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When the World Went Silent
Berlin, 1942.
"All I know is we will survive this together," he says before kissing the tears away from my cheeks. But I know if the Nazis discover what we’ve done, how we’ve conspired against them, we will die together.
Deaf since the age of five, Mina has had to fight for everything she has, including her place at an Austrian university to study physics. She has never felt accepted—until she meets fellow student Siggy, and her heart stops at the kindness in his bright blue eyes.
But Mina’s world comes crashing down when the SS arrive at her door and escort her to Berlin. She’s terrified it’s because of her disability—she’s heard the awful rumours about the Nazi euthanasia program. So relief washes over her when she’s told as one of Germany’s brightest minds, she’s been recruited to work for the government.
Soon, this relief turns to horror when Mina learns why she’s truly here: they want her to build the atomic bomb that will win Germany the war. Mina knows if she refuses they will kill her. But if she does as they say, she could be responsible for the death of millions.
With Siggy’s help, Mina vows to do everything she can to sabotage the project. Will they save the world from a devastating catastrophe? Or will everything they’ve risked be in vain?
An absolutely unforgettable and page-turning WW2 novel about one woman’s bravery and determination to save millions of lives. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale< will be gripped.
"All I know is we will survive this together," he says before kissing the tears away from my cheeks. But I know if the Nazis discover what we’ve done, how we’ve conspired against them, we will die together.
Deaf since the age of five, Mina has had to fight for everything she has, including her place at an Austrian university to study physics. She has never felt accepted—until she meets fellow student Siggy, and her heart stops at the kindness in his bright blue eyes.
But Mina’s world comes crashing down when the SS arrive at her door and escort her to Berlin. She’s terrified it’s because of her disability—she’s heard the awful rumours about the Nazi euthanasia program. So relief washes over her when she’s told as one of Germany’s brightest minds, she’s been recruited to work for the government.
Soon, this relief turns to horror when Mina learns why she’s truly here: they want her to build the atomic bomb that will win Germany the war. Mina knows if she refuses they will kill her. But if she does as they say, she could be responsible for the death of millions.
With Siggy’s help, Mina vows to do everything she can to sabotage the project. Will they save the world from a devastating catastrophe? Or will everything they’ve risked be in vain?
An absolutely unforgettable and page-turning WW2 novel about one woman’s bravery and determination to save millions of lives. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale< will be gripped.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2024
1612 people are currently reading
911 people want to read
About the author
Ellie Midwood
43 books1,159 followersEllie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 20 languages. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, "The Girl from Berlin." Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her husband and their three dogs.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her husband and their three dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
July 7, 2024
This is my first read from this author,a good read, my rating is 3.5 rounded to four.. a bit too much physics talk in this read...the storyline was good. Mina is deaf not from birth. Her favourite subject is physics and wants to go to university. Will they find out she has a disability she lips reads.she finds a friend siggy.she is taken to Berlin, where she hears rumours about an euthanasia program who have disabilities she's scared she will be found out.good read.
August 7, 2024
Mina has been deaf since the age of five and when the SS bursts into her home and tears her from her family she is terrified. Germany wants her to use her brilliant mind to help them build an atomic bomb to win the war. But Mina doesn’t want to help them and knows the terrible outcome. It is a horrible dilemma for her, if she doesn’t help them they will kill her and her family. If she does help them, the death of millions of innocent people will be heavily carried on her shoulders.
When the World Went Silent, written by author Ellie Midwood is an emotional story of doing the impossible. This phenomenal story was well written and had a lot of physics involved. It was a heartbreaking story of the terrible decisions people constantly had to make and the sacrifices they made in order to survive. This amazing story is filled with great characters and I found it easy to connect with them. Mina was brilliant and overcame so many obstacles in her life. This an inspiring story that I highly recommend.
When the World Went Silent, written by author Ellie Midwood is an emotional story of doing the impossible. This phenomenal story was well written and had a lot of physics involved. It was a heartbreaking story of the terrible decisions people constantly had to make and the sacrifices they made in order to survive. This amazing story is filled with great characters and I found it easy to connect with them. Mina was brilliant and overcame so many obstacles in her life. This an inspiring story that I highly recommend.
August 26, 2025
Manęs neaužavėjo...tokia nuobodoka🤭😕nei didelės meilės,nei intrigos,nei įtampos...😵💫kažkaip viskas daugiau apie chemiją ir pan...🤭😂
July 11, 2024
When the World Went Silent
By: Ellie Midwood
Pub date: August 9, 2024
Publisher: Bookouture
This was my first novel by Midwood and it won’t be my last. Not sure how I did not know about this truly gifted author of historical fiction.
Set in Berlin in 1942. Mina has been deaf since she was five. She is now grown and a gifted student in physics at an Austrian university. She has always felt out of place, until she meets Siggy. He is a fellow student.
As the war breaks out and the SS arrive at her doorstep, she is taken to Berlin. She knows how Hitler feels about disabilities, so she has to wonder why she is taken. She soon realizes she is taken because of her abilities in physics.
This turns out to be troublesome because the Germans want her to help them build an atomic bomb. Even though Mina is deaf, she can read lips, which can prove to her advantage.
Its hard to find a new story in historical fiction, but Midwood nailed it with this interesting protagonist.
