For some people in post–World War II Germany, the battle is not over.August 1945. As Stefano, an Italian POW, heads toward home across war-ravaged Germany, he encounters a young child beside his dead mother. Unable to leave him to an unknown fate, Stefano takes the boy with him, finding refuge in a seemingly abandoned house in a secluded woodland.But the house is far from vacant. Stefano wakes at … vacant. Stefano wakes at the arrival of its owner, Erich, a former German soldier, who invites the travelers to stay until they can find safe passage home. Stefano cautiously agrees, intrigued by the disarming German, his reclusive neighbor Rosalind, and her traumatized husband, Georg. Stefano is also drawn to Monique, the girl in a photograph on Rosalind’s wall, who went missing during the war.
But when he discovers letters written by Monique, a darker truth emerges. This place of refuge could be one of reckoning, and the secrets of the past might prevent the travelers from ever getting home.
more
I received an advanced reading copy of this book, and once I started reading, had to tear myself away when life called. I wanted to bury myself in Liviero’s lyrical writing and unusual story. This is not your typical World-War-II-era novel. It’s beautiful and gritty historical fiction combined with mystery and suspense and completely unique characters, who live through hard times. The ending is life-affirminig and fills you with hope. Highly recommended.
What a ride! Highly recommend
Author grabbed my attention in the first paragraph and held it to the end! Not an easy fete!!
World War II is one of my favorite categories of fiction books. This book is unusual in that the major characters are all German or Italian. All the characters were three dimensional. The ending surprised me. Always a plus.
Well-researched historical novel covering WWII and the immediate aftermath.
A great read
I’ve read several books about World War ll and I realize this was about right after it was over, but I couldn’t hardly deal with it. It was back and forth so much with the timeline and each character. And for me it was just too dark. It wasn’t until at about 82 percent – reading on my kindle that things stared becoming clear. I would have liked a little more compassion in it. But yes, things were so secretive still for so many, I can understand somewhat. I would not want to read this book again, because it was a job for me to get through it, making me tense and causing a headache!
Such a great book!!
Took a while to get into it, but worth the effort.
Wow! Not what I thought, but good!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition
I thought I was getting a post war human recovery story. Nope! So Much More! Complex human survival-mode story is a better description.
I had the Kindle Unlimited, Listen &read version and the Narrators were Wonderful! They added layers to the story that brought it home it a big way!
A title selected for World Book Day. Characters are returning home after Germany’s defeat in World War II. You follow six characters, four who were friends before the war and two who come together by chance. You have a nurse, an injured husband kept drugged by the nurse, a SS officer hoping to avoid discovery, a missing wife, and a Italian soldier who knows the secrets each one carries.
I read a lot of WWII historicals so this was a refreshing take on what everyday people had to endure. Loved the bonding brought about by tragedy.
Good story, if a little complicated. Sound ending for rebuilding lives after war.
Wow!! This book is just not another book about WW11, it is not the usual telling. It is told from a different perspective, that of an SS Officer, a German woman (you do not know if you want to like her, feel sorry for her, hate her? maybe all three. When an Italian soldier seeks shelter in an empty and abandoned house, he finds a lot more then he bargained for! He has a small child in tow that he found beside his dead mother and baby brother. Erich was/is an SS Officer but now that the war is over he doesn’t know what the future holds for him now that the Russians have taken over. I can not say more because I don’t want to give anything away. It is a great read and you will not want to put the book down!
great historical perspectve, intriguing story and plot
Wasn’t a fan. There’s a twist but it’s predictable. Felt like it took a long time to get going and I kept losing track of who’s family member did what. Characters are just plain unlikeable in some cases. Giving it three stars for it’s satisfying (if predictable) ending.