Review by Booklist Review
Beloved historical novelist Chiaverini (Enchantress of Numbers, 2017) fictionalizes the true story of an American expatriate in 1930s Germany who formed a resistance cell committed to bringing down Hitler's regime from within. Mildred Fish meets German economist Arvid Harnack when both are graduate students in her native Wisconsin. The couple begins married life in Berlin as part of a lively circle of intellectuals, including German scholars Greta Kuckhoff and Sara Weitz and the American ambassador's daughter, Martha Dodd. The group watches in alarm as the Nazi party gains popularity, and the rights of German Jews like Sara are steadily stripped away. Avowed antifascists, the women join forces to gather intelligence from journalists, military officers, and government officials for their American and Soviet contacts, risking their lives and those of their families and neighbors. This tale is dense with historical detail, but Chiaverini never loses her focus on her four extraordinarily courageous, resourceful, yet relatable narrators. Chiaverini's many fans and every historical fiction reader who enjoys strong female characters, will find much to love in this revealing WWII novel.--Lindsay Harmon Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chiavernini (Mr. Lincoln's Dressmaker) offers an intimate and historically sound exploration of the years leading up to and through WWII. At this novel's center, four women-Mildred Fish, Greta Kuckoff, Sara Weitz, and Martha Dodd-do what they can to help the resistance in Germany. Aspiring author Greta and Sara, a Jewish student of literature, are German nationals; Mildred is an American who married her college sweetheart, German writer/economist Arvid Harnack; and Martha Dodd is the daughter of the American ambassador to Germany. Together, they work to fight the malevolent rise of fascism and risk their lives by pursuing their activities even when under close Gestapo observation, and refusing to expose one another despite torture. Their connections are helpful: Arvid gains information in his position as an economist with the Germans; Mildred, Greta, and Sara find resistance fighters who can pass on information; and while Martha remains in the country, she's able to contribute through her connections as the daughter of an ambassador. This fictionalized version of real-life heroes is told with prose that ranges from forthright to eloquent, and the focus on the road to war and evolving attitudes regarding fascism and Nazism is exceptionally insightful, making for a sweeping and memorable WWII novel. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The latest from Chiaverini ("Elm Creek Quilt" series) follows four women-two American, two German-from the dawn of the Nazi regime in Germany to the end of World War II. All of them have a chance to leave at some point, but they choose to stay and help the Resistance, hoping to see their beloved Germany released from the tyranny of Hitler's rule. The author draws a detailed picture of the time and place, from countryside picnics and salons filled with the brightest lights of Germany's literary and artistic communities to the terror of running for your life and experiencing the horrors of the concentration camps. No one will escape whole; some will not escape at all. VERDICT Readers who value historical accuracy will definitely find it here. Skilled storyteller Chiaverini once again offers a compelling read based on real-life events and people. Even those not usually drawn to historical fiction will find this hard to put down. [See Prepub Alert, 11/19/18.]-Pamela O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the end days of the Weimar Republic through the rise of Hitler and the atrocities of World War II, four women boldly defy the Nazis, risking their own lives and those of their loved ones.Chiaverini's (Enchantress of Numbers, 2017, etc.) latest historical novel masterfully reimagines the real lives of Mildred Fish Harnack, an American who moves to Berlin to pursue her doctoral degree in American Literature and reunite with her German husband, Arvid; Greta Lorke, a German woman returning from studying abroad at the University of Wisconsin, hoping to make her mark as a writer in the theater world; and Martha Dodd, the politically nave daughter of the newly appointed American Ambassador to Germany. Linking these women together with the fictional character of Sara Weitz, a Jewish student of American literature, Chiaverini spins a fascinating web of relationships. As the Nazis place increasingly severe restrictions on non-Aryans, Arvid's cousin Dietrich Bonhoeffer is surveilled for speaking out against the regime, and Mildred finds employment difficult to get, while the jobs that do exist require loyalty oaths to the Nazi Party. Meanwhile, Greta has found love with Adam Kuckhoff, an influential dramaturge with a complicated marital status, and Martha recklessly toys with the affections of both high-ranking Nazi and Soviet officials. The second daughter in the Weitz family to choose a gentile fiance, Sara discovers the anti-Semitism lurking in the hearts of complacent Germans, forcing her to rethink her marriage plans. All four women and their partners find themselves drawn into an underground espionage networklater dubbed the Rote Kapelle by the Nazisgathering intelligence and connecting with communist cells seeking to destroy the Third Reich. But a single, careless radio transmission could cast everyone into the clutches of the enemy.A riveting, complex tale of the courage of ordinary people. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
