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Fraulein M.
BERLIN, 1931: Sisters raised in a Catholic orphanage, Berni and Grete Metzger are each other's whole world. That is, until life propels them to opposite sides of seedy, splendid, and violent Weimar Berlin. Berni becomes a cigarette girl, a denizen of the cabaret scene alongside her transgender best friend, who is considering a risky gender reassignment surgery. Meanwhile Grete is hired as a maid to a Nazi family, and begins to form a complicated bond with their son. As Germany barrels toward the Third Reich and ruin, one of the sisters must make a devastating choice.
SOUTH CAROLINA, 1970: With the recent death of her father, Janeen Moore yearns to know more about her family history, especially the closely guarded story of her mother's youth in Germany. One day she intercepts a letter intended for her mother: a confession written by a German woman, a plea for forgiveness. What role does Janeen's mother play in this story, and why does she seem so distressed by recent news that a former SS officer has resurfaced in America?
Fraulein M. abounds with hidden identities and family secrets. With its multilayered exploration of family ties, hard choices, and the weight of history in our lives, the novel shines light on a brilliant new voice."
SOUTH CAROLINA, 1970: With the recent death of her father, Janeen Moore yearns to know more about her family history, especially the closely guarded story of her mother's youth in Germany. One day she intercepts a letter intended for her mother: a confession written by a German woman, a plea for forgiveness. What role does Janeen's mother play in this story, and why does she seem so distressed by recent news that a former SS officer has resurfaced in America?
Fraulein M. abounds with hidden identities and family secrets. With its multilayered exploration of family ties, hard choices, and the weight of history in our lives, the novel shines light on a brilliant new voice."
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
February 14, 2017
This is, first of all, a fantastically written book whose characters will grow on you even if you don’t really approve of their actions. Even though it is written in the third person, this book will give you a great perspective into lives of many different people who try to survive in a tragic pre-war situation in Germany. Two sisters who have never been apart will be forced onto different paths. One will stand with Jews and befriend a phenomenal transgender Anita, while the other one will become a maid for a Nazi family whose son has the most powerful beliefs of them all. I devoured the story about Berni and Grete and all the difficulties they came across and finished this story in two days. It’s a historical fiction with a modern touch – what more can you ask for?
Even though I could talk about this book for hours, I feel like it’s best to start it without much previous knowledge. The author provides a heart-breaking and heart-warming atmosphere all at once and I can guarantee you that you will love it.
Caroline, thank you for gifting me a copy of your wonderful book. I wish you all the success.
You can read this review on BookishFever.
June 15, 2017
After five years of writing and a three-year agent/publisher search, I feel very fortunate to be able to introduce you to Berni, Grete, and Anita. Enjoy--I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
February 22, 2017
In brief - A twisting and powerful read - highly evocative of time and place. 4.5/5.
In full
This book revolves around the stories of two orphaned sisters who are in a West Berlin orphanage and it starts in 1923. Berni and Grete are the sisters and the book looks at their lives over time from one or the other's perspective up until the late 1930s. There is also a strand of the story which is obviously connected in some way set in America in the 1970s. Over this time the two girls lives take very different paths and have consequences for both of them.
I found the writing in this book highly evocative right from the start. Berlin with hyperinflation and life in the Catholic orphanage is well painted. If anything the images of their later lives in Berlin are even more vivid. Berni is a "cigarette girl" in a bar - not at all respectable - while Grete is a servant. I found myself completely caught up in their lives.
The characters in this story are rich. They feel like real people in a real setting and they get to you. Not the most major character but important, Anita's story seemed particularly powerful and poignant at times as an example. She is actually a man who dresses as a woman. Perfectly acceptable (in the right places at least) at the start of this story. Very unacceptable and dangerous as time goes by.
By the time the tale moves fully to the USA I really did find it very hard indeed to put this down. The twists become dizzying here at times and the rollercoaster of the sisters lives become even more powerfully etched. Powerfully moving at times this is a hard hitting book in places tackling the rise of Nazism and its consequences head on. This is not a book I expect to forget for some time to come and one I really enjoyed reading. Quite definitely a 4.5/5.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
http://viewson.org.uk/fiction/cigaret...
