The Dutch Wife

by Eric McCormack

 Rachel, the mother of the aging professor Thomas Vanderlinden, shared her life with two men. Both went by the name of Rowland Vanderlinden. The first husband went abroad and never returned. The second, whom Rachel also unquestioningly accepted as her husband, was a mystery. In an attempt to understand his mother’s adventurous decisions regarding love and marriage, Thomas sets out on a journey to the far reaches of the Pacific to find the first Rowland, and his real father. As the mystery of the two Rowlands unfolds throughout the novel, so too does a fascinating portrait of one woman and the choices she makes. Set before a backdrop of fantastical places, The Dutch Wife is a profound meditation on the nature of love.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, War, Holocaust, Book Club

313 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Eric McCormack was born in Scotland, later emigrated to Canada and, since 1970, has been teaching at St. Jerome's University in Waterloo, Ontario. He started out on his career writing short stories which appeared in literary journals including Prism International, West Coast Review, Malahat Review, and The New Quarterly. He has also written poetry over the years. In February 1987 his first book, Inspecting the Vaults was published. This is a collection of nineteen short stories, thirteen of which had been previously published in literary magazines. His first novel, The Paradise Motel, was published in February 1989. Eric McCormack became the focus of considerable media interest and his books were translated into many foreign languages. His next novel, The Mysterium, was released in 1992, and his most recent book, First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women was published in 1997. It was nominated for the Governor General's Award. Eric McCormack also frequently reviews for The Globe and Mail. His works to date have received much critical acclaim.

Reviews

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this historical fiction book although I do think there are some flaws. While I am glad that I read it, I had an uncomfortable feeling while reading for a few reasons. Most of the story takes place in a concentration camp so obviously that makes for some tough reading. When I lived in Germany I actually visited Buchenwald which is the setting in the book. Being able to visually picture the camp just really added to this haunting type feeling I had while reading. And finally, the story line of Marijke and Karl is just not an easy thing to read.

Marijke de Graaf and her husband are arrested in Amesterdam in 1943 as political prisoners and sent to different concentration camps. Marijke is forced to make a horrible decision. She can either stay and most likely face death or she can volunteer to work at the prisoner's brothel at Buchenwald concentration camp where she believes her husband is at. It is there where she meets SS officer Karl Müller. The story alternates between the perspectives of Marijke, Karl, and Luciano Wagner, a man who is being held in a prison cell in Buenos Aires during the 1970s Dirty War.

I understand what the author was trying to accomplish with including a story line from the 1970s but I thought it was the weakest part of the book and I just didn't feel myself as emotionally invested in Luciano's story as I did with Marijke. Wanting to know what was going to happen with Marijke is what drove the story.

Without a doubt this is a difficult book to read but I think it is one well worth your time. It's a story that I don't think you will fully appreciate until it is over and you have time to reflect. There is definitely some graphic content which is hard to read but necessary to the story. I know some people are burned out on World War 2 historical fiction but this book gave me the opportunity to learn something new as I was not aware that there were brothels at some of the concentration camps and I knew next to nothing about Argentina's Dirty War. I'm glad the author included a note at the end of the book about her why she chose to write this book.

I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Filha do Holocausto


A Holandesa começa com H de Holocausto e termina com A de Argentina.

Desenterra duas verdades esquecidas e pouco difundidas:
A prostituição nos campos de trabalho da Alemanha Nazi e a Guerra Suja da Argentina, um mini-holocausto que ocorreu entre 1976 e 1983, uma época dominada por um intenso anti-semitismo e anti-comunismo que redundou em prisões, torturas e mortes, vitimando cerca de 30000 pessoas....

Já no final da WWII, oficiais nazis debandaram para a Argentina, assumindo novas identidades. As identidades cambiaram mas as ideias não, pois por lá se acomodaram e germinaram!
E foi assim que o Holocausto gerou uma Filha — a Guerra Suja! E posto isto, só nos resta esperar (rezar 🙏), que a História não nos reserve ainda, algum Neto Surpresa!...

A acuidade da pesquisa, a complexidade das personagens e a originalidade da premissa, elevam este livro ao podium — são 5 estrelas cintilantes — 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

https://www.presenca.pt/soap/uploads/...

[Lindsay L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for my first audiobook! An excellent debut historical fiction novel!

