When he was just a child of 4, Alexander Munninghoff found a shiny black helmet in the attic and playfully put it on his head. Reactions from his famiWhen he was just a child of 4, Alexander Munninghoff found a shiny black helmet in the attic and playfully put it on his head. Reactions from his family were mixed: both horrified and amused. The helmet had belonged to his father Frans when he was a member of the Nazi regime as an SS soldier. Although the family had been living in the Netherlands for many years, Frans had always longed for Germany and the rise of Hitler gave him the impetus to leave his well-to-do family behind despite his own father's warnings that he would be disowned. Frans didn't care and was gladly taken into the Nazi party where he spent several years as an interpreter and later on the front lines. Returning to his family after the war was difficult but Frans never had any trouble accepting money from his father. Marriage to the beautiful Wera and the birth of their son Alexander barely caused a blip in Frans's radar. Eventually Wera fled the Munninghoff family with Alexander knowing full well that Frans' father, "The Old Boss", would come after her. Kidnapping and custody battles ensued bringing Alexander back to the Netherlands to his father and his new wife. It would be years before he would see his mother Wera again while the supremely uninvolved Frans spent his life on failing get-rich schemes.
Alexander, who lived into his 70's, was a much celebrated journalist and author. He never spoke of his family's history until this memoir which garnered several prestigious awards....more
After completing his morning jog on New Years Day, Jonathan Grief finds a bag hanging on the handlebars of his bicycle. The bag contains a diary for tAfter completing his morning jog on New Years Day, Jonathan Grief finds a bag hanging on the handlebars of his bicycle. The bag contains a diary for the coming year with each page already filled in and the title page inscribed with "Your Perfect Year". Jonathan is intrigued but hopes to find the owner but after several diligent efforts to return the diary he decides to follow the suggestions on each page. The writer has left instructions on living a happy, fulfilling life by trying new things, visiting new places, seeing the positive in everyday situations with several specific dates and places mentioned. Jonathan only knows the diarist is someone known as "H". He and "H" will come close to meeting several times as Jonathan sees his life changing for the better every single day. Once the two finally come face to face Jonathan will be shocked by what "H" was trying to accomplish with the diary.
This was a charming story with two likeable characters driving the story. There are so many coincidences and close calls in the story that it is humorous at times but there is a very sad underlying storyline as well. It was a pleasant read....more
Thirteen years ago college student Lena Beck disappeared on her way home after a night out with friends. Despite all efforts to find her, there has beThirteen years ago college student Lena Beck disappeared on her way home after a night out with friends. Despite all efforts to find her, there has been no trace of Lena. A woman has been brought into the hospital with severe injuries after being hit by a car and all signs point to her being the missing student. Her parents are overjoyed and rush to her bedside only to be heartbroken to see that she is not Lena. The woman says she most certainly is Lena and a young girl named Hannah, who is obviously this woman's child, states her mother is Lena. Something is amiss but the police cannot understand what is going on.
Deep in the woods is a cabin where a man kept Lena captive and where she bore him 3 children: Hannah, Jonathan and Sara. Taking advantage of a moment of the man's negligent supervision, Lena escaped the cabin only to be hit by a car and taken to hospital. Before she fled the cabin she had hit the man in the head believing that she had killed him. Indeed there was a man's body on the floor when the police found the cabin. But who was he and why did he keep Lena a prisoner for so long. There are more questions than answers as the police investigate the strange mystery.
A blurb on the book describes the novel as a cross between "Room" and "Gone Girl". I think that's appropriate what with the hidden cabin with a demanding, ritualistic man, and pieces of a puzzle that don't quite fit together. Interesting story....more
Cries of witchcraft sound through the small Bavarian town of Schongau, Bavaria, in the mid-1600's. A child's body has been pulled from the river with Cries of witchcraft sound through the small Bavarian town of Schongau, Bavaria, in the mid-1600's. A child's body has been pulled from the river with the witch's mark on his shoulder. After two more children are dead whose bodies bear the same symbol, the townspeople are convinced it is the work of the local midwife. Although she had brought nearly all of the town's children into the world, it is now believed she had enchanted the children with her herbs and tinctures, casting spells upon them. Once she thrown into the dungeon the local hangman, Jakob Kuisl, to apply torture to the woman in order to gain a confession. Although Jakob believes in her innocence he is bound to follow the law. Privately, he and the town's physician investigate the deaths on their own aided by Jakob's daughter Magdalena. The are confronted by the suspicion of a devil at work in their town, one who is unnaturally strong with a skeleton's hand. The three will be threatened within an inch of their lives as they follow the devil's clues.
