The German Girl


Book Description

AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Featured in Entertainment Weekly, People, The Millions, and USA TODAY “An unforgettable and resplendent novel which will take its place among the great historical fiction written about World War II.” —Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife A young girl flees Nazi-occupied Germany with her family and best friend, only to discover that the overseas refuge they had been promised is an illusion in this “engrossing and heartbreaking” (Library Journal, starred review) debut novel, perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Lilac Girls, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Berlin, 1939. Before everything changed, Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But now the streets of Berlin are draped in ominous flags; her family’s fine possessions are hauled away; and they are no longer welcome in the places they once considered home. A glimmer of hope appears in the shape of the St. Louis, a transatlantic ocean liner promising Jews safe passage to Cuba. At first, the liner feels like a luxury, but as they travel, the circumstances of war change, and the ship that was to be their salvation seems likely to become their doom. New York, 2014. On her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a mysterious package from an unknown relative in Cuba, her great-aunt Hannah. Its contents inspire Anna and her mother to travel to Havana to learn the truth about their family’s mysterious and tragic past. Weaving dual time frames, and based on a true story, The German Girl is a beautifully written and deeply poignant story about generations of exiles seeking a place to call home.




The Daughter's Tale


Book Description

From the internationally bestselling author of The German Girl, an unforgettable, “searing” (People) saga exploring a hidden piece of World War II history and the lengths a mother will go to protect her children—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network. Seven decades of secrets unravel with the arrival of a box of letters from the distant past, taking readers on a harrowing journey from Nazi-occupied Berlin, to the South of France, to modern-day New York City. Berlin, 1939. The dreams that Amanda Sternberg and her husband, Julius, had for their daughters are shattered when the Nazis descend on Berlin, burning down their beloved family bookshop and sending Julius to a concentration camp. Desperate to save her children, Amanda flees toward the South of France. Along the way, a refugee ship headed for Cuba offers another chance at escape and there, at the dock, Amanda is forced to make an impossible choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Once in Haute-Vienne, her brief respite is inter­rupted by the arrival of Nazi forces, and Amanda finds herself in a labor camp where she must once again make a heroic sacrifice. New York, 2015. Eighty-year-old Elise Duval receives a call from a woman bearing messages from a time and country that she forced herself to forget. A French Catholic who arrived in New York after World War II, Elise is shocked to discover that the letters were from her mother, written in German during the war. Her mother’s words unlock a floodgate of memories, a lifetime of loss un-grieved, and a chance—at last—for closure. Based on true events and “breathtakingly threaded together from start to finish with the sound of a beating heart” (The New York Times Book Review), The Daughter’s Tale is an unforgettable family saga of love, survival, and redemption.




The English German Girl


Book Description

This powerful, meticulously researched novel is a moving tale of one girl’s struggle against a world in turmoil. In 1930s Berlin, choked by the tightening of Hitler’s fist, the Klein family is gradually losing everything that is precious to them. Their fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosa, slips out of Germany on a Kindertransport train to begin a new life in England. Charged with the task of securing a safe passage for her family, she vows that she will not rest until they are safe. But as war breaks out and she loses contact with her parents, Rosa finds herself wondering if there are some vows that can’t be kept. A sweeping tale of love and loss, with the poignant story of the Kindertransport at its heart, this is an exceptional accomplishment from one of Britain’s bravest and most-vibrant young writers.




