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The Second Winter
WINNER - National Indie Excellence Award 2017, Literary Fiction.
HONORABLE MENTION - San Francisco Book Festival 2017.
BRONZE WINNER - Foreword INDIES 2016, War & Military.
“A great historical novel, a touching family saga, and a noir wartime thriller all rolled into one terrific narrative.” —Lee Child, New York Times best-selling author
Set in Denmark in the darkest days of World War II, THE SECOND WINTER is a cinematic novel that, in its vivid portrayal of a family struggling to survive the German occupation, both captures a savage moment in history and exposes the violence and want inherent in a father's love.
It is 1941. In occupied Denmark, an uneasy relationship between the Danish government and the Germans allows the country to function under the protection of Hitler’s army, while Danish resistance fighters wage a bloody, covert battle against the Nazis. Fredrik Gregersen, a brutish, tormented caretaker of a small farm in Jutland laboring to keep his son and daughter fed, profits from helping Jewish fugitives cross the border into Sweden. Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, Polina, a young refugee from Krakow, finds herself impressed into prostitution by Germans and Danes alike. When Fredrik steals a precious necklace from a helpless family of Jews, his own family’s fate becomes intertwined with Polina’s, triggering a ripple effect that will take decades and the fall of the Berlin Wall to culminate.
HONORABLE MENTION - San Francisco Book Festival 2017.
BRONZE WINNER - Foreword INDIES 2016, War & Military.
“A great historical novel, a touching family saga, and a noir wartime thriller all rolled into one terrific narrative.” —Lee Child, New York Times best-selling author
Set in Denmark in the darkest days of World War II, THE SECOND WINTER is a cinematic novel that, in its vivid portrayal of a family struggling to survive the German occupation, both captures a savage moment in history and exposes the violence and want inherent in a father's love.
It is 1941. In occupied Denmark, an uneasy relationship between the Danish government and the Germans allows the country to function under the protection of Hitler’s army, while Danish resistance fighters wage a bloody, covert battle against the Nazis. Fredrik Gregersen, a brutish, tormented caretaker of a small farm in Jutland laboring to keep his son and daughter fed, profits from helping Jewish fugitives cross the border into Sweden. Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, Polina, a young refugee from Krakow, finds herself impressed into prostitution by Germans and Danes alike. When Fredrik steals a precious necklace from a helpless family of Jews, his own family’s fate becomes intertwined with Polina’s, triggering a ripple effect that will take decades and the fall of the Berlin Wall to culminate.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2016
690 people are currently reading
2267 people want to read
About the author
Craig Larsen
2 books55 followersCRAIG LARSEN was born in 1963. He has lived in various places inside and outside the U.S. He currently resides in Northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
November 5, 2016
This book was raw , little too graphic but I was still pulled in by the setting , Denmark under the Germans during WW II , the realities of the Jewish families and their plights, this is what this book is about ; Polina , the main character, a polish Jewish girl who sees her family being dragged out by the nazis and then tries to escape , she doesn't get far , she is forced to be a prostitute, another simultaneously interesting story happens to a different Jewish family that ends up correlating with our timeline and also Polina's . There is mystery, misery, and the strength of the human character. This is not a happy story.
November 28, 2016
Considering the brutality of this emotional and often violent book the descriptive writing was beautiful and shows the author, Craig Larsen, to be a very talented writer. "The Second Winter" is a dark, raw and graphic story set during WW2 focusing between a Danish man, Fredrik (a brute of a drug user), who profits from assisting Jews cross the border to Sweden and Polina, a young Polish girl forced into prostitution. On one particular occasion Fredrik steals a necklace from a fleeing Jew and triggers a chain of events that bring the two storylines together and for me a very sentimental and tearful ending.
We are shown in this book just how despicable mankind can be during war and conflict and I imagine this will be a tough read for a lot of people - as it was for me at times - since the author highlights the true horrors often kept hidden. There's drug use, violence, prostitution and murder, a complex mix in the atrocities of war. However, at the heart of it is a fathers love and the want for his children - I think the author has captured this perfectly considering the storyline.
I really enjoyed this dark book, yes it was tough, but probably very true to life and I imagine the family recollections/research done must have been very hard going. It really makes you realise just how good our life is nowadays.
On an extra note this hardback book is beautifully printed with a gorgeous sleeve setting Polona's scene perfectly and showing just how much effort must have gone into publishing it.
We are shown in this book just how despicable mankind can be during war and conflict and I imagine this will be a tough read for a lot of people - as it was for me at times - since the author highlights the true horrors often kept hidden. There's drug use, violence, prostitution and murder, a complex mix in the atrocities of war. However, at the heart of it is a fathers love and the want for his children - I think the author has captured this perfectly considering the storyline.
I really enjoyed this dark book, yes it was tough, but probably very true to life and I imagine the family recollections/research done must have been very hard going. It really makes you realise just how good our life is nowadays.