Thank you Bookouture for the gifted e-ARC.
By: Ellie Midwood
Pub date: August 9, 2024
Publisher: Bookouture
This was my first novel by Midwood and it won’t be my last. Not sure how I did not know about this truly gifted author of historical fiction.
Set in Berlin in 1942. Mina has been deaf since she was five. She is now grown and a gifted student in physics at an Austrian university. She has always felt out of place, until she meets Siggy. He is a fellow student.
As the war breaks out and the SS arrive at her doorstep, she is taken to Berlin. She knows how Hitler feels about disabilities, so she has to wonder why she is taken. She soon realizes she is taken because of her abilities in physics.
This turns out to be troublesome because the Germans want her to help them build an atomic bomb. Even though Mina is deaf, she can read lips, which can prove to her advantage.
Its hard to find a new story in historical fiction, but Midwood nailed it with this interesting protagonist.
Thank you Bookouture for the gifted e-ARC.
November 7, 2024
In my judgment, this is the author's best book. I loved it. It is set in WW2 but not the typical fighting & concentration camp story. It tells the story of someone considered disabled by the Nazi regime and the search for nuclear weapons. The author has done some meticulous research about physics.
August 10, 2024
When the World Went Silent is easily the best book that Ellie Midwood has written in some time. I flew through it in two sittings so completely engrossed and gripped was I by the story that was unfolding. Who’d have thought science and physics would have held my attention and have me reading the pages as quickly as possible to see what was going to happen next? But that’s exactly what happened. Although this is a work of fiction it’s based on true facts and the story that developed was fascinating with a female heroine who had such unwavering resolve, an unbroken spirit and such a gutsy attitude. Mina became a character whom I couldn’t get enough of as she is sucked deeper and deeper into the German’s world as they race to create an atomic bomb which could change the face of the world forever if they succeeded.
A shocking, hard hitting and very descriptive and visual prologue has the reader sitting up and paying attention instantly and from this point on my interest never wavered. As the story progressed this prologue connected back very well to the work that Mina was under taking highlighting the consequences of said work if they could make it come to fruition. Nuclear physics and its role in the war was not a topic I had given any previous thought to whilst reading historical fiction but here it was stimulating and thought provoking and really broadened my horizons and opinions when it came to World War Two and how it was won.
There was a danger that the book could have become bogged down in scientific terms and explanations and to be honest I initially thought this is way too complicated for my liking and that the majority of it would go over my head. Thankfully this didn’t turn out to be the case at all and that’s some feat from the author. Clearly she had undertaken meticulous research and to write said information is a way that was accessible to the reader was a great achievement. I feel as if I have had a challenging and exhilarating science lesson but instead of sitting in a classroom I was taken right to the heart of the German research and in doing so I discovered an competent and impressive young woman who ‘in a world gone mad, the pursuit of truth, the defence of the defenceless, is the greatest act of rebellion’.
It was so refreshing to have a female character so different from the norm. For Mina was only five when complications from the measles left her deaf. She is extremely clever and bright and obsessed with maths and the sciences and has long excelled at school resulting in her being given work to do beyond her age level. But now her beloved home country of Austria has been overtaken by the Germans and Mina is viewed as a undesirable and a scourge on society. ’The Germans came and she turned into an undesirable overnight, a handicapped girl, the dark stain on the immaculate genetical imprint of the Ayran race’. She can no longer attend school and must be home-schooled. She wants to prove that she is more than just a deaf girl and she does this time and time again showing how gutsy, spunky and talented she is.
There is a small subplot near to the beginning of the book which at the time of reading I thought was this necessary to have included it in the story? But upon reflection it was essential and paved the way for what was to come. It also taught Mina an important lesson regarding how Jews were treated during the war and it fuelled her fire even further. Mina can’t hear things but she feels them and sees them with her eyes. She is highly principled and quietly obstinate and these qualities see her enrolled in university where she keeps her disability a secret. Here is where her talents are observed by the Germans. She meets Siggy a fellow student and they strike up a friendship. I loved how this aspect of the storyline was completely downplayed and very much understated. It needed to be as this was not the kind of book given over to gushing moments or a will they won’t they scenario as there were far more important issues and problems to deal with. Yet still it was subtly there in the background and I appreciated it’s inclusion.
Such brilliance and a quick and sharp mind when it comes to maths and physic means Mina is taken from her university in Austria and brought to Berlin to work with The Uranium Club. She is very much a women in the midst of a man’s world but this doesn’t stop her in her tracks at all. Instead, it’s like she has come home and is doing what she had always wanted to do and that is to be a scientist. But things take on a different meaning when she discovers what the scientists are actually working towards. They are attempting to build the atomic bomb that will ultimately help Germany win the war. The more Mina researches and the deeper into the experimentation the club delve the more Mina understands that if this bomb were to be created the effects would be deadly and horrific. ‘The die is cast, and with each new discovery, they’re approaching something that shall forever change the very life on earth’.
Here is where the tension really ramps up as there is a desperate race to hinder the progress of the reactor prototype. Mina is astute she knows that the Americans are hard at work probably creating their own bomb but if she can stall the Germans in their tracks she feels she will have done something to help humanity. For humanity is whom Mina is always thinking of and through her research and observations she knows that the consequences will be catastrophic if the Germans build the bomb first. ’Science has been turned into a tool of annihilation instead of hope’. Huge responsibilities lie on her shoulders but my admiration for Mina just grew and grew the further I read and you completely forget that she even had a disability so strong was she in her beliefs and actions. ‘They may not be in the physical trenches, but their invisible war, is no less dangerous and, perhaps even more detrimental to the fate of mankind’.
