The Commandant’s Daughter is not your typical historical fiction novel. So, this may not be a typical review.
Let me start my explanation by saying that I am a big fan of this author (see reviews: The Lost Mother, The Secretary, The Fortunate Ones, What Only We Know). I am always excited to see another book by her.
She has a talent for writing stories that make the reader think by exploring complicated situations and posing questions that bring a deeper understanding.
This is no exception.
At the heart is the story of Hanni (the commandant’s daughter in question), a young woman who is trying to follow a dream given to her when she was a child. She loves photography, and she is good at it.
There are just a few problems.
It is 1947. She’s a woman. Her mentor was a Jew. And her father is the Commandant of the title. Plus, he is one of the nastiest villains I can remember. And when one is talking about people who run concentration camps, that is saying a lot.
But there is more to the story than just Hanni trying to do better than her father while pursuing her passion.
Because there also happens to be a killer loose in the city. And he is taking care of people overlooked by the Nuremberg Trials. The officer who receives the case (Freddy) recognizes Hanni’s eye (through her camera) and they work together to catch the killer.
It is a thrilling, complicated, and thought-provoking story that had me turning pages.
The descriptions of the casualness of some people even after the atrocities of the camps come to light are…well, illuminating. This was pure evil at work, and there were still people who tried to defend the actions of the men in charge.
This begs the natural question that haunts Hanni and Freddy: should a killer be stopped if that killer is ridding the world of evil men who were about to escape justice?
It makes you think about the moral and ethical implications.
Additionally, the author reflects on the laws in place to ostracize and marginalize Jews. As Freddy remembers it: “The measures were enshrined in the statutes…they were both just and justified.”
One can’t help but draw parallels to what is occurring in some countries even as I write this review. Staggering to think that the lessons of history have still not been learned.
That’s not to say that the book lectures or gets preachy, making connections between the past and present. It is solely in the past. And it is well-plotted and researched.
I liked everything about The Commandant’s Daughter. It is a unique entry in the historical fiction genre, and I highly recommend it.
Author Bio:
I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don’t try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully, those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.
I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I’m not at my desk you’ll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.
I’d love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me.