On an extra note this hardback book is beautifully printed with a gorgeous sleeve setting Polona's scene perfectly and showing just how much effort must have gone into publishing it.
February 24, 2018
The Second Winter
is a harrowing tale of survival in desperate circumstances. Set on a bleak farm in Jutland during the Second World War when Denmark was under Nazi occupation, the coarse, brutish, yet enigmatic father of two, Fredrik Gregersen, must supplement his income in order to feed his children and addictions. This he does by smuggling Jewish refugees into neutral Sweden.
In Poland, a beautiful Jewish girl is abducted and taken to Copenhagen where she is forced into prostitution. When Fredrik seizes a bag filled with precious jewels from a terrified family fleeing the Germans, he does not know it contains something that will indelibly link their fates. This is merely the beginning of a complex, bloody, decades-long series of events.
Born in 1963, the author, Craig Larsen is a single father currently residing in Northern California, having earlier lived in Europe and New York. His first novel, Mania, published in 2009, involved a serial killer terrorising the streets of Seattle, and was described by the popular British crime writer, Lee Child as “everything a great thriller should be.” His latest has already won the National Indie Excellence Award 2017 for Literary Fiction and was a Bronze Winner in the Foreword INDIES 2016, War & Military.
His story begins in East Berlin in 1969, before taking us back in time to Kraków in 1938 and then on to Denmark in 1941. We move seamlessly between times and countries following a thread that will eventually tie the various narratives together.
In his Acknowledgements, Larsen reveals that his story is a “metaphor” for what it means to be a father, and it is not a tale based on any particular country or person - although he admits that his vicious protagonist was formed to some extent from vaguely recalled anecdotes about his father's uncle, who was, apparently, “a brute and a member of the Danish resistance during World War II.”
The Second Winter is a stark, unpretentious retelling of one of Denmark's darkest periods in history, which is at times gruesome and unpleasant. It will undoubtedly appeal to readers of gritty noir wartime thrillers.
Many thanks to Other Press for gifting an advance review copy of this title.
In Poland, a beautiful Jewish girl is abducted and taken to Copenhagen where she is forced into prostitution. When Fredrik seizes a bag filled with precious jewels from a terrified family fleeing the Germans, he does not know it contains something that will indelibly link their fates. This is merely the beginning of a complex, bloody, decades-long series of events.
Born in 1963, the author, Craig Larsen is a single father currently residing in Northern California, having earlier lived in Europe and New York. His first novel, Mania, published in 2009, involved a serial killer terrorising the streets of Seattle, and was described by the popular British crime writer, Lee Child as “everything a great thriller should be.” His latest has already won the National Indie Excellence Award 2017 for Literary Fiction and was a Bronze Winner in the Foreword INDIES 2016, War & Military.
His story begins in East Berlin in 1969, before taking us back in time to Kraków in 1938 and then on to Denmark in 1941. We move seamlessly between times and countries following a thread that will eventually tie the various narratives together.
In his Acknowledgements, Larsen reveals that his story is a “metaphor” for what it means to be a father, and it is not a tale based on any particular country or person - although he admits that his vicious protagonist was formed to some extent from vaguely recalled anecdotes about his father's uncle, who was, apparently, “a brute and a member of the Danish resistance during World War II.”
The Second Winter is a stark, unpretentious retelling of one of Denmark's darkest periods in history, which is at times gruesome and unpleasant. It will undoubtedly appeal to readers of gritty noir wartime thrillers.
Many thanks to Other Press for gifting an advance review copy of this title.
Read
July 13, 2020DNF 18%. Five chapters in and we've had child rape, another case of sexualised violence towards the mother of that child, elder abuse, gratuitous exposure of child's nether region for the gratification of one of the main characters - a sadistic, drug-addicted brute with paedophilic tendencies. This is even before we get to the part where the young child victim of incestuous abuse gets forced into prostitution. There were enough darkness and inhumanity during WWII to fill many bookshelves, that it is not necessary to add the above to the story. It may be a very well written book set in this country of my childhood, but I just can't.
March 3, 2018
I received this book through giveaways. I'm not sure if I'd really consider this a war novel, really didn't have much focus on that aspect aside from Polinas plight of being half Jewish and Fredrick involvement in smuggling a couple Jews out of Denmark. This was a dark, tragic novel, the story line was interesting enough to keep me reading but I didn't really feel anything for the characters. I felt bad for Polina and Oskar, would have liked to have known what happened to Polina and Amalia and Polina childhood friend, there was alot of loose ends. As for the main character Fredrik, I just couldn't stand him, I hate him in facted. Everything he did was so selfish and usually cruel, even if he was part of the resistance he was not a good guy. If you like books with no real conclusion and dark unhappy people from bringing to end you'll probably enjoy this more than I did, which to say is it wasn't a bad plot the story was engaging just not really what I usually enjoy reading.
