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The Taster
Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imagined--one that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitler's dictatorship . . .
In early 1943, Magda Ritter's parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty--working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Fuhrer's food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.
Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, the Berghof seems worlds away from the realities of battle. Though terrified at first, Magda gradually becomes used to her dangerous occupation--though she knows better than to voice her misgivings about the war. But her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich's atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance.
Vividly written and ambitious in scope, The Taster examines the harrowing moral dilemmas of war in an emotional story filled with acts of extraordinary courage.
In early 1943, Magda Ritter's parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty--working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Fuhrer's food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.
Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, the Berghof seems worlds away from the realities of battle. Though terrified at first, Magda gradually becomes used to her dangerous occupation--though she knows better than to voice her misgivings about the war. But her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich's atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance.
Vividly written and ambitious in scope, The Taster examines the harrowing moral dilemmas of war in an emotional story filled with acts of extraordinary courage.
323 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2018
1464 people are currently reading
20409 people want to read
About the author
V.S. Alexander
11 books833 followersAlso see Michael Meeske
I'm happy to share my historical women's fiction with you thanks to Kensington Publishing. My novels feature strong women protagonists whose lives take them on incredible journeys in settings fraught with danger and intrigue. Along the way, they learn about life, love, and themselves.
My writings include: The Magdalen Girls (2017), The Taster (2018), The Irishman's Daughter (2019), The Traitor (2020), and The Sculptress (2021). Two more novels are scheduled for the coming years. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
Thank you, and happy reading!
I'm happy to share my historical women's fiction with you thanks to Kensington Publishing. My novels feature strong women protagonists whose lives take them on incredible journeys in settings fraught with danger and intrigue. Along the way, they learn about life, love, and themselves.
My writings include: The Magdalen Girls (2017), The Taster (2018), The Irishman's Daughter (2019), The Traitor (2020), and The Sculptress (2021). Two more novels are scheduled for the coming years. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
Thank you, and happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,177 reviews
May 24, 2018
Terrifying...riveting...
fascinating piece of the puzzle into just how insane Hilter was through the eyes of ‘food tasters’.
Madga Ritter, age 15, was naive about her country and politics. - and desperate for a job.
She was ‘lucky’ to land an honored job tasting the Fuhrer’s food putting her own life at risk in case the food was * poison*.
Naivety was replaced with rage when Madga learns the truth about the monster she was working for.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the tooth fairy, Hitler wasn’t!!!
Engaging- captivating-well written! 4.5 stars
fascinating piece of the puzzle into just how insane Hilter was through the eyes of ‘food tasters’.
Madga Ritter, age 15, was naive about her country and politics. - and desperate for a job.
She was ‘lucky’ to land an honored job tasting the Fuhrer’s food putting her own life at risk in case the food was * poison*.
Naivety was replaced with rage when Madga learns the truth about the monster she was working for.
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the tooth fairy, Hitler wasn’t!!!
Engaging- captivating-well written! 4.5 stars
March 24, 2018
Classic case of "good concept, bad execution". The Taster is a World War II story told from the point of view of one of Hitler's food tasters, meant to protect him from poisoning attempts. Great concept, but that's about all this book has going for it. (WARNING: I'm going to spoil the ending a the end of this review, so be forewarned.)
The novel starts with the sentence "Who killed Adolf Hitler?" and I'm immediately disappointed. That's the story? It's a mystery about who killed Hitler? I feel like there was a lot that could have been done with the story other than making it specifically about killing Hitler. A lot of the things I had hoped for this book were attempted (a look at how people within Hitler's service viewed the war; a look at how the common German people viewed the war; what it was like to work for Hitler when you disagreed with his actions) but I felt they were very shallowly explored and put to the side for the main plot of killing Hitler.
The story is told as a recollection of the main character, Magda, remembering the 1940's from 2013, and honestly, I think I'm over the trope of "old woman telling a dark secret from her youth on her deathbed because it doesn't matter anymore because I'm old and going to die anyway." This also just leads to the story being written in a not very engaging manner: it's Magda TELLING a story instead of an author SHOWING us the story, and it honesty just comes across as very boring in several parts of the book.
