An Amazon Charts bestseller.In the shadows of World War II, trust becomes the greatest risk of all for two strangers.December 1943. In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family’s summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, as deep drifts of snow blanket the Black Forest, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless. Fervor and brutality have swept through her homeland, … swept through her homeland, taking away both her father and her brother and leaving her with no reason to live.
That is, until she discovers an unconscious airman lying in the snow wearing a Luftwaffe uniform, his parachute flapping in the wind. Unwilling to let him die, Franka takes him to her family’s isolated cabin despite her hatred for the regime he represents. But when it turns out that he is not who he seems, Franka begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the airman’s true identity. Their tenuous bond becomes as inseparable as it is dangerous. Hunted by the Gestapo, can they trust each other enough to join forces on a mission that could change the face of the war and their own lives forever?
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Another WWII story; but an engrossing page-turner.
This novel was the story of a young German Nurse which took place during World War II in 1943. The young woman had lost her husband, her father (killed by Allied bombs) and her physically and mentally challenged younger brother (killed by the Gestapo). She was, at the time of the story, living in a rustic cabin in the Bavarian Forest which had been used by her family during many happy summers. She had gone to the cabin during the winter months with the idea of ending her life. During a very heavy snow storm she had walked some two miles from the small house to shoot herself. Before she could end her life she happened upon the snow-covered body of a young man dressed in the uniform of a German airman. He was unconscious and both legs were broken. She decided she could not just leave him in the elements to die and began trying to figure out how to get him back to the shelter of the cabin. As she tried to move him, the still unconscious man yelled out something which she recognized as English. Immediately she wondered who this guy was. The rest of the story deals with their relationship as she set his broken legs. What added intrigue was the fact that the airman spoke perfect German and that an old school friend in the closest town to the cabin was a Nazi captain in charge of the patrol in that area of Germany. To find out what happened to these two stranded strangers you just have to read the book.
A riveting story of life inside Germany during WWII. There were those citizens who were complicit with the Nazis/Gestapo and reported their neighbors for anything remotely suspicious, but there were others, like Franka Gerber, who resisted the government in any way they could, trying to hold onto their history and their German culture. Brilliant plot, memorable characters, historically informative, suspense, and the importance of trust make this a book that is hard to put down.
I’ve read a lot of WWII books over the years, and what I really appreciated about this novel in particular was that it told the story of an ordinary German citizen who doesn’t always believe in the madness but whose life is terribly impacted by it. You don’t necessarily see Franka as a war hero (though perhaps she does become that) – you see her as a woman who lost family and a sense of self to the regime that took so many things from so many people. This book doesn’t always feel true to the history, but I still found myself quickly turning pages to find out what happened next.
I love thrillers. I like action, and I appreciate writers who know how to combine them all at once -War, romance, mystery (which I need in a book to think) into a good plot. So while I was searching for my next reading, I came across “white rose, black forest” by Eoin Dempsey. “well Ramon” I say to self, “search no more.”
I found all that I was looking for in this book. Anyone who reads books about the period of the World War 2 as a hobby must also know that everything written in papers, even if it is the imagination of the writer, must have happened somewhere in the same reality of that war. There is no horror scenario or fear that a writer can invent that did not exist in that dark world, even if it takes place in the middle of a forest. This time, in this book I found a story that touches the margins and scratches the war story that is on the border. I loved the writing and the plot. Highly recommend.
This is an amazing work of fiction built on a very accurate historic foundation. Taking place during the darkest hours of my birth country, this story is bittersweet with an ending that does the era justice. I’m impressed Eoin Dempsey!
Although a bit typical “girl meets guy”, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical value. The look at Nazi Germany through the eyes of people that at first bought into the ‘nationalism’ and then found themselves totally caught in a life so thoroughly controlled that there was no way to resist and remain alive or outside of a concentration camp.
I once wondered how they could have let it happen; but the older I’ve gotten and the more I see of American politics….well, I now greatly fear for my own country.
So I tell everyone I know, never stop reading and thinking about this, so that you will understand that we’re all just a few steps away…..
This was a gripping read, a quiet but tense WWII story. Full of resistance, intrigue, and stories inside a small cabin in the Black Forest, this one has me wanted to read everything the author has written.