February 24, 2017
4.5 grisly war photographs out of 5
Won from GoodReads Giveaways!
This was so intensely raw, and at the same time so incredibly well-woven, that I couldn't stop reading.
Larsen has created a bubble of a world in the farmlands of Denmark in 1941, where an estranged son of a wealthy family drowns himself day by day in his addictions and his inner self-loathing. Meanwhile, his two children try desperately to keep their hard-done-by family from starving or freezing to death, his son caught between his own responsibilities and playing accomplice to his father's dodgy means of making a living. Each event marks the Gregersen family in a profound way and, in turn, interlaces their lives with others' indefinitely.
This book is by no means a fairy tale. It is the unforgiving truth behind poverty, abuse, and war. A deep look at the grey areas of being on the good side or the bad side. And although it was painful to read at times, it was beautiful in its own way, and I loved seeing each thread of Larsen's cobweb of characters come together.
Won from GoodReads Giveaways!
War can make criminals of heroes, and heroes of criminals.
This was so intensely raw, and at the same time so incredibly well-woven, that I couldn't stop reading.
Larsen has created a bubble of a world in the farmlands of Denmark in 1941, where an estranged son of a wealthy family drowns himself day by day in his addictions and his inner self-loathing. Meanwhile, his two children try desperately to keep their hard-done-by family from starving or freezing to death, his son caught between his own responsibilities and playing accomplice to his father's dodgy means of making a living. Each event marks the Gregersen family in a profound way and, in turn, interlaces their lives with others' indefinitely.
This book is by no means a fairy tale. It is the unforgiving truth behind poverty, abuse, and war. A deep look at the grey areas of being on the good side or the bad side. And although it was painful to read at times, it was beautiful in its own way, and I loved seeing each thread of Larsen's cobweb of characters come together.
June 14, 2016
This was a pretty compelling story stemming from WWII and how the Nazis treated their victims. How they forced Polina into prostitution while she was a minor.
The story takes place in Denmark when Fredrik and Oskar Gregersen as resistance fighters take a family of Jews to the coast and Fredrik steals some jewels and money from the fleeing Jews. It gets better when Oskar sells the jewels to a Nazi and fall for his mistress, Polina. Unbeknown to Oskar, he was followed. The resistance wanted to make sure everyone was punished that stoled the Jews jewelry and money.
A lot more happens but Oskar and Polina make a break for America. But Polina has second thoughts. The book ends with Oskar leaving a gallery in New York which was produced by the daughter of the Nazi that was killed for buying the jewels.
I like the story because of the reality of it, I would think that everything that happened for a purpose.
The story takes place in Denmark when Fredrik and Oskar Gregersen as resistance fighters take a family of Jews to the coast and Fredrik steals some jewels and money from the fleeing Jews. It gets better when Oskar sells the jewels to a Nazi and fall for his mistress, Polina. Unbeknown to Oskar, he was followed. The resistance wanted to make sure everyone was punished that stoled the Jews jewelry and money.
A lot more happens but Oskar and Polina make a break for America. But Polina has second thoughts. The book ends with Oskar leaving a gallery in New York which was produced by the daughter of the Nazi that was killed for buying the jewels.
I like the story because of the reality of it, I would think that everything that happened for a purpose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2016
Loose connections
German Democratic Republic, early 1980s, a visiting musician from the west visits relatives and comes away with a priceless piece of jewellery and photographs taken by her father during the war, including one of a beautiful young woman, partially undressed. Poland, early in the Second World War, a teenage girl, partly Jewish, is taken prisoner by German soldiers. Denmark, a German ‘protectorate’, a brutal father in a tumbledown cottage, earns some money by helping Jews escape to Sweden, but robs an escaping family of their jewellery and cash; in Denmark, too, a German officer, a war photographer, becomes fascinated with a young Polish prostitute.
This is a violent, gritty story, told in a simple unadorned style, but with a complex network of characters, who meet, interact, but never quite make the connections necessary to avoid death, suffering, tragedy or even to achieve mutual understanding. The Danish father, Fredrik, is a bullying brute and a thieving anti-Semite, but is also an effective opponent of German occupation, a ruined man with a kernel of honour.
Despite initial doubts, I found this an impressive novel, unafraid to depict humankind at its worst, but also to explore more positive facets as well. There is a Hardyesque aspect in the narrative’s refusal to exploit coincidence. There is also a resemblance to the early novels of Alan Furst, with its refusal to condone simple, implausible conclusions. War enables the worst in mankind, but also, occasionally, something better can break through.
