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The German Wife
Germany, 1939: Annaliese is a doctor’s wife, living in an elegant grey stone house with ivy creeping over the balcony. But when her husband is ordered to work at the Dachau labour camp, her ordinary life is turned upside down by the horrors of war. And Annaliese finds herself in grave danger when she dares to fight for love and freedom�
America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again. It makes her heart skip a beat as a rush of wartime memories come back to her. As she reads on, she realizes the past is catching up with her. She must confront a decades-old secret � or risk losing everything�
Germany, 1942: Annaliese’s marriage is beginning to crumble. Her husband, Hans, has grown cold and secretive since starting his new job as a doctor at Dachau. When a tall, handsome Russian prisoner named Alexander is sent from the camp to work in their garden, lonely Annaliese finds herself drawn to him as they tend to the plants together. In snatched moments and broken whispers, Alexander tells her the truth about the shocking conditions at the camp. Horrified, Annaliese vows to do everything she can to save him.
But as they grow closer, their feelings for each other put them both in terrible danger. And when Annaliese falls pregnant she has to make an impossible decision between protecting herself and saving the love of her life�
America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again. It makes her heart skip a beat as a rush of wartime memories come back to her. As she reads on, she realizes the past is catching up with her. She must confront a decades-old secret � or risk losing everything�
Germany, 1942: Annaliese’s marriage is beginning to crumble. Her husband, Hans, has grown cold and secretive since starting his new job as a doctor at Dachau. When a tall, handsome Russian prisoner named Alexander is sent from the camp to work in their garden, lonely Annaliese finds herself drawn to him as they tend to the plants together. In snatched moments and broken whispers, Alexander tells her the truth about the shocking conditions at the camp. Horrified, Annaliese vows to do everything she can to save him.
But as they grow closer, their feelings for each other put them both in terrible danger. And when Annaliese falls pregnant she has to make an impossible decision between protecting herself and saving the love of her life�
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 13, 2022
1,724 people are currently reading
2,146 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Rix
13books229followersI started writing novels after a long career in broadcasting and journalism. My first novel - The Girl with Emerald Eyes (originally published as 'Secrets of the Tower' in March 2015), is set in two time zones - the modern day and 12th century. It explores the extraordinary woman who left the money to build the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
My second novel: Daughters of the Silk Road follows the journey of a family of merchant explorers who return to Venice from China with a Ming Vase. The book again straddles two time zones.
The Silk Weaver's Wife was published in 2017 and is set in the world of the Italian silk industry. The period story follows the journey of a young Veronese woman who is forced into an abusive marriage. The modern heroine uncovers her remarkable story.
My last two novels are set in 20th century. 'The Photograph' tells the story of Hungarian refugee Rachael who escapes to London from Budapest in 1956. Travelling to Sardinia with her archaeologist father, she meets the man who will change her life. Meanwhile in 2018, her anthropologist grand-daughter Sophie is struggling with infertility. As their two stories intertwine, Sophie uncovers her grandmother's secret.
My latest novel: 'The Secret Letter' is due out on 22nd July. It explores the lives of two young girls in the 2nd world war - Imogen separated from her parents as an evacuee, and Magda who is determined to fight the Nazi regime. Their lives are brought together by a young RAF pilot. The story is based in part on the extraordinary experiences of my father who escaped a German prisoner of war camp at the end of the war.
I live in Kent with my family, four cats and chickens.
My second novel: Daughters of the Silk Road follows the journey of a family of merchant explorers who return to Venice from China with a Ming Vase. The book again straddles two time zones.
The Silk Weaver's Wife was published in 2017 and is set in the world of the Italian silk industry. The period story follows the journey of a young Veronese woman who is forced into an abusive marriage. The modern heroine uncovers her remarkable story.
My last two novels are set in 20th century. 'The Photograph' tells the story of Hungarian refugee Rachael who escapes to London from Budapest in 1956. Travelling to Sardinia with her archaeologist father, she meets the man who will change her life. Meanwhile in 2018, her anthropologist grand-daughter Sophie is struggling with infertility. As their two stories intertwine, Sophie uncovers her grandmother's secret.
My latest novel: 'The Secret Letter' is due out on 22nd July. It explores the lives of two young girls in the 2nd world war - Imogen separated from her parents as an evacuee, and Magda who is determined to fight the Nazi regime. Their lives are brought together by a young RAF pilot. The story is based in part on the extraordinary experiences of my father who escaped a German prisoner of war camp at the end of the war.
I live in Kent with my family, four cats and chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
January 14, 2022
Yes yes, I see you rolling your eyes. Yet another WWII novel! But this is a bit different from the rest and if you enjoy historical fiction and flawed characters that you love to hate, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
Story:
Where the book worked for me:
👍 When I heard the prologue announce the year as 1989, I rolled my eyes thinking, “Oh no! Yet another dual timeline!� I don't know where the trend of dual timelines with one set during the WWII and the other in a contemporary time period began, but this trend is terribly jaded now. This story surprised me. It went very nicely in linear order beginning from 1932. The prologue just added the right bit of foreshadowing about where life took the characters after the war.
👍 Just like the timeline made for a pleasant change, so did the perspective. We have had WWII historical fiction from multiple points of view: American, English, Polish, Danish, Italian and French. But very few venture into the core of the war, into Germany. Even within these, there are multiple perspectives possible: the Nazis, the commoners, the resistance fighters, the East Germans who struggled with the Russian takeover after the official end to the war,� This book focusses on one of the least common perspectives: the unwilling German Nazi. While it doesn’t handle it perfectly, it still does a pretty good job of it.
👍 The title might make you believe that the book is entirely about Annaliese and her point of view on things happening in Germany during the WWII. Again, the book surprised me. Quite a lot of the content is written through Hans� perspective. This provides a superb first-hand account of the atrocities committed in the camps in the name of medical research. Having the omniscient narration from both Hans as well as Annaliese made a big difference to the impact of the story.
👍 Most such books stop just after the war. But this story continues a fair way into the post-war scenario also, thereby providing a look at a usually unseen side of the post-WWII world.
👍 Usually, when there’s an illicit romantic relationship, things go very predictably. But I liked how the romance was handled in this one; it fitted into the narrative perfectly.
👍 The details of the medical research are so well-written but so hard-hitting. You need to have nerves of steel to read through those details. There's a scene where it says that the doctor wanted to run away from the room during the medical trials and I really wanted to join him in running away. It’s horrendous to know what those jerks did under the guise of societal welfare.
👍 The ending ties everything neatly together without making it seem farfetched.
👍 There are two great quotes in the book: one just before the prologue and detailing Hitler’s views on marriage, the other just before the main story begins and making clear Goebbels’s view on the role of the “perfect Aryan woman� Both these quotes are brilliant and create a firm foundation for the story.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
� This isn’t strictly a negative point. But if you are someone who wants loveable characters in your books, the story will disappoint you. Don’t get me wrong, the character development, at least for Annaliese and Hans, is great as they are shown as truly complex and flawed human beings. Annaliese's character is irritating and adamant and naïve, all rolled in one. She can see the flaws in many around her but she can’t see where she herself is going wrong. Hans is the typical self-serving kind of Nazi officer who wants to go ahead in his career in spite of his core beliefs warning him of the wrong being done. Alexander is the one you'll feel most for; he is one tortured soul. However, the last quarter of the story doesn’t do justice to his character as its development is pretty random depending on where the author wanted to take Annaliese’s life narrative. This was disappointing.
👎 A certain incident happening at the 85% mark disappointed me. It was against character, made no sense, and was absolutely needless to the story as it is over within barely a few paragraphs.
👎 The story gets a little repetitive in between, so the middle part feels slightly dragged. (This doesn’t make a big difference in the audio version but might work against those reading the book.)
👎 The title doesn’t do justice to the book. The story is so much more than what the title indicates.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at 11hrs 45 mins and is excellently narrated by Tamsin Kennard. I loved hearing the story in her voice. Of course, it was a bit odd to hear her strong British accent for a story that is set primarily in Germany and the US, but after a point, you start ignoring the accent and focus on the story.
The book is supposedly inspired by true events but there’s no author’s note in the audiobook that elaborates on this point. I’d have loved to know more about which persons/incidents were based in reality. I hope this is included in the published audio version.
Overall, despite the minor flaws, this is still one of the better historical fiction novels as it reveals a side that is not commonly depicted in WWII books. Much recommended for lovers of this genre.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The German Wife�. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***
Join me on the Facebook group, , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
Annaliese is the young wife of a German doctor named Hans Vogel, who works as a medical researcher in the concentration camp at Dachau. While their marriage started off lovingly, her husband has become more secretive and distanced ever since his Dachau assignment. When he hires Alexander, a Russian prisoner of war, as a gardener for their house, Annaliese finds herself becoming increasingly drawn to the strong and intelligent man. It is Alexander who reveals to Annaliese the truth of what’s happening at Dachau. Torn between the two men in her life, Annaliese finds herself in a quandary as the war gets closer and closer to home in Munich.
While the prologue is set in 1989, the actual story begins in 1932 and works its way to the mid-1940s before coming back to 1989. The book is written in a third person omniscient narrative.
