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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I’ve been meaning to read this book for quite some time and finally got around to it. I love World War II historical novels, and this book exceeded my expectations for a good read. From page one I was gripped by the portrayal of a young woman walking into the Black Forest in order to shoot herself, because she has lost everyone in the war.
Then she happens upon an unconscious soldier surrounded by his parachute, and suddenly she has something to live for again. The plotting is excellent, and everything you’d expect to find in a novel that starts so well is there: intrigue, deception, a love story, and a powerful, action-packed ending.
A great read for fans of historical fiction.
If you enjoy WWII historical ficton it’s worth reading.
I could not put this book down. I had no idea what the Germans went through when they did not agree with Hitler. Great book. I thought the ending was a twist and would have liked to have known more.
I couldn’t put this book down, but I am a WWII history buff. This is historical fiction but tells the true story of what was happening in Germany. I thought this book was well written with excellent characters.
This is a page turner of a story set during WWII in Germany. It is engrossing story about a young German woman that reflects the upheaval in her county during th elate 1930’s thru the war years and the final defeat of the Nazi’s but it tells her story.
A view of war-torn Europe I had not contemplated before.
Another case where A great book that I read prior by an author gets my expectations set high for more and this did not do it for me. Characters and setting could have been flushed out more. Not horrible, but not that great.
A German woman, a nurse, has lost everything and everyone to Nazi Germany. It’s the middle of WWII. She walks out into the snow at her family’s cabin, determined to kill herself. She finds an unconscious German airman and his parachute buried in the snow. If she doesn’t help, he will surely die. This is a great tale. I read it and bought the author’s other two books, which are equally good.
Opened my eyes to the oppression suffered by people during this time, but was not “dry” like I expected a historic novel to be. It moved forward quickly and I could hardly wait to turn the next page.
I enjoyed this book up to the ending. It ender VERY abruptly, in a disappointing way.
I enjoyed this book. A different picture of WWII in Germany.
Good read
A well written and engrossing Historical fiction.
Supposedly a true story, which makes it interesting. If it were a novel i’d say it was predictable!
The tension as the story unfolded kept me enthralled. It really opened up to me what it was like for Germans who disagreed with the Nazi’s during World War 2. The ending was a bit abrupt and, therefore, a little unsatisfying, hence only four stars from me. Overall, though, a good read.
Interesting perspective on life in the Black Forest during WWII. Provided insight on trying to survive in a regime with which you don’t agree, and, abhor.
White Rose, Black forest This is a fantastic read that I highly recommend! It takes place in Germany during World War II. Most of the story happens in the mountainous area in and around the Black Forest, hence part of the title. The White Rose was a newsletter type leaflet written, published and distributed by a few young freedom-loving Germans who were trying to inform Germans and those in other countries just how maniacal and evil Hitler and his army really were. Of course, anyone getting caught meant torture and a death sentence! Fear was how Hitler and his mad dog, death squad controlled the German people! But, there were those willing to risk all to get the truth out!
I loved most of the characters, but of course I did not like the horrible German S.S. & Gestapo officers for the evil, cruel and inhuman treatment of anyone they considered subhuman, disagreed with in any way or that did not adhere to the strict rules and insanity of Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich.
This book pulled me in in the first few paragraph, and it just kept getting better as it went along. It’s does have some heartbreaking parts, but I don’t know of any books describing war and the rise of Hitler that don’t have some heartbreaking parts in them. But, this book is also full of excitement, intrigue, heart-pounding suspense and even a little romance. I don’t want to give away any of the plot that might be a spoiler for anyone who might consider reading this incredible book! All I can say is, I LOVED it and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a GREAT book to read!
I liked this book very much. I like WWII stories where the heroes stand up to the Gestapo and win. I know its fiction based on fact but I learned more about what was going on during the War II. I liked the characters and what they represented–for Franka–her strength, determination, willingness to be imprisoned for her beliefs and for the American who took a chance and trusted her. It’s supposed to be a love story, but it’s more than that to me.
This is the story of a young German woman who became disenchanted with the Nazi regime and decided to risk her life to resist. The palpable horror of what German – and especially Jewish – citizens witnessed and endured is one more reminder to value our democracy and its freedom.
This book is very well written. It’s easy to follow. The characters are wonderful! A riveting story…