*** PICKED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE MAIL ON SUNDAY *** ‘A clever, absorbing thriller that does not shrink from the horror of the war’ Times ‘Compelling’ Good Housekeeping ‘This epic novel is simply an incredible read’ Sun ‘A thrilling rollercoaster of a read’ Dinah Jefferies, author of R&J pick The Sapphire Widow ‘My best read of the year’ Lesley Pearse Discover a brilliant story of love, … read of the year’ Lesley Pearse
Discover a brilliant story of love, danger, courage and betrayal, from the internationally bestselling author of The Betrayal.
‘Directly I saw him, I knew he had to die.’
Germany, 1945. Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja have walked for weeks to get to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp. In the cramped, dirty, dangerous conditions they, along with 3,200 others, are the lucky ones. They have survived and will do anything to find a way back home.
But when Klara recognises a man in the camp from her past, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins.
He knows exactly what she did during the war to save her daughter.
She knows his real identity.
What will be the price of silence? And will either make it out of the camp alive?
‘A compelling, edge-of-your-seat story set in a refugee camp immediately after World War II, where a woman will do anything to protect her child. Full of twists and turns’ Julie Cohen, bestselling author of Together
’A superb read; brilliantly crafted, exciting, very moving and researched meticulously. Fantastic, my best read of the year’ Lesley Pearse, Sunday Times bestselling author
‘This gripped me from the start. What a story! Kate Furnivall treads where others have not thought to go. Beware of anyone who comes between a mother and daughter – especially Klara and Alicja’ Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author of Blood Sisters and The Dead Ex
‘Meticulously researched, searingly honest and beautifully written’ Lancashire Post
‘Emotional and engaging with a thrilling tale of love and courage at its core’ Culturefly
‘An epic novel that will leave you breathless until the very end’ Mrs B’s Book Reviews
‘THE SURVIVORS blends imagination with historical fact to absolute perfection’ Sharon’s Book Blog
‘It is impossible to stop once you start reading this book’ Sissi Reads
Further praise for Kate Furnivall
‘Gripping. Tense. Mysterious. Kate Furnivall has a talent for creating places and characters who stay with you long after you’ve read the final word’ Jane Corry
‘Exquisitely heart-wrenching & utterly engrossing’ Penny Parkes
‘A thrilling, compelling read. Wonderful!’ Lesley Pearse
‘Wonderful . . . hugely ambitious and atmospheric’ Kate Mosse
‘A thrilling plot … Fast-paced with a sinister edge’ Times
‘Truly captivating’ Elle
‘Perfect escapist reading’ Marie Claire
more
Haunting, moving, and gritty!
The Survivors is an edgy, poignant tale that sweeps you away to the Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp, post-WWII, where thousands of people live in cramped conditions with basic rations while they struggle to comprehend the horrors they’ve endured, find love ones possibly lost forever, protect their beloved, rebuild lives, and for some hide from the justice they deserve.
The prose is tense and mysterious. The characters are scared, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot, set in Germany during the mid-1940s, is an exceptionally enthralling tale about life, love, strength, bravery, deception, loss, injustice, hope, survival, the aftermath of war, and the powerful bonds between a mother and her daughter.
Overall, The Survivors is a magical blend of historical facts, cat-and-mouse mystique, thrilling fiction, and heartwrenching emotion that does a beautiful job of reminding us that humanity can not only be barbaric and cruel but also incredibly compassionate, resilient, and kind.
The Survivors by Kate Furnivall is a powerful epic historical novel that consumed me from the start.
The novel is set in 1945 mainly in a displaced persons camp in Europe. The war is officially over but for thousands of people there still is nowhere to go. An air of suspicion hangs over the camp as people await their future.
War alters people. They behave by a different set of rules and moral code. They do what they have to do to survive. Lies easily roll off the tongue. Whose version of the truth is correct? Favours are still being called in. Past secrets lie hidden until a face from the past threatens to reveal them.
A mother’s love is fiercely protective. It governs her movements as we witness a close bond within the novel. The pair fight for life for each other.
We always have the choice to do the right thing but there are still those who are governed by hate and greed.
Kate Furnivall has perfectly captured the atmosphere within the camp in this epic read. The war was far from over for many. Despair was never far away. The Survivors was a powerful read. I will leave you with this quote:
The hating has to stop somewhere. We cannot build a future on hate.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The Survivors has so much to offer: it has a strong women , especially Klara, it has mystery, thrills, devastation, survival and hope plus history that many may not be aware of.
The Survivors takes place in a Displaced Persons Camp post war Germany where Klara is placed along with her 10 year old daughter. The book opens with Klara seeing someone from her past : “Directly I saw him , I knew he had to die ”
You are drawn into the story very quickly and the pages turn fast.
You feel like you are in the same Hut as Klara , her daughter and Hanna.
This was my first Kate Furnivall book but it wont be my last.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of The Survivors.
Get your copy, settle in for a great story.
Copy received from Simon and Schuster Australia for an honest review
We have all read books/seen documentaries/watched movies about World War 2, but how many of us know much about what happens when the war ends? I raise my hand and admit I don’t know much about the displaced persons of WW2.
Klara and her daughter Alicja’s story is one that has gotten me thinking about how lucky I really am in my life.
The Survivors is full of such wonderful characters – though it times I was unsure of whom I should have been trusting.
It is a story full of faith in other, hope for survival, hope when everything seems hopeless. It is a story of a mother doing everything she can to protect her daughter.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and our characters (from both sides of the war) know how to serve it up. I was gripped by Klara’s determination, her ferocity when it came to those she loved.
So many twists and turns, and just when I thought I knew where the story was taking me, Ms Furnivall threw in a curve ball or 2.
Beautifully written, captivating story. This was my first Kate Furnivall read, but it won’t be my last.