Where the book worked for me:
👍 When I heard the prologue announce the year as 1989, I rolled my eyes thinking, “Oh no! Yet another dual timeline!� I don't know where the trend of dual timelines with one set during the WWII and the other in a contemporary time period began, but this trend is terribly jaded now. This story surprised me. It went very nicely in linear order beginning from 1932. The prologue just added the right bit of foreshadowing about where life took the characters after the war.
👍 Just like the timeline made for a pleasant change, so did the perspective. We have had WWII historical fiction from multiple points of view: American, English, Polish, Danish, Italian and French. But very few venture into the core of the war, into Germany. Even within these, there are multiple perspectives possible: the Nazis, the commoners, the resistance fighters, the East Germans who struggled with the Russian takeover after the official end to the war,� This book focusses on one of the least common perspectives: the unwilling German Nazi. While it doesn’t handle it perfectly, it still does a pretty good job of it.
👍 The title might make you believe that the book is entirely about Annaliese and her point of view on things happening in Germany during the WWII. Again, the book surprised me. Quite a lot of the content is written through Hans� perspective. This provides a superb first-hand account of the atrocities committed in the camps in the name of medical research. Having the omniscient narration from both Hans as well as Annaliese made a big difference to the impact of the story.
👍 Most such books stop just after the war. But this story continues a fair way into the post-war scenario also, thereby providing a look at a usually unseen side of the post-WWII world.
👍 Usually, when there’s an illicit romantic relationship, things go very predictably. But I liked how the romance was handled in this one; it fitted into the narrative perfectly.
👍 The details of the medical research are so well-written but so hard-hitting. You need to have nerves of steel to read through those details. There's a scene where it says that the doctor wanted to run away from the room during the medical trials and I really wanted to join him in running away. It’s horrendous to know what those jerks did under the guise of societal welfare.
👍 The ending ties everything neatly together without making it seem farfetched.
👍 There are two great quotes in the book: one just before the prologue and detailing Hitler’s views on marriage, the other just before the main story begins and making clear Goebbels’s view on the role of the “perfect Aryan woman� Both these quotes are brilliant and create a firm foundation for the story.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
� This isn’t strictly a negative point. But if you are someone who wants loveable characters in your books, the story will disappoint you. Don’t get me wrong, the character development, at least for Annaliese and Hans, is great as they are shown as truly complex and flawed human beings. Annaliese's character is irritating and adamant and naïve, all rolled in one. She can see the flaws in many around her but she can’t see where she herself is going wrong. Hans is the typical self-serving kind of Nazi officer who wants to go ahead in his career in spite of his core beliefs warning him of the wrong being done. Alexander is the one you'll feel most for; he is one tortured soul. However, the last quarter of the story doesn’t do justice to his character as its development is pretty random depending on where the author wanted to take Annaliese’s life narrative. This was disappointing.
👎 A certain incident happening at the 85% mark disappointed me. It was against character, made no sense, and was absolutely needless to the story as it is over within barely a few paragraphs.
👎 The story gets a little repetitive in between, so the middle part feels slightly dragged. (This doesn’t make a big difference in the audio version but might work against those reading the book.)
👎 The title doesn’t do justice to the book. The story is so much more than what the title indicates.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at 11hrs 45 mins and is excellently narrated by Tamsin Kennard. I loved hearing the story in her voice. Of course, it was a bit odd to hear her strong British accent for a story that is set primarily in Germany and the US, but after a point, you start ignoring the accent and focus on the story.
The book is supposedly inspired by true events but there’s no author’s note in the audiobook that elaborates on this point. I’d have loved to know more about which persons/incidents were based in reality. I hope this is included in the published audio version.
Overall, despite the minor flaws, this is still one of the better historical fiction novels as it reveals a side that is not commonly depicted in WWII books. Much recommended for lovers of this genre.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The German Wife�. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***
Join me on the Facebook group, , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
January 4, 2023
This is a WWII Historical Fiction book. This book is told in the point of view of Annaliese, and it starts out in 1939 ends in 1989. I felt this WWII Historical Fiction book is very different from the other ones I have read because this book is told in one timeline and it follows a German Doctor's Wife. The Doctor is working at a Dachau labour camp. I felt it this was a refreshing and a new take on WWII historical fiction. I loved the beginning and the ending of this book, but I did feel that the middle was slow moving. I have to say the ending wrapped up this book so well, and it made reading this book so worth it. The characters are not lovable, but you great time point from their personally. I think if you love WWII historical fiction books you should give this book a try, and I think you will love the new take on WWII historical fiction this book does. I did listen to this book's audiobook, and I love it. The narrator was so great. I was kindly provided an e-audiobook of this book by the publisher or author (Debbie Rix) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
January 13, 2022
This is an interesting but disturbing German perspective on World War II, both before, during, and after the war. Annaliese goes from a young woman in love with her husband, Hans, to someone married to a monster, a doctor at Dachau concentration camp. When she meets Alexander, a prisoner sent to work in her garden, she learns the horrific truth about Dachau and her husband’s role there.
This is a heartbreaking story of a woman thrust into a situation she never would have chosen and how she responds to it. The character development of Anna and Alex is good, and disconcerting at times, as Anna cannot seem to completely grasp what Alex has been through. There is also a shocking situation between them that Anna doesn’t fully seem to understand. The often cold and calculating, but sometimes conflicted Hans is well written. He is the epitome of someone who gave up humanity for personal gain. Some other German characters in the novel, including Anna at times, seem to want to ignore the past and forget their roles in it. Although this seems cold, it is possibly close to a true portrayal of how Germans were feeling at the time. This is a heartrending novel about an evil regime, the people they used and slaughtered, and the country they tore apart. It is also a look at that time in history through the eyes of a German woman who was left to rebuild her life in the aftermath.
3.5 stars. Rounded up to four on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
This is a heartbreaking story of a woman thrust into a situation she never would have chosen and how she responds to it. The character development of Anna and Alex is good, and disconcerting at times, as Anna cannot seem to completely grasp what Alex has been through. There is also a shocking situation between them that Anna doesn’t fully seem to understand. The often cold and calculating, but sometimes conflicted Hans is well written. He is the epitome of someone who gave up humanity for personal gain. Some other German characters in the novel, including Anna at times, seem to want to ignore the past and forget their roles in it. Although this seems cold, it is possibly close to a true portrayal of how Germans were feeling at the time. This is a heartrending novel about an evil regime, the people they used and slaughtered, and the country they tore apart. It is also a look at that time in history through the eyes of a German woman who was left to rebuild her life in the aftermath.
3.5 stars. Rounded up to four on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
January 16, 2022
A whirlwind pre-war romance filled with love and hope was dashed when Hans became a doctor for the Nazi Party.
Hans was forcibly sent to Dachau to do research and testing on the prisoners. This made him quite unhappy and made Annaliese, his wife, even more unhappy when she found out what he was really doing there.
Annaliese found out what he was doing from her gardener that Hans had brought to their home from the camp.
Annaliese couldn't confront Hans about what she had learned because she knew Hans would take Alexander, the gardener, back to the camp.
It was a tough time for Annaliese, and she was confiding in Alexander even though she knew it was wrong to treat him kindly and give him extra food. She had to tread lightly to not get him in more trouble.
We follow Annaliese before the war, during the war, after the war as her husband was hunted for his participation in the experiments at Dachau, and in America with her son as he asks about his father. He actually didn’t know his father because he was very young when his father disappeared a few days before the war ended.
THE GERMAN WIFE is well done, heartbreaking, based on true characters, and a book that revealed what went on during the time at Dachau Concentration Camp.
Historical fiction fans and women’s fiction fans will want to read this book.
Excellent read. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Hans was forcibly sent to Dachau to do research and testing on the prisoners. This made him quite unhappy and made Annaliese, his wife, even more unhappy when she found out what he was really doing there.
Annaliese found out what he was doing from her gardener that Hans had brought to their home from the camp.
Annaliese couldn't confront Hans about what she had learned because she knew Hans would take Alexander, the gardener, back to the camp.
It was a tough time for Annaliese, and she was confiding in Alexander even though she knew it was wrong to treat him kindly and give him extra food. She had to tread lightly to not get him in more trouble.
We follow Annaliese before the war, during the war, after the war as her husband was hunted for his participation in the experiments at Dachau, and in America with her son as he asks about his father. He actually didn’t know his father because he was very young when his father disappeared a few days before the war ended.
THE GERMAN WIFE is well done, heartbreaking, based on true characters, and a book that revealed what went on during the time at Dachau Concentration Camp.
Historical fiction fans and women’s fiction fans will want to read this book.
Excellent read. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
January 14, 2022
Annaliese is the wife of a SS doctor conducting research at Dachau during WWII. Her husband, disillusioned by the brutality he sees daily but fearing for his own safety and that of his family if he speaks out, tries to keep his head down and keep his research as ethical as possible given the circumstances. When his SS commanders start looking disfavorably at his childless marriage, he and his wife make some desperate choices to have a child that will further erode their already tenuous marriage.
I enjoyed the view of WWII from what was a very different perspective than I've read before. I thought the plot was intriguing and I got a real insight into Hans' (the doctor) character and thoughts, but I do wish Annaliese were more developed.
I would have liked the story better personally if the main characters had been actual historical figures. I would have loved to learn more about the actual history of Dachau and the doctors who were really there.