This book offers a very unique WWII perspective. We meet Marijke, Karl and Luciano. Marijke is a young wife and member of the Resistance who is torn from her husband and home. Upon capture and imprisonment, her beauty makes her stand out and she is chosen to live in the Buchenwald camp brothel where male prisoners get the opportunity to visit for good behaviour. The thought of what she has to do sickens her, yet it means she will have more food and clothing than most prisoners and better living arrangements. Karl is an SS officer who looks after the camp where Marijke is assigned. He has worked his way up the Nazi chain with a heavy push from his father who has high hope and expectations under Hitlers reign. Luciano is a young man in 1977 who is captured in Buenos Aires during the Argentine Dirty War.

I had an immediate connection with Marijke. She was an endearing and intriguing character. My heart broke for her situation and all that she endured - I could feel her longing to find her husband and her hope that they would one day be reunited. I didn’t like Karl’s character, however, I enjoyed his perspective as it gave insight into the struggles and pressure some Nazi officers faced. Luciano’s perspective felt unnecessary. I didn’t connect with him or enjoy reading his sections. I feel the book would have been much smoother and gripping had his perspective been omitted.

Audio thoughts: since this is my first audiobook, I thought I’d add my thoughts specific to how I felt about the narration. I LOVED Marijke’s voice! She was perfection! Karl’s voice felt robotic (and slightly irritating). Luciano’s voice was done well but my extreme disconnect from his personal story overshadowed any enjoyment I may have had.

Thank you to NetGalley and my lovely local library for my copies of this wonderful novel! I look forward to what this author comes out with next!

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I think this is a well written book I can give it only 3 stars. The book oozes violence and as I've said before, that much violence weakens a book instead of strengthening it. It might have been better to just tell the WWII story and leave Argentina out of it.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical fiction coming out in the last few years that depicts regular people and their lives in extenuating circumstances has really been wonderful. I now add The Dutch Wife to the list of really great writing and storytelling.
As always with any WWII story set at a concentration camp there are many events of abuse, rape, starvation, murder and more awful actions. Ellen Keith does not dance around these issues; instead she describes them with a realistic and stark attitude. As we all know they happened, and part of historical fiction is to warn us not to allow history to repeat itself I feel the level of detail and description is more than appropriate for the subject matter. That said, be forewarned that this is not a novel for the faint of heart.

The Story
Our primary story is told from two points of view. One from a woman from Amsterdam who is a Jew sympathizer. The other from a man who is a higher ranking Nazi officer assigned to the camp. The setting is a Nazi concentration camp with marginally better conditions than Auschwitz; which isn't saying much.
The narrative is primarily about this woman and man coping with what life has thrown at them. They both make seemingly impossible decisions in order to stay alive. These decisions and moments are the real heart of Keith's novel.

The 'Side' Story
This separate story is based on a historical event I knew nothing about until reading The Dutch Girl. While the 1970's account of the Dirty War in Argentina and the wrongful communist persecutions sets up a great contrast to the WWII narrative; every time Keith swapped to this story all I wanted was for the chapter to be over so we could return to our leading man and woman at the camp. The dual telling of these stories adds an analytical view on suppression and control of a dictator; but overall I could have done without it. But I'm sure some English professors are thrilled with the comparison and essay opportunities the story adds to The Dutch Wife. This is added story is the only reason why I give this 4 stars instead of 5.

Conflicting Emotions
Both our characters in WWII have situations in which they are going against their gut reaction. Each time this happens they end up with conflicting emotions with what they are doing. Keith does a brilliant job of show us that circumstance is really what leads us to make certain decisions. And while in average daily lives they maybe wouldn't have made the same decision; the harshness of the concentration camp and the will to stay alive means that both our characters do what some may call morally subject things both physically, mentally and emotionally.
I've always thought that circumstance drives the core decisions we make on a daily basis. Factors like age, health, safety, money, opportunity (or lack of) cannot be overlooked when we analyse why someone does something at any given time.

Morals
As with most WWII stories, The Dutch Wife focuses on the inner personal conflict that many people (German or not) experienced when they started to realize what following the Nazi party laws meant in actuality. Keith focuses on the strife and struggle for average people to survive during this time of harsh rules and deadly outcomes. The focus is on how so many people 'allowed' this power shift to happen and why so many made decisions we might today call immoral.
The Dutch Wife clearly demonstrates that none of us can say that we would never, ever break a personal moral. Instead only that we have all been fortunate enough to not been pushed beyond all reason to make decisions purely based on the will to live.
For example: it's easy to say I will not cheat on my spouse; but it's a lot harder to stay committed if that spouse: goes missing for years, has ailing health issues, is inattentive or in any way abusive. Each of these scenarios (and many others) might convince, even the most fervently devoted spouse, to act differently than they would if they had a loving spouse next to them. Until you have been in someone's shoes you cannot say what you might have done or not done. The Dutch Wife shows this with such clarity regarding what we today would consider simple decisions. It's a truly wonderful perspective and had me thinking a lot about the idea of morality and what makes someone a 'good' person. Keith also focuses on the continuing theme that we all have a basic instinct, hard-wired in our brains, to survive. And at moments when survival seems unlikely or is challenged nothing but surviving matters anymore. This is the moment when 'good' people can cross over into areas of morality they never imagined they'd go. This is the power of limited options on the brain. Survival instinct takes over and we are no longer the person we once were.