In full
This book revolves around the stories of two orphaned sisters who are in a West Berlin orphanage and it starts in 1923. Berni and Grete are the sisters and the book looks at their lives over time from one or the other's perspective up until the late 1930s. There is also a strand of the story which is obviously connected in some way set in America in the 1970s. Over this time the two girls lives take very different paths and have consequences for both of them.
I found the writing in this book highly evocative right from the start. Berlin with hyperinflation and life in the Catholic orphanage is well painted. If anything the images of their later lives in Berlin are even more vivid. Berni is a "cigarette girl" in a bar - not at all respectable - while Grete is a servant. I found myself completely caught up in their lives.
The characters in this story are rich. They feel like real people in a real setting and they get to you. Not the most major character but important, Anita's story seemed particularly powerful and poignant at times as an example. She is actually a man who dresses as a woman. Perfectly acceptable (in the right places at least) at the start of this story. Very unacceptable and dangerous as time goes by.
By the time the tale moves fully to the USA I really did find it very hard indeed to put this down. The twists become dizzying here at times and the rollercoaster of the sisters lives become even more powerfully etched. Powerfully moving at times this is a hard hitting book in places tackling the rise of Nazism and its consequences head on. This is not a book I expect to forget for some time to come and one I really enjoyed reading. Quite definitely a 4.5/5.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
http://viewson.org.uk/fiction/cigaret...
January 8, 2017
I've read a lot of WWII historical fiction and they all start to blend together after awhile, but this one stands out; it comes from a different angle and is incredibly engaging. I picked it up on a snowy afternoon then ended up staying awake until 2am so I could finish it! I love historical books that jump to present time (or near-present time in this case) and I appreciate that the author didn't just tie it up in a bow at the end but rather went a step further and gave us a little bit more of a story than was required. Also, there is German sprinkled throughout which helps root the geography, but even someone like me who doesn't know a word of German was able to decipher what everything meant. So good! I can't wait to do this book with my book club! The subject matter (rise of the Nazi party and how the average citizen was involved/let it happen) is rather timely.
Red flags: none really. It is a WWII/Holocaust book so it has dark themes, but no blood and gore to speak of. I would consider giving it to a mature high school student.
Red flags: none really. It is a WWII/Holocaust book so it has dark themes, but no blood and gore to speak of. I would consider giving it to a mature high school student.
February 6, 2017
I finished Fraulein M. as the sun was rising this morning and when I decided to eat my lunch later in the day, I was kind of sad to remember that I had finished the book a few hours earlier. Some books feel like friends, and this was one of them.
I hesitate to call this a World War II novel because the setting is really pre-World War II, but for the sake of the argument, this is different from other books set in that period of time. This is wonderfully written and tasteful, suspenseful at times, and educational, particularly on the treatment of transgender people in the period this book covers. I knew absolutely nothing about this topic.
I may not have a sister, but I did appreciate the bond that forms the core of Fraulein M., and my heart broke for them as their different challenges were presented. I could certainly see this as a film.
I hesitate to call this a World War II novel because the setting is really pre-World War II, but for the sake of the argument, this is different from other books set in that period of time. This is wonderfully written and tasteful, suspenseful at times, and educational, particularly on the treatment of transgender people in the period this book covers. I knew absolutely nothing about this topic.
I may not have a sister, but I did appreciate the bond that forms the core of Fraulein M., and my heart broke for them as their different challenges were presented. I could certainly see this as a film.
February 8, 2017
Fraulein M draws you right into Berlin in 1930 during the rise of Hitler. A suspenseful story unfolds through the eyes of two sisters thrown into psychological conflict amidst a rapidly changing and frightening German landscape. Woods explores the increased pressure on the human psyche and moral dilemmas faced by those living in a world with significant evils. The raw emotions and subsequent actions made by Grete and Berni are hauntingly relatable and shed light onto our own human experiences in the modern day.
February 18, 2017
The Cigarette Girl by Caroline Woods
Brilliant!
The opening section of Caroline Woods novel is based in South Carolina in 1970 and Janeen Moore and her mother Anita are mourning the death of her father. When a letter arrives for her mother, Janeen reads it and discovers that it is written in German (where her mother was born). Janeen responds to the letter pretending to be her mother. Her mother’s story is then revealed.
It began in Berlin in 1931 when two sisters Berni and Grete are taken to an orphanage. As the story unfolds we are introduced to the different aspects of life that are affected by Hitler’s rise to power and the impact that has on the German population.
