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The Berlin Wife’s Vow, by Marion Kummerow

The Berlin Wife's Vow book cover

TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi antisemitic ideology and violence
1943, Germany. Jews in hiding. Nazi officers working against their leadership. Friends and family in danger of being denounced and arrested at every turn…
The Berlin Wife’s Vow is an historical book set during the second half of WW2. It is the fourth book in a series and I do feel that I would have benefitted from reading the earlier books to better understand the journey the characters have been on. I was able to catch up quickly but it did feel a little like I’d been dropped into the middle of a story.
There are a wealth of characters introduced to us at the start of the book. All of them are struggling to cope with life in Germany under the Nazis and are united in wanting to subvert the regime. Edith is married to a Jew and has been rejected by her brother who is a Nazi officer at an extermination camp. Her other brother is involved with resistance, putting his life in danger. Thea is brutally beaten until she agrees to betray others, while Helga and her family are trying to help those at risk of arrest and deportation.
Initially I was unsure of the wife and vow in question so felt that the title and book blurb didn’t quite match the plot (this was before I realised that it was the 4th book in a series). However, I understood better later in the book as events progressed. The writing style is easy to read and the characters were all depicted authentically and vividly brought to life. There is unpleasant violence and attitudes as you would expect due to the historical and geographical setting but these were not gratuitous. This was balanced by the kindness, love and hope that the characters cling to as they battle the worst of humanity.
The author has clearly researched the background for the book and has invested a lot in her characters and plot development over the series. My degree is in history and I have studied Nazi Germany a lot but I enjoyed being shown new perspectives and lesser known events such as the Rosenstrasse protest.
The Berlin Wife’s Vow is an engaging, emotional and well researched historical novel.
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Book Description:
She kneels by her husband, his face contorted with pain. “You must get yourself to safety,” he tells her. She grips his hand tighter as a tear tracks down her drawn, pale face. “I promised to stay beside you. I will keep that vow to the end.”
Berlin, 1944. Edith Falkenstein weeps with joy when the crowds of brave women protesting on Rosenstrasse manage to save their Jewish relatives, including her husband Julius, from deportation to the camps.
Julius once believed abiding by the rules would shield him and his wife. But now he knows better: there is no such thing as mercy from the Nazis, and they must do all they can to save others. Their apartment, long stripped of its luxurious furnishings, might offer little protection from the frigid winter air, but it has become a place of secret shelter—though it puts all their lives at risk.
As bombs rain a thunder of devastation on the city and Soviet soldiers close in from the east, the Nazis have only become more desperate, and more deadly. For the inhabitants, their only option is to flee. But when another raid leaves Julius critically injured, Edith realises he is far too frail to make the perilous journey. She closes her eyes and prays for a miracle.
The final days of the war are here, but there is no cause for celebration in Berlin, where death lingers on every corner. Their love has been the source of their strength and survival all these long years, but will either of them live to see the end?
An absolutely page-turning and deeply heartrending story of one woman’s promise to protect the people she loves. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Alice Network and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Author Bio:
Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.
Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.
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Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CTCPdeanH7GJsocial
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