To use the word enjoyable for When the World Went Silent would be wrong but that’s what I am going to say. I didn’t feel like leaving when the story ended and I was completely consumed by it. This was such an important topic to write about and as you read it you are aware of the eventual outcome in terms of world history and also thinking this is still very much relevant to today and perhaps even more so. Mina is an outstanding character full of grit, resilience and courage who takes you on an exhilarating and dangerous journey exploring a riveting time in history. Ellie Midwood has done herself proud with this book and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
A shocking, hard hitting and very descriptive and visual prologue has the reader sitting up and paying attention instantly and from this point on my interest never wavered. As the story progressed this prologue connected back very well to the work that Mina was under taking highlighting the consequences of said work if they could make it come to fruition. Nuclear physics and its role in the war was not a topic I had given any previous thought to whilst reading historical fiction but here it was stimulating and thought provoking and really broadened my horizons and opinions when it came to World War Two and how it was won.
There was a danger that the book could have become bogged down in scientific terms and explanations and to be honest I initially thought this is way too complicated for my liking and that the majority of it would go over my head. Thankfully this didn’t turn out to be the case at all and that’s some feat from the author. Clearly she had undertaken meticulous research and to write said information is a way that was accessible to the reader was a great achievement. I feel as if I have had a challenging and exhilarating science lesson but instead of sitting in a classroom I was taken right to the heart of the German research and in doing so I discovered an competent and impressive young woman who ‘in a world gone mad, the pursuit of truth, the defence of the defenceless, is the greatest act of rebellion’.
It was so refreshing to have a female character so different from the norm. For Mina was only five when complications from the measles left her deaf. She is extremely clever and bright and obsessed with maths and the sciences and has long excelled at school resulting in her being given work to do beyond her age level. But now her beloved home country of Austria has been overtaken by the Germans and Mina is viewed as a undesirable and a scourge on society. ’The Germans came and she turned into an undesirable overnight, a handicapped girl, the dark stain on the immaculate genetical imprint of the Ayran race’. She can no longer attend school and must be home-schooled. She wants to prove that she is more than just a deaf girl and she does this time and time again showing how gutsy, spunky and talented she is.
There is a small subplot near to the beginning of the book which at the time of reading I thought was this necessary to have included it in the story? But upon reflection it was essential and paved the way for what was to come. It also taught Mina an important lesson regarding how Jews were treated during the war and it fuelled her fire even further. Mina can’t hear things but she feels them and sees them with her eyes. She is highly principled and quietly obstinate and these qualities see her enrolled in university where she keeps her disability a secret. Here is where her talents are observed by the Germans. She meets Siggy a fellow student and they strike up a friendship. I loved how this aspect of the storyline was completely downplayed and very much understated. It needed to be as this was not the kind of book given over to gushing moments or a will they won’t they scenario as there were far more important issues and problems to deal with. Yet still it was subtly there in the background and I appreciated it’s inclusion.
Such brilliance and a quick and sharp mind when it comes to maths and physic means Mina is taken from her university in Austria and brought to Berlin to work with The Uranium Club. She is very much a women in the midst of a man’s world but this doesn’t stop her in her tracks at all. Instead, it’s like she has come home and is doing what she had always wanted to do and that is to be a scientist. But things take on a different meaning when she discovers what the scientists are actually working towards. They are attempting to build the atomic bomb that will ultimately help Germany win the war. The more Mina researches and the deeper into the experimentation the club delve the more Mina understands that if this bomb were to be created the effects would be deadly and horrific. ‘The die is cast, and with each new discovery, they’re approaching something that shall forever change the very life on earth’.
Here is where the tension really ramps up as there is a desperate race to hinder the progress of the reactor prototype. Mina is astute she knows that the Americans are hard at work probably creating their own bomb but if she can stall the Germans in their tracks she feels she will have done something to help humanity. For humanity is whom Mina is always thinking of and through her research and observations she knows that the consequences will be catastrophic if the Germans build the bomb first. ’Science has been turned into a tool of annihilation instead of hope’. Huge responsibilities lie on her shoulders but my admiration for Mina just grew and grew the further I read and you completely forget that she even had a disability so strong was she in her beliefs and actions. ‘They may not be in the physical trenches, but their invisible war, is no less dangerous and, perhaps even more detrimental to the fate of mankind’.