Magda herself is not a very likeable character. She's incredibly naive - almost to the point of stupidity - in the beginning, in a very offensive way. "I don't know any Jews, so I guess I can't say if they're still alive or not. Oh well." I get that the point was to illustrate that many German people DIDN'T know the atrocities of committed by Hitler, and also to parallel certain people's naivety and ignorance of today, but I think a better way to do this would be to use a secondary character as that example, instead of making the main character so annoying. She also switches from "I don't really care about the war or Nazis or Jews or anything but myself" to "OMG I NEED TO KILL HITLER" very abruptly and unbelievable. She's shown pictures of concentration camps and that makes her realize that she's on the wrong side of history which is good. But even when the Allies are killing her friends and family, she's still like "the Allies are the good guys and we're the bad guys" and I feel like it shouldn't have been that black and white. She should have had more conflict. Especially considering she knows Hitler as a person - there should have been more conflict over her wanting to kill him because she also sees he's a likable enough human one-on-one. I mean, yeah, she ultimately should have still decided he needed to be eliminated, but she never really debates it. She just knows innately and that's not believable. Magda also manages to abandon her friends at every opportunity; she shows hesitation but she literally NEVER stays with anyone when given the choice to leave or stay. She also flaunts her privilege at every opportunity. Saying "I work for Hitler" gets her out of almost every bad situation she encounters. She keeps claiming everything is Hitler's fault, then name drops when she can. Good representation of white privilege, I guess, but again, it doesn't make her very likeable. When she uses Hitler's name to escape from a concentration camp, it is honestly just so insulting. And after a brief flicker of concern for the people she leaves behind in the camp, she NEVER THINKS ABOUT THEM AGAIN.
The romance and attraction between Magda and her husband is rushed, and the sex scene is just so so terrible. One of the worst sex scenes from a woman's point-of-view written by a man that I have ever seen. The rape scene was equally terribly written. I felt like it probably needed some more seriousness behind it, but instead it's tucked in a few quick paragraphs of horror and then they move on.
Honestly, it felt a little bit like the author just wanted to fantasize about killing Hitler. But when they finally get to his death, it is just SO DISAPPOINTING. Spoilers: After the entire book of plotting to kill Hitler secretly, Magda finally kills Hitler because he asked her too and then she never tells anyone about it so it's like NOTHING HAPPENED AT ALL IN THIS ENTIRE BOOK. I felt like the entire book was a set up for V. S. Alexander to write a three page condemnation of Hitler that's completely unnecessary because everyone already knows that Hitler was evil, thanks.
The book makes a lot of apologies for Nazi supporters and even frikkin' Eva Braun. As they say, there's a word for people who joined the Nazi Party not because they hated Jews, but for all the other things the Nazi Party stood for - and that word is Nazi.
Cool concept; terrible execution: bad writing, Nazi apologies, unlikable main character and a terribly disappointing ending. I had such high hopes for the The Taster, but sadly it couldn't following through on that intriguing plot.
The novel starts with the sentence "Who killed Adolf Hitler?" and I'm immediately disappointed. That's the story? It's a mystery about who killed Hitler? I feel like there was a lot that could have been done with the story other than making it specifically about killing Hitler. A lot of the things I had hoped for this book were attempted (a look at how people within Hitler's service viewed the war; a look at how the common German people viewed the war; what it was like to work for Hitler when you disagreed with his actions) but I felt they were very shallowly explored and put to the side for the main plot of killing Hitler.
The story is told as a recollection of the main character, Magda, remembering the 1940's from 2013, and honestly, I think I'm over the trope of "old woman telling a dark secret from her youth on her deathbed because it doesn't matter anymore because I'm old and going to die anyway." This also just leads to the story being written in a not very engaging manner: it's Magda TELLING a story instead of an author SHOWING us the story, and it honesty just comes across as very boring in several parts of the book.
