The German Wife: A Novel – A WWII Historical Fiction Story Inspired by True Secret Intelligence Programs

A great story of saddness and hope. I had to put it down at times, but then pick it back up. Loved the characters as well. Learned a lot!

Kelly Rimmer has a remarkable way of bringing history to life through deeply human characters, and The German Wife is another unforgettable example. Rather than painting the world in black and white, this story explores the impossible choices people faced during and after WWII with empathy and nuance. While the pacing slowed in a few places, I never lost interest because I was so invested in the characters and their journeys. The emotional impact lingered long after I finished, especially the honest portrayal of trauma and the lasting effects of war. A thoughtful, moving historical novel that asks difficult questions without offering easy answers. If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction with emotional depth, this one is well worth picking up.

I this book engaging and interesting. I enjoyed that there was insight into what a German family faced when there was a government in power that was out of their ideas and control. A definite point of view of how the people had to cope in Germany. Also, a perspective on how returning soldiers had to deal with the demons of war after their return. A different side to a historical time. The characters were compelling.

This book will stay with me the rest of my life.

I like how we see the German family with what they knew and didn’t know. Trying to protect their family was fruitless. It was too late to save their family from the Hitler youth. I was over joyed that Mayim survived it was a good read.

This book was intensely moving. That said, while it was compelling as a story, it was difficult in terms of empathy. It was brave of the author to make a protagonist a German Nazi wife and mother who doesn’t sympathize with the cause. But I always kept myself slightly aloof from this scenario. I’m sure there were many Germans who felt as she did, but it was still hard to wrap my head around her character completely. It felt almost too idealized. The American character of Lizzie was believable and flawed in equal measure, and it felt like the author was balancing the two women’s experiences almost too much. I did not like that both women spoke in the first person; at times it was confusing, and they sounded surprisingly similar. I actually think if each had been written in the third person it would have been less confusing, and it would’ve been more engaging. I don’t think first person narrative always garners the most empathy. Lizzie’s scenes on the farm and Sophie’s at the labor camp were the most compelling. The ending was a bit too pat. But it’s certainly a new and worthy take on WWII and its aftermath. But please, someone edit out the early reference to a Crock-Pot. At least call it a crock pot. The brand name didn’t exist till the 1970’s.

These words were present in every sentence in this book. The characters were drawn perfectly. You could feel with them and never know the outcome of their problems. It is the children that I worried about and them in the political climate today. Children can and are indictments in many small or huge ways. This book shows how quickly they can change for good or bad. I am drained reading this book but I found it a special story that we all should know.

First let me say I like this author but I was not crazy about this book. For the life of me I don't understand all the 5 star reviews. Like others have stated, I found the book to be slow, boring at times and confusing. The constant change from one family to another, past 1940s to present 1950s made it extremely hard to follow. You were just getting into one chapter then you're thrown into another chapter with a different character. I say skip this book there are too many other great books out there. If you enjoy reading about the resistance may I suggest the following, The Nightingale by Hannah or The Room on Rue Amelie by Harmel or A Fire Sparkling by Maclean or one of the best books I've ever read The Paris Secret by Lester.

Kelly Rimmer is a fantastic author, and The German Wife is another wonderful , well researched novel to add to her catalogue .There are a lot of authors writing in the World War Two genre , but the German Wife tackles the topic from a totally original viewpoint . Juergen, a talented scientist and his wife Sofie a forced to make decisions against their better judgement in Nazi occupied Germany throughout World War Two . Fast forward 15 years and they are adjusting to life in the United States , excused of any war crimes they may have committed while Juergen works with US scientists on the space program . It is a really thought provoking story and although I was invested and sympathetic to the main characters I did wonder if their self preservation was worth the terrible things they had to do . A 5 ⭐️ read for me !

I loved this book. I thought it was beautifully written. The author obviously did a lot of research when writing this and it certainly paid off. It is possible to feel every emotion while reading this book. There were times when I felt really sorry for Jurgen and Sofie but also very angry at times. I felt sorry about what happened to Sofie's children, there must have been parents in that sort of position. This is the first book I've read by this author, I will certainly be reading more.

Extraordinary. Totally unimaginable the division, dissension, discrimination that took place 70 years ago, and how all this is repeated in modern times.

I love Kelly Rimmer books and always read them quickly. I found this book a bit slow to start until about a quarter of the way through but then really enjoyed it. Great to understand the perspective of the German wife and all that they endured to protect their families.

A really interesting and eye opening view of life in both pre war Germany and life in Germany during the Second World War. Seen from the perspective of a non Jewish family who had close friends who were Jewish. Heart trenching at times, I felt this was a brilliant portrayal of how some German families must have felt at this awful time in history. The book also deals with how life is post war, seeking solace in America, only to find further difficulties there. I loved the characters they were all very real to me and so it was a sad moment when the story ended. Really recommend this book and will be reading more of Kelly Rimmer books for sure.