To use the word enjoyable for When the World Went Silent would be wrong but that’s what I am going to say. I didn’t feel like leaving when the story ended and I was completely consumed by it. This was such an important topic to write about and as you read it you are aware of the eventual outcome in terms of world history and also thinking this is still very much relevant to today and perhaps even more so. Mina is an outstanding character full of grit, resilience and courage who takes you on an exhilarating and dangerous journey exploring a riveting time in history. Ellie Midwood has done herself proud with this book and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
September 6, 2024
In this fascinating and morally complex historical fiction novel, readers embark on the nuclear arms race of World War II as the Germans discover nuclear fission. Deaf Austrian nuclear physics prodigy Mina fought for a place at the university in Linz, but others took notice of her skills and recruited her to work for the German Reich and develop nuclear weapons and the atomic bomb. Horrified by the reality of her work and what it might do, Mina tries to do what she can to protect others, and former college classmate, current Abwehr codebreaker, and perhaps more-than-a-friend Siggy wants to be by her side as the war unfolds. With so much at stake, readers will love seeing the German arms race unfold through Mina’s eyes, and her character development over the novel, particularly in her awareness of the horrors of the Nazis, is interesting to watch. Her relationships with other characters like Siggy and her parents, as well as other physicists, are interesting because she is so young and different from the other characters. She really stands out from the rest of the cast with her complex character arc and backstory, and historical fiction fans will definitely enjoy exploring her story in Midwood’s latest book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
September 13, 2024
Another terrific read by Ellie Midwood. I put off reading this one because her last book, The Child Who Lived, made me an emotional wreck. This is the story of the German nuclear physicists who were tasked by the Nazi regime to make an atomic bomb. As an American, it was fascinating to read about the German scientists who initiated the study of nuclear fission and how they anticipated atomic energy would be used before World War II. I could feel the anguish of the scientists as the Nazi regime perverted their discoveries and achievements. Mina, the main character, is the only female on the team. Her mathematical brilliance outweighs her profound deafness & gender because the Nazis are determined to have weapons of mass destruction. However, both her disability and her gender give her the tools to thwart their plans. I appreciate the depth of research the author did and her ability to make the scientific information easy to absorb for us non-physicists. I highly recommend this book which gives us a different look at World War II.
Favorite quote: "In a world gone mad, the pursuit of truth, the defense of the defenseless, is the greatest act of rebellion."
Favorite quote: "In a world gone mad, the pursuit of truth, the defense of the defenseless, is the greatest act of rebellion."
August 9, 2024
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gobsmacking book
oh man what a read.. i was captivated and horrified at the same time.... at times i had to put the book down to recover from some of the shocking things i was reading...knowing that it was all based on truth
mina shouldnt even be alive.... she should have been euthanise... she is deaf and in the nazi world she just should not be.... but mina is a child prodigy and fools most people...
she badly wants to learn and as long as people are facing her when they talk she can more or less know what is being said and she can reply as she was only deaf because of the measles that she caught when she was 5
now war is breaking out and her place at school is in jeopardy. she is taking the place that a good german boy should have and so she is sent home
but mina has a plan....
this book is shocking in its extreme.... but it was oh so good... looking forward to reading more from this author
oh man what a read.. i was captivated and horrified at the same time.... at times i had to put the book down to recover from some of the shocking things i was reading...knowing that it was all based on truth
mina shouldnt even be alive.... she should have been euthanise... she is deaf and in the nazi world she just should not be.... but mina is a child prodigy and fools most people...
she badly wants to learn and as long as people are facing her when they talk she can more or less know what is being said and she can reply as she was only deaf because of the measles that she caught when she was 5
now war is breaking out and her place at school is in jeopardy. she is taking the place that a good german boy should have and so she is sent home
but mina has a plan....
this book is shocking in its extreme.... but it was oh so good... looking forward to reading more from this author
August 8, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of When the World Went Silent by Ellie Midwood. This is my third book by this author. This book was a little bit different from the other two by offering a lot of scientific info. It had a bit too much physics for me to totally enjoy the book. The storyline itself was great and I enjoyed it. It was also nice to have a disability highlighted in a unique story. I would recommend this to others and I rated it as a 4 star rating.
September 24, 2025
Tikrais faktais paremta knyga, nors pati pagrindinė veikėja neegzistavo.. bet visas procesas aprašytas knygoje buvo.. pirma knygoje pabrėžiama negalia ir žmonių bei nacių požiūris į ją.. bei gabumai, kurie šiuo atveju buvo aukščiau visko.. drąsą ir tik drąsą leido veikėjai nepalūžti ir eiti savo pasirinktinu keliu.. pabrėžiama šeimos svarba, bet aukščiau už viską - žmonija... lengvai skaitomas romanas, su puikia istorija.
May 13, 2025
A very touching story chronicling two women as they navigate the horrors of the fire in the Halifax Harbor during WWI. These women are surrounded by loss, destruction and personal injury. Suffering PTSD, though of course Charlotte has no idea what that even is, both women must reconstruct their new lives. Both women are very human, flawed, hurting but in the end love and truth and family triumph! This novel shows how people can carry on after devastating personal loss.
October 23, 2025
I loved the ending!
August 5, 2024
Mina lives in Berlin, it’s 1941, and is an outstanding physicist. Due to going deaf at the age of five, she has to keep it hidden from the Germans.
When the SS take her away, her parents are devastated, as they have no idea where her daughter has been taken or if she is okay.
The Germans want to be the first to make an atomic bomb, but Mina and the team she works with, don’t want this to happen, and try all they can to delay it. If the Germans find out, they will all lose their lives.
This is a beautifully told story, that was emotional at times. It is a romance story as well as historical fiction, which worked well.
The characters were endearing and I found myself on edge a lot throughout the story, worrying about them getting caught.
I tore through the story, it was gripping and held my attention from the start.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
When the SS take her away, her parents are devastated, as they have no idea where her daughter has been taken or if she is okay.