This is unlike any other book I have read about this period. Not only is it beautifully written, but it is powerful and scarily realistic. As we know these events did happen and Woods’ plot and structure have the main protagonists leading their lives against this background.
How could you not worry about poor Grete; how can you fail to admire Berni’s loyalty; Anita’s vulnerability. I never quite knew where the story was headed but always felt divided loyalty, is Grete more deserving; is Berni the most admirable; who is the bravest?
This is a very clever, well-balanced book that explores relationships and character with the underbelly of Berlin in 1930 as the backdrop.
I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley who supplied this book via Kindle in return for an honest review.
Brilliant!
The opening section of Caroline Woods novel is based in South Carolina in 1970 and Janeen Moore and her mother Anita are mourning the death of her father. When a letter arrives for her mother, Janeen reads it and discovers that it is written in German (where her mother was born). Janeen responds to the letter pretending to be her mother. Her mother’s story is then revealed.
It began in Berlin in 1931 when two sisters Berni and Grete are taken to an orphanage. As the story unfolds we are introduced to the different aspects of life that are affected by Hitler’s rise to power and the impact that has on the German population.
This is unlike any other book I have read about this period. Not only is it beautifully written, but it is powerful and scarily realistic. As we know these events did happen and Woods’ plot and structure have the main protagonists leading their lives against this background.
How could you not worry about poor Grete; how can you fail to admire Berni’s loyalty; Anita’s vulnerability. I never quite knew where the story was headed but always felt divided loyalty, is Grete more deserving; is Berni the most admirable; who is the bravest?
This is a very clever, well-balanced book that explores relationships and character with the underbelly of Berlin in 1930 as the backdrop.
I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley who supplied this book via Kindle in return for an honest review.
March 21, 2018
Celkem zajímavý příběh. Válka, její působení a ovlivnění životů dvou sester Berni a Grety. Tak trošku jiný pohled, který ještě neznáme...
http://kniznidenicek.blogspot.cz/2018...
http://kniznidenicek.blogspot.cz/2018...
February 16, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! I usually don't read historical fiction, but after this I might have to more often. This story was impressively told and intricately detailed. Truly examines the complexity of family and trust over the course of time. Good work Caroline!! I loved every minute of it.
September 6, 2017
*I received this book as a part of a Goodread's First Reads giveaway.
Rating 5/5
Fräulein M is a historical-fiction novel that follows the lives of two orphaned German sisters: Birdi, the outspoken "takes the bull by the horns" sister, and Grete, the more reserved sister with hearing problems. The story describes the girls upbringing in Berlin, Germany during in the 1920s-1930s and all that they did to stay alive during hard times. Later on the novel jumps to 1970s America where we meet a new character named Janeen, a teenager whose father just passed away from cancer and whose German mother is hiding secrets from her past.
Wow, this book was stunning. Caroline Woods created a marvellous work full of rich characters. What I enjoyed most about all the characters we met is that none of them were perfect. Usually in novels we meet heroines/heroes with no faults, but that's just not realistic to human nature. Woods creates characters who all seem very real, neither entirely good or entirely bad; characters who make mistakes and yet we as the reader still forgive them and root for them. At the core this is a character driven book, and its success lies in Woods' ability to construct such dynamic characters.
Furthermore, I really loved the Berlin setting and the attention to detail Woods provides, even giving the right Ubahn number to get to Charlottenburg. As someone who actually lived in Charlottenburg, Berlin this novel gave me such nostalgia!
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading all future novels that Caroline Woods writes.
Rating 5/5
Fräulein M is a historical-fiction novel that follows the lives of two orphaned German sisters: Birdi, the outspoken "takes the bull by the horns" sister, and Grete, the more reserved sister with hearing problems. The story describes the girls upbringing in Berlin, Germany during in the 1920s-1930s and all that they did to stay alive during hard times. Later on the novel jumps to 1970s America where we meet a new character named Janeen, a teenager whose father just passed away from cancer and whose German mother is hiding secrets from her past.
Wow, this book was stunning. Caroline Woods created a marvellous work full of rich characters. What I enjoyed most about all the characters we met is that none of them were perfect. Usually in novels we meet heroines/heroes with no faults, but that's just not realistic to human nature. Woods creates characters who all seem very real, neither entirely good or entirely bad; characters who make mistakes and yet we as the reader still forgive them and root for them. At the core this is a character driven book, and its success lies in Woods' ability to construct such dynamic characters.