Annaliese, as a character, fell pretty flat for me. I didn't get a great insight into her thoughts and therefore it seemed like she didn't really have many. She was pretty, in love, and disillusioned by the atrocities of Germany during the war. That's all I really know about her. I felt she needed more dimension. I did find it odd that Annaliese was not a party member and wonder if that would have been likely for the wife of an SS member.
Potentially offensive content includes violence in the context of war, sex (though not graphic), and child endangerment.
I did find the plot very compelling and the story told from the perspective of an SS doctor and his wife was really unique. For such a heavy concept, it was a surprisingly easy read. I think the family aspect of the story accounted for that. I especially appreciated hearing how complicated life could be for an SS officer and why one would join the SS even though he did not support the party of the cause.
I enjoyed the view of WWII from what was a very different perspective than I've read before. I thought the plot was intriguing and I got a real insight into Hans' (the doctor) character and thoughts, but I do wish Annaliese were more developed.
I would have liked the story better personally if the main characters had been actual historical figures. I would have loved to learn more about the actual history of Dachau and the doctors who were really there.
Annaliese, as a character, fell pretty flat for me. I didn't get a great insight into her thoughts and therefore it seemed like she didn't really have many. She was pretty, in love, and disillusioned by the atrocities of Germany during the war. That's all I really know about her. I felt she needed more dimension. I did find it odd that Annaliese was not a party member and wonder if that would have been likely for the wife of an SS member.
Potentially offensive content includes violence in the context of war, sex (though not graphic), and child endangerment.
I did find the plot very compelling and the story told from the perspective of an SS doctor and his wife was really unique. For such a heavy concept, it was a surprisingly easy read. I think the family aspect of the story accounted for that. I especially appreciated hearing how complicated life could be for an SS officer and why one would join the SS even though he did not support the party of the cause.
January 4, 2022
Wow, what a heart-wrenching, extremely sad, and completely gripping WWII story! I was hooked from the first chapter and stayed glued all the way until the end, in one sitting!
Inspired by true events, Rix gives us a glimpse into the life of an affluent Nazi family. This story follows Annaliese, the wife of Hans, a doctor that is forced to work at Dachau labor camps. I found this perspective, through the eye of a Nazi family, to be very interesting because I have often wondered how those that worked at the Nazi camps and committed so many atrocious acts could live with themselves and sleep each night!! Did they have the capacity to show empathy, love, or any kind of emotional feelings towards another human being, showing that they cared in the least for the prisoners of Dachau.
There’s no forgetting or forgiveness for the unspeakable acts that took place at the concentration camps during WWII, but in The German Wife, Rix provides us with the innermost feelings of those forced into a lifestyle under the Nazi regime. You begin to understand some of the loss, regrets and struggles that people like Annaliese, had to face during this time, trapped in a life she never wanted, but unable to get out for fear of the dangers that loom.
Throughout the book, I had to keep reminding myself that I can’t feel sorry for a Nazi family because of the atrocious acts they have committed in the labor camps, but Rix’s storytelling stirs emotions of empathy, leaving me to battle my emotions throughout. Wondering, what choices I would have made if I was faced with the same scenario.
I fell in love with the dual timeline story about ordinary people fighting for survival during our darkest time in history. Rix writes deeply moving characters and I especially adored Annalies. I was able to feel every emotion that Annalise felt throughout the book. Although the book is sad in so many places, there is also hope, love and beauty in one of the most tragic historical times in our history.
Inspired by true events, Rix gives us a glimpse into the life of an affluent Nazi family. This story follows Annaliese, the wife of Hans, a doctor that is forced to work at Dachau labor camps. I found this perspective, through the eye of a Nazi family, to be very interesting because I have often wondered how those that worked at the Nazi camps and committed so many atrocious acts could live with themselves and sleep each night!! Did they have the capacity to show empathy, love, or any kind of emotional feelings towards another human being, showing that they cared in the least for the prisoners of Dachau.
There’s no forgetting or forgiveness for the unspeakable acts that took place at the concentration camps during WWII, but in The German Wife, Rix provides us with the innermost feelings of those forced into a lifestyle under the Nazi regime. You begin to understand some of the loss, regrets and struggles that people like Annaliese, had to face during this time, trapped in a life she never wanted, but unable to get out for fear of the dangers that loom.
Throughout the book, I had to keep reminding myself that I can’t feel sorry for a Nazi family because of the atrocious acts they have committed in the labor camps, but Rix’s storytelling stirs emotions of empathy, leaving me to battle my emotions throughout. Wondering, what choices I would have made if I was faced with the same scenario.
I fell in love with the dual timeline story about ordinary people fighting for survival during our darkest time in history. Rix writes deeply moving characters and I especially adored Annalies. I was able to feel every emotion that Annalise felt throughout the book. Although the book is sad in so many places, there is also hope, love and beauty in one of the most tragic historical times in our history.
January 17, 2022
“A secret love. An impossible choice�
This definitely has to be one of my top reads of 2021!
I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and was amazed to realise that I had read the book from beginning to end in less than 24 hours, using up more than its fair share of my desktop tissue box along the way!
When I read about the true events and people on which this book was based, it was immediately apparent what a superb job author Debbie Rix had done with her in depth research and beautiful blending of fact with fiction, to produce this amazing storyline, which essentially epitomises the perfect eternal triangle of emotional involvement, spanning decades and lifetimes. However, running in parallel with this sad and poignant love story, there is historical and social commentary of the terrible crimes some people were forced to commit in the name of war, a cultural representation of certain groups for whom human life had no meaning and who were almost happy to inflict pain and suffering on innocent minority groups, and a societal dilemma of exactly how far and to what lengths a person was willing to go, to protect their own reputation, status and standing. Not everyone was a guilty and willing participant in the many acts of barbarism inflicted on detainees of the German Reich and despite having studied the era, albeit many years ago now, I had no idea of the modern day slavery implications, for those prisoners ‘lucky� enough to be spared execution or a much slower, more torturous death.
Although newlyweds, Hans and Annaliese talk ‘at� one another, there is no real sense of either of them truly talking ‘to� one other, so they spend much of their married life at cross purposes, neither realising just how unhappy the other is, until it is too late, their love has turned sour and vitriolic, and a sense of detached duty, is all that remains between them. Whilst Hans may come to feel a growing abhorrence and shame about the wartime atrocities, tortures and murders he witnesses inside the walls of Dachau, as one of Himmler’s favoured SS Officers; this is completely at odds with the commitment he has made to his medical research programme, which is where he wants to make a name for himself, and is why he manages to turn a blind eye to the effects his experiments are having on his human test subjects.
Annaliese despises the Reich and all it stands for and at first has no idea that her distant husband has become so firmly entrenched in its moral turpitude and barbaric practices. When she has her rose-tinted glasses removed and the light of reality shines in on her, her repugnance and shame know no bounds, especially when it is made clear to the couple that certain marital outcomes are expected of them, to promote the ongoing purity of the new Aryan race and boost its number. Once Anna is abandoned not once, or twice, but three times and is left to manage by her own resourcefulness, she summons an inner strength she never knew she possessed, in order to protect that which is most dear to her and to make a life and future of which they can be proud.
Alexander Kosomov is a Russian POW, saved by Hans as a slave gardener for Annaliese, although Alexander’s contempt for the couple is barely concealed and he maintains his pride with consummate dignity. When Hans is away working however, the inevitable happens and Annaliese and Alexander become attracted to one another, although it becomes clear that any notion of true love is all one sided and not returned, as for Alexander, survival is the only name of the game and some actions are just too risky to contemplate, especially when he feels that he has been manipulated and used by the the Vogels to further their own ends, despite Anna’s protestations that her feelings for him are genuine.
Those are the bare bones of a well structured, disturbing, multi-layered saga, which seamlessly spans many decades, from a Germany where war is still just a glimmer on the horizon, through to modern day America, where life is good and conditions perfect for the emotional reckoning of one man’s lifetime and a long overdue reconciliation. Told in well signposted chapters, the writing is fluent, evocative, emotionally challenging in its bold, intense and forthright style; but at the same time completely immersive, compelling, wonderfully nuanced and textured. The passionate and intuitive, richly crafted dialogue; together with some gripping, perceptive and highly emotive narrative, all sets a really visual sense of time and place, where pain, suffering, sorrow and regret are never far from the surface.
Debbie created an amazing cast of well drawn and developed characters who, love them or hate them, were given loud and clear voices with which to make this storyline very their own. They were all definitely a multi-faceted, complex jigsaw of human emotions, with personal agendas and motives, many of which were not always compelling or easy to identify with. They were often selfish, volatile, raw and passionate, which could make them unreliable yet strangely vulnerable, mentally scarred and broken and always somehow searching for that just-out-of-reach, illusive sense of truly belonging. As they were seldom true to themselves, with little if any synergy between them, finding them in any way genuine or believable, was always going to be a challenge. All that having been said however, I found them all quite addictive in their own way and the character I could most relate to is poor Sasha, who is destined to never really remember or get to know the man he called ‘father�, and who only gets the opportunity to meet and engage with his birth father when the man is elderly and is the only person left who can answer any of his questions with honesty.
What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who can fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions.