The Germans want to be the first to make an atomic bomb, but Mina and the team she works with, don’t want this to happen, and try all they can to delay it. If the Germans find out, they will all lose their lives.
This is a beautifully told story, that was emotional at times. It is a romance story as well as historical fiction, which worked well.
The characters were endearing and I found myself on edge a lot throughout the story, worrying about them getting caught.
I tore through the story, it was gripping and held my attention from the start.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 4, 2024
Ellie Midwood has created a masterpiece story with When the World Went Silent. This is not your typical World War II story filled with fighting and violence, espionage and sabotage throughout. Sure there are some of those things in the story and sabotage becomes a prominent area eventually. But more than all that, this is a story of humanity and of decisions that can be made, are made, not necessarily for the good of humanity, but for the sake of power and greed - and against those, are the decisions that are made for the good of humanity, for life, health, and the continuity of generations to come.
Living in a time when sometimes nuclear threats are tossed around like so many children's toys scattered on the living room floor, it is good to pull back and read a story like this to put everything into perspective - where we have been, where we are now, and what the future may bring. Do we really need to teeter on the edge of universal destruction or is there a better way?
This story is unique in its content and its perspective. It highlights the determination and resolve of someone considered handicapped to bring appropriate direction to an area of scientific discovery just being uncovered. It shows the willingness and resolve of others to focus on peace over war. And it shows the nature of love and caring that people can bring forward in spite of the potential consequences of a murderous Nazi regime.
I recommend this book highly. It focuses on an area of science that many of us are not familiar with, but don't let that prevent you from reading a very engrossing story that you will want to keep reading until you reach the last page.
Living in a time when sometimes nuclear threats are tossed around like so many children's toys scattered on the living room floor, it is good to pull back and read a story like this to put everything into perspective - where we have been, where we are now, and what the future may bring. Do we really need to teeter on the edge of universal destruction or is there a better way?
This story is unique in its content and its perspective. It highlights the determination and resolve of someone considered handicapped to bring appropriate direction to an area of scientific discovery just being uncovered. It shows the willingness and resolve of others to focus on peace over war. And it shows the nature of love and caring that people can bring forward in spite of the potential consequences of a murderous Nazi regime.
I recommend this book highly. It focuses on an area of science that many of us are not familiar with, but don't let that prevent you from reading a very engrossing story that you will want to keep reading until you reach the last page.
July 25, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Midwood, and Bookoutoure for this arc of When the World Went Silent, out August 9, 2024!
📜Quick Summary: When Mina was 5, she contracted the measles and after some complications during the recovery, became deaf. The world prior to this loss was a loud place; the resulting silence, almost a solace for her mind. Mina is brilliant and as a student studying physics, is wanted to build an atomic bomb. When she meets Siggy, her world shifts. Can they stop the production of this bomb, or will German soldiers find out her nefarious plans to stop this world wide catastrophe?
💡Thoughts and Feelings: I loved this novel! I love historical fiction, and whenever a story can pull me in as fast as this one did, I know it is going to be a winner! This book made me feel so many emotions, from sadness to happiness, anxiety to bravery, nervous to courageous, and I truly felt as though Mina’s experiences were all captured well. For being “tossed around” for her intellect, she handled many scenarios like a pro…something I would have been terrified about!
🙋🏼♀️Moving Character: Mina was a force to be reckoned with the minute she was born. Overcoming her disability, that she saw as a tribute to her intrinsic personality, was really something to be admired. I loved her bravery, her intelligence, and her self awareness. She was never embarrassed about being deaf, even when it challenged her. I loved watching her grow into herself, and be proud of who she became.
👍🏻or 👎🏻: Thumbs up all the way! If you are a historical fiction buff, you will enjoy Mina’s journey and the story she tells.
🌟Overall Rating: 4.5 stars!
This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
📜Quick Summary: When Mina was 5, she contracted the measles and after some complications during the recovery, became deaf. The world prior to this loss was a loud place; the resulting silence, almost a solace for her mind. Mina is brilliant and as a student studying physics, is wanted to build an atomic bomb. When she meets Siggy, her world shifts. Can they stop the production of this bomb, or will German soldiers find out her nefarious plans to stop this world wide catastrophe?
💡Thoughts and Feelings: I loved this novel! I love historical fiction, and whenever a story can pull me in as fast as this one did, I know it is going to be a winner! This book made me feel so many emotions, from sadness to happiness, anxiety to bravery, nervous to courageous, and I truly felt as though Mina’s experiences were all captured well. For being “tossed around” for her intellect, she handled many scenarios like a pro…something I would have been terrified about!
🙋🏼♀️Moving Character: Mina was a force to be reckoned with the minute she was born. Overcoming her disability, that she saw as a tribute to her intrinsic personality, was really something to be admired. I loved her bravery, her intelligence, and her self awareness. She was never embarrassed about being deaf, even when it challenged her. I loved watching her grow into herself, and be proud of who she became.
👍🏻or 👎🏻: Thumbs up all the way! If you are a historical fiction buff, you will enjoy Mina’s journey and the story she tells.
🌟Overall Rating: 4.5 stars!