Furthermore, I really loved the Berlin setting and the attention to detail Woods provides, even giving the right Ubahn number to get to Charlottenburg. As someone who actually lived in Charlottenburg, Berlin this novel gave me such nostalgia!
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading all future novels that Caroline Woods writes.
February 19, 2017
A story of the life of two orphan sisters in pre-World War II Berlin, Germany (Weimar Republic). An easy read with a few interesting twists, plus some subject matter that is not normally discussed in the historical fiction that takes place during this era. Recommend.
July 29, 2018
Zajímavý příběh z doby 2.SV o dvou německých sestrách, které vyrůstaly v sirotčinci, a jenž rozdělila doba války. Kniha se odehrává v mezidobí roku 1923-1939 v Německu a po té v Jižní Karolíně a New Yorku roku 1970. Příběh byl úplně jiný než bych bývala čekala a i přesto se mi líbil, právě tím, že byl nevšední.
March 29, 2017
A riveting debut novel that should be at the top of your to-read list! As the Dept. of Homeland Security has been ordered to track and publish crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants and cries of “fake news” dominate present-day headlines, reading Fraulein M. in the context of our current American political climate was captivating, enlightening, and unsettling. From the waning progressive years of the Weimar Republic to the rise of conservative Nazism, the struggles of Berni and Grete, two orphaned sisters wrestling with their own issues of ideology, identity, and family loyalty, felt surprisingly familiar and relatable. The relatability is a credit to Woods’s deeply defined characters and intricate and vivid storytelling. With twists, suspense, and a reverent exactness in historical detail, Fraulein M. is a must-read.
June 6, 2017
Excellent book. There was never a boring page. This is a kind of novel that you would like to slow down in your reading as every word is used properly to make the whole story right. A powerful and incredibly moving novel, that once read is never forgotten. I picked this book up partly due to my interest in WWII and I can't rate this book more highly.
February 6, 2017
Amazingly well written! Such a fast read that kept me invested with each character and wondering what would happen next. There were several surprises that I didn't see coming which I love. I look forward to Caroline Woods' next book!
January 4, 2017
I'm ready for the movie.
May 20, 2017
A very well write debut novel. Highly recommend!
October 22, 2018
I thought this book was fantastic. I was interested in Berlin before World War II, especially after watching Cabaret. And then, I found this book. It's about two sisters, Berni and Grete, who are raised in an orphanage in the late '20's and early 30's. Germany struggled after World War I and the orphanage is suffering. As such, the girls have to make their own way in the world.
Berni ends up as a cigarette girl at a cabaret and befriends Anita, a transvestite. Grete becomes a housekeeper and ends up befriending the young son. Klaus has recently joined a new political party that plans to change Germany. And he wants Grete to join with him.
I found these two stories very interesting. These two girls love and want to support each other. However their ideals are very different.
The book goes into the 1970's which, while I think was a little bit of a drag and I didn't enjoy. I realize how it was used and it was necessary to get to the ending. It follows a 17-year-old named Janeen who stumbles upon a mystery of her German mother and works to unravel the clues to her mother's history.
However, it's a great book and it covers a period that I'm interested in.
Berni ends up as a cigarette girl at a cabaret and befriends Anita, a transvestite. Grete becomes a housekeeper and ends up befriending the young son. Klaus has recently joined a new political party that plans to change Germany. And he wants Grete to join with him.
I found these two stories very interesting. These two girls love and want to support each other. However their ideals are very different.
The book goes into the 1970's which, while I think was a little bit of a drag and I didn't enjoy. I realize how it was used and it was necessary to get to the ending. It follows a 17-year-old named Janeen who stumbles upon a mystery of her German mother and works to unravel the clues to her mother's history.
However, it's a great book and it covers a period that I'm interested in.
April 4, 2020
A shimmering, vivid, heart-breaking look into Gay Berlin through the eyes of two orphan sisters who must make terrible choices as the world around them (and literally books) burns. Against the backdrop of 1930s Germany about to be swayed by one of the most evil men in history, the girls try their hardest to do the right thing, one a cigarette girl, the other a maid for a Nazi family. Anyone with a sister will feel desperately for Berni and Grete, continually torn apart but always trying to find one another in the chaos. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will identify with Anita, a girl born a boy defiantly trying to survive as a warped perspective on family values infiltrates the once progressive city. And anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world will see themselves in Janeen, a teenager in 1970s South Carolina reeling from the recent death of her father, and trying to learn about her mother's complicated past in the Weimar Republic. I just read for the second time and it's just as tragically beautiful as before. One of my favorite books ever.