Whilst still at heart, a love story, this book had the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor the next. It really is a journey you need to make for yourself and see where it leads you!
To connect with the author and to check out my personal favourite extracts from the book, visit...
This definitely has to be one of my top reads of 2021!
I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and was amazed to realise that I had read the book from beginning to end in less than 24 hours, using up more than its fair share of my desktop tissue box along the way!
When I read about the true events and people on which this book was based, it was immediately apparent what a superb job author Debbie Rix had done with her in depth research and beautiful blending of fact with fiction, to produce this amazing storyline, which essentially epitomises the perfect eternal triangle of emotional involvement, spanning decades and lifetimes. However, running in parallel with this sad and poignant love story, there is historical and social commentary of the terrible crimes some people were forced to commit in the name of war, a cultural representation of certain groups for whom human life had no meaning and who were almost happy to inflict pain and suffering on innocent minority groups, and a societal dilemma of exactly how far and to what lengths a person was willing to go, to protect their own reputation, status and standing. Not everyone was a guilty and willing participant in the many acts of barbarism inflicted on detainees of the German Reich and despite having studied the era, albeit many years ago now, I had no idea of the modern day slavery implications, for those prisoners ‘lucky� enough to be spared execution or a much slower, more torturous death.
Although newlyweds, Hans and Annaliese talk ‘at� one another, there is no real sense of either of them truly talking ‘to� one other, so they spend much of their married life at cross purposes, neither realising just how unhappy the other is, until it is too late, their love has turned sour and vitriolic, and a sense of detached duty, is all that remains between them. Whilst Hans may come to feel a growing abhorrence and shame about the wartime atrocities, tortures and murders he witnesses inside the walls of Dachau, as one of Himmler’s favoured SS Officers; this is completely at odds with the commitment he has made to his medical research programme, which is where he wants to make a name for himself, and is why he manages to turn a blind eye to the effects his experiments are having on his human test subjects.
Annaliese despises the Reich and all it stands for and at first has no idea that her distant husband has become so firmly entrenched in its moral turpitude and barbaric practices. When she has her rose-tinted glasses removed and the light of reality shines in on her, her repugnance and shame know no bounds, especially when it is made clear to the couple that certain marital outcomes are expected of them, to promote the ongoing purity of the new Aryan race and boost its number. Once Anna is abandoned not once, or twice, but three times and is left to manage by her own resourcefulness, she summons an inner strength she never knew she possessed, in order to protect that which is most dear to her and to make a life and future of which they can be proud.
Alexander Kosomov is a Russian POW, saved by Hans as a slave gardener for Annaliese, although Alexander’s contempt for the couple is barely concealed and he maintains his pride with consummate dignity. When Hans is away working however, the inevitable happens and Annaliese and Alexander become attracted to one another, although it becomes clear that any notion of true love is all one sided and not returned, as for Alexander, survival is the only name of the game and some actions are just too risky to contemplate, especially when he feels that he has been manipulated and used by the the Vogels to further their own ends, despite Anna’s protestations that her feelings for him are genuine.
Those are the bare bones of a well structured, disturbing, multi-layered saga, which seamlessly spans many decades, from a Germany where war is still just a glimmer on the horizon, through to modern day America, where life is good and conditions perfect for the emotional reckoning of one man’s lifetime and a long overdue reconciliation. Told in well signposted chapters, the writing is fluent, evocative, emotionally challenging in its bold, intense and forthright style; but at the same time completely immersive, compelling, wonderfully nuanced and textured. The passionate and intuitive, richly crafted dialogue; together with some gripping, perceptive and highly emotive narrative, all sets a really visual sense of time and place, where pain, suffering, sorrow and regret are never far from the surface.
Debbie created an amazing cast of well drawn and developed characters who, love them or hate them, were given loud and clear voices with which to make this storyline very their own. They were all definitely a multi-faceted, complex jigsaw of human emotions, with personal agendas and motives, many of which were not always compelling or easy to identify with. They were often selfish, volatile, raw and passionate, which could make them unreliable yet strangely vulnerable, mentally scarred and broken and always somehow searching for that just-out-of-reach, illusive sense of truly belonging. As they were seldom true to themselves, with little if any synergy between them, finding them in any way genuine or believable, was always going to be a challenge. All that having been said however, I found them all quite addictive in their own way and the character I could most relate to is poor Sasha, who is destined to never really remember or get to know the man he called ‘father�, and who only gets the opportunity to meet and engage with his birth father when the man is elderly and is the only person left who can answer any of his questions with honesty.
What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who can fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions.
Whilst still at heart, a love story, this book had the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor the next. It really is a journey you need to make for yourself and see where it leads you!
To connect with the author and to check out my personal favourite extracts from the book, visit...
December 31, 2021
Reading The German Wife I was snatched from the real life for several hours and I never regretted it! This book is worth it! Amazing unforgettable story became one of my favourites!
I always wanted to know the History of the other side of the concentration camps, German side. I was wondering how people could lose everything human that was in them? How could they become those beings who are alien to the feeling of pity and compassion? Were they able to love, because many of them had families, wives, children? How did their relatives and friends feel about their work and responsibilities? Did they know what was happening in the camps? I found the answers to my questions in the wonderful book The German Wife.
I used to think that I would never show sympathy for an SS officer until I read this book. Hans's actions, his decisions to save himself and his wife, aroused in me a wave of worries and fear, and sometimes simply led to bewilderment.
On the other hand, Hans's wife, Annaliese, I can hardly say that I liked her, but I also cannot blame her.
I will recommend this awesome book to all lovers of History, historical fiction and fiction.
Thanks to Debbie Rix, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this great book!
I always wanted to know the History of the other side of the concentration camps, German side. I was wondering how people could lose everything human that was in them? How could they become those beings who are alien to the feeling of pity and compassion? Were they able to love, because many of them had families, wives, children? How did their relatives and friends feel about their work and responsibilities? Did they know what was happening in the camps? I found the answers to my questions in the wonderful book The German Wife.
I used to think that I would never show sympathy for an SS officer until I read this book. Hans's actions, his decisions to save himself and his wife, aroused in me a wave of worries and fear, and sometimes simply led to bewilderment.
On the other hand, Hans's wife, Annaliese, I can hardly say that I liked her, but I also cannot blame her.
I will recommend this awesome book to all lovers of History, historical fiction and fiction.
Thanks to Debbie Rix, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this great book!
January 26, 2022
Some audio books leave a deep imprint on your heart. They take you to another time and place as you listen to the author's words. Not until "The German Wife" did I fully embrace the impact Hitler's reign had on the people that lived through it. This book is based on unforgettable true events.
Annaliese is only 17-years-old when she first encounters a handsome young doctor named Hans Vogel. Having just buried her dad, Annaliese is vulnerable and feels very alone in the world. She marries Hans in a whirlwind romance. He is an extremely ambitious doctor and is dedicated to his profession. She feel protected and safe in the relationship.
After the marriage, Hans joins the German SS to further his medical career. He is very committed to researching a cure for malaria. He is sent to work at the "Dachau Concentration Camp" where his is pressured to perform horrifying tests on the prisoners. Han's job is to infect the prisioners with malaria, administer hallucinogenic drugs as truth serums, and subject the men, women, and children to freezing temperatures to test their reaction to hypothermia. The camp rules are to bring torture, suffering and death to those imprisoned there. Han's hates his active role in this cruel environment, but is unable to tell anyone of his despair because he fears for his family member's safety. When Annaliese figures out Han's is part of the inhumane acts, she begins to resent him. She feels betrayed. They are both trapped in an unbearable life.
This is only a small snippet of this fascinating heartbreaking novel. If you enjoy historical fiction based on true events, this one will leave you breathless!
Standing ovation to Debbie Fix for writing this eye-opening story! "The German Wife" audio book is narrated by the extraordinary Tamsin Kennard. It will be published January 13, 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the honor of reviewing this audio. I really appreciate you!
Annaliese is only 17-years-old when she first encounters a handsome young doctor named Hans Vogel. Having just buried her dad, Annaliese is vulnerable and feels very alone in the world. She marries Hans in a whirlwind romance. He is an extremely ambitious doctor and is dedicated to his profession. She feel protected and safe in the relationship.
After the marriage, Hans joins the German SS to further his medical career. He is very committed to researching a cure for malaria. He is sent to work at the "Dachau Concentration Camp" where his is pressured to perform horrifying tests on the prisoners. Han's job is to infect the prisioners with malaria, administer hallucinogenic drugs as truth serums, and subject the men, women, and children to freezing temperatures to test their reaction to hypothermia. The camp rules are to bring torture, suffering and death to those imprisoned there. Han's hates his active role in this cruel environment, but is unable to tell anyone of his despair because he fears for his family member's safety. When Annaliese figures out Han's is part of the inhumane acts, she begins to resent him. She feels betrayed. They are both trapped in an unbearable life.
This is only a small snippet of this fascinating heartbreaking novel. If you enjoy historical fiction based on true events, this one will leave you breathless!
Standing ovation to Debbie Fix for writing this eye-opening story! "The German Wife" audio book is narrated by the extraordinary Tamsin Kennard. It will be published January 13, 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the honor of reviewing this audio. I really appreciate you!