Magda herself is not a very likeable character. She's incredibly naive - almost to the point of stupidity - in the beginning, in a very offensive way. "I don't know any Jews, so I guess I can't say if they're still alive or not. Oh well." I get that the point was to illustrate that many German people DIDN'T know the atrocities of committed by Hitler, and also to parallel certain people's naivety and ignorance of today, but I think a better way to do this would be to use a secondary character as that example, instead of making the main character so annoying. She also switches from "I don't really care about the war or Nazis or Jews or anything but myself" to "OMG I NEED TO KILL HITLER" very abruptly and unbelievable. She's shown pictures of concentration camps and that makes her realize that she's on the wrong side of history which is good. But even when the Allies are killing her friends and family, she's still like "the Allies are the good guys and we're the bad guys" and I feel like it shouldn't have been that black and white. She should have had more conflict. Especially considering she knows Hitler as a person - there should have been more conflict over her wanting to kill him because she also sees he's a likable enough human one-on-one. I mean, yeah, she ultimately should have still decided he needed to be eliminated, but she never really debates it. She just knows innately and that's not believable. Magda also manages to abandon her friends at every opportunity; she shows hesitation but she literally NEVER stays with anyone when given the choice to leave or stay. She also flaunts her privilege at every opportunity. Saying "I work for Hitler" gets her out of almost every bad situation she encounters. She keeps claiming everything is Hitler's fault, then name drops when she can. Good representation of white privilege, I guess, but again, it doesn't make her very likeable. When she uses Hitler's name to escape from a concentration camp, it is honestly just so insulting. And after a brief flicker of concern for the people she leaves behind in the camp, she NEVER THINKS ABOUT THEM AGAIN.
The romance and attraction between Magda and her husband is rushed, and the sex scene is just so so terrible. One of the worst sex scenes from a woman's point-of-view written by a man that I have ever seen. The rape scene was equally terribly written. I felt like it probably needed some more seriousness behind it, but instead it's tucked in a few quick paragraphs of horror and then they move on.
Honestly, it felt a little bit like the author just wanted to fantasize about killing Hitler. But when they finally get to his death, it is just SO DISAPPOINTING. Spoilers: After the entire book of plotting to kill Hitler secretly, Magda finally kills Hitler because he asked her too and then she never tells anyone about it so it's like NOTHING HAPPENED AT ALL IN THIS ENTIRE BOOK. I felt like the entire book was a set up for V. S. Alexander to write a three page condemnation of Hitler that's completely unnecessary because everyone already knows that Hitler was evil, thanks.
The book makes a lot of apologies for Nazi supporters and even frikkin' Eva Braun. As they say, there's a word for people who joined the Nazi Party not because they hated Jews, but for all the other things the Nazi Party stood for - and that word is Nazi.
Cool concept; terrible execution: bad writing, Nazi apologies, unlikable main character and a terribly disappointing ending. I had such high hopes for the The Taster, but sadly it couldn't following through on that intriguing plot.
May 11, 2018
5 stars! This was a captivating, suspenseful, addictive and fascinating read!
This story revolves around Magda Ritter, a young woman employed by Hitler during WWII. Magda blindly applied for work with the Third Reich, not knowing what the job would be – she was simply looking for employment. She was hired as one of Hitler’s “tasters” – a group of young German women who lived on Hitler’s properties whose job it was to taste his food prior to him eating meals to ensure it wasn’t poisoned. What a job! I had no idea about this piece of history prior to reading this enthralling story.
The unique story, the courageous characters, the piece of history – it was all so fascinating to me! The author, V.S. Alexander, had me engrossed from the first to last page. The story flowed and unraveled perfectly with a pace that kept me hungry for more and wondering how things would conclude. I always find myself drawn to WWII historical fiction novels and this one really stands out as it explored a completely new angle for me.
This was a Traveling Sister read with Brenda and we both loved this book! To find this review along with Brenda's Traveling Sister review, please visit Brenda and Norma's fabulous blog at:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
A big thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and V.S. Alexander for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
This story revolves around Magda Ritter, a young woman employed by Hitler during WWII. Magda blindly applied for work with the Third Reich, not knowing what the job would be – she was simply looking for employment. She was hired as one of Hitler’s “tasters” – a group of young German women who lived on Hitler’s properties whose job it was to taste his food prior to him eating meals to ensure it wasn’t poisoned. What a job! I had no idea about this piece of history prior to reading this enthralling story.
The unique story, the courageous characters, the piece of history – it was all so fascinating to me! The author, V.S. Alexander, had me engrossed from the first to last page. The story flowed and unraveled perfectly with a pace that kept me hungry for more and wondering how things would conclude. I always find myself drawn to WWII historical fiction novels and this one really stands out as it explored a completely new angle for me.
This was a Traveling Sister read with Brenda and we both loved this book! To find this review along with Brenda's Traveling Sister review, please visit Brenda and Norma's fabulous blog at:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
A big thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and V.S. Alexander for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
December 31, 2017
4.5
It's 1943- Magda Ritter, young ,naive and German. She is a food taster for the Fuhrer.