German Democratic Republic, early 1980s, a visiting musician from the west visits relatives and comes away with a priceless piece of jewellery and photographs taken by her father during the war, including one of a beautiful young woman, partially undressed. Poland, early in the Second World War, a teenage girl, partly Jewish, is taken prisoner by German soldiers. Denmark, a German ‘protectorate’, a brutal father in a tumbledown cottage, earns some money by helping Jews escape to Sweden, but robs an escaping family of their jewellery and cash; in Denmark, too, a German officer, a war photographer, becomes fascinated with a young Polish prostitute.
This is a violent, gritty story, told in a simple unadorned style, but with a complex network of characters, who meet, interact, but never quite make the connections necessary to avoid death, suffering, tragedy or even to achieve mutual understanding. The Danish father, Fredrik, is a bullying brute and a thieving anti-Semite, but is also an effective opponent of German occupation, a ruined man with a kernel of honour.
Despite initial doubts, I found this an impressive novel, unafraid to depict humankind at its worst, but also to explore more positive facets as well. There is a Hardyesque aspect in the narrative’s refusal to exploit coincidence. There is also a resemblance to the early novels of Alan Furst, with its refusal to condone simple, implausible conclusions. War enables the worst in mankind, but also, occasionally, something better can break through.
December 6, 2016
This book reveals the dark side of helping Jews escape the Nazis. Since historical fiction focused on WW II is an interest of mine, I found this gritty novel to be a wonderful addition to the genre. I recommend it to those who like their fiction to be realistic.
March 8, 2018
I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway. Make no mistake, this is a very dark book with some very dark unlikable characters. It is also a page turning novel with intricate characters and an original plot.Set in Denmark in the middle of the war, the author,Craig Larsen explores the squalor of a man trying to feed his family, and the horrors of the holocaust which changes many lives. Just a great book on so many levels.
November 2, 2018
Raw
This book was difficult to like given the subject matter. It is not a book with an easy story nor pretty ending. It's an ugly, hard expose on the intersecting lives of several people in Germany, Denmark and United States during and after WWII. The heroes aren't heroic. It's unsettling to be faced with the facts of life in occupied Denmark where human life was cheap and where resistance workers secreted Jewish people out of the country for remunerations, not conscience. I realize great risk was taken to assist others is honorable, but what if the reasons for doing so were only desperate greed? It boggles the mind to contemplate these things.
WWII stories usually include hope and struggle for freedom. This book paints a very different and thoroughly real picture of life and the destruction of humanity. I thank the author for realism here however difficult it is to read.
I recommend to readers of historical novels based on WWII era.
This book was difficult to like given the subject matter. It is not a book with an easy story nor pretty ending. It's an ugly, hard expose on the intersecting lives of several people in Germany, Denmark and United States during and after WWII. The heroes aren't heroic. It's unsettling to be faced with the facts of life in occupied Denmark where human life was cheap and where resistance workers secreted Jewish people out of the country for remunerations, not conscience. I realize great risk was taken to assist others is honorable, but what if the reasons for doing so were only desperate greed? It boggles the mind to contemplate these things.
WWII stories usually include hope and struggle for freedom. This book paints a very different and thoroughly real picture of life and the destruction of humanity. I thank the author for realism here however difficult it is to read.
I recommend to readers of historical novels based on WWII era.
April 1, 2017
( 3 1/2). This is a very difficult book to categorize. Part historical fiction, mostly noir, part thriller, it crosses many lines and is really well written. We have several really strong and engaging characters, all scrambling for their lives in occupied World War II Denmark. The flash forwards to the present are a nice touch and make for a really interesting ending. Polina, Oskar and especially Fredrik will resonate with you and keep you turning pages. A very different and entertaining read.
July 22, 2017
The Second Winter is a dark, grim and bleak tale of a Denmark farmer and his family coping with the German occupation during World War II. There is a second story of a West Berlin woman reclaiming her Nazi father's possessions from his sister in East Germany in the late 1960s. The novel also explains the interrelationships.
I am rating this novel as less than fair. I inferred the characters were to be drawn as mysterious and enigmatic, but they appeared inconsistent and erratic. The plot was very weak and the connection between the stories was flimsy at best.
I would not recommend this book.
I am rating this novel as less than fair. I inferred the characters were to be drawn as mysterious and enigmatic, but they appeared inconsistent and erratic. The plot was very weak and the connection between the stories was flimsy at best.
I would not recommend this book.
November 28, 2016
Really LOVED this book. The depth of the characters, the intertwined stories and the picture of farm life during the Nazi occupation of Poland were a surprise to me. Most WWII books I read seem larger in scope, but this one was a very small story, but one that totally engaged me. Plus I absolutely ADORED the writing.
July 30, 2017
Totally recommend this book and gave it five stars because it really does keep the reader wanting more. Very fluid writing and believable characters. A book for those who like to read about WWII, those who like historical fiction, or those who just want to read a great book.
