About the book:
How have I been lucky enough to come here, to be alive, when so many others are not? I should have died.... But I am here.
1945. Surviving the brutality of a Nazi prison camp, Marta Nederman is lucky to have escaped with her life. Recovering from the horror, she meets Paul, an American soldier who gives her hope of a happier future. But their plans to meet in London are dashed when Paul's plane crashes.
Devastated and pregnant, Marta marries Simon, a caring British diplomat, and glimpses the joy that home and family can bring. But her happiness is threatened when she learns of a Communist spy in British intelligence, and that the one person who can expose the traitor is connected to her past.
A pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was an enthralling read. I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours. The writing is straight-forward and beautifully simplistic. I'm not a big fan of first-person narrative, but it worked here, although the present tense was a bit awkward. Marta and Paul aren't fully developed characters, but still garnered my interest and sympathy. I cared about what happened to them, and anxiously turned each page.
I found the historical aspect fascinating, especially from the European viewpoint as the eastern bloc fell to communism. This is a sequel to The Kommandant's Girl, which I haven't read yet. However, it stands alone well. Easily recommended.
Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow. You can purchase your own copy here.
Read 8/10
* * * *
4/5 Stars
How have I been lucky enough to come here, to be alive, when so many others are not? I should have died.... But I am here.
1945. Surviving the brutality of a Nazi prison camp, Marta Nederman is lucky to have escaped with her life. Recovering from the horror, she meets Paul, an American soldier who gives her hope of a happier future. But their plans to meet in London are dashed when Paul's plane crashes.
Devastated and pregnant, Marta marries Simon, a caring British diplomat, and glimpses the joy that home and family can bring. But her happiness is threatened when she learns of a Communist spy in British intelligence, and that the one person who can expose the traitor is connected to her past.
A pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was an enthralling read. I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours. The writing is straight-forward and beautifully simplistic. I'm not a big fan of first-person narrative, but it worked here, although the present tense was a bit awkward. Marta and Paul aren't fully developed characters, but still garnered my interest and sympathy. I cared about what happened to them, and anxiously turned each page.
I found the historical aspect fascinating, especially from the European viewpoint as the eastern bloc fell to communism. This is a sequel to The Kommandant's Girl, which I haven't read yet. However, it stands alone well. Easily recommended.
Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow. You can purchase your own copy here.
Read 8/10
* * * *
4/5 Stars
The use of present tense in a book is almost always awkward in my opinion. I'm glad to see this book lives up to its gorgeous cover.
ReplyDeleteJust finished both of these books within the last week. I really enjoyed both. The Diplomat's wife had some good twist at the end.
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