Overall
The personal introspective into 'average' people and their rationales during this extraordinary time makes The Dutch Wife more about people and how we cope, than about WWII itself. Regardless of what historical plight or time Keith had chosen I believe the core story wouldn't change in this novel. Being able to relate with each character and understand each point of view helps us understand the factors restricting their choices. This makes this a very intimate novel that is likely to make many people wonder what they would have done given the same circumstances. In our increasingly complex and tumultuous world Keith has brought to light how the climate of circumstances can definitely change our actions.

I am finding myself asking (more often these days) if I would do the same thing as someone in their circumstances. Doing this BEFORE judging or assuming morality, faith or commitment is something I believe more of us need to do. If we hold onto the understanding that survival is the key to life then I believe we would approach many issues and people differently. I hope others are able to get better perspective on the difficulty of having only awful decisions before you. And while to die is always an option; we should never underestimate our animal instinct to survive.

For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

“… legend says that whenever Goethe’s Oak falls, it will signal the fall of the German Reich.”

But Ellen Keith’s extraordinary novel, THE DUTCH WIFE, also reminds us, sadly, that the acorns that spread from that falling tree scattered around the world onto fertile ground and sprouted again. Indeed, it takes an extraordinarily insensitive and uninformed reader to not make the connection between THE DUTCH WIFE, the Holocaust, the Dirty War promulgated under the military junta of Argentina and the events that the world is currently witnessing in the USA under the Trump presidency.

Given the magnitude and the power of the evil represented by the violence and hatred that spawned WW II’s anti-Semitism, xenophobia, homophobia and the concentration camps in Buchenwald, Dachau and Auschwitz, it is no surprise that world literature is full of Holocaust stories. Some, of course, are better, more convincing, more moving and more memorable than others and it has to be noted that Ellen Keith, a young female Canadian author, has penned a debut effort that will stand out in that crowd and will never be forgotten by its readers.

Keith’s powerful story of the survival of Marijke de Graaf, a beautiful young Dutch woman consigned to work in the officers’ brothel in Buchenwald, is made more poignant by the use of music and its ability to inject a small measure of calm and peace into an otherwise intolerable situation. And the ending? Well, Keith has probably chosen to leave it entirely open-ended to demonstrate that the ugliness of fascism, Nazism and the vile hatred of racism and xenophobia are a part of the human condition. Of necessity, they will affect the remainder of Marijke de Graaf’s life and everything we think and do today … just as it did behind the razor wire fences of Buchenwald!

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catching Up still with Goodreads reviews. I had been a bit worn out from my HF and WWII books, and so I took a break from reporting about them for this past week.

This one had also been a difficult one to talk about, too. So, I thought I would ruminate on it for a while before setting down my review.

Sometimes stories can have emotional triggers, and we have to be sensitive to how that can affect our responses to the story and our review of it.

As in this case…

Premise: This is the story of Marijke de Graaf, a married woman that was a Dutch political prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp in 1943. She volunteers to work at the camp brothel in exchange for a reduced sentence. While working at the brothel, she catches the eyes of Karl Muller, the second-in-command Nazi officer at the camp. Karl struggles with the brutality of the job and his desire to make his father proud. He sees Marijke as a welcome release.

Alternating with Marijke and Karl’s stories is that of Luciano Wagner, a political prisoner in 1977 Buenos Aires during the Argentine Dirty War, who is trying to work through his difficult relationship with his father.

Where do I even begin to share my response – my feelings about this story?

Although well-written, this story, was distressingly bleak.

Seeing this side of a brothel the author does a good job of detailing all the various ways in which the Nazis reinforced their power over their prisoners as well as their officers who visited the women. There were many heartbreaking scenes that were difficult to read.

Karl believes he is in love with Marijke and he schemes to get rid of her husband who was assigned to a neighboring camp. This storyline was the worst part of the book for me. There was an eeriness and creepiness that was downright disturbing and I found myself almost giving up on the book.

