***A USA Today Bestseller.***The heart-wrenching and unforgettable tale of a world on the brink of war from the internationally bestselling author of The German Midwife.
Berlin, 1938: It’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm.
… fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm.
Arriving to a city swathed in red flags and crawling with Nazis, Georgie feels helpless, witnessing innocent people being torn from their homes. As tensions rise, she realises she and Max have to act – even if it means putting their lives on the line.
But when she digs deeper, Georgie begins to uncover the unspeakable truth about Hitler’s Germany – and the pair are pulled into a world darker than she could ever have imagined…
From the bestselling author of The German Midwife comes the heart-wrenching story of a country on the brink of war, a woman who puts herself in the line of fire, and a world about to be forever changed.
Readers love The Berlin Girl:
‘A gripping read, filled with tension and suspense’ Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker’s Gift
‘You’ll gasp aloud and shed a few tears […] insightful, bold, fast-paced’ Kristin Harmel, author of The Book of Lost Names
‘An absorbing and fascinating read’ Janet MacLeod Trotter, author of The Tea Planter’s Daughter
‘Mandy has captured a chilling sense of tension and fear, knowing what was on the horizon’ Suzanne Goldring, author of My Name is Eva
‘What a story! I couldn’t put this down.’ Real Reader Review
‘Powerful, engaging and emotional.’ Real Reader Review
‘Mandy Robotham never disappoints. Her best yet.’ Real Reader Review
‘This book will stay with me for a long time.’ Real Reader Review
‘This book is a beautifully done glimpse in to a changing Berlin, and is one of the best historic fictions set in this era that I’ve had the pleasure to read.’ Real Reader Review
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Loved the journey from the ‘reporter’s’ viewpoint of the war. It was never easy to live among the warriors on the frontlines.
This is a well-written, entertaining, historical fiction novel set in Berlin just prior to WWII, from the perspective of the journalists covering the tragedy as it unfolds. It has intrigue, suspense, a heart-wrenching subject matter, heartbreak, likable, engaging characters, a strong and capable female protagonist, a heart-warming romance, and a happily ever after ending.
The Berlin Girl is historical fiction at its best. The setting at the edge of WWII was tragic and realistic. I was on the edge of my seat until I turned the very last page.
goo read about women and WWII
Well written. Great story line, well done.
I tend to read a fair number of books about the war years, both historical fiction and nonfiction. This, in the former category, keeps the reader concerned for the main character and wondering, “what would I have done?” as would a nonfiction story of the war experiences of someone in the midst.
I don’t remember the book (usually don’t). but know I enjoyed it thoroughly
Couldn’t put it down!
The book is well written, but such a reminder about what we know about the history of the Nazi horror that reigned down on Germany and then the other countries in Europe. I am deeply saddened by so many reminders of this terrible period in the world.
I find the main characters complex and interesting, but I haven’t actually finished it yet. I can read small amounts and then feel the need to take a break moving into other books for a while.
Georgie is moving up in the world of reporting, and it’s taking her to Berlin. The year is 1938, and Hitler is making moves against the Jewish population. While she’s settling in and meeting fellow journalists, she isn’t quite prepared for the Germany of today. Berlin is a city she could easily fall in love with, even if she is looking through naivety.
This one was a bit different from other WWII historical fiction books I’ve read because it takes place in the months leading up to the war. When Germans, and subsequently the world, were not only unprepared but unbelieving of the lengths Hitler would go to. As Georgie finds her groove, things progress, and she wants to be on the right side of history. I loved that the story took place before the war and the way the story was shaped around it. It was a well-researched story, and I definitely plan to check out more of Robotham’s work. Thank you, Avon, for sending this along.
Just really well written. A very human story that gave me insight into this woman’s life during WWII, which is of interest to me. Because of my French and German heritage, and the fact that I was born during WWII, I’m interested in real-life stories about that time in Europe.