This is an interesting story and apparently the first in a quite lengthy series. I did feel it was a bit plodding at times and I doubt I will continue with succeeding books. One thing I did love was the animated illustrations that accompanied the kindle version of the book. I've never seen that before and it was rather fascinating....more
London, 1938, and the whispers of war are growing louder. Maisie Dobbs, recently returned from Spain where she tried to dispel her grief by working asLondon, 1938, and the whispers of war are growing louder. Maisie Dobbs, recently returned from Spain where she tried to dispel her grief by working as a nurse to badly wounded soldiers, is approached by the British Secret Service. They would like Maisie to assume the identity of Edwina Donat, the daughter of a highly regarded scientist, who has been arrested and imprisoned in Germany. Leon Donat is being held at Dachau but the German government has agreed to release him, but only to a family member. Maisie greatly resembles Edwina and after some intense training with a firearm, Maisie sets off for Germany, but not before she is approached by a man she hates and blames for the deep seated grief is suffering. Mr. Otterborn would like Maisie to find his daughter, Elaine, who is somewhere in Munich and convince her to come home. Maisie reluctantly agrees to this request as well.
Once in Munich, Maisie is continuously thwarted in her attempts to have Leon Donat released to her care. Paperwork piles up daily on the desks of the German soldiers and they can't seem to locate the files they need. Meanwhile, Maisie connects with the errant Elaine, only to find that she is deeply attached to a young German soldier and refuses to return to England. Maisie herself knows that she is under constant surveillance and at great risk if her subterfuge as Edwina Donat should come to light. Getting Donat out of Dachau may prove to be the most harrowing experience of Maisie's life.
Once again Winspear has written a great Maisie Dobbs story. I do prefer Maisie as the private investigator rather than the spy, but this was a good departure from the normal stories....more
During the German occupation of France during WWII there were many, including women, who actively resisted the Nazi regime. They risked their lives byDuring the German occupation of France during WWII there were many, including women, who actively resisted the Nazi regime. They risked their lives by creating and distributing pamphlets critical of the Nazis and local sympathizers, hiding Jewish families and helping them escape, plotting to kill SS officers in their midst, and generally doing anything in their power to resist the invading army. Eventually many were caught including 230 women who were sent to concentration camps; only 49 would return. They believe that their survival was due to their intense friendship with one another that saw them through the most brutal conditions anyone could imagine. Few of them had known one another before their capture but they clung to one another as if they were family. Each death of one of their own felt like it was indeed a death in their family. This painstakingly researched book includes memories from a few of the 49 still alive at the time of the writing, documents and news stories from the time and archives from the very resistance organizations the women had once helped.
This is easily the most difficult book I have ever read. I always felt that I knew quite a bit about the Holocaust and the horror of those poor souls incarcerated in the prison camps. This book is incredibly detailed about their treatment, abuse and being treated as a disposable object. There is so much more than I ever could have imagined possible. That is not to say that this is not a good book although the first third or so is rather dry with so many names and politics introduced. I am glad I read it and I know I will never forget the story of these 230 women and the millions of others who suffered the same fate....more
In 1939, as the Nazi power machine began to roll over Europe, a Jewish-American couple from Pennsylvania, Gil and Eleanor Kraus, traveled to Austria wIn 1939, as the Nazi power machine began to roll over Europe, a Jewish-American couple from Pennsylvania, Gil and Eleanor Kraus, traveled to Austria where they successfully rescued 50 Jewish children and brought them to America. This book is based on an unpublished memoir written by Eleanor and on hundreds of interviews with surviving children, politicians and on many archived documents. Although they were American citizens, it was still a dangerous undertaking for the Krauses placing themselves in the middle of Nazi occupied Austria. Choosing 50 children from the hundreds presented by desperate parents must have been such a heartbreaking thing to do, as it was nearly certain those left behind would likely not survive. Political red tape and rampant anti-Semitism in the US nearly derailed the entire undertaking but a few compassionate politicians and embassy officials made sure the Krauses journey was not in vain.