But…

I wanted to know about Luciano’s story, and how it tied in with the 1943 timeline.
(Sometimes I even wondered, why it was even part of the overall story.)

Eventually, readers will discover why.

Still…

In this timeline there is a sense of hope, as Luciano and some of his fellow prisoners use their jobs at the prison to try to help the resistance and the families affected by the war.

But…

I still have conflicting emotions about how Luciano’s story turns out.

Bottom line…

This story is not for the faint of heart. It is not an easy read. It shares a side of WWII history that is not typically known. 3.5 stars.

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 STARS - The Dutch Wife is a Historical Fiction novel that tells the story of three people during WWII in dual story lines. The reader is privy to the points of view of Marijke de Graaf, a Dutch prisoner in the Buchenwald concentration camp and SS officer Karl Muller whose job it is to run the camp. The other story line, decades later, follows a young man named Luciano Wagner in Buenos Aires.

I'm all for dual story lines in books. I like getting a better look into different characters but the story lines weren't balanced well here. Luciano's POV felt so different and vague compared to the other two that I struggled to stay interested. Readers are kept in the dark (much like Luciano himself) about how Luciano fits into the main story line and it was frustrating being strung along for so much of the book. When the answers are finally given, it's late in the story and the connection wasn't much of a surprise.

As a big reader of WWII fiction, I always welcome learning more about it. Keith taught me about aspects of life within the concentration camp that I hadn't known before, specifically for non-Jewish women. But I wanted more depth, stronger character development and more backstory, especially for Marijke. Why was she involved in the Resistance? And I could have done without the romance angle which felt sudden, more than a little icky and I didn't feel I was given enough reasons to get behind it. With these issues and the abrupt ending leaving readers with unanswered questions, I thought The Dutch Wife was an okay, lighter Historical Fiction read, but not a book I'd be encouraging everyone to pick up.

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This World War II novel contains two story lines from that era (Marijke, the Dutch wife; Karl, a Buchenwald commander) and a third from the Dirty War in Argentina from the late 1970's (Luciano).
Keith has written a very readable story with the grim realities of war and resistance. Until reading this book I was unaware that the camps provided a brothel as a carrot for prisoners. The officers in the camp generally visit their own brothel, but Karl sees Marijke walking through the camp and seeks her out at the prisoner brothel and their stories are intertwined for nearly two years. Meanwhile Marijke's husband (Theo) is somewhere in the same camp, but she finds herself imagining a future with Karl after the war. Throughout the book we also read about Luciano's fate as a prisoner in Argentina.

One thing you realize as you read this book is that war brings a myriad of hard choices and desperate circumstances. This book is not without hope, but the outlook is bleak without faith. The connection of Luciano to the historical timelines was too tenuous for me.

Thank you for Edelweiss and Park Row for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE DUTCH WIFE is a dual storyline book. In 1943 we get to follow Marijke de Graaf as she is forced to choose between a slow death in a labor camp or join the camp brothel. She picks the later in the hope of meeting her husband who has been sent to the camp where the brothel is. Years later, in 1977 we follow Luciano Wagerer's ordeal during the Argentine Dirty War as he is arrested and thrown in a prison he most likely will never leave.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith on audio CD and really enjoyed the story. It was read by Abby Craden, Eric Martin and Charlie Thurston. They really brought the story to life. The novel explored the themes of male dominance over females, good and evil and what a person had to endure to survive concentration camps during the Nazi dominance. Choices were made in order to survive even when those choices negate everything you believe in.

The Dutch wife began in Amsterdam in 1943. Mariijke de Graaf and her husband, Theo, were part of the Dutch resistance where they helped to save Jewish babies by giving them to non-Jewish families. They were arrested by the Nazi and shipped off to different concentration camps. Mariijke ended up at Ravensbruck where conditions were awful. Shortly after arriving in the camp, Marijke was presented with an impossible decision. She knew that she would surely die if she remained at Ravensbruck. The Nazi guards gave her a choice. She could stay at Ravensbruck or be transported to a male camp where she would be expected to join the camp brothel. Along with the other women chosen to accompany her into the brothel, Mariijke was expected to pleasure many of the inmates each night. Mariijke learned to endure this life but guilt plagued her. Her thoughts constantly went to her husband, Theo, while doing what was expected of her. Then one day, a SS officer, Karl Muller, took a liking to Mariijke. Both of their lives would change drastically.

