Review at a Glance
- The German Girl
- My Rating: 4.5
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Format: eARC*
- Publication Date: January 21, 2020
- Author: Lily Graham
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The German Girl Book Blurb
‘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.
The German Girl REVIEW
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts About The German Girl
I’m not at all surprised that I loved this book. I’ve read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but The German Girl will be one of those books that I always remember.
I’m not even sure what sets it apart, maybe it’s a little bit of everything.
Lily Graham chose to use a dual timeline of present day struggles rooted in dark family secrets. The exposure and subsequent healing from those traumatic events fuels the entire narrative of the book kicking the reader’s emotion into high gear on nearly every page.
Each event from the past feels like you are unlocking a piece to the overall puzzle, giving this historical fiction an almost mystery novel quality. Asta and Jurgen’s harrowing journey is a present day puzzle solved with pieces from horrific scenes from the past.
The setting also marks The German Girl as different from most of the other books in this genre because it takes place largely in Denmark, which is often overlooked in the history of WWII. I know very little about Denmark’s history during the war, even though it was separated from Germany by only a forest.
Conclusion
The German Girl is an excellent addition to the WWII sub-genre of historical fiction, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
About the Author
Lily has been telling stories since she was a child, starting with her imaginary rabbit, Stephanus, and their adventures in the enchanted peach tree in her garden, which she envisioned as a magical portal to Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree. She’s never really got out of the habit of making things up, and still thinks of Stephanus rather fondly.
She lives with her husband and her English bulldog, Fudge, and brings her love for the sea and country-living to her fiction.
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*Thanks so much to Lily Graham and Bookouture for my copy of The German Girl in exchange for an honest review.
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