This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
August 9, 2024
Mina has been deaf since 5, but brilliant in Math and Science. She heads to an Austrian University to study physics at the start of WWII, hiding her disability so that she can pursue her studies. She ends up being recruited to do research in Berlin. They are researching how to build the atomic bomb, but can she prevent this from happening?
This was a fascinating, page-turner of a story. There was a lot of scientific information on building the atomic bomb and the effects of radiation on others. However, I loved Mina and her determination to do the right thing. She was extremely passionate about physics, and math. When she was forced to work with a group of scientists she was in awe of them, and as determined as they were that the knowledge of how to make the bomb not fall in Nazi's hands. She also met and fell in love with Siggy, a fellow student who also ended up working for the Nazis in Berlin, as a coder. It’s also a powerful statement about the dangers of the atomic bomb. I also loved that it focused on ordinary German citizens and what they went through during this time. Especially if they disagreed with the Nazis. This is the second story that I read by this author and it won’t be the last. I loved them both.
Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC
This was a fascinating, page-turner of a story. There was a lot of scientific information on building the atomic bomb and the effects of radiation on others. However, I loved Mina and her determination to do the right thing. She was extremely passionate about physics, and math. When she was forced to work with a group of scientists she was in awe of them, and as determined as they were that the knowledge of how to make the bomb not fall in Nazi's hands. She also met and fell in love with Siggy, a fellow student who also ended up working for the Nazis in Berlin, as a coder. It’s also a powerful statement about the dangers of the atomic bomb. I also loved that it focused on ordinary German citizens and what they went through during this time. Especially if they disagreed with the Nazis. This is the second story that I read by this author and it won’t be the last. I loved them both.
Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC
August 21, 2024
This is a heartbreaking historical fiction novel set in World War Two. I immediately loved Mina, with her bravery, resilience, and strength. She didn’t let her loss of hearing impact her life at a time when being deaf was viewed as a defect and could have deadly consequences for her. Instead, she hid it and used her incredible mind. When this leads to being recruited to develop the atomic bomb, she’s in an impossible situation, yet determined to save millions of lives. Moving and fascinating, #WhentheWorldWentSilent is a book that will stay with you and give you all the feels.
Thank you, Ellie Midwood, Bookouture, & Netgalley for my early copy! All opinions are my own.
Thank you, Ellie Midwood, Bookouture, & Netgalley for my early copy! All opinions are my own.
September 9, 2024
As Germany became more entrenched in World War II and initiated restrictions on the Jewish population, ripples were felt within the scientific community.
Even Einstein was ostracized. Germans unwilling to join the Nazi Party like Werner Heisenberg were initially left out of the inner circle working feverishly to create an atomic bomb.
Author Ellie Midwood uses historical context in When the World Went Silent. Although the lead character, a brilliant prodigy named Mina, is fictional, she represents those who were pressed into service.
Mina, who lost her hearing as a child, desperately wants to leave her mark in the physics realm, but her deafness categorizes her as undesirable. An effort to hide her condition gives her the opportunity, but she soon discovers success could mean mass destruction.
The heartbreaking tale brings to life not only the cruel injustices done to the Jewish community but also the burden of knowledge shared by those working closely on the real-life atomic bomb program.
When the World Went Silent serves as a powerful reminder of how knowledge can be weaponized in forcing people to make gut-wrenching choices. ~ Amy for Novels Alive
Even Einstein was ostracized. Germans unwilling to join the Nazi Party like Werner Heisenberg were initially left out of the inner circle working feverishly to create an atomic bomb.
Author Ellie Midwood uses historical context in When the World Went Silent. Although the lead character, a brilliant prodigy named Mina, is fictional, she represents those who were pressed into service.
Mina, who lost her hearing as a child, desperately wants to leave her mark in the physics realm, but her deafness categorizes her as undesirable. An effort to hide her condition gives her the opportunity, but she soon discovers success could mean mass destruction.
The heartbreaking tale brings to life not only the cruel injustices done to the Jewish community but also the burden of knowledge shared by those working closely on the real-life atomic bomb program.
When the World Went Silent serves as a powerful reminder of how knowledge can be weaponized in forcing people to make gut-wrenching choices. ~ Amy for Novels Alive
August 11, 2024
Mina is a brilliant and gifted student who was able to assimilate amongst her peers despite being deaf; a disability she desperately wanted to keep hidden from the Nazis. I loved her resolve and determination to defy the horrifying task she's assigned to complete. I can only imagine the absolute terror she must have felt during this horrific era in world history. I was enthralled by this view of WW2 and appreciated the author's research that went into this novel.
Thank you @bookoutour for the gifted #arc
Thank you @bookoutour for the gifted #arc
August 19, 2024
Midwood is a master of this genre and this was a fascinating story. Mina is an Austrian teen and unbelievably brilliant in math and science. Deaf from a case of the measles when she was 5, the Nazis racist her to Berlin to work on the atom bomb. With increasing knowledge and fear how devastating it would be for the Nazis to have the bomb, she finds a way to use her knowledge to help those affected by radiation. Enjoyed this book a lot
February 25, 2025
Just wow!! This book was fantastic, I loved every minute of reading its a WW2 novel but it’s unlike any other war fiction book that I have read … it’s from a completely different perspective. Highly recommend!