December 21, 2021
Debbie Rix has crafted an enigmatic love story, wrapped it in a mystery and then set it inside a WW2 historical fiction novel! I really appreciated the unique perspective and the opportunity to read about a doctor who history forgot.
Set in Munich before and after the war, Annaliese Vogel is married to Hans, a doctor with a passion for research. Encouraged to join the SS to further his career, Hans is ordered to Dachau Concentration Camp where he conducts medical experiments on prisoners. Rix explores how a good man who has taken an oath to ‘do no harm� can possibly deal with the cruelty he is forced to commit for The Fatherland. She bases her novel on true events and real people inside Dachau and pens an eye-opening story that delves into the darkness of Nazi ideology and its impact on innocent, ordinary people.
Not many books in this genre allow readers to see life at this time through the eyes of the Nazis. So many focus on the prisoners and their plight. In this novel, we see life through the eyes of a wealthy Nazi family. Rix brings readers to the spot where they see the need to examine their own lives before they point a finger at what those around them are doing. She hopes we may find that we are capable of the same things we are blindly criticizing others for doing.
The novel explores choices - those made from a horrible selection - and how they influence us in the future. Each character faced limited options and we see their thought process and see how their choice plays out. The agonizing over ethical and moral obligations and dilemmas is heartbreaking. Yes, it was uncomfortable and sickening to read about the treatment of the prisoners, but equally so to discover after the war what went on to obtain the ‘research�. I turned the final page realizing that we never really know what choice we would make until we step into another’s shoes.
This dual-timeline tale of ordinary people fighting for survival and dealing with the repercussions of their choices needs to be on your reading list come January 13, 2022.
I was gifted this advance copy by Debbie Rix, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Set in Munich before and after the war, Annaliese Vogel is married to Hans, a doctor with a passion for research. Encouraged to join the SS to further his career, Hans is ordered to Dachau Concentration Camp where he conducts medical experiments on prisoners. Rix explores how a good man who has taken an oath to ‘do no harm� can possibly deal with the cruelty he is forced to commit for The Fatherland. She bases her novel on true events and real people inside Dachau and pens an eye-opening story that delves into the darkness of Nazi ideology and its impact on innocent, ordinary people.
Not many books in this genre allow readers to see life at this time through the eyes of the Nazis. So many focus on the prisoners and their plight. In this novel, we see life through the eyes of a wealthy Nazi family. Rix brings readers to the spot where they see the need to examine their own lives before they point a finger at what those around them are doing. She hopes we may find that we are capable of the same things we are blindly criticizing others for doing.
The novel explores choices - those made from a horrible selection - and how they influence us in the future. Each character faced limited options and we see their thought process and see how their choice plays out. The agonizing over ethical and moral obligations and dilemmas is heartbreaking. Yes, it was uncomfortable and sickening to read about the treatment of the prisoners, but equally so to discover after the war what went on to obtain the ‘research�. I turned the final page realizing that we never really know what choice we would make until we step into another’s shoes.
This dual-timeline tale of ordinary people fighting for survival and dealing with the repercussions of their choices needs to be on your reading list come January 13, 2022.
I was gifted this advance copy by Debbie Rix, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
December 21, 2021
Annaleise's Secret
This is one woman's journey from a happily married woman to a marriage of fear and distrust. The hidden horror of Dachau that are exposed and the far reaching effects of the cruelty of the Nazi party. Those that serve because they believe in the Reich and those that serve out of fear.
As Annaleise's husband Hans is drawn into the work at the Dachau camp he becomes darker and gloomier by the day. He never tells he tales of the camp and his work there, only that he is working on research for a cure for Malaria. She suspects it is more, but has no proof.
One day Hans hires Alexander a Russian prisoner to work in the gardens at their home to make them nice for Annaleise to make her happier. Alexander tells her of the horrors of Dachau and the truth about the research being done there. Alexander and Annaleise fall in love with each other and when she becomes pregnant she must make a heartbreaking decision to save the life of Alexander and her child.
Year later when her son is grown the past will come back to haunt her as she sees a familiar picture in the newspaper and wonders if her life is once again about to implode.
This is a story of the horrors of the concentration camp Dachau, a forbidden romance, a marriage broken and three people changed forever because of the cruelty of the Nazi's.
It was a sad story to read, and I cried for Annaleise and her life for what it might have been, for what she had lost, for what it became, and later for her losses again as she fought to regain her life and make a new life for her son. I also felt sorry for Hans and his losses, his forced obedience to the Nazi party and finally is last selfless act for his family. Alexander was a different character and played a part, I felt this character was too damaged by the camps he had nothing left to give to anyone.
It was a good book and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Debbie Rix for writing yet another great book, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available for me to read.
This is one woman's journey from a happily married woman to a marriage of fear and distrust. The hidden horror of Dachau that are exposed and the far reaching effects of the cruelty of the Nazi party. Those that serve because they believe in the Reich and those that serve out of fear.
As Annaleise's husband Hans is drawn into the work at the Dachau camp he becomes darker and gloomier by the day. He never tells he tales of the camp and his work there, only that he is working on research for a cure for Malaria. She suspects it is more, but has no proof.
One day Hans hires Alexander a Russian prisoner to work in the gardens at their home to make them nice for Annaleise to make her happier. Alexander tells her of the horrors of Dachau and the truth about the research being done there. Alexander and Annaleise fall in love with each other and when she becomes pregnant she must make a heartbreaking decision to save the life of Alexander and her child.
Year later when her son is grown the past will come back to haunt her as she sees a familiar picture in the newspaper and wonders if her life is once again about to implode.
This is a story of the horrors of the concentration camp Dachau, a forbidden romance, a marriage broken and three people changed forever because of the cruelty of the Nazi's.
It was a sad story to read, and I cried for Annaleise and her life for what it might have been, for what she had lost, for what it became, and later for her losses again as she fought to regain her life and make a new life for her son. I also felt sorry for Hans and his losses, his forced obedience to the Nazi party and finally is last selfless act for his family. Alexander was a different character and played a part, I felt this character was too damaged by the camps he had nothing left to give to anyone.
It was a good book and I would recommend it.
Thanks to Debbie Rix for writing yet another great book, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available for me to read.
December 7, 2021
Rix is a good writer. This is a great example of a good story, but I had a hearty dislike for each of the main characters. The parallels between the novel and modern times is uncanny and scary. The book is also a good example of only having bad choices to select. The experiments were gut wrenching to read, but it was also sickening to read about the wheeling and dealings done after the war to obtain the biological experimental information. This book makes you think, hard, on many levels. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early read.
December 30, 2021
Amazing novel. Will write up a review later.
November 28, 2021
Annalise now lives in America with her grown up son. She tells him the story of how she got there and ner former years in Germany before , during and after the second world war. She married Hans, a doctor. In order to further his career and also having little choice he joined the SS and was then sent to do research work at Dachau. Staff in general life are in short supply and Hans sees a chance to perhaps show a little kindness and suggests Alexander as a gardener for Annelise who is keen to sort out their vast overgrown land. Annelise grows close to Alexander which could put them both in terrible danger as there are very strict rules about prisoners and even what Annelise can say or do under the nazi regime.
This is the story of Annelise and her survival of that traumatic period.
This is based on a true story- what an inspiration. Annelise shows courage and determination to not only keep herself safe but to remain humane and help others as much as she can. She falls in love and realises the danger for both parties. Years later she sees a newspaper article that could threaten the secret she has kept all this time. Is it time to put the past to rest or to face it head on?
I loved this- there is a very real warmth of character about Annalise and I admired her tenacity. A � true grit� determination for life and it's a compelling story based around fact which is explained at the end. One to make you perhaps think -as Deebie says about our own restrictions around covid- this book put this in perspective for me- however bad things were- the war and Germany were a very different matter. A stunning read I would highly recommend.
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November 28, 2021
I received an e-ARC edition of this book via NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture.
Debbie Rix has, once again, written another engaging historical WWII story with her book “The German Wife.� This book is based upon a real doctor during WWII who became a member of the SS in order to (hopefully) gain not only recognition in his research, but also funding. Unfortunately for him, he was assigned to Dachau, where human experimentation was performed. (Note - Ms. Rix covers this part with taste - being honestly descriptive, but not in a “splatterpunk� manner.) A number of infamous people make appearances - Hitler, Himmler, the Raschers, and Klaus Schilling. While the doctor tries to keep his wits about him (dealing with moral dilemmas), his wife is purposely kept in the dark as much as possible. In order to save a life (a former Dachau prisoner), the doctor hires him to be a gardener, which starts a chain of unforeseen events. I found this book very engaging and a bit heartbreaking. Any book that has me checking online sources for further information is always a winner in my book. Do read the Author’s Note at the end, as it includes notes about Ms. Rix’s inspiration. Ms. Rix had me feeling sympathy for all three of the main characters - even if I didn’t always agree with the choices they made, but all three had a certain amount of both grit and survival instinct. (Note - Reading the post-war part of this book reminded me of the movie “Judgement at Nuremberg,� with the doctor reminding me of Hans Rolfe.) A very high 4.5 star rating.