December 31, 2016
I love reading books about WW2....this was a great read...everything came to life...I would definitely recommend this book.
March 5, 2017
This book was very well written! Denmark in the second world tee of WW2. It involves a Polish girl who was forged into prostitution; a Danish family and German soldiers. Very engrossing.
February 20, 2018
The Second Winter by Craig Larsen Many thanks to the author, who provided a complimentary copy of the book via the publisher. I wrote half of my senior thesis on women’s relational bonds during the Holocaust, and this time period has always interested me. “The Second Winter” provides a different perspective, one with which I was mostly unfamiliar. Rather than focusing on concentration camp experiences or the lives of soldiers, Craig Larsen draws forth various ordinary characters whose lives slowly coalesce throughout the narrative, forming a compelling tapestry of fate and fortune. As such, this novel has a far-reaching scope, reminding me of Vasily Grossman’s “Life and Fate”. Each character’s actions and decisions produce a ripple effect that inevitably has an influence on many others, demonstrating that in either peace or wartime, in occupied or freed territory, no one exists in a vacuum. Gritty realism characterizes “The Second Winter”. Larsen pulls no punches, and this is not a happily-ever-after tale. Much of the story unfolds in Denmark during WWII, with forays into East and West Berlin a few decades thereafter, and the impact of German occupation and poverty features prominently throughout the storyline. Hardworking people who find themselves with no good prospects are forced into the territory of moral ambiguity, as Larsen adroitly emphasizes. Polina, the primary character, is a young Polish Jew forced into prostitution, and her interactions with both Germans and Danes imbue the tale with a unique viewpoint without being salacious. The commonplace routine of daily life belies the complexities of relationships and motives that make this a notable book worthy of a thoughtful read.
December 30, 2017
Dark at times, but well written
February 10, 2018
It's 1941 and Denmark is an occupied territory under Germany. Fredrik Gregersen, a caretaker of a small farm in Jutland, struggles to take care of his son and daughter. He makes money by smuggling Jewish fugitives into Sweden. Fredrik steals a suitcase full of jewelry from a wealthy Jewish family which sets forth a chain of events that will change his life, his children's lives, and the life of a young prostitute and Polish refugee named Polina.
I have read many World War 2 historical fiction books over the years, but this one definitely feels a bit different and new to the genre. It's dark not only because of the war but also due to Fredrik being such a disturbing character. There were also some graphic sexual content that at times felt like it was trying to be shocking rather than essential to the plot.
What I enjoyed most about the book was I never really was entirely clear in what direction the book was headed. Nothing felt predictable which in this case was a good thing as I liked seeing how the story would unfold. At times though because multiple characters were followed throughout the book, the transitions felt a bit disjointed. However overall I really appreciated being able to read something that felt original and different than other books in the genre. I was happy to read a book with Denmark as the location as most World War 2 books typically take place in Germany, France, or England. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to read something a bit different in the genre and can handle dark and disturbing content.
I was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
I have read many World War 2 historical fiction books over the years, but this one definitely feels a bit different and new to the genre. It's dark not only because of the war but also due to Fredrik being such a disturbing character. There were also some graphic sexual content that at times felt like it was trying to be shocking rather than essential to the plot.
What I enjoyed most about the book was I never really was entirely clear in what direction the book was headed. Nothing felt predictable which in this case was a good thing as I liked seeing how the story would unfold. At times though because multiple characters were followed throughout the book, the transitions felt a bit disjointed. However overall I really appreciated being able to read something that felt original and different than other books in the genre. I was happy to read a book with Denmark as the location as most World War 2 books typically take place in Germany, France, or England. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to read something a bit different in the genre and can handle dark and disturbing content.
I was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
February 16, 2018
What could have been a unique take (a simple, non-grand, detached take) on livelihoods during WWII,
was overborn by the lip-curling drudgery of extremes of carnality and the mundane.
Really truly hated the raw crudity that not only failed to suit the instances, but were completely unnecessary in their entirety. It was as if the author just wanted to write about sex for sex's sake, but it wasn't in the standard form of intimate or steamy scenes. For sake of keeping it PG, I won't give examples, but it was a complete waste of my time, and that's without even going into the lack of entertainment, plot, and character development.
was overborn by the lip-curling drudgery of extremes of carnality and the mundane.
Really truly hated the raw crudity that not only failed to suit the instances, but were completely unnecessary in their entirety. It was as if the author just wanted to write about sex for sex's sake, but it wasn't in the standard form of intimate or steamy scenes. For sake of keeping it PG, I won't give examples, but it was a complete waste of my time, and that's without even going into the lack of entertainment, plot, and character development.
October 29, 2016
Mainly a book about the victimization of women during the war. It's about rape, prostitution and sexual violence. I hated it.
