Book Synopsis:
The soldier looks her dead in the eye, his weapon raised. “You must leave now,” he warns. But this is her last chance to save her husband, and she won’t be silenced…
1943. Fleeing Germany had been Edith Falkenstein and her Jewish husband Julius’s last hope, selling their remaining precious possessions to make the gruelling journey. But to their horror, they are turned away at the Swiss border. Devastated, they return to the tiny Berlin apartment they share with other Jewish families, with its peeling wallpaper and bare kitchen cupboards. It is a world away from the heady glamour of their lives before.
Edith’s worst fears come true when Julius is brutally arrested and imprisoned alongside thousands of other Jewish men, destined for the camps. When she hears the news, Edith feels her heart crack wide open with unbearable grief.
But then she hears of women gathering outside the prison in their hundreds—wives and mothers from every walk of life whose relatives have also been taken. They are united by a single, desperate wish. She links arms with the woman next to her and takes up the chant.
Standing among these brave women offers Edith a flicker of hope. But can they really save their loved ones? And as Edith faces the lines of German soldiers with cold savagery in their eyes, will she pay the ultimate price for this small act of courage?
An absolutely unputdownable, heartbreaking and hopeful story of love and courage. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, My Name is Eva and The Nightingale will be swept away by this book based on incredible true events.
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of this series and I’ve been looking forward to reading another instalment. Once again the author has written a powerful, emotion book that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
Firstly I absolutely love the character’s in this book and I’ve enjoyed following them throughout the series. They’ve started to seem like old friends which has made events in the books harder and more emotional to read about. It has been very sad to see them reduced throughout the series as more anti Jewish laws are created and see how different their lives are now from how they were at the beginning of the series. Edith’s relationship with Helga is also lovely to witness and I felt glad that they had each other in these difficult circumstances.
I’m a huge fan of historical fiction set in the Second World War, especially if they cover events that I hadn’t heard of before. This book covers the Rosenstrass Protest which I hadn’t heard about before, a protest that was significant because it was one of the only known protests against the treatment of the Jews. My heart was in my mouth as I read as I wasn’t sure what was going to happen and feared the worse knowing with hindsight how cruel the Nazi’s could be.
This book had a great pace to it and I soon found myself drawn into the story. I’ve grown very fond of the character’s and the author’s vivid descriptions made me feel that I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the, mainly women, protesting. There were lots of twists that kept me guess and the tension slowly increases as the story continues making it very difficult to put down. The ending was brilliant and I now can’t wait to read more from this fantastic series.
Huge thanks to Sarah from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you’re a fan of historical fiction I highly recommend this series.
About The Author:
Marion Kummerow writes historical fiction that explores the dark side of human history. A USA Today Bestselling author, she has received rave reviews from readers and critics for her novels about the German resistance during World War II. Her books feature characters who face moral dilemmas, make difficult decisions, and fight for what is right. She also infuses her stories with humor and undying love, because she believes that love is what makes the world go round.
Born and raised in Germany, Marion has lived in various countries before returning to Munich with her family. After writing several non-fiction books, she felt drawn to the past and the subject of resistance to the Nazi regime. It took her years of courage and hard work to turn the true story of her grandparents Ingeborg and Hansheinrich Kummerow into a trilogy: “Love and Resistance in the Second World War”. UNRELENTING is the first book in this series.
Bringing history to life through her books is Marion’s passion. She visits museums, travels to memorials and the locations in her books, reads original source material, and consults experts to meticulously research the historical facts and details in her novels.
Her stories are authentic and immersive, transporting readers to another time and place. She writes with the conviction that we must never forget the past, so it won’t repeat itself.
When she’s not writing or researching, Marion likes to travel, do yoga, and spend time with her family. She also enjoys reading books by other historical fiction authors.
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