Debbie Rix has, once again, written another engaging historical WWII story with her book “The German Wife.� This book is based upon a real doctor during WWII who became a member of the SS in order to (hopefully) gain not only recognition in his research, but also funding. Unfortunately for him, he was assigned to Dachau, where human experimentation was performed. (Note - Ms. Rix covers this part with taste - being honestly descriptive, but not in a “splatterpunk� manner.) A number of infamous people make appearances - Hitler, Himmler, the Raschers, and Klaus Schilling. While the doctor tries to keep his wits about him (dealing with moral dilemmas), his wife is purposely kept in the dark as much as possible. In order to save a life (a former Dachau prisoner), the doctor hires him to be a gardener, which starts a chain of unforeseen events. I found this book very engaging and a bit heartbreaking. Any book that has me checking online sources for further information is always a winner in my book. Do read the Author’s Note at the end, as it includes notes about Ms. Rix’s inspiration. Ms. Rix had me feeling sympathy for all three of the main characters - even if I didn’t always agree with the choices they made, but all three had a certain amount of both grit and survival instinct. (Note - Reading the post-war part of this book reminded me of the movie “Judgement at Nuremberg,� with the doctor reminding me of Hans Rolfe.) A very high 4.5 star rating.
December 1, 2021
I really enjoy WW2 historical fiction, especially when it offers an unusual perspective that I don’t normally come across in this genre. Debbie Rix has blended fact with fiction, creating a plot that’s interesting. The story follows Annalise, married to Hans who is a Dr in medicine, but his passion lies in research. To promote his career, he sales his soul to the devil and joins the SS. Hans is assigned to Dachau, a concentration camp that is renowned for human experimentation.
I did question Annalise naivety at times; the reader is given the impression that German civilians were ignorant of what was happening around them, when in most cases the opposite was true. Although I didn’t always agree with the choices some characters made, I could summon up sympathy for most of them as they faced the most difficult choices in the most challenging of times.
I thought the descriptions of the experiments carried out on the prisoners by Hans and his SS counterparts felt matter of fact and lacked the emotional impact I normally feel when I’m reading about WW2.Inspired by a true story, I found the factual side of this book the more compelling. Although I enjoyed Annalise’s story, it wasn’t one that will leave a lasting impact, I’m afraid. If you enjoy WW2 fiction, you may love this book as there are lots of positive reviews, and it might just be me being picky.
I did question Annalise naivety at times; the reader is given the impression that German civilians were ignorant of what was happening around them, when in most cases the opposite was true. Although I didn’t always agree with the choices some characters made, I could summon up sympathy for most of them as they faced the most difficult choices in the most challenging of times.
I thought the descriptions of the experiments carried out on the prisoners by Hans and his SS counterparts felt matter of fact and lacked the emotional impact I normally feel when I’m reading about WW2.Inspired by a true story, I found the factual side of this book the more compelling. Although I enjoyed Annalise’s story, it wasn’t one that will leave a lasting impact, I’m afraid. If you enjoy WW2 fiction, you may love this book as there are lots of positive reviews, and it might just be me being picky.
January 12, 2022
Loved this story, beautifully told and inspired by actual events. The story flowed seamlessly and time flew. I no sooner started and I was finished. No spoilers. I was completely satisfied, and left wanting nothing. Upon completion, I took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I Googled the author, and see she has other books with different historical settings. I immediately wanted to read another by her.
The synopsis is spot-on. Rix has taken a WW II travesty and written a timeless and respectful book. Every human emotion is felt. The dialogues appeared genuine as did all character reactions.
I did have the audiobook, and while I don't reread, if I had a physical copy I would keep it. The narrator, Tamsin Kennard, did a brilliant job.
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Rix, and Bookouture Audio for accepting my request to read and review The German Wife.
#NetGalley
#DebbieRix
#BookoutureAudio
#GeneralFictionAdult
#HistoricalFiction
#TamsinKennard
#Audiobook
The synopsis is spot-on. Rix has taken a WW II travesty and written a timeless and respectful book. Every human emotion is felt. The dialogues appeared genuine as did all character reactions.
I did have the audiobook, and while I don't reread, if I had a physical copy I would keep it. The narrator, Tamsin Kennard, did a brilliant job.
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Rix, and Bookouture Audio for accepting my request to read and review The German Wife.
#NetGalley
#DebbieRix
#BookoutureAudio
#GeneralFictionAdult
#HistoricalFiction
#TamsinKennard
#Audiobook
January 5, 2023
This was OK, maybe good? Just finished it so might need to update that bit.
I quite liked the story, I won't spoil it but glad it ended how it did instead of an easy, obvious end.
Not sure if any of the characters came out of this well but then that's quite good for a story. Makes them more realistic.
I quite liked the story, I won't spoil it but glad it ended how it did instead of an easy, obvious end.
Not sure if any of the characters came out of this well but then that's quite good for a story. Makes them more realistic.
February 3, 2022
The German Wife by Debbie Rix is a powerful historical novel that consumed me from the start.
As the title suggests, the reader follows the German wife from the 1930’s, through the war years and just beyond before leaping forwards to 1984. It is a powerful read as we witness a character whose goodness of heart never wavered. “It was a tiny act of kindness in a sea of inhumanity.� It was a time of mass cruelty and unspeakable horrors.
Married to a doctor who worked in Dachau meant freedom of speech was curtailed. Inner most thoughts of the horror of it all ate away at what had started as a loving relationship. We witness that many had their secrets.
We see a character torn between what he does and his conscience � to speak out? Or remain safe and keep quiet? Living in Munich under Nazi control was a dangerous place.
There are some very hard to read scenes of terrible medical experiments carried out in the name of research. Ever those surrounded by depravity are shocked by what is seen.
Relationships were conducted in unnatural times, meaning it was easy for some to persuade themselves that they were in love.
There are glimpses of life after the war, both in Munich and America. The invisible scars of war lie deep, making normal life almost impossible to pick up again.
Debbie Rix has written a powerful and horrifying story. Her words paint pictures of terrible scenes which are now implanted in my mind.
The German Wife must be read in memory of the six million who perished, and of those who survived but were scarred. This is a harrowing read but a necessary one.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
As the title suggests, the reader follows the German wife from the 1930’s, through the war years and just beyond before leaping forwards to 1984. It is a powerful read as we witness a character whose goodness of heart never wavered. “It was a tiny act of kindness in a sea of inhumanity.� It was a time of mass cruelty and unspeakable horrors.
Married to a doctor who worked in Dachau meant freedom of speech was curtailed. Inner most thoughts of the horror of it all ate away at what had started as a loving relationship. We witness that many had their secrets.
We see a character torn between what he does and his conscience � to speak out? Or remain safe and keep quiet? Living in Munich under Nazi control was a dangerous place.
There are some very hard to read scenes of terrible medical experiments carried out in the name of research. Ever those surrounded by depravity are shocked by what is seen.
Relationships were conducted in unnatural times, meaning it was easy for some to persuade themselves that they were in love.
There are glimpses of life after the war, both in Munich and America. The invisible scars of war lie deep, making normal life almost impossible to pick up again.
Debbie Rix has written a powerful and horrifying story. Her words paint pictures of terrible scenes which are now implanted in my mind.
The German Wife must be read in memory of the six million who perished, and of those who survived but were scarred. This is a harrowing read but a necessary one.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
January 15, 2022
Germany, 1939 Annaliese is stuck in an unhappy marriage and her husband Hans, is a doctor and his new job is at Dachau. She is very fearful of Hans because she doesn’t like the man he has become. Then Russian prisoner, Alexander is sent from Dachau to work in Hans and Annaliese’s garden. Annaliese finds solace in gardening with Alexander, and as they spend time in the gardens together he begins to tell her what is really going on at Dachau and what Hans is actually doing there. She is horrified by what she is told and vows to do all that she can to save him. Then in America, it’s 1989 and Annaliese is reading a newspaper and is completely surprised when she sees the face of a man she thought she would never see again. Once again Annaliese is consumed with fear of wartime memories from the past and she realizes her past is catching up with her. She must confront her past secrets or risk losing her son. I absolutely loved this time-slip novel, the wonderful blend of the past with the present was written perfectly. I always love when the storyline is inspired by true events, it sends the story to a whole other level. I was totally drawn into this story from the very first page through to the very last. It was amazing and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you Debbie Rix for such a wonderful past meets present novel. I loved this wonderfully well written and well researched story, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you Debbie Rix for such a wonderful past meets present novel. I loved this wonderfully well written and well researched story, and I highly recommend it.
January 14, 2022
What a rollercoaster ride through the atrocities during WWII, to love, to just trying to get by and survive.
This book really takes you in to what it was like in Germany during the war. So many citizens really didn't know about the atrocities that were going on around them. This book really gets into the human experimentation that was going on in Dachau. You could really feel the inner conflict that Hans was having about his research and reluctance. The statement that stuck out to me was "First, do no harm." Which is what made the doctors and Hans seem even more like monsters for what they did.
I really liked following Anna's story and her strength to get through the horrible events she endured. From her complicated marriage with Hans, to her love affair with Alexander, and trying to do what was best for her son Sasha made her a fascinating character.
Everyone has secrets and there are some that are just to hard to tell. That was really true of all of the characters. I enjoyed the emotional ride in hearing all about them!
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.