December 2, 2016
I received this book for free as part of a first reads promotion
February 17, 2018
This was the first novel that I have read that referenced the Nazi occupation of Denmark. It was dark and the characters were gritty. Polina, a half Jewess, looses her family to the Nazis and is forced into prostitution for the Nazis. Fredrik and his two young adult children, Oskar and Amalia, are struggling farmers. Fredrik helps to smuggle and transport Jews to Sweden for money or stolen goods that he takes from the people he is transporting; he is an unsavory character. Each have disparaging lives. Fredrik is raw and grisly and unhappy in life. The others are just trying to survive. The characters all come together in the story linked to some very expensive jewelry stolen by Fredrik - they commiserate, scratch and fight, connive while all still trying to best figure out how to survive in their own world given the circumstances doled out to them.
This story is filled with tension from the very first chapter; the presentation and development of the characters is unique. It is an intriguing story filled with mystery and happenstance. It gives light to how the extreme circumstances inflicted by the Nazis turned people against each other, turned them into sometimes unorthodox opportunists. All of the injustices and poverty inflicted by the Nazis is the background to this story. Without one concentration camp/death camp mentioned or the lack of prisoners being transported gives this story a perspective that I have not quite seen presented in other WWII historical fiction. There were a lot of "ah ha" moments in this book which kept me on my toes and interested throughout. Read in three days, I would say that this is a book that kept me interested and wanting to read on - quickly!
My favorite character in the story was Oskar and if you read this book you will know why.
Not your typical WWI Nazi/Holocaust story but one that shows the war quite from another angle.
(I received a copy of The Second Winter from the publisher at the request of the author. This communication was made through Shelf Awareness. )
This story is filled with tension from the very first chapter; the presentation and development of the characters is unique. It is an intriguing story filled with mystery and happenstance. It gives light to how the extreme circumstances inflicted by the Nazis turned people against each other, turned them into sometimes unorthodox opportunists. All of the injustices and poverty inflicted by the Nazis is the background to this story. Without one concentration camp/death camp mentioned or the lack of prisoners being transported gives this story a perspective that I have not quite seen presented in other WWII historical fiction. There were a lot of "ah ha" moments in this book which kept me on my toes and interested throughout. Read in three days, I would say that this is a book that kept me interested and wanting to read on - quickly!
My favorite character in the story was Oskar and if you read this book you will know why.
Not your typical WWI Nazi/Holocaust story but one that shows the war quite from another angle.
(I received a copy of The Second Winter from the publisher at the request of the author. This communication was made through Shelf Awareness. )
February 16, 2018
I have read a lot of World War II novels, but Craig Larsen’s is one of the most realistically brutal that I have encountered. It’s a great read with a lot going on. Larsen has adapted wonderfully Guy de Maupassant's 1884 short story, “The Necklace.”
The story opens in East Berlin in August 1969. Angela Schmidt is a violinist, who, along with other members of an un-named orchestra, are returning to West Berlin. Their bus is searched. It’s an intense scene that sets up this powerful novel. Angela’s nerves are testd as she is smuggling a diamond necklace that bears the Romanov crest along with some photographs that had belonged to her father. Angela’s story comes up now and again throughout the story, but in all honesty, that part could have been left out.
Then the story moves to Poland where a teenage girl, Polina, is taken by the Nazi’s and forced into prostitution. The story shifts again to the main protagonist, Fredrik Gregersen. It’s now the second winter, a harsh winter with brutally cold temperatures, heavy snows and howling winds of the Nazi’s occupation of Denmark. I swear sometimes I could feel how cold it was.
Fredrik is a farmer who is barely getting by. He lives on a farm with his son and daughter. Life is brutal, made even more so by the Nazis. In addition to eeking out survival on her farm, Fredrik is involved in transporting Jewish refugees out of country. During one such event, an Old Jewish man is forced to leave a bag filled with jewels.
This is as far as I’m going to go with the plot as I’m afraid I might give it away if I haven’t already. I enjoyed this novel a lot. I wish there had been a list of characters as there were many and sometimes I had to refer back to previous chapters in order to keep them all straight. But Polina, the young girl who appears in the beginning and the end, offers a searing portrait of what life was like under the Nazi occupation.
The Second Winter receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
The story opens in East Berlin in August 1969. Angela Schmidt is a violinist, who, along with other members of an un-named orchestra, are returning to West Berlin. Their bus is searched. It’s an intense scene that sets up this powerful novel. Angela’s nerves are testd as she is smuggling a diamond necklace that bears the Romanov crest along with some photographs that had belonged to her father. Angela’s story comes up now and again throughout the story, but in all honesty, that part could have been left out.
Then the story moves to Poland where a teenage girl, Polina, is taken by the Nazi’s and forced into prostitution. The story shifts again to the main protagonist, Fredrik Gregersen. It’s now the second winter, a harsh winter with brutally cold temperatures, heavy snows and howling winds of the Nazi’s occupation of Denmark. I swear sometimes I could feel how cold it was.