Her position would place her in the Teahouse at Hitler's Berghof, The Wolf's Lair and The Furer's Bunker in Berlin.
-Is this a job she seeked? NO
-Did she want to be separated from her parents/family? NO
-Was she a supporter of Hitler or the SS Party? NO
-Did she fear for her life and the lives of her family and loved ones? YES
Magda lives with her parents in Berlin and Allied bombs have been falling along with rumors that Germany is not doing well in the war. To protect her, they send her to live with her Nazi Uncle Willy. She is expected to do her part, her duty, and winds up at The Berghof, Hitler's own remote mountain retreat. She is trained to recognize the smell and taste of poisons. Her teacher states "Your body is offered in sacrifice to the Reich in case the food is poisoned." Magda is utterly horrified!
As the Allied forces move in and the war intensifies, so does the plight of Magda and those she loves. Magda must hide her hatred of Hitler or die.
The author notes that several scenes are based on Margot Woelk's account of her experiences as a taster for Adolf Hitler (although not a biography, it is fiction). Ms. Woelk kept her accounts confidential until she turned 95 years old. Fascinating!
If you enjoy WWII Historical Fiction, you may enjoy this "different take" as it is from the perspective of a German girl who despises Hitler. The story is fictional and the author does take some unsubstantiated turns, but it becomes part of her story!
Thanks to Kensington Books/ Netgalley for my copy.
January 15, 2018
(Please excuse the really bad pun! I can’t believe I’m using it! 😬 )
4 delicious stars to The Taster! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Taster was highly recommended by my friend, Holly. Who knew there were food tasters for Hitler during WWII? This dangerous job was viewed as their service to The Reich. Magda’s story was loosely based on a real taster who only told her story late in life when she was in her 90s. Magda is not a member of “The Party,” and her sentiments do not lie with Hitler. So, as you can imagine, some unrest and drama ensues. I cannot remember a WWII story I’ve read from this perspective.
The Author’s Note provided valuable insight into V.S. Alexander’s research, as well as what really happened and where he took liberties. There were places where the history was not documented, or even questioned, and he explored some of those things with Magda’s character. As I read those happenings, they seemed a little bit of a stretch, but then when I read the author’s explanation, it made me realize they were just one possible take on the truth, which we may never know.
Magda is a strong character and made the read worthy for me. The story was well-written and interesting. Overall, I enjoyed this entertaining book, especially because of the fresh perspective on WWII. Thanks again to Holly!
Thank you to V.S. Alexander, Kensington Publishing, and Netgalley, for the complimentary ARC.
The Taster will be released on January 30, 2018.
4 delicious stars to The Taster! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Taster was highly recommended by my friend, Holly. Who knew there were food tasters for Hitler during WWII? This dangerous job was viewed as their service to The Reich. Magda’s story was loosely based on a real taster who only told her story late in life when she was in her 90s. Magda is not a member of “The Party,” and her sentiments do not lie with Hitler. So, as you can imagine, some unrest and drama ensues. I cannot remember a WWII story I’ve read from this perspective.
The Author’s Note provided valuable insight into V.S. Alexander’s research, as well as what really happened and where he took liberties. There were places where the history was not documented, or even questioned, and he explored some of those things with Magda’s character. As I read those happenings, they seemed a little bit of a stretch, but then when I read the author’s explanation, it made me realize they were just one possible take on the truth, which we may never know.
Magda is a strong character and made the read worthy for me. The story was well-written and interesting. Overall, I enjoyed this entertaining book, especially because of the fresh perspective on WWII. Thanks again to Holly!
Thank you to V.S. Alexander, Kensington Publishing, and Netgalley, for the complimentary ARC.
The Taster will be released on January 30, 2018.
May 10, 2018
I was lost in a coulee reading The Taster with Lindsay and this one really surprised us and not what we were expecting. The Taster gave us a different perspective on WWII than we are used to reading and we learned some things we were not aware of. The story really had us thinking, wanting to know more and we really enjoyed our discussion.
V.S Alexander takes us to the places Hitler lived, giving us some insight into his life and relationships and as to why Germans followed him. The story is told from the perspective of one of Hitler’s servants Magda Ritter who becomes a taster. Her job is to taste his food for poison. We were intrigued and became fascinated by a part of history we never really put much thought into before.