I was gripped by Georgie’s mission to alert the world to the horrors to come, as Hitler’s Germany prepares to create a new Europe. Mandy Robotham’s description of Berlin on the brink of war crackles with tension and shows us the best and worst of humanity.
Well developed characters in unbelievably dangerous times. The story of pre-World War II Berlin is a tragic one. Loved the characters, the history and the reminder the freedom isn’t free.
Georgie Young, a young journalist, is posted to Berlin in September 1938. This is her first break as a journalist and she is determined to make the most of it. Author Mandy Robotham created a story that shows what it would have been like to be in Berlin during the year before WW II. Through Georgie’s eyes as she navigates the world of journalists we see the terror build for her driver, a Jewish man, Rubin, and his wife, Sara. Georgie and a connection she has in the British embassy work to send Rubin’s and Sara’s children in one of the first children’s transports to England. I especially liked this story line. I felt the author did a great job showing the danger for the correspondent’s. The book made me nervous at times for some of the characters. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I also felt fear for them at times. This is what a good book does. I also appreciated the Epilogue as the reader is gratified to find out what happened to the many characters during and after the war. My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.
Postcards from My Life
This is the story of Georgie Young, the girl that courted and reported Berlin. At a time when women were not generally recognized and taken seriously in the field of Journalism she paved her way to become the foreign correspondent to Berlin.
Along with a fellow Journalist Max Spender they reported the events leading up to WWII being declared in the city of Berlin Germany. They recognized the danger of the Nazi government and reported accordingly. After saving the lives of a Jewish couple the befriended they in turn had to run for their lives from Germany. They continued to report the war from other countries.
This book was deeply steeped in the journalism vocation, as well as the history of the gradual takeover by the Nazis and how the people of Berlin reacted throughout this historic time.
This was a great story, not only for the historic content of the war and Berlin, but of a woman determined to make a career for herself as a news reporter, but to report the happening so that the world would know what a threat the Nazis’ were and the acts they were exercising against the Jewish people and others that the Nazi’s deemed “Undesirable”.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, the history, the romance and the courage held within the pages of this book and the story told. I recommend this book; I will believe you will love reading it as much as I did.
Thanks to Mandy Robotham, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham is a thrilling historical novel that will have your heart racing as you read. A blend of fact and fiction, the reader will be equally entertained and horrified.
The novel is set in Berlin during 1938 – September 1939 as we follow the fortunes of a group of newspaper reporters from Britain and America. We see the gutsy Georgie, a young woman who does not let her female sex hold her back. She is brave and daring as she sets about uncovering horrors that the Nazis want hidden. She is also kind, compassionate and loyal, doing what she has to in order to help her friends.
Within Berlin in 1938 there is an air of dislike and mistrust as the Nazi regime ramps up its evil. “Maybe your average German doesn’t believe it, but they wouldn’t dare express it.” Fear rules lives meaning many stay silent when they should speak up. It reminds me of the famous quote, “For evil to flourish it just needs good men to do nothing.”
As readers we witness what begins as one off acts of horror become ordinary everyday events – and still the people say nothing.
Jewish persecution rapidly becomes a way of life as we witness the horrors leading up to 9th November, Kristallnacht. As a historian, I knew what was coming in the autumn of 1938 but the horror still hit me like an express train. Man’s inhumanity to man is truly shocking.
The newspaper folk were brave and loyal. They did not fall for Joseph Goebbels spin on news, recognising it for the lies it was. They worked together to help which meant that they too, could become targets for Nazi atrocities.
I found The Berlin Girl a fascinating and horrifying read. Mandy Robotham has perfectly captured the pre-war atmosphere of Berlin as we witnessed the birth of pure evil. May we never forget the 6 million innocents who perished.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
This beautifully written novel by Mandy Robotham, really peaked my love of historical fiction. Set in 1938 Berlin, as Hitler was establishing a strong presence for war, this story chronicles the heroism of foreign journalists that endangered their lives to bring the news home.