Fredrik is a farmer who is barely getting by. He lives on a farm with his son and daughter. Life is brutal, made even more so by the Nazis. In addition to eeking out survival on her farm, Fredrik is involved in transporting Jewish refugees out of country. During one such event, an Old Jewish man is forced to leave a bag filled with jewels.
This is as far as I’m going to go with the plot as I’m afraid I might give it away if I haven’t already. I enjoyed this novel a lot. I wish there had been a list of characters as there were many and sometimes I had to refer back to previous chapters in order to keep them all straight. But Polina, the young girl who appears in the beginning and the end, offers a searing portrait of what life was like under the Nazi occupation.
The Second Winter receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
February 18, 2018
Many thanks to the author, who provided a complimentary copy of the book via the publisher. I wrote half of my senior thesis on women’s relational bonds during the Holocaust, and this time period has always interested me. “The Second Winter” provides a different perspective, one with which I was mostly unfamiliar. Rather than focusing on concentration camp experiences or the lives of soldiers, Craig Larsen draws forth various ordinary characters whose lives slowly coalesce throughout the narrative, forming a compelling tapestry of fate and fortune. As such, this novel has a far-reaching scope, reminding me of Vasily Grossman’s “Life and Fate”. Each character’s actions and decisions produce a ripple effect that inevitably has an influence on many others, demonstrating that in either peace or wartime, in occupied or freed territory, no one exists in a vacuum.
Gritty realism characterizes “The Second Winter”. Larsen pulls no punches, and this is not a happily-ever-after tale. Much of the story unfolds in Denmark during WWII, with forays into East and West Berlin a few decades thereafter, and the impact of German occupation and poverty features prominently throughout the storyline. Hardworking people who find themselves with no good prospects are forced into the territory of moral ambiguity, as Larsen adroitly emphasizes. Polina, the primary character, is a young Polish Jew forced into prostitution, and her interactions with both Germans and Danes imbue the tale with a unique viewpoint without being salacious. The commonplace routine of daily life belies the complexities of relationships and motives that make this a notable book worthy of a thoughtful read.
Gritty realism characterizes “The Second Winter”. Larsen pulls no punches, and this is not a happily-ever-after tale. Much of the story unfolds in Denmark during WWII, with forays into East and West Berlin a few decades thereafter, and the impact of German occupation and poverty features prominently throughout the storyline. Hardworking people who find themselves with no good prospects are forced into the territory of moral ambiguity, as Larsen adroitly emphasizes. Polina, the primary character, is a young Polish Jew forced into prostitution, and her interactions with both Germans and Danes imbue the tale with a unique viewpoint without being salacious. The commonplace routine of daily life belies the complexities of relationships and motives that make this a notable book worthy of a thoughtful read.
March 21, 2018
I received this book from the publisher, in return for an honest review.
Larsen gives us a gritty and often violent portrayal of a family living in the barren landscape of Jutland, Denmark, during the second winter of WWII, when both food and other supplies are scarce. The main characters are a farmhand, Fredrik, his son Oskar, daughter Amalie, and Polina, a Polish Jew forced into prostitution whom Oskar rescued--or stole--from a German officer. No Resistance heroes here--the local Resistance leaders do it for the money, not from noble purposes. Yet Fredrick reminds himself that everything he does is for the express purpose of keeping his family alive, and forces us to judge him less harshly for this reason.
We meet other characters along the way, some integral to the story, others seemingly unnecessary (like the daughter of the wealthy family that Amalie works for), other than for atmosphere. None of the characters is particularly likeable, so it is not a quick or easy read. However, what struck me the most was the author's powers of description and his ability to make me slow down and read every line, to make me feel as if I were part of the story, closely watching the action. Though a little disappointed in the ending (as I hoped to learn more what happened to the characters), I still highly recommend it to others who enjoy this genre.
Larsen gives us a gritty and often violent portrayal of a family living in the barren landscape of Jutland, Denmark, during the second winter of WWII, when both food and other supplies are scarce. The main characters are a farmhand, Fredrik, his son Oskar, daughter Amalie, and Polina, a Polish Jew forced into prostitution whom Oskar rescued--or stole--from a German officer. No Resistance heroes here--the local Resistance leaders do it for the money, not from noble purposes. Yet Fredrick reminds himself that everything he does is for the express purpose of keeping his family alive, and forces us to judge him less harshly for this reason.
We meet other characters along the way, some integral to the story, others seemingly unnecessary (like the daughter of the wealthy family that Amalie works for), other than for atmosphere. None of the characters is particularly likeable, so it is not a quick or easy read. However, what struck me the most was the author's powers of description and his ability to make me slow down and read every line, to make me feel as if I were part of the story, closely watching the action. Though a little disappointed in the ending (as I hoped to learn more what happened to the characters), I still highly recommend it to others who enjoy this genre.
