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German Woman, The (2009)

by Paul Griner(Favorite Author)

3.13 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1423392019 (ISBN13: 9781423392019)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Brilliance Audio

review 1: I am drawn to nonfiction and fiction about the first half of the twentieth century for some reason, and in particular World War II. "The German Woman" is a well-written haunting novel centered on an English nurse (Kate) married to a German doctor who finds herself in a ragtag hospital in eastern Germany during World War I. She and her husband are accused of being spies for the Russians, so the only choice is to try to get to safety. Some of the most horrific descriptions of warfare and utter cruelty almost had me stop reading at times. As the story moves beyond the escape from the horror to Kate settling in London, it takes a different turn. It is the time of World War II. Kate gradually becomes friends with Claus, a filmmaker and an American with Irish and German root... mores, who is fascinated by her. Their lives, and their relationship, amidst the Nazi bombings of London, are complex and troubling. Griner places you right inside this world so effectively that for the first time I could imagine the horror felt by Londoners as air raid sirens blasted and the Nazis attacked from the skies. I loved this book, and could not put it down. In fact, I will re-read "The German Woman" in a few years (knowing, the second time, that it is ok to gloss over some of the scenes of gut-wrenching cruelty). I will definitely read more of Griner's works, though not at night right before I go to sleep. "Just saying."
review 2: This novel, which spans both World Wars, begins in a field hospital on the Eastern front. Kate, a young English woman married to a German surgeon, experiences the horrors of war as she serves as nurse and caretaker to the injured soldiers. She and her husband are taken as spies then escape to live through hard times in post-war Germany. The second part of the story takes place in London during the Blitz. We meet Claus, an ex-pat American making propaganda films for the Allies. He meets Kate, now a widow, and they have an affair. Issues of trust arise: is Kate a spy?; does she have ulterior motives? what about Claus' co-workers? Far more than a love story, much more than a recycled war tale, this well-written, unsentimental novel will stay with you long after you finish reading. less

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