The German Girl


Book Description

‘I absolutely loved this… heartbreaking and heart-warming… I was completely hooked… an absolutely amazing book, one which I was completely captivated by… will stay with you for such a long time after you’ve finished reading it.’ Starburst Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Germany, 1938. Fifteen-year-old Asta and her twin brother Jurgen are stopped as they run home from school through strangely silent streets: ‘Your parents were taken. And if you go home, the Nazis will take you too…’ Heartbroken, Asta knows they must make the perilous journey across a hostile country that no longer feels like home to reach Denmark and their aunt Trine, a woman they barely know. Crossing the border is punishable by death. In the middle of the snowy forest, barking dogs and armed soldiers capture Jurgen and Asta escapes. Asta must hold on to hope no matter what. One day she will find her twin, the other half of herself. Even if it means leaving the safety of Denmark, and risking her life in a labour camp to track down the man who took her brother. Whatever the price she has to pay, her brother’s life is worth it. A gripping and poignant read that will break your heart and give you hope. Fans of The Nightingale, The Dressmaker’s Gift and All the Light We Cannot See will be gripped by the story of a brave brother and sister seeking safety during one of the darkest times in our history. What everyone’s saying about The German Girl: ‘Keep the tissues handy… By far the absolute best book I’ve read this year!... I devoured it in one sitting… a historical fiction masterpiece… Please keep writing, Lily Graham, the world needs more of your books! ‘ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Oh wow. What a powerful, gripping story… Lily Graham really brought the characters to life, during all the different settings and drew me in as though I was an extra in the story. Very moving.’ Karen Loves Reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Read to the last Page! Unputdownable!... The author has taken us to a time period we all would like to forget, but shouldn’t because it.could happen again. Her writing is provocative and explosive! The characters are strong and believable! You want to cheer them on so you keep turning the pages. I couldn’t stop so I ended up reading this in one sitting!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an emotional read full of bravery, perseverance and courage.’ Shortbookthyme, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I simply couldn't put this book down, and I felt I was drawn back to that time. Overall, this book is an emotional and gripping book, that is unputdownable. Worth five stars!’ Tropicalgirlreadsbooks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What everyone’s saying about Lily Graham: ‘Absolutely one of the best books I have read… Lily Graham has written one of the best books of the year in my honest opinion! If I could have given this a higher rating than 5 stars I would have done so… truly an unforgettable story!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You will cry, you will be addicted from the start and will find it hard to put down. This book ranks high on my favourite books list, a BRILLIANT book and worth far more than 5* in my opinion. EXCELLENT.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Warning! This book will make you cry… The most moving story I’ve read in a long while… I have not wept so much in a while… I fell in love… by the end I was smiling and crying. I was an emotional mess all round really.’ The Book Trail, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐




In Search of Emma


Book Description

Revised and updated with a new introduction by the author—and available in English for the first time—the moving story of a man who always wanted to be a father and the long emotional road to making his dream come true. Born in Cuba and raised in the USA, Armando Lucas Correa epitomized the American dream. He had everything he wanted: an incredible job as the editor of People magazine, meeting and interviewing glamorous celebrities; a steady partner; and a comfortable life filled with travel. But with the new millennium, he realized something vital was missing. A child. In the years before gay marriage was widespread and legal across the nation, the road to parenthood was difficult for gay couples. Though his family would not be traditional, Correa was undaunted. Every setback, each emotional challenge was fuel that drove him to fulfill his dream. Exhaustively researching the possibilities, Correa eventually chose surrogacy—a long, arduous, and expensive method involving seemingly endless tests, paperwork, and difficult decisions. But with the help of science, a lot of patience, an egg donor, a gestational mother, and the unconditional support of her partner and family, Correa’s dream finally came true with the birth of his beloved daughter, Emma. In Search of Emma is an inspiring and beautiful story of love, family, and fatherhood that reminds us of that, despite the odds, we must never stop fighting to achieve our dreams. Completely revised and updated to reflect his growing family.




Letters to Oma


Book Description

When fifteen-year-old Christina Eudora Von Scholl learns that her family will leave their German homeland to seek freedom in Texas, her greatest sorrow is leaving behind her beloved grandmother. And so, in a series of letters, she takes “Oma” on this great adventure with her family . . . and takes us as readers. Sometimes the letters are dark with discouragement, for the Von Scholls find, as did many German-Texas families, that the Society for the Protection of German Emigrants, known as the Adelsverein, was unable to fulfill its promises of land, housing, horses, and farm implements. But they are Germans, determined and willing to work hard. More often these letters—and the text woven in between them—are bright with adventure, for Tina finds Texas an exciting, if puzzling, place. There are new customs to learn, new foods to eat, even while the family preserves its traditional German ways. Tina’s adventures include a run-in with a mountain lion, an exciting trip across Texas with her father to Sisterdale, and a frightening encounter with Lipan Indians. Her lessons in being an American are helped by Jeff, a young man who becomes part of the family when he undertakes to teach them to farm in Texas. Tina, in return, teaches Jeff to read and learns a lesson in love that is without nationality. Letters to Oma is a charming, informative novel that sweeps the reader back to a very particular time and place. And Tina Von Scholl is irresistible as correspondent and as heroine.