This follows the lives of Georgie and Max, two young British journalists, who along with their counterparts from the US, travel the streets of Berlin in search of the truth of impending war to their home countries. Their association with a Jewish family and their desire to help them, put their lives in jeopardy, many a time.
Mandy Robotham is a very skilled writer and great character development. I appreciate #Avon and #HarperCollinsPublications and #NetGalley for the ARC.
All comments are my own.
Yes, I know … another WWII book. What can I say? I’m a fan. Besides, The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham is a gem of a story: super original, equally terrifying and exciting, and definitely one to play with your emotions.
The story begins in 1938 as Georgie Young, an up-and-coming reporter is assigned to work in Berlin. Having covered the Olympic Games of 1936, she’s excited to return to Berlin. Joined on the journey by another young reporter, Max Spender, she is quick to react at his assumption that “George Young” would be a man, and she assures him she has both the journalistic and language skills to do the job. Her ability to speak German soon puts Max in his place. Way to go, Georgie!
This original start to the story drew me in, and despite its relatively slow pace, it acted as the perfect precursor to a thrilling and exhilarating journey through the pre-war days and the subsequent declaration of war with Germany.
Georgie is determined to do things her way, even hiring a driver she knows from her prior visit at a time when Jews like Ruben are being met with one restriction after another. It is her involvement with him and his family that ultimately saves their lives, bringing food to the table early on and later by their escape. She is not alone in helping out families like Ruben’s; many of the reporters from other countries are just as active, though some of the more vocal are soon deported from Germany.
When it becomes apparent that a German officer shows an interest in Georgie because of her Englishness, she is quick to spot the opportunity to use him for information to help her friends. At this point, it’s not only Ruben who is in danger, but Georgie too. It’s a tense moment when they go to Sachsenhausen concentration camp to retrieve letters from those imprisoned there. The pages flew by as I hoped for a good result. Kudos to the author for including the character of Elias, Ruben’s brother-in-law – not just a Jew, but a disabled one, a person for whom the Nazi regime and all its abominations was doubly prejudiced.
Of course, knowing of the atrocities carried out, not every plan has a happy outcome, and when Georgie is called back to England, she feels her Berlin years are over. But, luckily they aren’t, and she returns in a more senior role, ready and raring to go as tensions accelerate in the city. Daily briefings with senior Nazi officials only intensify her need to help those being arrested and sent away to certain death. Only now, she has Max on her side too. And their activities grow ever more daring until they have no option but to flee themselves.
This book has a wonderful mix of drama and tension, of hope and a need to defeat the oppressors. Georgie is a strong woman in a city that changes beyond her imagination; the act of reporting becomes harder as restrictions come into play and the journalists have to find innovative ways of passing on the news. While newspapers abroad are cautious about reporting all of the news in its gory and horrific details, Georgie cleverly sends in her “Postcards” from a Berlin correspondent with an anonymous, yet birds-eye view of what is really happening.
The post-war articles at the end of the story, chronicling Georgie’s career and personal life are a lovely touch and only makes me admire her more.
I really enjoyed The Berlin Girl and highly recommend it to fans of WWII historical novels.
The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham is historical fiction set in Berlin in 1938. If you like to feel you are part of history while reading, Ms. Robotham‘s latest book will transport you to 1930‘s Germany. I could see the beauty and ugliness, feel the fear of the people and the thrill of those in prominent Nazi positions. It is a bold book of mysteries, thrills, politics, horror and a portrayal of developing evil. The Berlin Girl is a must read for readers of World War II History.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
As a historical fiction fan, I have read many books about WWII. This one was refreshing in the sense that the characters were all journalists reporting from Berlin. It was interesting to see their frustration at seeing what was happening around them yet their HQs were not publishing much without photographs and nothing was been done to stop the Reich. I really enjoyed the snippets of their articles after they leave Berlin. That was a really nice touch!