The story alternated with the story of Luciano, an Argentinian college aged, gay, young man arrested by the police in the 1970's. His father did nothing to stop the police from taking his son. Luciano, while being tortured by his captors, reminisced about the lack of affection and love his father had given him during his life. It was pretty obvious that Luciano's father was no other than Karl Muller, the SS officer who escaped to Argentina and had assumed a new identity. How ironic that Karl Muller ended up with a gay, homosexual son, considering how the Nazis felt about homosexuals.

I felt very emotional while I listened to The Dutch Wife. I had not read much about camp brothels and how female prisoners were forced to entertain so many men each and every night. The thought of a female inmate falling for a SS officer sickens me but in this story it made some sense and I saw how it could have happened to Mariijke. Ellen Keith did an excellent job developing the characters in her book. This is the first book I read by Ellen Keith but I will eagerly look for other books written by her. I recommend this book highly.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
A devastating and haunting historical fiction that illustrates the darker side of humanity. This book was not your usual WW2 story. Rather than alternating with a present day timeline, it instead alternated between 1945 and 1977 during the Argentinian dirty war where up to 30 000 civilians “disappeared” in acts of terrorism and genocide. Although I wasn’t as taken with the Argentinian storyline as I was with the WW2, it was still enlightening to learn about this historical tragedy and I was completely absorbed by the book.

The WW2 plot is further divided in its telling by alternating between a Dutch political prisoner at a labour camp who is forced into working at the camp prisoner brothel and a high level Nazi officer whose job it is to oversee the running of the camp. The story unapologetically delves into the horrid camp conditions, the abhorrent treatment of the political and homosexual prisoners, and the merciless torture and killings of the Argentinian prisoners. And although I thought the book portrayed these atrocities in a sensitive manner, there are some graphic scenes which may not appeal to all readers.

Overall, I was engrossed in the audiobook and was able to connect closely with the characters - more so with the one’s in the WW2 plot. It was an emotional read that brought up a continuum of feelings ranging from rage to heartbreak. It was also a story that helped me better understand the individual trauma these people endured long after liberation. If I could change one thing, it would’ve been the Dirty War storyline as it felt disconnected from the gist of the book and wasn’t executed as well as the other parts. I understood what the author was trying to achieve but it fell short for me and left me longing for more tie in at the end. However, I definitely recommend to other readers looking for a well detailed WW2 fiction.

[Debbie W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-researched historical fiction story about Nazi concentration camps focusing on female prisoners who worked in the camp brothels that were set up to encourage production among the labourers, with a tie-in to protesters against the harsh regime of Argentina's president, Jorge Rafael Videla (1976-1981). Marijke and her husband were captured as political prisoners and sent to Buchenwald where she made the choice to work in the camp's brothel. This in itself makes for a good story, and although I understand her choice to do so as a matter of survival, I lacked sympathy for her character as she seemed to have more affectionate feelings for a Nazi officer than for her husband. For example, references to "make love" with this officer and willingly calling him "darling" was hard to digest. On the other hand, Luciano's confinement in Buenos Aires and subsequent torture, although graphic, gave me a strong affinity to his plight.
At times, the plot confused me. I would have to reread sections because I felt like I missed something or I should have known something in advance.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars: I had the kindle version of this book as well as a physical book on my bookshelf, but when I saw that it was available on Overdrive from my library, I chose to listen to this one. I really liked the narration of this story. I enjoy when there are multiple narrators so that I can easily identify who is speaking. As well, the accents were well done. The voice of Marijke de Graaf was soft and wispy which seemed to fit this character well. All in all, the audiobook was exceptional.

This story, as they all are from this time in history, heartbreaking. In 1943, Marijke de Graaf and her husband Theo are arrested in Amsterdam as political prisoners and sent to different camps. Marijke ends up at Ravensbruck, but is given the terrible choice of remaining there and possibly dying, or moving to Buchenwald to work in the prisoner brothel. She chooses to live, but what will it cost her? She also believes that her husband is at Buchenwald and she might see him there. When SS Officer Karl Müller arrives at the camp he sees Marijke and feels something for her. He is hoping to live up to his father’s expectations of wartime glory and wants to make his time there liveable. This glance, changes both their lives. There is a second story going on that is interspersed into Marijke's story. It is the story of Luciano, who is a political prisoner in the 1970s in Argentina. It took me most of the book to figure out how these stories linked together, but it all made sense by the end of the book. The story alternates between the perspectives of Marijke, Karl, and Luciano Wagner. I will say that I did not enjoy Luciano's perspective as much and it confused me for most ot the book.