The first section of the book, the planning stage, was so dry that I nearly gave up; countless names of politicians and their opinions became mind-numbing. The second section, the rescue, was so well done that I felt like I was right there along side Gil and Eleanor. The third section, the life after, was rewarding with the children's stories, many of whom, surprisingly, did end up being reunited with their families in America. I did not know there was an HBO special about this rescue so I will be sure to see if it is still available....more
It is 1938 in a small German town and eventeen-year-old Christine Bolz has fallen head over heels in love with Isaac Bauerman. Christine and her motheIt is 1938 in a small German town and eventeen-year-old Christine Bolz has fallen head over heels in love with Isaac Bauerman. Christine and her mother work as domestic help for the well-to-do Bauerman family and, surprisingly, neither family is concerned with the infatuation the two teens have for one another. Isaac is a college student hoping to follow in his lawyer father's footsteps and he and Christine spend hours contemplating a rosy future for the two of them. Their lives would soon change as Hitler gained more and more support for his Nazi party and before long the Bauermans and all of the Jewish families were forced from their homes for 'relocation'. It was not long before Christine saw just how cruel the treatment of the Jewish prisoners had become as she watched emaciated men march through her town where they were forced to build an airstrip and armory. When Christine spied Isaac among the group she was able to cause enough diversion to separate him from the crowd and bring him home with her where she hid him in the attic. Of course the SS officers realized they had an escaped prisoner and he was found fairly quickly in the Bolz home. Christine admitted to helping Isaac and soon she found herself, along with Isaac, on her way to Dachau. Her struggle for survival amidst unthinkable cruelty kept the thought of Isaac and home foremost in her mind. Although this was a well written story it was extremely slow moving until about the last third of the book. I did like Christine quite a bit but I thought that some of her actions were foolishly self-centered. She had a mother and father, younger sister and 2 younger brothers who knew nothing of Isaac's concealment in the attic. I understand that she loved the young man but she endangered her entire family for him. The descriptions of her life at Dachau were horribly graphic but more than likely much less graphic than what really happened. Excrutiatingly heartbreaking. I found the ending to be a bit hard to believe but the book itself was good....more
I am drawn to books set during WW2 and this one has become a favortie of that genre. The story of two youngsters, a blind girl growing up in France anI am drawn to books set during WW2 and this one has become a favortie of that genre. The story of two youngsters, a blind girl growing up in France and an orphan boy growing up in Germany, shows the differences as well as the sameness of the two childhoods. The war changed everything for the two of them in that they both lost the safety of their home life and their access to their loved ones. Their divergent paths eventually lead to a climactic meeting under extremely dangerous circumstances. The encounter will color the rest of their lives and eventually the lives of their families throughout the years. I love that the story had a definitive ending (except for that mysterious gem) and that the reader learned what became of Marie-Laure and Werner as well as other secondary characters. It is a lovely story, one that I cannot do justice to by reviewing, so I will just settle for recommending it highly to one and all....more
In January of 1945, the aristocratic Emmerich family decides to flee their home in Poland and begin the long trek to the west in order to avoid the RuIn January of 1945, the aristocratic Emmerich family decides to flee their home in Poland and begin the long trek to the west in order to avoid the Russian army which is relentlessly moving through the area as World War II is coming to an end. The two older Emmerich sons and their father have been conscripted into the German armed forces. Now only Mutti (mother), 18 year old Anna and 10 year old Theo are left to make the journey. They are accompanied by Callum, a Scottish POW who was captured immediately after he parachuted into Poland. The Nazi party allowed Callum to remain with the Emmerich family to help with the heavy farm chores. Now he and Anna have fallen in love and he will do anything to protect her and her remaining family members. As they travel they are joined by a young German soldier named Manfred who, in reality, is a Jewish man named Uri who escaped from a train while being transported to a concentration camp. Uri is a chameleon who is able to assume the identities of many different men in order to survive. He will become a good friend to the Emmerichs as well as their savior on several occasions.
As the Emmerich family joins thousands of fleeing Germans who are hoping to intercept American or British troops, a group of emaciated Jewish women are force marched through freezing temperatures, snow and cruel deprivation by a group of Nazi guards who are determined to keep their captives away from the approaching Russians. The women are treated worse than animals and hundreds of them die or are killed along the way. Very few believe that they will ever see freedom.
I am a great fan of Bohjalian and this was a very good book. The characters of Anna, Callum and Uri are so well-drawn and likable. The story is suspenseful in that you never know who, or if any of them will survive. It is so heartbreaking and unrelentingly sad so be prepared for a difficult read....more