March 26, 2017
Two orphaned young sisters divided by circumstances beyond their control face hard times and harder moral choices in 1930s Germany, with a frame story in the American South of the early 1970s, where we learn what became of them. Packed with unexpected social details, at points it is heart-poundingly suspenseful, with some surprising twists.
May 8, 2017
A great read, featuring a side of the build up to WW2 that is rarely covered. I loved the Sisters and I was routing for their bond to prevail. Definitely a few insights into the regimes of the Nazi party that I was unaware of, including the Lebensborn. Very informative and handled difficult subject matters with grace.
November 29, 2017
Probably the last person in my family to read this....as I read I must admit I could hear Caroline's voice --
So proud of your work Caroline, reading this was like peeling the layers off an onion -- a wonderful onion, bursting with flavor and scent.
So proud of your work Caroline, reading this was like peeling the layers off an onion -- a wonderful onion, bursting with flavor and scent.
February 6, 2017
Very well written with captivating sentences and an exciting plot. A definite page-turner that is both interesting and entertaining.
November 9, 2017
Well written. Good pacing and editing. Would like to see a screen adaption.
June 10, 2019
The ending felt a little rushed to me after a good, long story. Just like it was thrown in there to conclude and give everyone a happy ending.
January 11, 2018
Once upon a time there were two girls living in a Catholic orphanage in Berlin. The girls Berni and Grete are sisters. Berni is a rebel and Grete a frightened little girl with hearing loss. A chance encounter in a store brings them to the attention of Sonje Schmidt who comes to take the girls away. Twelve year old Berni jumps at the chance but nine year old Grete is frightened and gets left behind. At Sonje's Berni meets Anita, a transvestite. The girls work end up working together selling cigarettes at a nightclub, the was pre-war Berlin after all, and becoming best friends.
A couple of years later Grete gets taken in as a maid for the Eisler family. The mother and son, Klaus, are avid Nazis and she is influenced by them. Because of this she does something so hateful that Berni abandons her and the sisters don't speak for over 30 years.
Present day, Berni, now going by the name Anita, has just buried her husband when a letter comes from Grete, now living in New York. Berni's daughter intercepts the letter and communicates with the aunt she never knew existed. She finds out more about her mother's family than she ever knew.
In the background is the story of Klaus Eisler, who has been hiding in the US under an assumed name and is now on the run from the law.
When the sisters finally meet again it is not a happy reunion, especially when Berni finds Klaus in her sister's apartment.
Of course there is a happy ending, because, well there usually is. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
A couple of years later Grete gets taken in as a maid for the Eisler family. The mother and son, Klaus, are avid Nazis and she is influenced by them. Because of this she does something so hateful that Berni abandons her and the sisters don't speak for over 30 years.
Present day, Berni, now going by the name Anita, has just buried her husband when a letter comes from Grete, now living in New York. Berni's daughter intercepts the letter and communicates with the aunt she never knew existed. She finds out more about her mother's family than she ever knew.
In the background is the story of Klaus Eisler, who has been hiding in the US under an assumed name and is now on the run from the law.
When the sisters finally meet again it is not a happy reunion, especially when Berni finds Klaus in her sister's apartment.
Of course there is a happy ending, because, well there usually is. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
May 15, 2017
In this well-written historical fiction piece, Woods presents the lives of multiple characters successfully by focusing on how their actions affect each other. The novel flowed well despite the changing character focus. Berni’s transgender best friend was tastefully incorporated, adding value to the text. Chapters were of appropriate lengths, which allowed for pauses during the reading. This book would appeal to fans of historical fiction or women’s fiction.
Step into 1920’s Berlin to see protagonist sisters Grete and Berni growing up in an orphanage. Fräulein M. shares their story as one sister moves into a Jewish owned flat to work at bars and the other becomes involved in work for the reich. Interwoven chapters allow the novel to include a storyline in 1970’s South Carolina where a young lady is hoping to learn about her mother’s sealed war-time experience. Do not be fooled by the cover image, this book is not about sex.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author/publisher for participating in the giveaway.