As always with any WWII story set at a concentration camp there are many events of abuse, rape, starvation, murder and torture. Ellen Keith describes these with a realistic and stark narrative. I feel the level of detail and description was appropriate for the subject matter, however, some people may find it difficult to read, be forewarned. The personal look into the actions of everyday people and their rationales during this time is interesting. It brings into play the dilemma of good men doing bad things because they have been ordered to do them. If they did not, they would be killed. Of course this in contrast to the heroic things done by many, risking their own lives, to save others. I finished this book a few days ago and am still thinking about this book and trying to decide what I would have done. That is something I hope I never have to find out. I definitely recommend this book and if you get the chance to listen to this one, I suggest you do. It is a sad, heartbreaking story which has the resilience of human nature at its core and the ending will blow you away.

[Melissa_Reads_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book oh how amazing it is. I could not put it down. Follows Three people Marijke, Karl and Luciano. Set during WWll. Although I was saddened and upset at what women had to endure during WWll. Marijke story is one of true survival, Karl’s has to be a favorite he was a complex character some times you want to hate him but you can’t help but love him. Luciano story is just one of true sadness. That ending oh that ending. All I can say is it is unexpected and unpredictable.

Totally recommend!!!! To everyone who is a Historical Fiction fan even to those that are not.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dutch Wife is a heartbreaking story about a young Dutch woman Marijke and her husband caught helping Jews during WWII. They are sent to a concentration camp and separated. She is given the soul-destroying choice of working hard labor or becoming a prostitute. At the same camp, SS officer Karl Muller arrives and when he meets Marijke their lives are forever altered.

A separate story line involves a young man named Luciano Wagner, a University student in Argentina. The connection between the two stories is confusing and although resolved at the end, the book would be better served without Luciano’s inclusion.

All in all, this is a well-written though incredibly depressing account of concentration camp life and the consequences of courageous Resistance activity. Asks the question: Would I be brave enough to risk all for doing the just thing. 4/5

Pub Date 04 Sep 2018. Available on Amazon.

Thanks to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and NetGalley for a review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#TheDutchWife #NetGalley

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the audio version of “The Dutch Wife”, by Ellen Keith, narrated by Abby Craden, Eric Martin and Charlie Thurston and produced by Harlequin Audio.

Audio: 5 stars I LOVED this narration. I enjoy when each main character in the novel is voiced by a different actor, allowing the novel to not just be read, but to be played out and experienced. Such was the case in this telling where the three narrators were given specific characters. Craden, Martin and Thurston were able to portray the characters complete with applicable accents (even when the narrator himself did not have such an accent) which helped to keep me engaged throughout the entire play through. I enjoyed this novel all the more for its excellent narration choice, and am a hands down instant fan of each and every one of these voice actors.

Story: 4 stars

During World War II, Marijke and her husband Theo are taken from their home in Denmark and put in concentration camps, separated from each other. No one will tell Marijke where her husband is, or even if he is alive. Marijke is then given a choice- be put to work in a labour camp, where death would be slow and almost guaranteed- or work in the camp brothel. When SS officer Karl Mueller comes across Marijke on the camp grounds, he becomes infatuated with her and soon she becomes his only desire. Due to his position, however, he must keep his feelings secret, seeing Marijke only under the guise of secrets and lies.

This novel is told from the standpoint of three characters- Marijke, Karl and Luciano (a young man in 1970s Argentina who has been captured as a political prisoner) . Immediately, Marijke’s character intrigued me. Whether it was because she was the only female character or because her struggles and challenges were so life-altering, I can’t say for sure but right off the bat, Marijke was a character I formed a bond with from page one. Given his role, of course, Karl was less likable at the beginning, but as we start to see shades of humanity in him, his harshness and cruelty fades away just a little. Although Luciano has a connection to the two characters (which is assumed but not completely clarified until the end of the novel) I did not have such a great interest in his story. I would’ve much preferred that the third story be of Theo’s experience, and have him as a main voice.

Ms. Keith definitely spins a spooky and sordid tale of World War II Germany, and the horrors experienced there, yet still manages to sprinkle some humanity and kindness within the pages.
A historical fiction like many others, yet in a class by itself, “The Dutch Wife” does not have the slow start that is common in most novels of the genre. There is no setting or character building at the beginning, but the novel is no worse off for it. Addicting and entertaining, while still being sad and tragic, “Wife” has everything readers of World War II fiction could possibly want, and then some.

[William Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote this over ten years ago when I first read this book. It goes like this:

This is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a while. It’s called The Dutch Wife and it’s by Eric McCormack.

Any brief summary of the novel would be misleading. It involves a woman who marries once yet has two husbands (sort of) both of whom are named Rowland Vanderlinden. But let’s just say that’s not so much what the story is about as it is a jumping off place.

I suppose there are two key reasons why I liked this novel so much (beyond simply being a good story). McCormack does two things that I almost always love when they’re done well and both relate to style.

First, there is the tone. It is a very conversational narrative, particularly as the book opens with it’s first person narrator, but also in the way the various sections begin. It’s almost a written version of oral story-telling.

I think this is partly due to McCormack being what Alberto Manguel calls a “fabulist,” meaning someone who writes fables or legends. Don’t be misled by this, however. The story is very contemporary.

The second thing McCormack does, which relates to style and is again also related to the fabulist tradition, is to tell tales within tales within tales. There is an Arabian Nights quality to it. One narrator tells a story about another narrator who is telling the story of another narrator — kinda like that.

So in The Dutch Wife the initial narrator tells us the story of a man he meets who in turn tells him a story of his adventures which includes meeting others who tell him stories.

The art in all this lies in making compelling and engaging characters of all the narrators, making their stories interesting, and bringing all these stories, which initially seem disparate, together so they dovetail in the end and we see how it all relates.

Anyway … I love this sort of thing, and I loved The Dutch Wife.

McCormack also manages to write with a prose style that finds a nice balance. It is neither too erudite nor too simplistic; rather, it finesses a fine line between the two.

The novel is a great story. But it’s also a fun story. There is considerable humour in it but also a joy in narrative. As a reader and writer, this is an aspect of literature that always wins me over.

[Jenny Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping, dark, emotional tale of choices made in a Nazi labor camp and the repercussions of those choices decades later in Argentina's Dirty War. I couldn't put it down!

Check out my Q&A with author Ellen Keith for the Historical Novel Society!

[Eden Gajewski (Church) | The Required Reading List · Rating 4 out of 5]

*update June 18, 2018– I’ve heard talk that this book is being marketed in the US as a romance. (I’m Canadian and so is the author) This book is not a romance; it’s historical fiction. There is no hero here, nor is there anything romantic. This is a story about one of the most horrific events in history* An intense meditation on the nature of hatred, prejudice and oppression, Ellen Keith's The Dutch Wife is as beautiful as it is heavy. Told in alternating viewpoints of a woman trapped in Buchenwald over the last several years of WWII and a young man captured as a political prisoner during the reign of the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance in 1970s Argentina, Keith's complex novel serves as an important reminder that the prejudice and terrors of the Holocaust are not quite as far in the rear view mirror as we might think. It reminds us that dangerous things happen when governments aim to restrict free speech, and get to decide who does and does not deserve the status of personhood under the law. Keith's writing is beautiful and effecting; it gave me chills. The Dutch Wife is the perfect book for fans of historical fiction with plenty of weight to it-- it is not an "easy" read, considering its content. But it is a rewarding read.

[Jenine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book with this aspect of history that I had not explored as part of the Holocaust, but I wasn't able to. Combining the two separate storylines about a concentration camp in Germany and 1980s Argentinian repression, I couldn't mesh the two. They were two stories brought together to make the book work and it didn't.

[Tita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosto muito de ler sobre a 2ª Guerra Mundial e este livro surpreendeu-me muito pela positiva. Narrado em dois tempos distintos e por personagens diferentes mas que têm em comum os horrores da guerra.
Acompanhamos Marijke, em Amesterdão a 1943, onde juntamente com o marido, são detidos e levados para campos de concentração diferentes. Aí, Marijke é forçada a uma escolha para sobreviver e torna-se prostituta num bordel de um campo de concentração. Sim, leram bem, os nazis chegaram a criar bordeis dentro dos campos, como recompensa para alguns prisioneiros.
Foi uma verdadeira surpresa para mim, pois desconhecia tal facto.
Para além de Marijke, temos também a história narrada por Karl, um oficial nazi do campo onde Marijke "trabalha".
Paralelamente, saltamos para a Argentina em 1977 onde acompanhamos a detecção de Luciano Wagner e toda a tortura a que é sujeito. Desconhecia a Guerra Suja e fiquei muito sensibilizada com o relato.
Foi uma leitura muito intensa e algo angustiante, onde sofri com a Marijke e o Luciano. Mas também muito informativa pois deu-me a conhecer mais uma faceta da 2ª Guerra, como também a Guerra Suja da Argentina.
Adorei!

Vejam a minha opinião mais detalhada em vídeo, AQUI.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This 2018 debut by Canadian author, Ellen Keith is a historical fiction with a dual timeline. The first begins in Netherlands with Dutch political activists, Marjike and her husband, Theo, being arrested and sent to concentration camps. Marjike is sent first to Ravensbruck, but volunteers to go to Buchenwald as a whore in a prisoner's brothel in order to find her husband, Theo. Once there, Marjike soon captures the attention of SS officer Karl Mueller, who quickly becomes fixated on having the Dutchwoman for his very own.

In the 1970's plot, Keith transports us forward to Argentina, during the country's Dirty War. Luciano is a gay student who is arrested, thrown into prison and tortured repeatedly. Along the way he befriends another prisoner and never loses hope that he will one day be free.

The latter storyline belongs to a a part of history I had very little prior knowledge and at the conclusion of this story I couldn't help but wonder if "the disappeared ones" might have deserved their own novel. But I also acknowledge and accept that Ellen Keith does eventually help readers understand how the two timelines weave together.

Keith does well to show the many faces and sides to an ordinary German man(in this instance, Karl) who was aware and participated in the atrocities at Buchenwald. Marjike and Luciano are characters who walk on the tightrope between wanting to survive and the fear of what happens if their will to survive is viewed as actual collaboration.


My final thoughts on this one are that it is well researched, touches upon aspects not looked at in the vast majority of other WWII novels that I have read, but I felt the ending a little rushed especially in terms of Marjike.


Goodreads review published 29/12/19

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dutch Wife is an immersive, reflective, graphic novel by Keith that gives you a little insight into the atrocities of WWII, as well as those inflicted during Argentina’s Dirty War that took place in the 1970s.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life)]

DNF @ 19%
2018; Patrick Crean Edition/Harper Collins

I am sucker for covers like this, and I may have not read the entire synopsis before requesting this book. I started to read the book, and made it through several pages in and put it down. Two weeks later, I remembered I had started this book and picked it back up. Ugh, I forgot what happened so started again. I could not get much further again so I gave up on reading, but then decided to try the audiobook. My audiobook came in before Christmas and I wanted something quicker so put it off till I had 5 days left on my loan. I made it through 19% and I'm calling it. This year my goal is not to force myself to read books I am not enjoying. This book has mixed reviews so take a look at what others have said before making your decision!

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I put it down after page 24/362, because I'm trying not to waste my time. The writing is clunky and the author relies heavily on telling, rather than showing.

[Rachael Lundy-Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a book club, which prefers historical fiction, as I do. I liked this, to state it in the most simple terms - buuuuuut - I need a break from WWII books. I just can't even for a while.

However, I enjoyed the brothel perspective, and I wasn't expecting to have another timeline of what was going on in Argentina - which I didn't entirely understand. How was that relevant? I think this was more of a 3.5 stars for me, in reality.

This is the worst review ever, but it doesn't deserve any more time for me to think of this more eloquently.

Bye! :)

[Kelsey Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My store received an advanced copy of this book and I was mesmerized from the very beginning. The parallel stories are each heartbreaking and the endings were both real and unexpected. Beautiful writing, definitely worth the read.

[Vit Babenco · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning there is an epigraph that may serve as a pilot in the navigation through the troubled waters of this book.
“Look at the world, with its thousands upon thousands of years of wars, plagues, famines, murders, public and private brutalities, injustices, parricides, genocides. One would have to be a supreme cynic not to believe there must be some great pattern, some great plan behind it all.” Pablo Renowski
There are some journeys that go not just through distances but also trough ages, spiritual experiences and treasuries of knowledge. The Dutch Wife is one of such journeys.
“And it’s quite understandable when you consider that survival was very precarious in those days. To drink the water was to invite E. coli; to eat a meal was to risk botulism; to breathe the air in a town like London was to expose yourself to innumerable contagions; to lie down in your own flea-ridden bed was to flirt with bubonic plague. In fact, when you think of it, to wake up alive in the morning in that era was a miracle. Yes, if ever there was a time when people needed to believe in God, or in Something that would give their lives meaning, you would have thought that was just such a time… But in spite of all those incentives to belief, there were some people who just couldn’t convince themselves. They thought the world was so awful that no god worthy of their respect could have made it.”
Sometimes embarking on a quest we find more than we were looking for…

[Heather Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the dual storylines with Argentina and Germany were unnecessary and really did nothing but increased the length of the book. Luciano's story should have been written on it's own and fleshed his character out more. I kept waiting for there to be a huge reveal, such as the papers he was microfilming revealed the names of all the former Nazi men hiding in South America - but that never happened. Had the Argentinian story been removed it would have not changed the book's outcome at all. - in my opinion.