This book really takes you in to what it was like in Germany during the war. So many citizens really didn't know about the atrocities that were going on around them. This book really gets into the human experimentation that was going on in Dachau. You could really feel the inner conflict that Hans was having about his research and reluctance. The statement that stuck out to me was "First, do no harm." Which is what made the doctors and Hans seem even more like monsters for what they did.
I really liked following Anna's story and her strength to get through the horrible events she endured. From her complicated marriage with Hans, to her love affair with Alexander, and trying to do what was best for her son Sasha made her a fascinating character.
Everyone has secrets and there are some that are just to hard to tell. That was really true of all of the characters. I enjoyed the emotional ride in hearing all about them!
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.
November 1, 2023
I absolutely devoured this book start to finish - it was just the type of wartime historical fiction that I love to read. Told across multiple decades, but essentially in the war and its its immediate aftermath, this is a wonderfully descriptive story with complex and challenging characters. Sometimes writers of this type of novel can make it too 'sunshine and rainbows' despite the era, however this author included some real events and people woven into her fictional work. My only minor critique is that as the story heads towards its end, it borders on cheese. However, the ending was satisfactory and I felt that it fit the tone of the the book well.
This author writes extremely vividly, I could picture the settings and characters as clear as any movie. I will definitely be reading more of her work. In fact, I can't wait!
This author writes extremely vividly, I could picture the settings and characters as clear as any movie. I will definitely be reading more of her work. In fact, I can't wait!
January 15, 2022
This book has become one of most favorite books. So heartbreaking and tragic knowing it’s inspired by true events in such a horrible time. I loved and felt for Annaliese. It’s so sad what she goes through.
Tamsin Kennard is the perfect narrator.
Thanks to Debbie Rigs, Bookouture & NetGalley for my copies of both the book and audiobook version.
Tamsin Kennard is the perfect narrator.
Thanks to Debbie Rigs, Bookouture & NetGalley for my copies of both the book and audiobook version.
January 13, 2022
Outstanding. A beautiful beautiful book. Touching. Thought provoking. Heart rending. Poignant. Wonderfully researched. Stunning writing. A story that touches your heart. Read this one please. It will move you. Make you think. Question. Change. Just wow!
January 7, 2022
This was an audio I received from Net Galley for an honest review. This book was set in WW2, portraying a German Wife and her Scientist husband. It was very good.
January 17, 2022
The German Wife is an Historical Fiction Story set during WWII and bookended by a present storyline set in 1989. Annaliese is a well off doctor’s wife. Her husband, Hans, joins the SS as he thinks it is the only way to get ahead and be able to do his research. He is ordered by the SS to work at the Dachau labour camp, where he will also be able to do his Malaria research. Annaliese is at home living happily, ignorant of what is really going on at the camp. When they seem to be unable to have a child, Hans is worried what this will do to his standing in the party, so he encourages Annaliese to have a sexual relationship with the gardener, a Russian prisoner that she seems to have feelings for. It is then that she finds out from Alexander what is really happening at the camp. She can no longer stand to have her husband touch her and as the Allies get closer, she has some decisions to make.
I found the plot quite intriguing and the story told from the perspective of an SS doctor and his wife was really unique. It was an easy read and flowed well, considering the topic. Although the title of this story is The German Wife, I found the story surrounding Hans to be more interesting and developed than Annaliese's story. Seeing how he tried to do his tests and research as ethically as he could, not harming others as much as possible and trying to stop the other doctors from being reckless was a very different viewpoint from other stories set during this time. earing how complicated life could be for an SS officer and why one would join the SS even though he did not support the party of the cause, also opened my eyes a bit. Annaliese was rather sheltered, yet at times she seemed strong and had a mind of her own. I would have loved to see her more developed and known more about her ideology and thoughts. I do like to read about the German people who were just trying to survive and not strong enough to fight back, as they all weren't evil. The story after the war ended was another eye opener seeing how some people were given passage to the US and became citizens and why. The life of a prisoner after the war was not easy and I like that there was some reference to that as well. This was a well written story that kept my attention, made me think and gave me some new tidbits of knowledge that I didn't really know about. I recommend this book if you enjoy WWII Historical Fiction. I did a read/listen with this book and both formats were well done. Tamsin Kennard narrates this story and I very much enjoyed her performance. She uses tone and expression to add emotion and intrigue to this story. My one complaint is that the main characters and setting were German and her accent is British. Having said that, I still enjoyed the audiobook.
I found the plot quite intriguing and the story told from the perspective of an SS doctor and his wife was really unique. It was an easy read and flowed well, considering the topic. Although the title of this story is The German Wife, I found the story surrounding Hans to be more interesting and developed than Annaliese's story. Seeing how he tried to do his tests and research as ethically as he could, not harming others as much as possible and trying to stop the other doctors from being reckless was a very different viewpoint from other stories set during this time. earing how complicated life could be for an SS officer and why one would join the SS even though he did not support the party of the cause, also opened my eyes a bit. Annaliese was rather sheltered, yet at times she seemed strong and had a mind of her own. I would have loved to see her more developed and known more about her ideology and thoughts. I do like to read about the German people who were just trying to survive and not strong enough to fight back, as they all weren't evil. The story after the war ended was another eye opener seeing how some people were given passage to the US and became citizens and why. The life of a prisoner after the war was not easy and I like that there was some reference to that as well. This was a well written story that kept my attention, made me think and gave me some new tidbits of knowledge that I didn't really know about. I recommend this book if you enjoy WWII Historical Fiction. I did a read/listen with this book and both formats were well done. Tamsin Kennard narrates this story and I very much enjoyed her performance. She uses tone and expression to add emotion and intrigue to this story. My one complaint is that the main characters and setting were German and her accent is British. Having said that, I still enjoyed the audiobook.
October 5, 2022
I just didn't love it.
This book was a rolle coaster for me. The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of cut scenes in the beginning portion...one minute we were following our main character as she did grocery shopping and then the next paragraph we were with her as she was suddenly at home in the garden, for example. It bugged me.
The middle got better! Much more interesting once the happy couple arrived at Dachau...until she net Alexander and then instantly fell in love with him upon seeing his face. I found it hard to believe that she truly grew to love him (enough to turn him into a bit of an obsession)when we were hardly shown any interactions between the two. Even the steamy scenes felt forced and flat, as did the conversations.
The end. I jut could have done without most of the end half of the book. In my opinion, it should have ended with the liberation of Dauchau -- or maybe an epilogue, but it didn't need an entire 200+ pages after the climax.
Don't get me started on Anneliese. I hated the way she acted with Alexander...particularly once he started to distance himself. She came across as needy and obsessive.
On a positive note..
The story the author told was a good one. I enjoyed the premise and that we got to see an entire timeline take place during the story.
This book was a rolle coaster for me. The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of cut scenes in the beginning portion...one minute we were following our main character as she did grocery shopping and then the next paragraph we were with her as she was suddenly at home in the garden, for example. It bugged me.
The middle got better! Much more interesting once the happy couple arrived at Dachau...until she net Alexander and then instantly fell in love with him upon seeing his face. I found it hard to believe that she truly grew to love him (enough to turn him into a bit of an obsession)when we were hardly shown any interactions between the two. Even the steamy scenes felt forced and flat, as did the conversations.
The end. I jut could have done without most of the end half of the book. In my opinion, it should have ended with the liberation of Dauchau -- or maybe an epilogue, but it didn't need an entire 200+ pages after the climax.
Don't get me started on Anneliese. I hated the way she acted with Alexander...particularly once he started to distance himself. She came across as needy and obsessive.
On a positive note..
The story the author told was a good one. I enjoyed the premise and that we got to see an entire timeline take place during the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2022
I would like to thank Debbie Rix, Bookotoure and NetGallfor this audiobook review copy.
I absolutely love historical fiction and that goes double for WWII historical fiction so I knew this book was right up my alley. It is written from a different perspective than most WWII novel as it is from the perspective of a SS Nazi doctor’s wife. It is a dual timeline that ranges from 1939 to 1989. Annalisa is the wife of Hans Vogal who is a doctor that works for Hitler. He gets caught up in medical experimentation on prisoners, at first he has a conscience, but we see that quickly fades as him wanting to further his career and prestige take precedence. I don’t want to give too much away but we see that Annalisa is a majorly flawed character. She chooses to turn a blind eye to what her husband does. And she ends up having an affair with the gardener who is actually a prisoner of war. The story goes on and it is a tangled web. The characters are flawed in so many ways but the ending of the story turns out beautiful.
I gave this story 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.
I absolutely love historical fiction and that goes double for WWII historical fiction so I knew this book was right up my alley. It is written from a different perspective than most WWII novel as it is from the perspective of a SS Nazi doctor’s wife. It is a dual timeline that ranges from 1939 to 1989. Annalisa is the wife of Hans Vogal who is a doctor that works for Hitler. He gets caught up in medical experimentation on prisoners, at first he has a conscience, but we see that quickly fades as him wanting to further his career and prestige take precedence. I don’t want to give too much away but we see that Annalisa is a majorly flawed character. She chooses to turn a blind eye to what her husband does. And she ends up having an affair with the gardener who is actually a prisoner of war. The story goes on and it is a tangled web. The characters are flawed in so many ways but the ending of the story turns out beautiful.
