The Munich Girl


Book Description

Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father's war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun. Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did'that her mother and Hitler's mistress were friends.The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna's.Plunged into the world of the Munich girl who became her mother's confidante'and a tyrant's lover?Anna retraces the friendship forged by two lonely women in Nazi Germany, even though the men they loved had opposing ambitions.Anna's journey will uncover long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that outlast war.




Suitcase of Dreams


Book Description

From the bestselling author of The Girl from Munich, a sweeping, dramatic tale of love and identity, inspired by a true story. After enduring the horror of Nazi Germany and the chaos of postwar occupation, Lotte Drescher and her family arrive in Australia in 1956 full of hope for a new life. It’s a land of opportunity, where Lotte and her husband Erich dream of giving their children the future they have always wanted. After years of struggling to find their feet as New Australians, Erich turns his skill as a wood carver into a successful business and Lotte makes a career out of her lifelong passion, photography. The sacrifices they have made finally seem worth it until Erich’s role in the trade union movement threatens to have him branded a communist and endanger their family. Then darker shadows of the past reach out to them from Germany, a world and a lifetime away. As the Vietnam War looms, an unexpected visitor forces Lotte to a turning point. Her decision will change her life forever . . . and will finally show her the true meaning of home. PRAISE FOR TANIA BLANCHARD ‘Captures the intensity of a brutal and unforgiving war, successfully weaving love, loss, desperation and, finally, hope into a gripping journey of self-discovery.’ Courier Mail ‘An epic tale, grand in scope … Packs an emotional punch that will reverberate far and wide.’ Weekly Times ‘A tumultuous journey from order to bedlam, and from naive acceptance of the status quo to the gradual getting of political wisdom.’ Sunday Age ‘An original and innovative take on the World War II genre that captures the hauntingly desperate essence of the war. Tania Blanchard has written yet another spectacular novel. Don’t miss this.’ Better Reading ‘A sweeping, dramatic tale of love and identity.’ Fraser Coast Chronicle




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




An American Girl in Munich


Book Description




Coming of Age


Book Description

In the lean and anxious years following World War II, Munich society became obsessed with the moral condition of its youth. Initially born of the economic and social disruption of the war years, a preoccupation with juvenile delinquency progressed into a full-blown panic over the hypothetical threat that young men and women posed to postwar stability. As Martin Kalb shows in this fascinating study, constructs like the rowdy young boy and the sexually deviant girl served as proxies for the diffuse fears of adult society, while allowing authorities ranging from local institutions to the U.S. military government to strengthen forms of social control.




The Girl in the Shadows


Book Description

1943, Germany: Two years ago, fate gave a beautiful young Jewish woman named Margarete Rosenbaum the chance to survive the Nazis, by pretending to be one of them, hiding in plain sight. Now she must make a terrifying decision… Margarete lives as Annegret Huber would have, in a beautiful rural mansion by a forest in northern Germany. She is the heiress to the entire Huber fortune—one which she has devastatingly discovered includes a factory and Nazi prison camp. Margarete has done everything she can to help improve conditions there, and to reduce suffering for the prisoners who remind her so much of her own lost family and friends. However, as the war rages on and the Nazi party becomes more brutal in its treatment of Jews, she realizes she must do more. She has to help the prisoners escape to real safety, because they will never be safe in Hitler’s Germany. She’s heard of a route to freedom through Sweden. Although that means secretly reaching out to the resistance. With the risk of betrayal at every turn, her enquiries lead her to a man named Stefan, who she instantly feels a powerful connection to. But she fears he will never trust her… unless she reveals the secret that keeps her safe. At the same time, a Nazi officer begins to show romantic interest in her, making it harder to keep her identity a secret. His loyalty to the party is beyond question, so if he finds her out, not only will her plan be at risk, but also her life and those of everyone she cares for. But can she let that fear stop her from saving others? Because she knows she herself could so easily be one of the faces on the other side of the fence. And that, in the darkest times, sometimes the only person who can rise up is the girl in the shadows… The powerful third novel in Marion Kummerow’s bestselling Margarete’s Journey series is an unforgettable and devastating story, perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls, and All the Light We Cannot See. Readers are loving The Girl in the Shadows: “WOW! Marion did not disappoint me… I loved these brave characters and how far they are willing to go to save thousands of lives and end the Nazi regime… Such a heartbreaking read especially in our current political climate and the parallels are startling!… I can’t wait for the finale… I can’t handle the lip-biting suspense.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “That ending! I did not expect that to happen. Wow! It was a definite surprise and superbly played… A truly heartwrenching tale of survival against all odds.” Confessions of a Bookaholic “The twists crept up on me and left me gasping as I frantically turned pages.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Excellent… [I] held my breath… while turning the pages of this fast-paced book… What I love about Marion’s books is that she sheds light on the turmoil some Germans went through, not just those who became unwilling Nazis but those who risked everything to help bring down Hitler.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Exciting… A really inspirational read and highly recommend this excellent WWII novel.” Christian Novel Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I was on the edge of my seat while I devoured this book. I could feel the tension increasing as the lies Margarete has spun tighten around her… An exciting read, complete with suspense and fear and the knowledge that time is running out for her and the people she is protecting.” @booksreadbyprairiegirl “Will have you holding your breath for Margarete as she continues her subterfuge as Annegret… this series gets better and better… Has you mesmerized from the first page to the last page… Hard to put down.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐




Hitler's Girl


Book Description

A timely, riveting book that presents for the first time an alternative history of 1930s Britain, revealing how prominent fascist sympathizers nearly succeeded in overturning British democracy—using the past as a road map to navigate the complexities of today’s turn toward authoritarianism. Hitler’s Girl is a groundbreaking history that reveals how, in the 1930s, authoritarianism nearly took hold in Great Britain as it did in Italy and Germany. Drawing on recently declassified intelligence files, Lauren Young details the pervasiveness of Nazi sympathies among the British aristocracy, as significant factions of the upper class methodically pursued an actively pro-German agenda. She reveals how these aristocrats formed a murky Fifth Column to Nazi Germany, which depended on the complacence and complicity of the English to topple its proud and long-standing democratic tradition—and very nearly succeeded. As she highlights the parallels to our similarly treacherous time, Young exposes the involvement of secret organizations like the Right Club, which counted the Duke of Wellington among its influential members; the Cliveden Set, which ran a shadow foreign policy in support of Hitler; and the shocking four-year affair between socialite Unity Mitford and Adolf Hitler. Eye-opening and instructive, Hitler’s Girl re-evaluates 1930s England to help us understand our own vulnerabilities and poses urgent questions we must face to protect our freedom. At what point does complacency become complicity, posing real risk to the democratic norms that we take for granted? Will democracy again succeed—and will it require a similarly cataclysmic event like World War II to ensure its survival? Will we, in our own defining moment, stand up for democratic values—or will we succumb to political extremism?




Tania Blanchard Collection


Book Description

The Tania Blanchard Collection features three blockbuster titles from Tania Blanchard, Australia's bestselling author of The Girl from Munich! For fans of Fiona McIntosh, Heather Morris and Judy Nunn. The Girl From Munich 1943 ... The choices she makes will change her life forever. Growing up in Hitler’s Germany, Charlotte von Klein has big dreams for the future. Her mind is full of plans for a sumptuous wedding to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich while working for the Luftwaffe, proudly giving her all for the Fatherland. But in 1943, the tide of the war is turning against Germany, and Lotte’s life of privilege and comfort begins to collapse around her. As Hitler’s Reich abandons Germany and the country falls to the Allied forces, Lotte is forced to flee from the unfolding chaos to the country with the darkly attractive Erich Drescher, her Luftwaffe superior. Amid the danger, pain and heartbreak, Lotte must forge a new life for herself. But as the country struggles to find its future, shadows of the past come rushing back and Lotte finds herself questioning everything she has fought for – love, duty and freedom. Suitcase of Dreams After enduring the horror of Nazi Germany and the chaos of postwar occupation, Lotte Drescher and her family arrive in Australia in 1956 full of hope for a new life. It’s a land of opportunity, where Lotte and her husband Erich dream of giving their children the future they have always wanted. After years of struggling to find their feet as New Australians, Erich turns his skill as a wood carver into a successful business and Lotte makes a career out of her lifelong passion, photography. The sacrifices they have made finally seem worth it until Erich’s role in the trade union movement threatens to have him branded a communist and endanger their family. Then darker shadows of the past reach out to them from Germany, a world and a lifetime away. As the Vietnam War looms, an unexpected visitor forces Lotte to a turning point. Her decision will change her life forever . . . and will finally show her the true meaning of home. Letters from Berlin Berlin, 1943 As the Allied forces edge closer, the Third Reich tightens its grip on its people. For eighteen-year-old Susanna Göttmann, this means her adopted family including the man she loves, Leo, are at risk. Desperate to protect her loved ones any way she can, Susie accepts the help of an influential Nazi officer. But it comes at a terrible cost – she must abandon any hope of a future with Leo and enter the frightening world of the Nazi elite. Yet all is not lost as her newfound position offers more than she could have hoped for … With critical intelligence at her fingertips, Susie seizes a dangerous opportunity to help the Resistance. The decisions she makes could change the course of the war, but what will they mean for her family and her future?




The Boy and the Box


Book Description

A boy sets out on a journey, full of wonder. He comes across an empty box and imagines all the things he can do with it. But when the path he is on splits, the boy must make a decision: to follow the advice of others or to follow his own heart. Specially created for readers aged 5¬–9 Excellent as a teaching tool for the six comprehension strategies: (1) making connection, (2) asking questions, inferring,(4) visualising, (5) determining importance and (6) summarising Explores the complex issues of growing up and making choices, and demonstrates the importance of being true to yourself




The Girls of Atomic City


Book Description

Looks at the contributions of the thousands of women who worked at a secret uranium-enriching facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during World War II.