really enjoyed reading Ella Carey's debut, Paris Time Capsule last year.  Though I can't seem to discover info suggesting that this (The House by the Lake) is part of a series, I feel like it is. Where Paris Time Capsule focused on the discovery of the apartment, this one looks at the apartment from a different angle.

Jumping between present day and the dawn of WW II, the author has yet again treated me to an interesting and unique background story to the history of said apartment. Anna's grandfather Max is in both time periods adding the elements to make this an interesting and captivating read.

My interest was mostly in the apartment, so the present day plot wasn't my favorite part.  It kept my attention but was a little too neat and tidy for me.  The past story line was intriguing, it was about trust, loyalty and friendship in a time period that was turning volatile.  In the years before WW II the author shows a clear picture of its effect on citizens of Europe, not German.

Though this one could be read as a stand alone I do recommend Paris Time Capsule.  Thank you for Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ella Carey is a writer and Francophile who claims Paris as her second home. Her first book is Paris Time Capsule, and her work has been published in the Review of Australian Fiction. She lives in Australia with her two children and two Italian greyhounds.

Review: The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth

Once there were six sisters. The pretty one, the musical one, the clever one, the helpful one, the young one...And then there was the wild one. 

Dortchen Wild has loved Wilhelm Grimm since she was a young girl. Under the forbidding shadow of her father, the pair meet secretly to piece together a magical fairy tale collection. The story behind the stories of the Brothers Grimm.

 

Hardcover, 495 pages

Published July 22nd 2013 by Allison & Busby

audio from public

library (through overdrive)

17 hrs and 41 mins 

*****

 I am relatively new to Kate Forsyth books, her book Bitter Greens was a favorite of mine - it had a mix of HF and fairy tale retelling. As much as I love fairy tales I just dont seem to read them like I want (my tbr pile reflects this).  It isn't a secret that I am a big fan of audio books.  I hestatied for the longest time whether to give the audio a try for The Wild Girl.  Some books are  more enjoyable reading verses audio, as well some lend themselves to audio as my preferred method.  When I realized that Kate Reading was reading this one I knew I was in for a real treat - she is one of my favorites (yea she could read the ingredients off a box of cookies and I would be entranced).

The Wild Girl is the story of the Grimm Brothers, but mostly centers on their neighbour Dortchen Wild.  Life isn't easy for her, especially as her siblings move on, marry and have babies while Dortchen is left to care for her parents (let me tell you, no easy task). 

There is definitely that fairy tale feel here, whether it's the stories she shares with Wilhelm Grimm or just her life, Dortchen was someone who was easy to feel sympathy for.  Caring, compassionate and always putting others before her own dreams, especially with the secrets she keeps to herself.

That being said this is also about Grimm fairy tales coming into print.  Taking place during Napolean's rule in Germany during the late 1800's, it's a brutal time for all which Kate Forsyth depicted perfectly.

One of the disadvantages of going the audio route is not being able to write down quotes or phrases that I enjoy doing with a physical print copy.  But I did manage one.

“Stories are important too. Stories help make sense of things. They make you believe you can do things. They help you imagine that things may be different, that if you just have enough courage... or faith... or goodness... you can change things for the better.”

Waiting on Wednesday: The Beast's Garden by Kate Forsyth

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill  at  Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.   

 This week I am waiting for:

Published August 3rd 2015 by Random House Australia

A retelling of The Beauty and The Beast set in Nazi Germany

The Grimm Brothers published a beautiful version of the Beauty & the Beast tale called ‘The Singing, Springing Lark' in 1819. It combines the well-known story of a daughter who marries a beast in order to save her father with another key fairy tale motif, the search for the lost bridegroom. In ‘The Singing, Springing Lark,' the daughter grows to love her beast but unwittingly betrays him and he is turned into a dove. She follows the trail of blood and white feathers he leaves behind him for seven years, and, when she loses the trail, seeks help from the sun, the moon, and the four winds. Eventually she battles an evil enchantress and saves her husband, breaking the enchantment and turning him back into a man.