This a marvelous Book and should be required reading in high school or college history. The Nazis and Democratic play book might not be to far a part. People who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Very well written and shows us the actions of the Democrats mirrors the way the Nazis began! Political correctness to the Max! Bullies are never Happy until everyone believes they are right and never corrects them. Anarchist are only happy with anarchy! Yes, they are the Liars!
Instantaneous intrigue, brimming suspense, engrossing narrative, unbearable tension. My heart almost stopped at some point at the end of the story. And the ending left me in tears. What a marvelous book! It left me in awe of the author. Highly recommended.
It was fantastic a true page turner. A big fan of Eoin Dempsey!
White Rose, Black Forest is the story of Franka she didn’t know her life was about to change saving a man who probably was working and fighting for the enemy, but she couldn’t leave him out there freezing in the cold, she had to do something even if that meant to put her life in danger.
Franka was only staying at her cabin for a while at least until the snow meltdown, she was heading to Munich, faraway from the bad memories and the war, that were slowly destroying so many lives. she was out of jail and ready to start all over again but Franka’s plans were about to change. she didn’t have time for love, she wasn’t ready to commit treason again but this handsome stranger was already making her feel things that she wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
This was a great book, Franka was an amazing character she was a really strong heroine, I love how she always fought for her beliefs, at times putting her in danger and in a fight mode with her parents, but always respectful, smart, and kind. a very strong heroine. one of the things I love about her was that she never shied away when she had to face dangerous situations she didn’t think it twice she just jump in motion and did what she had to do.
Reading about the atrocities of the war was very overwhelming, the way they constantly live in fear, lies, and gossip, nobody was safe, literally, no one could fart without the whole country knowing about it lol
Overall this was a great book, a good story, so many great characters and situations that made this story even better..
I read this book for free as part of my Prime membership. Thank you.
Anti-Nazi spy story set at the end of WWII. Believable plot line, hold-your-breath ending.
depicted both German and Allies as both good and bad. Exciting adventure.
This was a lot more engaging than I expected it to be. I was sucked into the story almost immediately by the peculiarity of the opening scene: a young 20-something girl named Franka ventures into the forest, intending to kill herself, when she comes upon an injured soldier in a German uniform. It’s World War II, and she’s German, but it’s clear that she doesn’t approve of the Nazi regime (which the author refers to more often as the National Socialists, for which the slang term Nazi is short. A rather timely reminder, that). She decides to save him anyway–as a nurse, it goes against her grain to walk away from another human being who needs her help. But in his delirium, the soldier murmurs something in English. Despite the fact that he maintains his German persona once he regains consciousness, Franka is now convinced that he is not who he claims to be. But how can she convince him to tell her the truth?
The story is a slow boil, mostly told in flashback as first Franka trusts John (as his name turns out to be) and tells him her story, and then in turn, he tells her his. Eventually he tells her about his mission, but due to his injury, he can no longer carry it out unaided. He enlists Franka’s help. From there, the story picks up, as the pair encounters one obstacle after another. There weren’t any major twists or surprises, but I was still on the edge of my seat, concerned that this was going to turn out to be one of those bittersweet stories so popular these days. But, I was glad to be wrong–at the very last second, I got my happy ending after all!
My rating: ****1/2
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Political content: none (historical only)
Violence: present but not gratuitous
December 1943 in the Black Forest If it starts with winter, snow and a cabin, I’m ready to read! A woman finds a critically injured parachuter in the woods near her family cabin. She has recently been released from prison for serving in the resistance. Against her better judgement, she drags him to her cabin and nurses him. There, with dangers surrounding them, their secrets merge and unfold in a gripping atmospheric suspense.
One of the best WWII Germany stories yet! Includes a very subtle love story.
It is one of the best books that I have ever read. It is a perfect example that a story does not need sex in order to be an excellent one. Its dramatic story engages from the start and continous flowing till the very end. It should make an award winning movie.
Every good review I read or heard about this book is true. It’s excellent!!!
A different perspective of Germany during World War II. I have read other books set during the holocaust and this was an extremely moving, interesting book that showed the hard times of that era. I definitely recommend this book.