V.S Alexander does a good job balancing history here and storytelling and we loved the unique angle the story was written from. A little high on drama sometimes with a little spin at the end that left us fascinated and completely satisfied in a coulee after reading this one. We highly recommend.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
V.S Alexander takes us to the places Hitler lived, giving us some insight into his life and relationships and as to why Germans followed him. The story is told from the perspective of one of Hitler’s servants Magda Ritter who becomes a taster. Her job is to taste his food for poison. We were intrigued and became fascinated by a part of history we never really put much thought into before.
V.S Alexander does a good job balancing history here and storytelling and we loved the unique angle the story was written from. A little high on drama sometimes with a little spin at the end that left us fascinated and completely satisfied in a coulee after reading this one. We highly recommend.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
November 12, 2022
Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. I added this book to my WTR list after reading its interesting synopsis;
2. I found the free audiobook on Hoopla; and,
3. since Canadians commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11, November 2022 is my self-declared "Wars of the 20th Century Historical Fiction Month".
Praises:
1. I quite enjoyed how author V.S. Alexander used the unique premise of writing a fictional character, Magda Ritter, as one of Adolf Hitler's fifteen women, who in real life, were hired as tasters of his food and beverages in order to protect him from potential poisoning. I never knew these women's roles existed!
2. at times, I found the storyline to be quite intense as Magda goes from one chilling scenario to another; and,
3. I could feel Magda's fear, especially after tasting questionable dishes, not knowing if it would be her last meal or not.
Niggles:
1. I really had difficulty believing Magda's questionable motivations. She went from nonchalance to intense hatred for Hitler, even though he had been nothing but personally kind and grateful towards her character. She is constantly thinking about how to knock him off, but when she finds herself in a pickle, she has no problem name-dropping "I work for the Fuhrer!" and is instantly removed from these problematic situations;
2. Magda's "chumminess" with Eva Braun and Hitler himself seemed too convenient in order to make the storyline flow; and,
3. Magda quickly forgets those who couldn't escape from tragic situations as easily as she could.
Overall Thoughts:
Generally, I liked this story. I know that historical fiction is just that - fiction, but I prefer authors who don't take massive liberties with the past just to write a sensational story.
Recommendation?
If you don't mind reading underrepresented historical fiction that takes a hard left, then you may enjoy this story.
1. I added this book to my WTR list after reading its interesting synopsis;
2. I found the free audiobook on Hoopla; and,
3. since Canadians commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11, November 2022 is my self-declared "Wars of the 20th Century Historical Fiction Month".
Praises:
1. I quite enjoyed how author V.S. Alexander used the unique premise of writing a fictional character, Magda Ritter, as one of Adolf Hitler's fifteen women, who in real life, were hired as tasters of his food and beverages in order to protect him from potential poisoning. I never knew these women's roles existed!
2. at times, I found the storyline to be quite intense as Magda goes from one chilling scenario to another; and,
3. I could feel Magda's fear, especially after tasting questionable dishes, not knowing if it would be her last meal or not.
Niggles:
1. I really had difficulty believing Magda's questionable motivations. She went from nonchalance to intense hatred for Hitler, even though he had been nothing but personally kind and grateful towards her character. She is constantly thinking about how to knock him off, but when she finds herself in a pickle, she has no problem name-dropping "I work for the Fuhrer!" and is instantly removed from these problematic situations;
2. Magda's "chumminess" with Eva Braun and Hitler himself seemed too convenient in order to make the storyline flow; and,
3. Magda quickly forgets those who couldn't escape from tragic situations as easily as she could.
Overall Thoughts:
Generally, I liked this story. I know that historical fiction is just that - fiction, but I prefer authors who don't take massive liberties with the past just to write a sensational story.
Recommendation?
If you don't mind reading underrepresented historical fiction that takes a hard left, then you may enjoy this story.
January 15, 2018
4 stars
It is ironic that I never considered that there would have been women whose job it was to taste the food that was prepared for Hitler. Also, it was ironic that all of these tasters were women, not a man among them. Yet, these women were selected to offer up their lives for a man that many idolized.