Kate Forsyth retells this German fairy tale as an historical novel set in Germany during the Nazi regime. A young woman marries a Nazi officer in order to save her father, but hates and fears her new husband. Gradually she comes to realise that he is a good man at heart, and part of an underground resistance movement in Berlin called the Red Orchestra. However, her realisation comes too late. She has unwittingly betrayed him, and must find some way to rescue him and smuggle him out of the country before he is killed.

The Red Orchestra was a real-life organisation in Berlin, made up of artists, writers, diplomats and journalists, who passed on intelligence to the American embassy, distributed leaflets encouraging opposition to Hitler, and helped people in danger from the Nazis to escape the country. They were betrayed in 1942, and many of their number were executed.

The Beast's Garden is a compelling and beautiful love story, filled with drama and intrigue and heartbreak, taking place between 1938 and 1943, in Berlin, Germany.

What are you waiting for? 

Review: Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard Von Bingen by Mary Sharratt (Book Tour)

 click on banner for list of tour stops

Skillfully weaving historical fact with psychological insight and vivid imagination, Illuminations brings to life one of the most extraordinary women of the Middle Ages: Hildegard von Bingen, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath.

Offered to the Church at the age of eight, Hildegard was expected to live in silent submission as the handmaiden of a renowned, disturbed young nun, Jutta von Sponheim. But Hildegard rejected Jutta's masochistic piety, rejoicing in her own secret visions of the divine. When Jutta died, Hildegard broke out of her prison, answering the heavenly call to speak and write about her visions and to liberate her sisters. Riveting and utterly unforgettable, Illuminations is a deeply moving portrayal of a woman willing to risk everything for what she believed.

Publication Date: October 15, 2013
Mariner Books
Paperback; 288p
ISBN-10: 0544106539
 
You know when a book gets rave reviews by Margaret George and Sharon Kay Penman that you are in for a real treat.  This is a book that is not to be rushed through, but to be savored.  It is a story that stays with you long after you are finished.

This is my first book by Mary Sharratt and definitely not my last. She has a writing style that drew me right in, you can feel her compassion with her words and descriptions, at times rather poetic.  The visuals that I had while reading this book put me right in that little room with Hildegard and Jutta. I could feel Hildegard's despair as the wall was being bricked up, her terror at what was happening, she was only 8 years old at the time and didn't fully understand what was happening. This is a part of history that I knew nothing about, let alone knew such things actually happened.

Taking place in the 11th century it was interesting to watch her struggle with ancient views of women's roles and to watch her grow up under that influence. The author did a wonderful job of portraying  Hildegard's relationship with those she was able to be in contact with. 

Definitely a must for those that like historical fiction with strong female characters.

Please come back tomorrow for my interview with Mary Sharratt and a giveaway.

Praise for Illuminations

"An enchanting beginning to the story of the perennially fascinating 12th-century mystic, Hildegard of Bingen. It is easy to paint a picture of a saint from the outside but much more difficult to show them from the inside. Mary Sharratt has undertaken this with sensitivity and grace."
—Margaret George, author of Mary, Called Magdalene

"I loved Mary Sharratt’s The Daughters of Witching Hill, but she has outdone herself with Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard Von Bingen. She brings one of the most famous and enigmatic women of the Middle Ages to vibrant life in this tour de force, which will captivate the reader from the very first page."
—Sharon Kay Penman, author of the New York Times bestseller Time and Chance

"I love Mary Sharratt. The grace of her writing and the grace of her subject combine seamlessly in this wonderful novel about the amazing, too-little-known saint, Hildegard of Bingen, a mystic and visionary. Sharratt captures both the pain and the beauty such gifts bring, as well as bringing to life a time of vast sins and vast redemptions."
—Karleen Koen, author of Before Versailles and the best-selling Through a Glass Darkly

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About the Author

The author of four critically acclaimed historical novels, Mary Sharratt is an American who lives in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, the setting for her acclaimed Daughters of the Witching Hill, which recasts the Pendle Witches of 1612 in their historical context as cunning folk and healers. She also lived for twelve years in Germany, which, along with her interest in sacred music and herbal medicine, inspired her to write Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen. Illuminations won the Nautilus Gold Award for Better Books for a Better World and was selected as a Kirkus Book of the Year.

For more information please visit Mary's website and blog.  You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.