I gave this story 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2024
Obok powieści z gatunku literatury wojennej nie potrafię przejść obojętnie. Bardzo często zdarza się, że historia zawarta na kartach powieści wzrusza mnie do łez i wzbudzają we mnie ogromne pokłady emocji. W ostatnim czasie w moje ręce trafiła powieść „Niemiecka żona� autorstwa Debbie Rix. Krótki, aczkolwiek bardzo intrygujący opis sprawił, że nie mogłam odmówić sobie lektury.
Poznajemy Annaliese, młodą i szczęśliwą żonę lekarza. Młode małżeństwo wiedzie spokojne życie, wydawać by się mogło, że nic nie jest w stanie zniszczyć ich szczęścia. Jednak wraz z wybuchem wojny życie Annaliese i Hansa ulega całkowitej przemianie. Mężczyzna zostaje wysłany do obozu pracy w Dachau. Kilka lat później małżeństwo Annaliese i Hansa zaczyna się rozpadać. Głównym powodem ciągłych kłótni jest brak potomstwa i trudności z zajściem w ciążę. Pewnego dnia Hans sprowadza do domu Alexandra, rosyjskiego więźnia. Mężczyzna ma za zadanie zadbać o ogród. Z czasem Annaliese i Aleksander zbliżają się do siebie. Podczas jednej z codziennych rozmów mężczyzna zdradza Annaliese prawdę o warunkach panujących w obozie, ona zaś obiecuje, że zrobi wszystko, by go uratować.
„Niemiecka żona� autorstwa Debbie Rix to jedna z tych powieści, do której czytelnik zasiada i po przeczytaniu pierwszych kilku stron wie już, że nie odłoży książki, nim nie pozna jej zakończenia. Wciągająca od pierwszych stron, niezwykle angażująca, wzbudzająca najgłębiej skrywane emocje i trzymająca w napięciu do samego końca.
„Niemiecka żona� to opowieść, w której emocje wylewają się niemal z każdej strony. Przepełniona bólem, cierpieniem, strachem historia, którą pomimo trudnej tematyki czytało mi się bardzo dobrze. Z zapartym tchem śledziłam kolejne w wydarzenia z życia Annaliese i Hansa. Autorka bardzo realistycznie odzwierciedliła czasy II wojny światowej � życie w czasie wojny, walka o przetrwanie, warunki panujące w obozie. To, co najbardziej mnie poruszyło w tej historii, to ukazanie przez Debbie Rix kulis okrucieństwa, jakiego dopuszczali się Niemcy w obozach koncentracyjnych. W powieści dość szczegółowo opisane zostały eksperymenty na ludziach, które wzbudzają w czytelniku najgłębiej skrywane emocje. Autorka nie szczędzi słów, opisuje wydarzenia, które przerażają i wstrząsają czytelnikiem.
Przeczytałam wiele powieści z gatunku literatury wojennej, jednak „Niemiecka żona� jest inna, wyjątkowa. Autorka przepięknym językiem z ogromnym wyczuciem kreśli przed nami niezwykle emocjonującą historię kobiety, której życie pełne było rozterek i moralnych dylematów. Idealnie oddane realia wojenne, w tle wątek miłosny, który w żadnym wypadku nieprzysłania ważnych historycznych wydarzeń, wręcz przeciwnie, jest och idealnym dopełnieniem. „Niemiecka żona� to bardzo emocjonująca i przepiękna opowieść, która pozostanie w moim sercu na bardzo długi czas. Polecam miłośnikom powieści obyczajowych z historią w tle.
Poznajemy Annaliese, młodą i szczęśliwą żonę lekarza. Młode małżeństwo wiedzie spokojne życie, wydawać by się mogło, że nic nie jest w stanie zniszczyć ich szczęścia. Jednak wraz z wybuchem wojny życie Annaliese i Hansa ulega całkowitej przemianie. Mężczyzna zostaje wysłany do obozu pracy w Dachau. Kilka lat później małżeństwo Annaliese i Hansa zaczyna się rozpadać. Głównym powodem ciągłych kłótni jest brak potomstwa i trudności z zajściem w ciążę. Pewnego dnia Hans sprowadza do domu Alexandra, rosyjskiego więźnia. Mężczyzna ma za zadanie zadbać o ogród. Z czasem Annaliese i Aleksander zbliżają się do siebie. Podczas jednej z codziennych rozmów mężczyzna zdradza Annaliese prawdę o warunkach panujących w obozie, ona zaś obiecuje, że zrobi wszystko, by go uratować.
„Niemiecka żona� autorstwa Debbie Rix to jedna z tych powieści, do której czytelnik zasiada i po przeczytaniu pierwszych kilku stron wie już, że nie odłoży książki, nim nie pozna jej zakończenia. Wciągająca od pierwszych stron, niezwykle angażująca, wzbudzająca najgłębiej skrywane emocje i trzymająca w napięciu do samego końca.
„Niemiecka żona� to opowieść, w której emocje wylewają się niemal z każdej strony. Przepełniona bólem, cierpieniem, strachem historia, którą pomimo trudnej tematyki czytało mi się bardzo dobrze. Z zapartym tchem śledziłam kolejne w wydarzenia z życia Annaliese i Hansa. Autorka bardzo realistycznie odzwierciedliła czasy II wojny światowej � życie w czasie wojny, walka o przetrwanie, warunki panujące w obozie. To, co najbardziej mnie poruszyło w tej historii, to ukazanie przez Debbie Rix kulis okrucieństwa, jakiego dopuszczali się Niemcy w obozach koncentracyjnych. W powieści dość szczegółowo opisane zostały eksperymenty na ludziach, które wzbudzają w czytelniku najgłębiej skrywane emocje. Autorka nie szczędzi słów, opisuje wydarzenia, które przerażają i wstrząsają czytelnikiem.
Przeczytałam wiele powieści z gatunku literatury wojennej, jednak „Niemiecka żona� jest inna, wyjątkowa. Autorka przepięknym językiem z ogromnym wyczuciem kreśli przed nami niezwykle emocjonującą historię kobiety, której życie pełne było rozterek i moralnych dylematów. Idealnie oddane realia wojenne, w tle wątek miłosny, który w żadnym wypadku nieprzysłania ważnych historycznych wydarzeń, wręcz przeciwnie, jest och idealnym dopełnieniem. „Niemiecka żona� to bardzo emocjonująca i przepiękna opowieść, która pozostanie w moim sercu na bardzo długi czas. Polecam miłośnikom powieści obyczajowych z historią w tle.
January 27, 2022
Despite the story being set towards the end of WWII, military and authoritarian regimes still exist sadly. Slow annihilation of people based on ethnic, religious lines still go on apace and the rest of the world does nothing. We do not seem to have learnt anything from the Nazi experience.
The Nazi regime, WWII and Hitler has brought about a whole world of writers - all the stories excellent reading, all convoluted and dealing with so many aspects of this horrible era in world history.
This was another such book - told from the part of a SS family living in Germany - half of them faithful followers of Hitler until they were faced with the brutality of the regime. Dr Vogel was a research scientist. He considered himself a good German, faithful to Hitler's teachings until his career came head on with the torture and brutality of the camps. Dr Vogel was too involved in his work, and not made to suffer or allow his family to suffer and he went along with whatever was doled out till the end. His wife Annaliese far removed from his actual working life, did not
know or rather preferred not to know what was going on in her husband's working life.
The chilling factor in the story was that though Annaliese and Hans were married for eight years there were no children. This was a failing from the Reich's point of view. It was the duty of SS officers to have childrenand this could mean banishment for the Vogels. A Machiavellian plan came up in Hans's mind to use the services of their gardener Alexander, a Russian prisoner to father a child for them. Annaliese was halfway in love with Alexander when the plan was discussed but Alexander himself was not aware of the plot till years after.
The story takes over from there - continuing to the fall of the Nazis and the Vogels making their escape to America (separately) and a time apart.
The twist in the story is different from other books dealing with the era - even from the Nazi angle and made it quite unique.
The Nazi regime, WWII and Hitler has brought about a whole world of writers - all the stories excellent reading, all convoluted and dealing with so many aspects of this horrible era in world history.
This was another such book - told from the part of a SS family living in Germany - half of them faithful followers of Hitler until they were faced with the brutality of the regime. Dr Vogel was a research scientist. He considered himself a good German, faithful to Hitler's teachings until his career came head on with the torture and brutality of the camps. Dr Vogel was too involved in his work, and not made to suffer or allow his family to suffer and he went along with whatever was doled out till the end. His wife Annaliese far removed from his actual working life, did not
know or rather preferred not to know what was going on in her husband's working life.
The chilling factor in the story was that though Annaliese and Hans were married for eight years there were no children. This was a failing from the Reich's point of view. It was the duty of SS officers to have childrenand this could mean banishment for the Vogels. A Machiavellian plan came up in Hans's mind to use the services of their gardener Alexander, a Russian prisoner to father a child for them. Annaliese was halfway in love with Alexander when the plan was discussed but Alexander himself was not aware of the plot till years after.
The story takes over from there - continuing to the fall of the Nazis and the Vogels making their escape to America (separately) and a time apart.
The twist in the story is different from other books dealing with the era - even from the Nazi angle and made it quite unique.
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