Magda Ritter, a young German girl was chosen for the position of taster. She is brought into the very core of Hitler's various residences, Berghof, Wolf's Lair, The Fuehrer's bunker all to have the job she really does not want. However, Magda fears for her life, the life of her family and eventually the life of the man she loves. She is not a Party member, in fact she comes to hate Hitler and plots and dreams of a way to eliminate him. As the war continues and the end is at hand, Magda makes a decision that she has wanted to make for quite some time.
Supposedly, this story is loosely based on a true taster, a woman named Margot Woelk who at the age of ninety-five told her story. The book is interesting but at times does really require large leaps of faith to believe the narrative. The war and its many problems inherent in the behavior of Hitler and those that followed his every word was a true testament to how evil one man can be especially when he molded the minds of an entire nation.
Thank you to V.S. Alexander, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an unbiased review.
It is ironic that I never considered that there would have been women whose job it was to taste the food that was prepared for Hitler. Also, it was ironic that all of these tasters were women, not a man among them. Yet, these women were selected to offer up their lives for a man that many idolized.
Magda Ritter, a young German girl was chosen for the position of taster. She is brought into the very core of Hitler's various residences, Berghof, Wolf's Lair, The Fuehrer's bunker all to have the job she really does not want. However, Magda fears for her life, the life of her family and eventually the life of the man she loves. She is not a Party member, in fact she comes to hate Hitler and plots and dreams of a way to eliminate him. As the war continues and the end is at hand, Magda makes a decision that she has wanted to make for quite some time.
Supposedly, this story is loosely based on a true taster, a woman named Margot Woelk who at the age of ninety-five told her story. The book is interesting but at times does really require large leaps of faith to believe the narrative. The war and its many problems inherent in the behavior of Hitler and those that followed his every word was a true testament to how evil one man can be especially when he molded the minds of an entire nation.
Thank you to V.S. Alexander, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an unbiased review.
March 3, 2019
I was not sure whether I would enjoy a book that was about Hitler’s reign. I am so pleased I read this book it’s a wonderful story full of emotion with a heart tugging love story, mixed with the hardship of war and its many casualties. This is so much more than a book about Hitler and does not glorify his atrocities!!
I was so gripped by this from the very beginning you had me in the palm of you’re hand until the very last page. I practically read this in one sitting and went to sleep thinking about the characters until I awoke early to finish this amazing story.
When Magda 25 is sent to stay with her aunt and uncle for safety they encourage her to find employment. Magda finds herself along with 15 other women as a food taster for Hitler. She is taught how to taste and smell poisons incase someone tries to contaminate Hitler’s food. Every meal could be her last.
Magda meets Captain Karl Webber and they are instantly attracted to each other, he tries to distant himself from her as he has a plan to kill Hitler which will put their lives and their families lives in peril. Their romance is bitter sweet amongst the devastation of war. Can love in this instance conquer all?
Loved the insight into Hitler’s inner circle at the mountainside retreat and of his relationship with Eva.
A must read book that brings history to life in a mesmerising and addictive way.
You’re ending bought tears to my eyes and will forever remain in my heart!!
10 out of 10 from me!! Looking forward to V.S Alexander next book.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
I was so gripped by this from the very beginning you had me in the palm of you’re hand until the very last page. I practically read this in one sitting and went to sleep thinking about the characters until I awoke early to finish this amazing story.
When Magda 25 is sent to stay with her aunt and uncle for safety they encourage her to find employment. Magda finds herself along with 15 other women as a food taster for Hitler. She is taught how to taste and smell poisons incase someone tries to contaminate Hitler’s food. Every meal could be her last.
Magda meets Captain Karl Webber and they are instantly attracted to each other, he tries to distant himself from her as he has a plan to kill Hitler which will put their lives and their families lives in peril. Their romance is bitter sweet amongst the devastation of war. Can love in this instance conquer all?
Loved the insight into Hitler’s inner circle at the mountainside retreat and of his relationship with Eva.
A must read book that brings history to life in a mesmerising and addictive way.
You’re ending bought tears to my eyes and will forever remain in my heart!!
10 out of 10 from me!! Looking forward to V.S Alexander next book.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
August 20, 2018
The best part about this book was the idea - one of Hitler's tasters tells her story - and the worst part about this book was the execution.
I stayed interested in the novel because the premise was so intriguing to think about and, although I have read many books about the Holocaust told from the perspective of Jewish survivors, I don't know much about the last days of the Reich in Germany, and the promise of a birds-eye-view from Hitler's claustrophobic bunkers was enough to keep me around.
