Tag: Bookouture

I am a big fan of this author and have enjoyed past books by her.

But I am left in a quandary about this one.

It isn’t a bad book by any stretch, but there’s something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on.

As I have mentioned countless times before, I read historical fiction to learn about known events from different perspectives. Here is another book that checks that box.

The setting of a Minsk ghetto is a stark reminder of just how widespread the German scourge was – even as the Russians ultimately helped defeat the Germans, Jews were not safe in any country.

(And yes, I’m careful of what words I am using because I have had posts flagged for certain phrases – which is ridiculous, considering the setting of WWII Europe). But I digress.

The message of hope and resilience, and doing what needs to be done, is very clear and well-relayed via the characters and their actions, especially Ilse.

Contrary to other readers, I actually like when an author is bold enough to show the humanity of a German soldier or officer. It’s another reminder that humans are individuals and to paint all of them with a single brushstroke does a disservice to humanity.

Sometimes people get caught up in things beyond their control and do what they have to do in order to survive. Doesn’t that apply to both Ilse and Willy – even though they are on opposite sides of the conflict?

Even though I liked the individual characters and felt sympathetic to both for their situations, I’m not sure that the romance aspect rang especially true. But, seeing as how this is a book based on a true story, I guess it did? I didn’t get caught up in that part like I have in other books.

I also thought that the descriptions bogged down the reading – it didn’t move at a comfortable clip. I understand where the author was trying to paint the picture and give the reader the feeling of “being there,” but I didn’t feel as if it was successful all the time.

This appears to be a rewrite/re-release of a book the author wrote a few years ago. Perhaps the author has improved her style since then?

Regardless, it was still a compelling story from a new perspective. If you enjoy historical fiction, specifically WWII, I would recommend it.

Author Bio

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

I’m going to forego my usual spiel regarding historical fiction. You can find it on most of my other reviews of other novels in this genre.

Suffice to say that once again, I was introduced to a new arena of conflict from WWII. This time it’s Greece and boy, did I learn a lot.

The author has once again done her homework to create vivid scenes and characters, evoking the fear and desperation of people who are in the path of the Nazis.

However, this book concentrates on more than that. In fact, that is almost a side note, in the sense that everyone knows the Nazis were the bad guys. What I didn’t know (and I’m betting several other readers didn’t either, is that Greece was torn by warring factions trying to fight the Nazis.

There were the communist rebels, but there was also the republican governmental army. It’s too complicated to explain in this review, but the author does a tremendous job of detailing each of the factions and how they related to (and fought) each other.

In the contemporary storyline (there always is one), Ava has traveled to Greece – the home of her grandmother, Sophia – after a great personal loss. This part of the plot details Ava’s time in Greece, living in the house her grandmother grew up in and finding out information about her grandmother from local townspeople.

We get Sophia’s story in flashbacks, but there is no connection between past and present (i.e., no diary, no secret stash of letters, etc.). Just a strange interaction between an old woman in town and Ava, that sets Ava on a slight hunt for info on her grandmother.

I liked that the two stories were independent of each other in this way. It felt more natural than some of the ones with the above-mentioned catalysts. And it allowed me to appreciate each of the women’s stories individually instead of constantly trying to figure out where each part might tie in.

I was very taken with the descriptions of townspeople both past and present. They reminded me of the people I met the times that I traveled to Greece. There was an air of resilience in them…a knowledge that their history is older than almost any other on earth. And they have been through a lot.

But they fight. They get through it all, one way or another. There is grief, there is despair. But there is hope and the knowledge that it all continues. And somehow, things can turn out okay. By the time Sophia’s story (and Ava’s for that matter) comes to an end, that is made crystal clear.

I love that message, especially in today’s world.

Pick up this book. You won’t regret it.

Author Bio:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.