Publisher: 7th October 2020 by Simon & Schuster (Australia)
Pages: 448 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of The Girl from Munich and Suitcase of Dreams comes an unforgettable tale of love, courage and betrayal inspired by a true story
Berlin, 1943
As the Allied forces edge closer, the Third Reich tightens its grip on its people. For eighteen-year-old Susanna Göttmann, this means her adopted family including the man she loves, Leo, are at risk.
Desperate to protect her loved ones any way she can, Susie accepts the help of an influential Nazi officer. But it comes at a terrible cost – she must abandon any hope of a future with Leo and enter the frightening world of the Nazi elite.
Yet all is not lost as her newfound position offers more than she could have hoped for … With critical intelligence at her fingertips, Susie seizes a dangerous opportunity to help the Resistance.
The decisions she makes could change the course of the war, but what will they mean for her family and her future?
My Thoughts
Tania Blanchard continues to enthral her audiences with high quality wartime sagas. Inspired once more by facts from her own family’s history, she captures all the brutality of WWII but from the often overlooked German perspective. I have read and reviewed all Tania’s books - The Girl from Munich and Suitcase of Dreams - and Letters from Berlin is equally engaging.
‘Take the moments of joy whenever you can get them. They’ll sustain you through the difficult times that are a part of life.’
What I enjoyed most about this story was the inside perspective of life in Berlin during this volatile time. Tania slowly lays out all the pieces on her story board - history, plot, characters - and then weaves her writer’s magic to present a compelling tale that will keep the reader engaged to the very end.
What you see here is the slow demise of the Nazis and how they all began to turn on one another with the Russians and Americans advancing on two fronts. Berlin and its people were trapped and betrayed with often madness ensuing in an effort to eliminate any and all evidence. No one could be trusted as desperation overtook the Nazis and their followers. So many German citizens longed for Hitler’s downfall and the characters Tania includes are strong and determined to stand up for all that is right and just.
‘We knew what the Nazi racial policy involved only too well. I felt ashamed to be German.’
My only concern (and loss of half a star) was the opening and closings of the book -it just did not sit comfortably for me. In some respects, I could have done without these short ‘bookends’, as I felt it detracted from a strong wartime saga. The modern day link did not add enough and the quick closure for the leads in the present day was not satisfying after all I had been through with them. However, do not let this distract you from a wonderful wartime read.
‘There wasn’t always a right and a wrong. Life was more complicated than that. It was about the shades that lay in between. I was beginning to learn what people were prepared to do for the right reasons.’
Letters from Berlin simmers with authenticity because of Tania's inside knowledge and you will appreciate this when you read her endnote. I congratulate Tania for providing us with German perspectives in such a time of uncertainty, with characters who are resilient and believable. I highly recommend this book for historical fiction lovers.
‘We each have a way of surviving, a way of keeping our soul intact. We need hope to live.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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