But...it would have been so much better had the idea been in the hands of a more talented writer. Sorry, V.S. Alexander. I just couldn't buy his main character, Magda, as a believable, sympathetic heroine you want to cheer for. In reality, she's selfish (consistently abandons everyone in her life in order to keep saving herself, ) and doesn't have nearly the amount of moral gumption she thinks she has, because even though she despises Hitler, she has no qualms using his name and her connections to him over and over again to make HER life better. Ugh.
She's also just not a believable character. It would have been really interesting to explore the gradual awakening of a German citizen to the horrors of her government, but Magda goes from blissful ignorance to suddenly hating Hitler quicker than a capsule of cyanide takes out Eva Braun. She also falls in love in, like, a sentence, and we're never shown any evidence as to WHY Magda and Karl would be so in love. Their relationship never feels real or invested in anything, besides their shared hatred of Hitler, and even that doesn't feel authentic because we're just TOLD they hate Hitler. No exploration of what led them to this feeling, or why they both feel the need to kill him, no questioning on their part or conflicted feelings towards the man they live with, or their country, etc. It's just so black and white, and I don't buy that.
I try to keep an open mind when reading books told from the perspective of a character who is the opposite sex of the author. I just read The Marriage Pact, and thought the female author did an excellent job telling the story from the point of view of Jake (even if my boyfriend disagreed that a man would ever drink that much hot chocolate, but I digress!). But V.S. Alexander...well, any kind of scene involving sex (whether it was Magda and Karl consummating their relationship, or Magda and her friends' horrific rape by the Russians invading Berlin) just seemed SO obviously written by a man. Not a compliment.
In addition to all that, the writing is not strong or compelling; it's very passive and even though incredibly dramatic and thrilling things purportedly happen (the fall of the Reich! the encroaching Allies! Hitler and Eva's planned suicides! the Klaus von Stauffenberg plot!) I was never on the edge of my seat, excitedly racing through the pages. As I noted above, it's a very interesting idea and that's what kept me invested, but I found my imagination AFTER closing the book to be much more active than the book itself. I'm inspired to read more about WWII and the Holocaust from the German perspective, but this book was not the one I was hoping it would be.
I stayed interested in the novel because the premise was so intriguing to think about and, although I have read many books about the Holocaust told from the perspective of Jewish survivors, I don't know much about the last days of the Reich in Germany, and the promise of a birds-eye-view from Hitler's claustrophobic bunkers was enough to keep me around.
But...it would have been so much better had the idea been in the hands of a more talented writer. Sorry, V.S. Alexander. I just couldn't buy his main character, Magda, as a believable, sympathetic heroine you want to cheer for. In reality, she's selfish (consistently abandons everyone in her life in order to keep saving herself, ) and doesn't have nearly the amount of moral gumption she thinks she has, because even though she despises Hitler, she has no qualms using his name and her connections to him over and over again to make HER life better. Ugh.
She's also just not a believable character. It would have been really interesting to explore the gradual awakening of a German citizen to the horrors of her government, but Magda goes from blissful ignorance to suddenly hating Hitler quicker than a capsule of cyanide takes out Eva Braun. She also falls in love in, like, a sentence, and we're never shown any evidence as to WHY Magda and Karl would be so in love. Their relationship never feels real or invested in anything, besides their shared hatred of Hitler, and even that doesn't feel authentic because we're just TOLD they hate Hitler. No exploration of what led them to this feeling, or why they both feel the need to kill him, no questioning on their part or conflicted feelings towards the man they live with, or their country, etc. It's just so black and white, and I don't buy that.
I try to keep an open mind when reading books told from the perspective of a character who is the opposite sex of the author. I just read The Marriage Pact, and thought the female author did an excellent job telling the story from the point of view of Jake (even if my boyfriend disagreed that a man would ever drink that much hot chocolate, but I digress!). But V.S. Alexander...well, any kind of scene involving sex (whether it was Magda and Karl consummating their relationship, or Magda and her friends' horrific rape by the Russians invading Berlin) just seemed SO obviously written by a man. Not a compliment.
