A Light in the Window: WW2 historical novel by Marion Kummerow
Margerete finds herself in the rubble of a bombed house where she
worked, albeit unpaid as a maid/housekeeper. This is wartime Germany
and Margerete has to wear a yellow star on her jacket to show she
is of the Jewish faith. As she crawls through to get out she sees the
daughter Annegret of the family she worked for, laying dead with her
papers sticking out of her pocket. Margarete takes a chance and the
papers and becomes a non jew to protect herself from the atrocities
of war. Meanwhile in Paris the son Wilhelm is working for the SS but
goes back to Berlin to attend the funeral of his parents with his
brother Reiner who is doing his best to work his way up in the SS.
Reiner has even named his children Adophina and Germania to
try and impress his peers. Wilhelm learns something about his
brother- how he treats women and how he raped their servant
but sadly she died in the bombing as far as he knows. Wilhelm
goes to find his sister in Leipzig and get rather more than he
bargained for- his “ sister” being protected by a high ranking Nazi.
Can Margarete survive behind her disguise or will Wilhelm tell on
her? Wow. I loved this. It's a story of tenacity and determination
against all odds, when survival is the only prize. A woman in a
corner but able to think on her feet despite fear everywhere she
turns. A reminder of the prejudices of war and a reminder of
how simple things can sometimes prove these wrong when
propaganda has brainwashed the majority of a nation. Of love
and courage, of times gone by- but a reminder that sadly
prejudices remain in some areas. A wonderful uplifting read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
Berlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…
Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety. That is, until her former employer’s son, SS officer Wilhelm Huber, tracks her down.
But strangely he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. Instead he insists she comes and lives with him in Paris, and seems determined to keep her hidden. His only condition: she must continue to pretend to be his sister. Because whoever would suspect a Nazi girl of secretly being a Jew?
His plan seems impossible, and Margarete is terrified they might be found out, not to mention worried about what Wilhelm might want in return. But as the Nazis start rounding up Jews in Paris and the Résistance steps up its activities, putting everyone who opposes the regime in peril, she realizes staying hidden in plain sight may be her only chance of survival…
Can Margarete trust a Nazi officer with the only things she has left though… her safety, her life, even her heart?
A totally heartbreaking and unputdownable story about how far someone would go to save one life, that fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will adore.
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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