July 15, 2024
Ellie Midwood has crafted yet another magnificent novel centered around a powerful, extraordinary, and riveting powerhouse female character. Within this novel we meet Mina Best, an intelligent, bright, and passionate young woman who is following her passion in Austria at the start of World War II: physics. Mina is no stranger to defying odds, as she was left deaf after contracting measles at a young age, Mina knows life is hard. She knows she has to fight for her place in this world. While attending university, Mina unfortunately attracts the attention of the very people she detests most: the Nazi’s. Now she has to fight to stay alive, but come hell or high water, fight is what Mina knows best.
Ellie Midwood does an extraordinary job at showcasing the knowledge of physics as she brings Mina’s character to life page by page. It’s clear that Ellie did her research, just like precious Mina does in the book. The messages behind the novel are powerful, moving, and empowering. I absolutely loved this book!
Ellie Midwood does an extraordinary job at showcasing the knowledge of physics as she brings Mina’s character to life page by page. It’s clear that Ellie did her research, just like precious Mina does in the book. The messages behind the novel are powerful, moving, and empowering. I absolutely loved this book!
August 12, 2024
When the World Went Silent is a captivating and thought-provoking read that masterfully explores the depths of human resilience and connection. Ellie Midwood's vivid storytelling and rich character development draw you in from the very first page. As someone who is a sucker for books set during WWII, this novel did not disappoint. Each chapter is beautifully crafted, making it impossible to put down. This book is a must-read for anyone looking for a moving read.
August 11, 2024
Wonderful novel
Ellie is a wonderful story teller. She managed to shine the lights on oft overlooked or obscure topics and does it in such a suberb way. This novel is a masterpeice well written, researched. I have been honored to read all or most of her books. She has a writers style all her own and second to none. I highly recommend all her books.
Ellie is a wonderful story teller. She managed to shine the lights on oft overlooked or obscure topics and does it in such a suberb way. This novel is a masterpeice well written, researched. I have been honored to read all or most of her books. She has a writers style all her own and second to none. I highly recommend all her books.
August 19, 2024
Very well written. This author has a wonderful way of drawing you in. For someone who couldn't pass basic algebra I couldn't stop reading about a nuclear scientist during ww2. Her characters were interesting and very real. Highly recommend the book.
February 7, 2025
When the World Went Silent by Ellie Midwood
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC ebook!
When the World Went Silent by Ellie Midwood is a historical fiction novel set in WWII. I have read many WWII historical fiction novels but this is the first one I have read about physicists in Germany. I appreciate the unique perspective on a very popular topic for these novels.
This was a good book. The story moves along nicely and the characters are easy to root for. I think it provided enough information about the history of the time period for someone to have a good jumping off point to do their own research on the topic. It definitely felt more character focused than history focused to me. That’s not a bad thing, just a note. As a historian and not a scientist, I did feel like I was skimming some of the physics sections just to get through them.
Overall, I am rating this at a 3.5 rounded up to a 4. If you enjoy WWII novels you will probably enjoy this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC ebook!
When the World Went Silent by Ellie Midwood is a historical fiction novel set in WWII. I have read many WWII historical fiction novels but this is the first one I have read about physicists in Germany. I appreciate the unique perspective on a very popular topic for these novels.
This was a good book. The story moves along nicely and the characters are easy to root for. I think it provided enough information about the history of the time period for someone to have a good jumping off point to do their own research on the topic. It definitely felt more character focused than history focused to me. That’s not a bad thing, just a note. As a historian and not a scientist, I did feel like I was skimming some of the physics sections just to get through them.
Overall, I am rating this at a 3.5 rounded up to a 4. If you enjoy WWII novels you will probably enjoy this book!
December 6, 2024
When The World Went Silent by Ellie Midwood is a powerful, harrowing historical novel that consumed me from the start.
The novel is set in Germany during World War II but opens and closes in Hiroshima in 1946. The whole novel surrounds the topic of the nuclear bomb, as we join and follow a young girl with a passion for physics. Deaf since measles aged five, Mina has immersed herself in science. “The world outside is hostile, filled with prejudice and intolerance. But precise sciences are her sanctuary.”
Following the Nazis rise to power, Mina was excluded from school and seen as ‘undesirable’, and has been home-schooled. Her superior talent within nuclear physics has brought her to the attention of the Nazis at the highest level. Mina is sent to Berlin to work on the development of the nuclear bomb but she is determined to never make a bomb. She wants to heal not harm. “We’ll all have to face the choices we made today.”
Mina has a conscience, a heart and much courage. “The courage of those who dare to stand against the darkness.” As a young girl, she stood up for the marginalized except for one time when she ran, and this haunts her dreams. “Still has nightmares… she was just a young girl whose only fault was walking away when she should have stayed.” The guilt remains even though she knows there is nothing she could have done. Later she is told “Sometimes running away is the only logical thing to do.”
The reader witnesses the prejudice against women at university in 1939. “Dear, would you stand up and tell us… why you… occupy a student seat which could otherwise have belonged to a man?” This from her tutor is in sharp contrast to her friend who urges Mina to “go and make a difference.” Mina is like a sponge, soaking up knowledge. “All she craves is physics – the science of nuclear power.”
Nuclear power will destroy or heal. Mina wants to use it for healing.
The power to heal has been instilled in Mina as her mother was a nurse, and the person to whom all Mina’s friends came with their cut knees as children. Her mother has a conscience too, standing up for what she believes is wrong. This brings her to the attention of those high up in the Nazi party. As Mina notes “Before the Nazis only detested her handicapped kind. Now they are outright killing them.” (On the subject of euthanizing handicapped newborns in December 1939).
All the characters were well drawn. The leading lady was incredibly brave and very likable.
We see that not all Germans were Nazis. And not all Nazis agreed with the Party, some tried to sabotage and disrupt from within.
When The World Went Silent is a powerful tale about bravery in the darkest of times. We see the courage taken to stand up for what was right. To put the human race first.
We need to read this book in memory of all the brave souls who took a stand, and also in memory of the six million innocents who perished.
The novel is set in Germany during World War II but opens and closes in Hiroshima in 1946. The whole novel surrounds the topic of the nuclear bomb, as we join and follow a young girl with a passion for physics. Deaf since measles aged five, Mina has immersed herself in science. “The world outside is hostile, filled with prejudice and intolerance. But precise sciences are her sanctuary.”
Following the Nazis rise to power, Mina was excluded from school and seen as ‘undesirable’, and has been home-schooled. Her superior talent within nuclear physics has brought her to the attention of the Nazis at the highest level. Mina is sent to Berlin to work on the development of the nuclear bomb but she is determined to never make a bomb. She wants to heal not harm. “We’ll all have to face the choices we made today.”
Mina has a conscience, a heart and much courage. “The courage of those who dare to stand against the darkness.” As a young girl, she stood up for the marginalized except for one time when she ran, and this haunts her dreams. “Still has nightmares… she was just a young girl whose only fault was walking away when she should have stayed.” The guilt remains even though she knows there is nothing she could have done. Later she is told “Sometimes running away is the only logical thing to do.”
The reader witnesses the prejudice against women at university in 1939. “Dear, would you stand up and tell us… why you… occupy a student seat which could otherwise have belonged to a man?” This from her tutor is in sharp contrast to her friend who urges Mina to “go and make a difference.” Mina is like a sponge, soaking up knowledge. “All she craves is physics – the science of nuclear power.”
Nuclear power will destroy or heal. Mina wants to use it for healing.
The power to heal has been instilled in Mina as her mother was a nurse, and the person to whom all Mina’s friends came with their cut knees as children. Her mother has a conscience too, standing up for what she believes is wrong. This brings her to the attention of those high up in the Nazi party. As Mina notes “Before the Nazis only detested her handicapped kind. Now they are outright killing them.” (On the subject of euthanizing handicapped newborns in December 1939).
All the characters were well drawn. The leading lady was incredibly brave and very likable.
We see that not all Germans were Nazis. And not all Nazis agreed with the Party, some tried to sabotage and disrupt from within.
When The World Went Silent is a powerful tale about bravery in the darkest of times. We see the courage taken to stand up for what was right. To put the human race first.
We need to read this book in memory of all the brave souls who took a stand, and also in memory of the six million innocents who perished.
July 15, 2024
This is my first time reading one of Ellie Midwood’s historical fiction novels, and it won’t be my last. Despite all the physics details and backstory, I found myself immediately engrossed in this story. I rarely see a new author who entices me to read a book that isn’t in my academic wheelhouse, but When the World Went Silent did just that. I got hooked on the first few chapters. I found myself immersed in the world of the atomic bomb and the characters who fought hard to avoid developing such a weapon of mass destruction, especially in Hitler's Germany. It was such an interesting story angle I couldn’t put the book down, staying up late into the night to finish the tale. Mina, deaf since she was five because of a nasty bout with measles, hears the horror stories of what Hitler wants to do to disabled people from her mother, a nurse, who quits her job when she is told euthanasia is how the Third Reich will deal with disabled newborns. As Mina fears for her life, she becomes trapped in a dilemma between her family's love, Hitler's atrocities, and her deep affection for education, especially physics. When she meets Siggy at university, her world changes as she becomes obligated to help a team of scientists develop the atomic bomb for Germany before the Allies do. As the war rages, Mina falls in love and becomes a member of a team of scientists who fight to keep the bomb out of Hitler’s hands. WWII history is richly woven throughout the story from a unique perspective. Often, we forget to take into consideration the views of many of Germany’s citizens as they are forced to live in Hitler’s clutches. The characters are so real, and I felt like I was walking through the halls of that great university and science center with the main characters. As Mina learns the Nazis want her for her skills in physics and numbers, she finds ways to help her fellow teammates delay the bomb-making for as long as she can. Although the book is long in physics, equations, and science, I realized halfway through that this information was critical to the storyline and well-researched. With a powerful female main character and a few of her male colleagues, Mina’s story appealed to me historically, culturally, and educationally. The plot was well-driven and helped show the intricacies of a society forced to bend to Hitler’s horrors but also to find ways to manipulate and work around his evils.
I couldn’t put the book down as I read late into the night. Ellie Midwood is now on my must-read list of new authors. A full four and a half stars. Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Ellie Midwood for the opportunity to read this wonderful, free ARC. This review is voluntary and is mine alone.
I couldn’t put the book down as I read late into the night. Ellie Midwood is now on my must-read list of new authors. A full four and a half stars. Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Ellie Midwood for the opportunity to read this wonderful, free ARC. This review is voluntary and is mine alone.
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