The Lost German Slave Girl


Book Description

A fascinating exploration of slavery and its laws and an unforgettable portrait of a young woman in pursuit of freedom. “Reads like a legal thriller” (The Washington Post). It is a spring morning in New Orleans, 1843. In the Spanish Quarter, on a street lined with flophouses and gambling dens, Madame Carl recognizes a face from her past. It is the face of a German girl, Sally Miller, who disappeared twenty-five years earlier. But the young woman is property, the slave of a nearby cabaret owner. She has no memory of a “white” past. Yet her resemblance to her mother is striking, and she bears two telltale birthmarks. In brilliant novelistic detail, award-winning historian John Bailey reconstructs the exotic sights, sounds, and smells of mid-nineteenth-century New Orleans, as well as the incredible twists and turns of Sally Miller’s celebrated and sensational case. Did Miller, as her relatives sought to prove, arrive from Germany under perilous circumstances as an indentured servant or was she, as her master claimed, part African, and a slave for life? The Lost German Slave Girl is a tour de force of investigative history that reads like a suspense novel. “Bailey keeps us guessing until the end in this page-turning true courtroom drama of 19th-century New Orleans . . . [He] brings to life the fierce legal proceedings with vivid strokes.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review




East German Girl


Book Description

War memories do not have an age requirement. They force you to mature and give you no choice but to cope with the realities of the world. In this memoir, author Sigrid Jackson tells what it was like being a child of war in East Germany before and after World War II. In East German Girl, Jackson describes what it was like to live through the bombing raids, food shortages, diphtheria, communism, and being forced to leave her home with her mother and brother to be relocated to a rural farm. Using personal anecdotes to illustrate how God has worked in her life, Jackson demonstrates the courage that was necessary to escape East Germany to freedom in the west when she was just twelve years old. From an alcoholic, absentee father to an unsuspecting future husband, life continuously threw her curveballs, but East German Girl narrates an inspirational story of war, communism, family betrayal, and finally resilience.




The Welsh Girl


Book Description

A WWII-era Welsh barmaid begins a secret relationship with a German POW in this “beautiful” novel by the author of A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself (Ann Patchett). Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Set in the stunning landscape of North Wales just after D-Day, this critically acclaimed debut novel traces the intersection of disparate lives in wartime. When a prisoner-of-war camp is established near her village, seventeen-year-old barmaid Esther Evans finds herself strangely drawn to the camp and its forlorn captives. She is exploring the camp boundary when an astonishing thing occurs: A young German corporal calls out to her from behind the fence. From that moment on, the two begin an unlikely—and perilous—romance. Meanwhile, a German-Jewish interrogator travels to Wales to investigate Britain’s most notorious Nazi prisoner, Rudolf Hess. In this richly drawn and thought-provoking “tour de force,” all will come to question the meaning of love, family, loyalty, and national identity (The New Yorker). “If you loved The English Patient, there’s probably a place in your heart for The Welsh Girl.” —USA Today “Davies’s characters are marvelously nuanced.” —Los Angeles Times “Beautifully conjures a place and its people, in an extraordinary time . . . A rare gem.” —Claire Messud, author of The Woman Upstairs “This first novel by Davies, author of two highly praised short story collections, has been anticipated—and, with its wonderfully drawn characters, it has been worth the wait.” —Booklist, starred review




The Good German Girl


Book Description

Omaha Beach June 6, 1944 When battle-hardened Private Bernie Russell witnesses a fellow soldier shoot a young German boy with his hands up, he's shaken to his very core. Then, as that same boy is dying, he presses a packet of photographs and letters into Bernie's hand and utters three words in English. "It must end." After having the letters translated, he discovers they were written by the soldier's twin sister, and the photographs within the packet reveal evidence of Hitler's plan to wipe out the Jews. Berlin, Germany Margot Raskopf is a young art teacher, forced to conform to the education Hitler has designed. Then, when one of her sources with the underground resistance receives a letter for her from an American soldier, she's shocked and filled with renewed hope. But Margot has been harboring a secret. In her house, she hides a young Jewish woman she's known since childhood, risking being discovered by the gestapo with each passing day. As they begin a dangerous correspondence, both Margot and Bernie embark on treacherous journeys. One taking Bernie across Europe and right into Germany. Another taking Margot through the gates of Auschwitz ... and under the scrutiny of Josef Mengele.