November 18, 2020
Book 40:
The Second Winter by Craig Larsen
Well, this was quite a dark, and mostly unhappy, book and felt very masculine. You know how sometimes you can tell a book has been written by a man?
❄️
I enjoyed coming back to read it every day, though not a huge amount happened in the story, and it didn’t really have an ending.
💧
It’s set in a dual timeline, and the historical time period (early 1940s) was my preferred one. The characters were simple but powerful - I could really sense and smell them, and I loved how he described Fredrik and Oskar’s hands - and the dark Danish winters felt crisp, icy and unforgiving. You could see how the Jutland villagers struggled to survive the Nazi occupation, and the ones we are introduced to drank a LOT, some even took pills and amber coloured drugs in dirty syringes... though it’s not clear where the money came from for the drugs, or where they got them from.
🐖
The book felt a bit sinister and desperate, and though a few bad things happened, it mostly happened to the people you don’t really care about. The acts of violence told you more about the perpetrators and their desperation and lack of empathy for others.
📷
For me, the ending was a bit flat. I would have loved it to wrap all the loose ends up a bit more.
🥃
I am really pleased I read this book - I loved the dark undercurrent and getting a sense of living in occupied Denmark.
7/10
#bookreview #scandinoir #thesecondwinter #bookstagram #wwii #danishliterature #danishbook #ilovereading #audible
The Second Winter by Craig Larsen
Well, this was quite a dark, and mostly unhappy, book and felt very masculine. You know how sometimes you can tell a book has been written by a man?
❄️
I enjoyed coming back to read it every day, though not a huge amount happened in the story, and it didn’t really have an ending.
💧
It’s set in a dual timeline, and the historical time period (early 1940s) was my preferred one. The characters were simple but powerful - I could really sense and smell them, and I loved how he described Fredrik and Oskar’s hands - and the dark Danish winters felt crisp, icy and unforgiving. You could see how the Jutland villagers struggled to survive the Nazi occupation, and the ones we are introduced to drank a LOT, some even took pills and amber coloured drugs in dirty syringes... though it’s not clear where the money came from for the drugs, or where they got them from.
🐖
The book felt a bit sinister and desperate, and though a few bad things happened, it mostly happened to the people you don’t really care about. The acts of violence told you more about the perpetrators and their desperation and lack of empathy for others.
📷
For me, the ending was a bit flat. I would have loved it to wrap all the loose ends up a bit more.
🥃
I am really pleased I read this book - I loved the dark undercurrent and getting a sense of living in occupied Denmark.
7/10
#bookreview #scandinoir #thesecondwinter #bookstagram #wwii #danishliterature #danishbook #ilovereading #audible
July 8, 2019
The Second Winter is World War II historical fiction with a difference. Novels of this era and genre are typically set in Berlin or somewhere else at the thick of things. This story centres around occupied Denmark, mainly Jutland and Copenhagen, and features a teenage Polish girl forced into prostitution, a destitute farming family and a German officer who is more photographer than soldier.
Each character's story is revealed by spending some time with them before moving on to the next one, which required careful attention to start with. Then their paths begin to intertwine and the tale starts to fall into place. Although the effects of the occupation are made evident by the novel's authenticity, the war is firmly in the background.
The style is gritty and the characters are desperate and this is a dark tale. There is little joy to be found here. Craig Larsen puts the reader through the mill with the unremitting suffering of the characters. The Second Winter is a powerful and compelling depiction of life at the bottom during the bleak times of occupation in the Second World War.
Each character's story is revealed by spending some time with them before moving on to the next one, which required careful attention to start with. Then their paths begin to intertwine and the tale starts to fall into place. Although the effects of the occupation are made evident by the novel's authenticity, the war is firmly in the background.
The style is gritty and the characters are desperate and this is a dark tale. There is little joy to be found here. Craig Larsen puts the reader through the mill with the unremitting suffering of the characters. The Second Winter is a powerful and compelling depiction of life at the bottom during the bleak times of occupation in the Second World War.
October 24, 2018
I found this dark exploration of the evils of war too disjointed and fragmentary to really draw me in. It was hard to follow what was happening in the early part of the book, and the connection between these episodes set in wartime occupied Denmark and the later ones set in the GDR remained obscure for too long. The narrative shifts in time and place and we jump from character to character too frequently to engage with any of them fully. As an examination of the moral complexities of war and the choices people have to make to survive, it’s a thoughtful and insightful novel, but overall I found it a difficult one to fully engage with. The gratuitous sexual scenes, which don’t advance the narrative, I found distasteful and unnecessary. There’s some powerful writing here, and the scene-setting is atmospheric and vivid, but overall this wasn’t a novel I particularly enjoyed.
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