My rating: 3.0
A group of German resistors understand that Hitler is crazy and have an assassination plot. Marianne hears their conversations and takes a vow that, should anything go wrong, that she will be in charge of helping the other resistance wives This historical fiction novel takes place at the end of WWII with three widows - Marianne, Betinna and Ania - living in an old decaying Bavarian castle. Marianne, now a widow from the failed assassination plot on Hitler, has rescued Martin the six year old son of her best friend who was part of the plot. Another wife, the beautiful Benita is in a refugee camp and encounters Ania, another resistor's wife.
Marianne assembles this makeshift family. Told through flashbacks, you quickly understand the horrific dark things that each have had to come through. I was quite interested in the plot line of the assassination plot on Hitler but this was very minimal in the book. The characters felt very flat so it was difficult to care about any of them. I typically love books told from alternating perspectives and through flashbacks but this felt disjointed. Despite a promising plot line and being interested in this being war from the women's perspective, I was disappointed in this book and wouldn't recommend.
A group of German resistors understand that Hitler is crazy and have an assassination plot. Marianne hears their conversations and takes a vow that, should anything go wrong, that she will be in charge of helping the other resistance wives This historical fiction novel takes place at the end of WWII with three widows - Marianne, Betinna and Ania - living in an old decaying Bavarian castle. Marianne, now a widow from the failed assassination plot on Hitler, has rescued Martin the six year old son of her best friend who was part of the plot. Another wife, the beautiful Benita is in a refugee camp and encounters Ania, another resistor's wife.
Marianne assembles this makeshift family. Told through flashbacks, you quickly understand the horrific dark things that each have had to come through. I was quite interested in the plot line of the assassination plot on Hitler but this was very minimal in the book. The characters felt very flat so it was difficult to care about any of them. I typically love books told from alternating perspectives and through flashbacks but this felt disjointed. Despite a promising plot line and being interested in this being war from the women's perspective, I was disappointed in this book and wouldn't recommend.
I was excited about this book because it had a unique plot line also. So sad this didn't deliver.
ReplyDeleteI just finished this book yesterday Elle, and liked it a bit better than you did I guess. I gave it 4 stars. I agree that it was disjointed and felt like this author was not adept at jumping around between time periods and characters. I was partially "lost" until about 100 pages in. Then I got hooked. I found some of the subject matter terribly disturbing, and there was absolutely NO happiness in this novel whatsoever, so I've deemed it "dark". Normally I don't like a book or a movie as "dark" as this was, but still, I'm glad I read it. I didn't find myself actually liking ANY of the main characters. All that said, I did enjoy the different perspective set during my favorite era. :)
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