The German Girl Published by Bookouture by Lily Graham
on January 12, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Historical, WW II, Holocaust
Pages: 266
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
Format: eBook, ARC
Find the Author: Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads
Find the Book: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:
‘Our parents were taken. And if we go home, the Nazis will take us too…’
Hamburg 1938. Fifteen-year-old Asta is hurrying home from school with her twin brother Jurgen. The mood in the city is tense – synagogues have been smashed with sledgehammers, and Asta is too frightened to laugh as she used to.
But when she and Jurgen are stopped in the street by a friend, her world implodes further. Her Jewish parents have been dragged into the streets by German soldiers and if she and Jurgen return to their house, they will be taken too.
Heartbroken at the loss of her parents, Asta knows they must flee. With her beloved brother, she must make the perilous journey across Germany and into Denmark to reach their only surviving relative, her aunt Trine, a woman they barely know.
Jammed into a truck with other refugees, Asta prays for a miracle to save herself and Jurgen. Crossing the border is a crime punishable by death, and what she and Jurgen must embark on a dangerous crossing on foot, through the snowy forest dividing Germany and Denmark. And when barking dogs and armed soldiers find Jurgen and Asta escapes, she must hold on to hope no matter what. One day she will find her twin, the other half of herself. Whatever the price she has to pay…
A gripping and poignant read that will break your heart and give you hope. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Catherine Hokin will be gripped by the story of a brave brother and sister seeking safety during one of the darkest times in our history.
This book was simply amazing. It started out with Ingrid, a young woman, caring for her elderly grandfather, Jurgen–who also suffers from dementia. He’s rude, and difficult to care for–as he lost his last caretaker, Marta, due to his verbal abuse.
In the beginning I felt so bad for Ingrid–this grandfather that she was caring for, who was just awful to her. And then we go back in time to Jurgen’s story…
What follows is such a tremendously sad tale of twins Jurgen and Asta and how they were impacted by the Germans and the holocaust, while living in Hamburg, Germany.
Reading this story made me incredibly uncomfortable because the thought of what real-life victims put through similar situations, was heartbreaking. I am so fortunate to have read this wonderfully-written story that evoked so much emotion and left me with quite the book hangover.
Uncomfortable or not, I am so glad I read this. I’m so glad to have been able to immerse myself in the lives of these characters and to see what hardships certain groups of people had to go through due to Hitler’s Nazi regime.
If anything, this has made me more hungry to learn more history, as well.
About Lily Graham
As a child she dreamt of being an author, and had half-finished manuscripts bulging out of her desk drawers, but it wasn't until she reached her thirties that she finally finished one of them. Her first books were written for children, but when her mother was diagnosed with cancer she wrote a story to deal with the fear and pain she was going through - this became her first women's fiction novel, which was published by Bookouture (Hachette) in 2016.
Oh wow, this book sounds like a wonderful read. I do love those books that leave you more intrigued with history and yearning for more knowledge of it.
Great review.
I just added this to my Goodreads Want To Read list after reading your review. I have read so many excellent WWII books and this one sounds like it will also be one I will remember.