Step into 1920’s Berlin to see protagonist sisters Grete and Berni growing up in an orphanage. Fräulein M. shares their story as one sister moves into a Jewish owned flat to work at bars and the other becomes involved in work for the reich. Interwoven chapters allow the novel to include a storyline in 1970’s South Carolina where a young lady is hoping to learn about her mother’s sealed war-time experience. Do not be fooled by the cover image, this book is not about sex.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author/publisher for participating in the giveaway.
July 23, 2017
I found this to be a heartbreaking story about two sisters who grew up as orphans in Germany between the two world wars.
The sisters are separated, and Berni, the older sister, is alarmed by the rise of the Nazis and is part of the decadent scene in Berlin. Grete becomes a maid for a German family and is drawn to the handsome young Klaus. Through Klaus, Grete is sucked into Nazi collaboration.
Anita, Berni's surrogate sister, is a fascinating and tragic character.
The story goes between pre-war Germany and 1970s America. I don't want to give too much away, but secrets come to light and connections are made and remade.
What disturbed me the most was reading about the slow rise of an authoritarian regime and the creep of fascism. What do you do when freedoms are gradually taken away? It is a question that I think is very pertinent to our current situation.
This was a sad one, but very much worth a read.
The sisters are separated, and Berni, the older sister, is alarmed by the rise of the Nazis and is part of the decadent scene in Berlin. Grete becomes a maid for a German family and is drawn to the handsome young Klaus. Through Klaus, Grete is sucked into Nazi collaboration.
Anita, Berni's surrogate sister, is a fascinating and tragic character.
The story goes between pre-war Germany and 1970s America. I don't want to give too much away, but secrets come to light and connections are made and remade.
What disturbed me the most was reading about the slow rise of an authoritarian regime and the creep of fascism. What do you do when freedoms are gradually taken away? It is a question that I think is very pertinent to our current situation.
This was a sad one, but very much worth a read.
June 17, 2017
Stunning In Scope - A Must-Read
The author sets out with what begins as a compelling, yet simple story of 2 sisters in a 1930's German orphanage. Berni and Grete are both well-written from the outset and they cling to each other through the harshest of circumstances.
They leave the orphanage during the Nazi rise to power. The author does an outstanding job of painting the time. We see not just rampant poverty and unemployment, but also the avant-garde social ideals regarding homosexuality, gender identity and suffrage. We also see why the Nazi rise to power was to happen. I learned a great deal from this book about that period.
This book is deeply exploratory of gender dysphoria and the unimaginable struggle one with such issues went through then and to a large degree, even now. Germany was at the forefront of the understanding human sexuality until the Nazis tore down the Institute.
We are taken to 1970, where letters are received and more is learned. The story moves effortlessly through these times laying out tragedy and triumph, love and heartbreak, loyalty and betrayal in places, people and times unexpected.
This book is unique, touching and despite the subject matter- an absolute pleasure to read. I tip my hat to Ms. Woods for being able to navigate her characters and readers through horrors with such a steady hand. I have nothing to criticize, as I find this to be an excellent book that I am so pleased to have purchased and read.
The author sets out with what begins as a compelling, yet simple story of 2 sisters in a 1930's German orphanage. Berni and Grete are both well-written from the outset and they cling to each other through the harshest of circumstances.
They leave the orphanage during the Nazi rise to power. The author does an outstanding job of painting the time. We see not just rampant poverty and unemployment, but also the avant-garde social ideals regarding homosexuality, gender identity and suffrage. We also see why the Nazi rise to power was to happen. I learned a great deal from this book about that period.
This book is deeply exploratory of gender dysphoria and the unimaginable struggle one with such issues went through then and to a large degree, even now. Germany was at the forefront of the understanding human sexuality until the Nazis tore down the Institute.
We are taken to 1970, where letters are received and more is learned. The story moves effortlessly through these times laying out tragedy and triumph, love and heartbreak, loyalty and betrayal in places, people and times unexpected.
This book is unique, touching and despite the subject matter- an absolute pleasure to read. I tip my hat to Ms. Woods for being able to navigate her characters and readers through horrors with such a steady hand. I have nothing to criticize, as I find this to be an excellent book that I am so pleased to have purchased and read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews