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The Airman's Girl
Poland, 1939 : When a German pilot crashes over my parents’ farmland, I am terrified. Who is this man? And should I help him, or have him arrested? In that moment, I know that this young man, and this decision, will change my life forever…
He tells me his name is Max , and that he didn’t crash his plane, but parachuted over Poland to defect from the Nazis. As I begin to secretly nurse his injuries, he slowly tells me his story. And as I look into his eyes, I realise I am falling in love with this man – with his bravery, and his determination to do what is right, no matter the cost.
But when the Nazis arrive, the small world we have built together is shattered in an instant. And when the Germans arrest me and my twin siblings, dragging us to a camp in the dead of night, I know that our only chance of survival, our only hope, is to be rescued.
As I sit in my cell, I think of what Max told me. He held my hand and promised me that if we were arrested, he would go undercover as a German soldier and save us. But will the guards believe his story? And, even if they do, will he make it to us before it is too late?
Based on a true story, this heartbreaking and emotional wartime novel follows one couple’s love story, and their courage in the face of unimaginable odds. An incredibly gripping and moving story, perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz , The Nightingale and The Alice Network .
He tells me his name is Max , and that he didn’t crash his plane, but parachuted over Poland to defect from the Nazis. As I begin to secretly nurse his injuries, he slowly tells me his story. And as I look into his eyes, I realise I am falling in love with this man – with his bravery, and his determination to do what is right, no matter the cost.
But when the Nazis arrive, the small world we have built together is shattered in an instant. And when the Germans arrest me and my twin siblings, dragging us to a camp in the dead of night, I know that our only chance of survival, our only hope, is to be rescued.
As I sit in my cell, I think of what Max told me. He held my hand and promised me that if we were arrested, he would go undercover as a German soldier and save us. But will the guards believe his story? And, even if they do, will he make it to us before it is too late?
Based on a true story, this heartbreaking and emotional wartime novel follows one couple’s love story, and their courage in the face of unimaginable odds. An incredibly gripping and moving story, perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz , The Nightingale and The Alice Network .
- GenresHistorical Fiction
308 pages, ebook
Published May 2, 2023
443 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Carly Schabowski
15 books188 followersCarly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University.
Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter is Carly’s debut novel and will be published by Bookouture in July 2020, with her second novel, The Watchmaker of Dachau coming out later that year. These texts are both true, epic, moving historical novels centred around survival, human suffering, and the finding of love within the backdrop of the desperate and uncertain times of 1940s Europe
Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter is Carly’s debut novel and will be published by Bookouture in July 2020, with her second novel, The Watchmaker of Dachau coming out later that year. These texts are both true, epic, moving historical novels centred around survival, human suffering, and the finding of love within the backdrop of the desperate and uncertain times of 1940s Europe
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 21, 2023
Carly Schabowski’s character-driven historical fiction continues to amaze me! It’s her characterization and character development that pulls me in.
You know when you see/taste something and instantly know that it’s superior quality? When Schabowski’s memorable characters appear on the page, readers are instantly drawn to them. I love this author’s believable dialogue and how her flawed characters interact with the setting and drive the plot forward with their actions. Each character introduced comes alive on the page and interacts with the main character’s world in some manner. You won’t find walk-on characters and you won’t find superfluous dialogue. In fact, this time the setting with all its sadness and trauma is almost secondary to her superb characters.
Schabowski’s story alternates between Helena and Max and gives readers a peek into what it was like in Poland weeks before the Germans invaded. I loved an educated, strong female main character who was encouraged by an intrepid male who is willing to risk it all.
As I turned the last page, I felt like I knew a little more of what it was like to be Polish in 1939, what it was like to experience finding a downed airman, and what it was like to rely on someone else for freedom. I learned about Poznań - Hitler’s first death camp in Polish territory and those who risked their lives to give others an opportunity at freedom.
This book marks my fifth by this author, all five-star reads.
This is one historical fiction lovers will want to add to their reading list.
I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
You know when you see/taste something and instantly know that it’s superior quality? When Schabowski’s memorable characters appear on the page, readers are instantly drawn to them. I love this author’s believable dialogue and how her flawed characters interact with the setting and drive the plot forward with their actions. Each character introduced comes alive on the page and interacts with the main character’s world in some manner. You won’t find walk-on characters and you won’t find superfluous dialogue. In fact, this time the setting with all its sadness and trauma is almost secondary to her superb characters.
Schabowski’s story alternates between Helena and Max and gives readers a peek into what it was like in Poland weeks before the Germans invaded. I loved an educated, strong female main character who was encouraged by an intrepid male who is willing to risk it all.
As I turned the last page, I felt like I knew a little more of what it was like to be Polish in 1939, what it was like to experience finding a downed airman, and what it was like to rely on someone else for freedom. I learned about Poznań - Hitler’s first death camp in Polish territory and those who risked their lives to give others an opportunity at freedom.
This book marks my fifth by this author, all five-star reads.
This is one historical fiction lovers will want to add to their reading list.
I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
April 21, 2023
The setting is Poland in 1939. The Nazis have not invaded as of yet.
Main character, Helena, is a young Polish lady who wants to be a doctor. When a German pilot, Max, has his plane crash over Helena’s family farm, she has to decide what she needs to do. She decides she needs to do everything to save his life. As they talk, she finds out that Max had parachuted over to Poland to defect from the Nazis.
The Airman’s Girl is based on a true story.
A truly heartbreaking and heartwarming story all rolled together.
Defying unimaginable adversities Helena and Max stay true to each other.
Recommended reading for historical fiction readers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Main character, Helena, is a young Polish lady who wants to be a doctor. When a German pilot, Max, has his plane crash over Helena’s family farm, she has to decide what she needs to do. She decides she needs to do everything to save his life. As they talk, she finds out that Max had parachuted over to Poland to defect from the Nazis.
The Airman’s Girl is based on a true story.
A truly heartbreaking and heartwarming story all rolled together.
Defying unimaginable adversities Helena and Max stay true to each other.
Recommended reading for historical fiction readers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 2, 2023
Another beautifully written, emotional tale from Carly Schabowski. I love her writing and always feel such empathy for the characters we’re introduced to.
The characters in The Airman’s Girl are so well developed and engaging, you can’t help but become wrapped up in their story of love and loss. The fact that Max’s story is based on a true story is even more remarkable. Taking a slightly different view of war and its impact, I really enjoyed seeing how Helena and Max navigated through the horrors of war. Heartbreaking yet with hope, this is another beautiful read.
The characters in The Airman’s Girl are so well developed and engaging, you can’t help but become wrapped up in their story of love and loss. The fact that Max’s story is based on a true story is even more remarkable. Taking a slightly different view of war and its impact, I really enjoyed seeing how Helena and Max navigated through the horrors of war. Heartbreaking yet with hope, this is another beautiful read.
November 24, 2023
Wow, just wow. What a suspenseful book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Graphic at times, but it was so realistic. I visited Poznan and Warsaw this past summer and saw some of the places where these terrible events happened, chilling to say the least. A very satisfied reader!
May 7, 2023
The Airman’s Girl, the new book from Carly Schabowksi, was a read that I found to be a slow burner but once I reached the midway point there was a clever little plot twist which really made me sit up and become much more engaged with the story unfolding. The story moves back and forth between 1995 as Helena is recounting her life story and Poland in 1939. She feels time is pushing down on her and that she needs to tell the big things that she remembers before they disappear. She attempts to scramble about and find the missing pieces and to try and fit them together. When she does an incredible true story emerges that at some points just left me horrified and in some ways unbelievably numb as to what I was reading. It’s only the further I got through the book the more I appreciated the details of the story and the magnitude of what the characters experience. I really began to feel that Carly Schabowksi has written an incredible story of a little known aspect of the war and in doing so has perfectly captured the pain, loss, grief and unfortunately brutality that so many people went through.
Helena takes us back to Poznan in Poland in 1939 where she lives with her parents and young siblings twins, Agata and Michal aged 10. She is a doctor who works in a mental hospital where her father is a psychiatrist. War is on the horizon and their German neighbours will soon be marching onto their land and taking control. The world is changing and growing uglier by the day. The Poles are viewed by the Germans as animals who stole the land that they believe rightly belongs to them. All Jews are considered undesirable along with people with a disability or people of a different sexual inclination.
Lies and propaganda abound as German citizens are told of Polish atrocities against them which simply aren’t true. The power of Hitler is increasing not waning and the Polish feel it will be worse than anything they could have ever imagined. A worrying voice inside Helena’s head niggles away at her that with so endless threats on the horizon and already so many sanctions and laws imposed upon Jews that perhaps the family should flee whilst they have an opportunity to do so but her father is insistent on staying and to keep helping their patients.
Helena and the twins are sent to the countryside to their Aunt Joasia. There they will hopefully be safe from the onslaught that is about to occur but is anyone really safe? They didn’t have an idea of to the extent of the destruction, pain and suffering that was about to come to their front doors. The twins appear clueless as to what is going on and what could potentially come and as a reader you are glad this is the case. But Helena is very wary and fear and tension exist in her mind daily. I sensed there was a vulnerability surrounding Helena that she could do her job working alongside her father and had great care, compassion and understanding for her patients but perhaps when push came to shove and the worst might befall them that she would struggle to cope which of course is natural. As the twins play in Joasia’s garden they build a fort but one morning they discover someone inside. An injured man lies there - Max.
Max was a navigator in the German air force and as chapters are introduced told from his viewpoint we learn more about his background. His is an emotional and complex story and as with the characters you do wrestle with the fact that originally he was Polish but moved to Germany. His heart has always been with Poland and now that his father has died his disillusionment with what is happening in Germany has grown. He abandons his plane and parachutes into Poland in the hopes that he can change to the Polish side and do something for the cause. Max, similar to Helena, battles with his emotions and what he believes is right and wrong. He is fortunate to be found by such a kind and compassionate family who tend to his injuries and listen to what he has to say and accept him at face value. As Max recovers from his injuries there is something that blossoms between himself and Helena. There is something about him that makes her want to talk to him and get to know him but at the same time she often goes inside her own head preferring to not acknowledge the fear of what is going on outside. I felt the relationship that was established between the pair occurred very quickly and was too rushed but I suppose this did need to happen in order to move the story on to the main events that occur.
As the Germans arrive, Helena and her family’s lives are altered and shattered. Max changes his surname in the hopes that he can get work as a translator with the Gestapo and in turn pass on helpful information to the Resistance. Antoni, a family friend who works for the foreign office in intelligence, can see the endless possibilities that are ahead with Max on their side and this will prove to be very true when the worst fate befalls Helena and the twins. The second half of the book took on a very dark and quite frankly disturbing tone but yet this needed to happen as what the trio go through is appalling, heart-breaking and at times very difficult to read. A little know aspect of the war is highlighted by the author and to know that this occurred in the first few months of the war and there was so much more torture and brutality to occur in so many places just blew my mind.
Helena’s father and the male patients are the first to be taken from the hospital. Their whereabouts are unknown and the anxiety in Helena only increases as she understands that she now has sole responsibility for the twins. Soon the female patients along with Helena and the twins are taken and what follows really hits the reader hard. I will not go into details but suffice to say no detail was spared which I did appreciate as it really helped me to visualise everything that was going on, what the twins and Helena and so many others were experiencing. Not to mention the fascination that occurred when the Germans discovered Michal and Agata are twins.
The scenes that follow are difficult to comprehend and absorb and the scars will last forever. But Helena must be resolute in the belief that they can survive what is being thrown at them. That people on the outside who love and protect them will try and rescue them and help them see the light of day again. Max had made a promise to her that if anything ever happened to her that he would do his utmost best to save her and by god he stood by this promise and did his damndest to right a wrong as trauma, despair and anger grow as to what has happened. It was very interesting to read of how Helena dealt with the situation she had been handed. You could see a disassociation occurring that she was floundering and despite wanting to protect the twins that she was sinking deeper and deeper into a stance she couldn’t get out of. The last quarter or so of the story was very intense and nail biting stuff and it’s an utter nightmare for all the characters and you question whether anything good can possibly come from the unfolding situation. The Airman’s Girl is another excellent read from Carly Schabowski and I know fans of historical fiction will enjoy it just as much as I did.
Helena takes us back to Poznan in Poland in 1939 where she lives with her parents and young siblings twins, Agata and Michal aged 10. She is a doctor who works in a mental hospital where her father is a psychiatrist. War is on the horizon and their German neighbours will soon be marching onto their land and taking control. The world is changing and growing uglier by the day. The Poles are viewed by the Germans as animals who stole the land that they believe rightly belongs to them. All Jews are considered undesirable along with people with a disability or people of a different sexual inclination.
Lies and propaganda abound as German citizens are told of Polish atrocities against them which simply aren’t true. The power of Hitler is increasing not waning and the Polish feel it will be worse than anything they could have ever imagined. A worrying voice inside Helena’s head niggles away at her that with so endless threats on the horizon and already so many sanctions and laws imposed upon Jews that perhaps the family should flee whilst they have an opportunity to do so but her father is insistent on staying and to keep helping their patients.
Helena and the twins are sent to the countryside to their Aunt Joasia. There they will hopefully be safe from the onslaught that is about to occur but is anyone really safe? They didn’t have an idea of to the extent of the destruction, pain and suffering that was about to come to their front doors. The twins appear clueless as to what is going on and what could potentially come and as a reader you are glad this is the case. But Helena is very wary and fear and tension exist in her mind daily. I sensed there was a vulnerability surrounding Helena that she could do her job working alongside her father and had great care, compassion and understanding for her patients but perhaps when push came to shove and the worst might befall them that she would struggle to cope which of course is natural. As the twins play in Joasia’s garden they build a fort but one morning they discover someone inside. An injured man lies there - Max.
Max was a navigator in the German air force and as chapters are introduced told from his viewpoint we learn more about his background. His is an emotional and complex story and as with the characters you do wrestle with the fact that originally he was Polish but moved to Germany. His heart has always been with Poland and now that his father has died his disillusionment with what is happening in Germany has grown. He abandons his plane and parachutes into Poland in the hopes that he can change to the Polish side and do something for the cause. Max, similar to Helena, battles with his emotions and what he believes is right and wrong. He is fortunate to be found by such a kind and compassionate family who tend to his injuries and listen to what he has to say and accept him at face value. As Max recovers from his injuries there is something that blossoms between himself and Helena. There is something about him that makes her want to talk to him and get to know him but at the same time she often goes inside her own head preferring to not acknowledge the fear of what is going on outside. I felt the relationship that was established between the pair occurred very quickly and was too rushed but I suppose this did need to happen in order to move the story on to the main events that occur.
As the Germans arrive, Helena and her family’s lives are altered and shattered. Max changes his surname in the hopes that he can get work as a translator with the Gestapo and in turn pass on helpful information to the Resistance. Antoni, a family friend who works for the foreign office in intelligence, can see the endless possibilities that are ahead with Max on their side and this will prove to be very true when the worst fate befalls Helena and the twins. The second half of the book took on a very dark and quite frankly disturbing tone but yet this needed to happen as what the trio go through is appalling, heart-breaking and at times very difficult to read. A little know aspect of the war is highlighted by the author and to know that this occurred in the first few months of the war and there was so much more torture and brutality to occur in so many places just blew my mind.
Helena’s father and the male patients are the first to be taken from the hospital. Their whereabouts are unknown and the anxiety in Helena only increases as she understands that she now has sole responsibility for the twins. Soon the female patients along with Helena and the twins are taken and what follows really hits the reader hard. I will not go into details but suffice to say no detail was spared which I did appreciate as it really helped me to visualise everything that was going on, what the twins and Helena and so many others were experiencing. Not to mention the fascination that occurred when the Germans discovered Michal and Agata are twins.
The scenes that follow are difficult to comprehend and absorb and the scars will last forever. But Helena must be resolute in the belief that they can survive what is being thrown at them. That people on the outside who love and protect them will try and rescue them and help them see the light of day again. Max had made a promise to her that if anything ever happened to her that he would do his utmost best to save her and by god he stood by this promise and did his damndest to right a wrong as trauma, despair and anger grow as to what has happened. It was very interesting to read of how Helena dealt with the situation she had been handed. You could see a disassociation occurring that she was floundering and despite wanting to protect the twins that she was sinking deeper and deeper into a stance she couldn’t get out of. The last quarter or so of the story was very intense and nail biting stuff and it’s an utter nightmare for all the characters and you question whether anything good can possibly come from the unfolding situation. The Airman’s Girl is another excellent read from Carly Schabowski and I know fans of historical fiction will enjoy it just as much as I did.
May 4, 2023
Poland 1939: Helena, a young Polish woman has aspirations of being a doctor of psychiatry. She wants to work at her father’s mental health facility. Helena meets Max when he ejects from his airplane just before it crashes. The plane crashes over Helena’s parents' farmland, and Max survives the crash but is injured. Helena nurses Max and tends to his injuries. As the relationship between them develops, Max tells Helena that he didn’t crash his plane, but actually parachuted out of his plane because he was defecting into Poland to be free from the Nazis. They begin to fall in love with each other during such an uncertain time in life. But when the Nazis arrive in the small Polish town Helena and Max’s world comes crashing down around them. Helena and her younger twin siblings are arrested by the Germans and thrown into prison. Max is Helena’s only hope for survival, but will his plan to rescue them work or is this their fate?
The Airman's Girl by Carly Schabowski was an amazing story of love, family, friendship, danger, courage and survival. This book was based on a true story. I learned so much about World War II, that I didn’t know. The author did an amazing job of teaching the reader about things that happened during the war that weren’t talked about very much. I felt compassion for and an emotional connection to Helena and Max. They were wonderful people, and I enjoyed learning and following their story. This story captured me from the very beginning and broke my heart all the way to the end. I highly recommend this fabulous book.
The Airman's Girl by Carly Schabowski was an amazing story of love, family, friendship, danger, courage and survival. This book was based on a true story. I learned so much about World War II, that I didn’t know. The author did an amazing job of teaching the reader about things that happened during the war that weren’t talked about very much. I felt compassion for and an emotional connection to Helena and Max. They were wonderful people, and I enjoyed learning and following their story. This story captured me from the very beginning and broke my heart all the way to the end. I highly recommend this fabulous book.
April 29, 2025
1939, Max is Polish by birth but grew up in Germany. With war looming, he decides to head home and parachutes into Poland. He injures himself and is found by Helena's family who nurse him back to health. 1995, Helena reflects on life and love...
The Airman's Girl is an historical novel set in 1939 and 1995.
Helena is a young Polish woman who is becoming increasingly fearful about the looming Nazi invasion. The Nazis view the Poles as almost as ethnically dangerous as the Jews, plus her family work with the mentally ill which the Nazis abhor. She and her siblings have the opportunity to escape to England but they stay, with dire consequences as the Nazis round up Polish people into concentration camps.
Max has been brought up in Germany by his father who opposed the Nazi regime. Now his father is dead, there is nothing to tie him to Germany any more. He is so desperate to return to Poland that he jumps out of a plane and parachutes to the ground, injuring himself in the fall. Both main characters are brave and determined, and very easy to like which creates a feeling of dread at what may happen to them.
The book is written from various first person perspectives including Helena and Max, as well as the diaries of Helena's father. This allows us to see the story from different sides and gives us a more intimate knowledge of their thoughts and feelings. The author has researched the experience of the Poles during the war and this provides additional detail which brings the plot, locations and era to life.
The Airman's Girl is an enjoyable and emotional historical novel.
The Airman's Girl is an historical novel set in 1939 and 1995.
Helena is a young Polish woman who is becoming increasingly fearful about the looming Nazi invasion. The Nazis view the Poles as almost as ethnically dangerous as the Jews, plus her family work with the mentally ill which the Nazis abhor. She and her siblings have the opportunity to escape to England but they stay, with dire consequences as the Nazis round up Polish people into concentration camps.
Max has been brought up in Germany by his father who opposed the Nazi regime. Now his father is dead, there is nothing to tie him to Germany any more. He is so desperate to return to Poland that he jumps out of a plane and parachutes to the ground, injuring himself in the fall. Both main characters are brave and determined, and very easy to like which creates a feeling of dread at what may happen to them.
The book is written from various first person perspectives including Helena and Max, as well as the diaries of Helena's father. This allows us to see the story from different sides and gives us a more intimate knowledge of their thoughts and feelings. The author has researched the experience of the Poles during the war and this provides additional detail which brings the plot, locations and era to life.
The Airman's Girl is an enjoyable and emotional historical novel.
April 7, 2023
Although I've been looking forward to reading this book, I almost bailed after only a couple of chapters. Set in 1939 Poland, only days before the Nazi invasion wasn't the problem for me. The main character, Helena, helps her father care for patients at a mental hospital and she has younger siblings who are twins. Knowing the Nazi treatment for mental patients as well as their experiments with twins, made me hesitant to continue. Thankfully, I pressed on.
Although the story takes place in a short period of time and documents some of the very worst atrocities, it is the characters that were the stars for me. I was drawn to each of them and felt very attached to them. Helena's psychological response to the trauma she experienced was so well-written without demeaning the experience or exploiting it. I had never read anything about Fort VII in Poznan prior to this book which is shocking, considering what happened there. Knowing that the character of Max was based on a real person made this book even better.
This was a different kind of WWII novel where the characters seemed more important than the historical events they witnessed. They weren't presented as larger-than-life heroes but as very real human beings. I loved it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the ARC.
Although the story takes place in a short period of time and documents some of the very worst atrocities, it is the characters that were the stars for me. I was drawn to each of them and felt very attached to them. Helena's psychological response to the trauma she experienced was so well-written without demeaning the experience or exploiting it. I had never read anything about Fort VII in Poznan prior to this book which is shocking, considering what happened there. Knowing that the character of Max was based on a real person made this book even better.
This was a different kind of WWII novel where the characters seemed more important than the historical events they witnessed. They weren't presented as larger-than-life heroes but as very real human beings. I loved it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the ARC.
May 10, 2023
. Poland 1938. The Nazis have yet t invade Poland but they will, soon. Helena is a doctor, as is her father with whom she works. She lived with her 10 year old twin brother Michal and sister Agat. All are happy. Then a strange thing happens, Max is half Polish half German and is a navigator on a German plane, flying over Poland. He is overwhelmed with nostalgia and parachutes to the ground and is injured. He is saved and sheltered by Michal and Agata until Helena finds him. What to do? Is he a nazi as his uniform suggests, or a Pole as he says he is? The family finally decide to believe him. Then the Nazis invade and take over the hospital and Helena’s father is taken and presumably shot. She is taken to Fort VII an ancient underground structure now used by the nazis to gas civilians. Wagner, an ambitious drunken Hauptleutnant takes a fancy to Helena and the twins, and instead of gassing them he keeps them in a working cell. Terrible things happen – but Max turns up as a translator for Wagner, and is dumbfounded to meet Helena and the twins. No spoilers as to what then happens. The writing is bit clunky at times, but Carly conveys the horror of the Nazi occupation very well, and the states of mind that Helena and others go through.
April 17, 2023
It’s not often you pick up a book that intrigues you from page one, but this book definitely did just that. This book has it all: intensity, adventure, danger, sadness, happiness, moments of fear, moments of romance, trauma and grief, with a little dash of fate.
Each chapter is told by either Helena or Max. Helena is a young Polish woman who is working towards becoming a doctor of psychiatry at her fathers mental health facility. Max is a German pilot that chooses to defect from the military and parachutes out of his plane into Poland weeks before the invasion of Poland takes place. Max lands, badly injured, in Helena‘s aunts garden and before she knows it, she finds herself falling for this dreamy pilot that fell from the sky.
But when the Nazi’s invade Poland, and have their eyes set on Helena’s fathers psychiatric facility, everyone’s world is quickly turned upside down and becomes a nightmare. A nightmare that Max, and others, vow to stop.
Incredible read from start to finish and I highly recommend this book. Very well-written and the story line is very intriguing.
Each chapter is told by either Helena or Max. Helena is a young Polish woman who is working towards becoming a doctor of psychiatry at her fathers mental health facility. Max is a German pilot that chooses to defect from the military and parachutes out of his plane into Poland weeks before the invasion of Poland takes place. Max lands, badly injured, in Helena‘s aunts garden and before she knows it, she finds herself falling for this dreamy pilot that fell from the sky.
But when the Nazi’s invade Poland, and have their eyes set on Helena’s fathers psychiatric facility, everyone’s world is quickly turned upside down and becomes a nightmare. A nightmare that Max, and others, vow to stop.
Incredible read from start to finish and I highly recommend this book. Very well-written and the story line is very intriguing.
May 2, 2023
Another beautiful and captivating novel set in WWII. A polish woman and a German pilot form an unlikely bond. Max was born in Poland, but raised in Germany. He wants to go back to Poland, as he does not believe in what the Nazi’s are doing. Taking an usual step to he bails out of a plane landing in Poland. He lands on Helena’s parent’s farm. She feels compelled to help him, but can she trust him?
🪂
Nursing him back to health feelings begin form. Max tells Helena he wanted to defect and it was intentional that he bailed out. They are in their own little world as they explore their feelings. Sadly, the Nazis arrive, and she along with her siblings are taken to a camp. Can Max save her?
I enjoyed the alternating between both Helena and Max. I have been reading a lot of novels set in Poland during the war and this one ranks at the top.
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Thank you Bookouture, Carly Schabowski and Netgalley for an advanced copy. This novel publishes May 2, 2023.
🪂
Nursing him back to health feelings begin form. Max tells Helena he wanted to defect and it was intentional that he bailed out. They are in their own little world as they explore their feelings. Sadly, the Nazis arrive, and she along with her siblings are taken to a camp. Can Max save her?
I enjoyed the alternating between both Helena and Max. I have been reading a lot of novels set in Poland during the war and this one ranks at the top.
🪂
Thank you Bookouture, Carly Schabowski and Netgalley for an advanced copy. This novel publishes May 2, 2023.
June 9, 2023
Wow! What an emotional story!
The Secret She Kept didn't sound from the synopsis as a story I would necessarily like - but was I wrong! This is a story that takes you right into the heart of what it was like to be in Poland in the early days of World War II. We follow Helena and her twin younger siblings through all the horrors of war, the fears, the losses, the hate, the removal of those deemed unfit, and the coping with it all. The depictions of what happened are not easy to read, some situations are quite graphic. War is ugly. We also meet Max, a Polish-German, who fled from the German air force to return to Poland and the key role he played in Helena's life. This is a book that is hard to put down, captivating, thrilling with a look at a time in history we should never forget. This is an important story to read and I highly recommend it to readers.
The Secret She Kept didn't sound from the synopsis as a story I would necessarily like - but was I wrong! This is a story that takes you right into the heart of what it was like to be in Poland in the early days of World War II. We follow Helena and her twin younger siblings through all the horrors of war, the fears, the losses, the hate, the removal of those deemed unfit, and the coping with it all. The depictions of what happened are not easy to read, some situations are quite graphic. War is ugly. We also meet Max, a Polish-German, who fled from the German air force to return to Poland and the key role he played in Helena's life. This is a book that is hard to put down, captivating, thrilling with a look at a time in history we should never forget. This is an important story to read and I highly recommend it to readers.
April 26, 2023
This book opened up my eyes to two aspects of WWII I hadn’t encountered before. First, a Polish girl falls in love with a German as the world imploded in September 1939. Secondly, Fort VII. I had never heard of the atrocities there, done as early as Oct. 1939, portending what would come.
I like when I learn from historical fiction because it exposes me to even more truth from history that hasn’t been explored or has been ignored.
A lot of the story is sad, but the hope is right under the surface.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early read.
I like when I learn from historical fiction because it exposes me to even more truth from history that hasn’t been explored or has been ignored.
A lot of the story is sad, but the hope is right under the surface.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early read.
April 27, 2023
Wow just wow
The Airman’s Girl was a beautifully written, paging turning, incredible and intriguing historical WW2 novel of love, loss and survival. Highly recommended read that had me learning more about Poland at the beginning of the war. It will have you captivated with its danger, grief, romance and so much more as the storyline sweeps you into its unputdownable pages.
I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Airman’s Girl was a beautifully written, paging turning, incredible and intriguing historical WW2 novel of love, loss and survival. Highly recommended read that had me learning more about Poland at the beginning of the war. It will have you captivated with its danger, grief, romance and so much more as the storyline sweeps you into its unputdownable pages.
I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 3, 2025
Set in Poland as the Germans invade during WWII. Father and daughter are both psychiatrists and there’s and extended family involved. It’s the story of one’s personal trials, the horrors of war, love, and how the mind processes such things. It had a lot of promise given it was an interesting plot…different than many WWII stories I’d read….this one had parts set in Fort VII in Poznan Poland which was a Nazi death camp. Parts of it went too fast sometimes I got lost but overall enjoyable.
April 22, 2023
An interesting novel about life in occupied Poland and a family's efforts to escape. The story plot and characters are well developed and will hold your interest. There is action and suspense throughout the story as well. A very good read,
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 1, 2023
This is a story based on real events during WWII. It is a compelling love story about a Polish woman and a German pilot who was born in Poland but raised in Germany. The pilot wants to go back to his home country because he doesn’t believe in what the Nazis are doing. He bails out of a plane over Poland and their story begins. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
June 3, 2023
This a very good book. The author relates very sad information that I am sure is factual in WWII. It is easy to identify with the characters of the Polish community & the horrid abuse of the German Reich. I would recommend this book to anyone who reads historical fiction.
April 10, 2024
Set in Poland at the start of the Nazi invasion. The story of a family and the horrors they endured. This was interesting in that I didn’t realise that caves were being used to murder the innocent. The love that came out of the story was good .
May 29, 2023
Feel the pain
The author did a very good job of allowing the characters emotions come through with her writing. I would recommend it.
The author did a very good job of allowing the characters emotions come through with her writing. I would recommend it.
June 6, 2023
Wonderful!
June 26, 2023
3.5* to 4*
August 25, 2023
I loved the story! Wonderful!
February 27, 2024
This is a great read if you like WWII stories.
August 27, 2023
Haunting but honest.
I’ve read numerous WWII historical fiction books, but this is the first I’ve learned of the Nazi’s early gassing experiments at Fort VII in Poznan in 1939; its innocent victims were the patients and staff of a Polish mental hospital. The story begins when Max, a German pilot, defects from the Nazis by ejecting from his plane, landing on his home country’s soil, Poland. A young nurse, Helena, who worked at the nearby mental hospital, and her twins, were the ones who discovered Max in their backyard. Over time, while Max was recovering from his injuries, Helena and him formed a relationship and fell in love. The story flipped when Helena and her twins were captured and sent to Fort VII; Max vows to rescue them. This war story was emotionally charged and character-driven. I appreciated that the author did not avoid the harsh realities of war and provided an unsanitized account of what actually happened at Fort VII. She takes it even further than most in addressing the war’s aftermath and the long term psychological trauma experienced by the survivors. It is a remarkable reimagined story of not only tragedy, but love and hope, too. She brought to light one of the darkest times of history but the triumph of the human spirit under these most brutal conditions is what shines.
A huge thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture, and author Carly Schabowski for an advanced copy of The Secret She Kept (originally published under the title The Airman’s Girl) in exchange for my honest review.
I’ve read numerous WWII historical fiction books, but this is the first I’ve learned of the Nazi’s early gassing experiments at Fort VII in Poznan in 1939; its innocent victims were the patients and staff of a Polish mental hospital. The story begins when Max, a German pilot, defects from the Nazis by ejecting from his plane, landing on his home country’s soil, Poland. A young nurse, Helena, who worked at the nearby mental hospital, and her twins, were the ones who discovered Max in their backyard. Over time, while Max was recovering from his injuries, Helena and him formed a relationship and fell in love. The story flipped when Helena and her twins were captured and sent to Fort VII; Max vows to rescue them. This war story was emotionally charged and character-driven. I appreciated that the author did not avoid the harsh realities of war and provided an unsanitized account of what actually happened at Fort VII. She takes it even further than most in addressing the war’s aftermath and the long term psychological trauma experienced by the survivors. It is a remarkable reimagined story of not only tragedy, but love and hope, too. She brought to light one of the darkest times of history but the triumph of the human spirit under these most brutal conditions is what shines.
A huge thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture, and author Carly Schabowski for an advanced copy of The Secret She Kept (originally published under the title The Airman’s Girl) in exchange for my honest review.
August 11, 2023
The book was very realistic. Although it is a novel, it projected the fear and awfulness of the German terror during World War 2.
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