In addition to all that, the writing is not strong or compelling; it's very passive and even though incredibly dramatic and thrilling things purportedly happen (the fall of the Reich! the encroaching Allies! Hitler and Eva's planned suicides! the Klaus von Stauffenberg plot!) I was never on the edge of my seat, excitedly racing through the pages. As I noted above, it's a very interesting idea and that's what kept me invested, but I found my imagination AFTER closing the book to be much more active than the book itself. I'm inspired to read more about WWII and the Holocaust from the German perspective, but this book was not the one I was hoping it would be.
June 22, 2018
There are many good novels on the subject of WWII. What makes this book stand out? It is something never told before.
The idea of this book was prompted by an account of Margot Woelk, a real taster for Adolf Hitler, who revealed her story at the age of ninety-five. This book is not based on her life, although several scenes from her life were incorporated into this story.
“Who killed Adolf Hitler? (…) The circumstances surrounding his death have been disputed since 1945…”
In this story, a fictional character of Magda Ritter answers this question by telling her story. “She is one of the fifteen women who tastes Hitler’s food as he is obsessively concerned about being poisoned by the Allies or traitors.”
In 1943, at the age of 25, Magda’s parents send her to their family in Bavaria to keep her safe from Allied bombs raiding over Berlin. As soon as she arrives in the charming town of Berchtesgaden, her aunt forces her to get a job to pay her share.
She is taken to Berghof Chalet perched on a hillside above her uncle’s town. Here she learns about her job description. As she learns her duties and how to identify poisonous food, she also learns about an underground network operating right under Hitler’s radar. The National Socialism they’ve been fed by Hitler turns out to be full of cruelty proven by photos taken at Auschwitz.
Cut off from the world and fed by Hitler’s propaganda, most of the German people don’t know the truth and the atrocities done in the camps. But as war progresses and as some hope it’s nearing its end, more and more Germans start questioning Hitler’s ideology, if it’s rather madness. More and more attempts are made to kill him, but they all fail. Now they’re hopeful that Operation Valkyrie will work.
The first part of the book is slow in action, but not in pace. It is still an interesting part. The second half has more action and graphic descriptions about brutality of the war.
How did Adolf Hitler die and did most of the Germans not know about atrocities of the WWII? We may never find out the answers to these questions. Nevertheless, this is a very fascinating read.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
http://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogsp...
The idea of this book was prompted by an account of Margot Woelk, a real taster for Adolf Hitler, who revealed her story at the age of ninety-five. This book is not based on her life, although several scenes from her life were incorporated into this story.
“Who killed Adolf Hitler? (…) The circumstances surrounding his death have been disputed since 1945…”
In this story, a fictional character of Magda Ritter answers this question by telling her story. “She is one of the fifteen women who tastes Hitler’s food as he is obsessively concerned about being poisoned by the Allies or traitors.”
In 1943, at the age of 25, Magda’s parents send her to their family in Bavaria to keep her safe from Allied bombs raiding over Berlin. As soon as she arrives in the charming town of Berchtesgaden, her aunt forces her to get a job to pay her share.
She is taken to Berghof Chalet perched on a hillside above her uncle’s town. Here she learns about her job description. As she learns her duties and how to identify poisonous food, she also learns about an underground network operating right under Hitler’s radar. The National Socialism they’ve been fed by Hitler turns out to be full of cruelty proven by photos taken at Auschwitz.
Cut off from the world and fed by Hitler’s propaganda, most of the German people don’t know the truth and the atrocities done in the camps. But as war progresses and as some hope it’s nearing its end, more and more Germans start questioning Hitler’s ideology, if it’s rather madness. More and more attempts are made to kill him, but they all fail. Now they’re hopeful that Operation Valkyrie will work.
The first part of the book is slow in action, but not in pace. It is still an interesting part. The second half has more action and graphic descriptions about brutality of the war.
How did Adolf Hitler die and did most of the Germans not know about atrocities of the WWII? We may never find out the answers to these questions. Nevertheless, this is a very fascinating read.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
http://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogsp...
January 18, 2018
I had mixed feelings about this book. It was really engaging, and I liked Magda a lot. It's always truly fascinating to see WWII from the perspective of an average German citizen, and this was no exception. However, despite how average Magda is, everything happens to her. Warning, a lot of spoiler in this spoiler - like the entire plot. Now, if you can suspend disbelief that one woman can experience literally every facet of the war in Germany that a civilian woman could possibly experience, it's a highly readable and page-turning work of fiction. Also, because of her vast experience, the reader learns a lot about the workings of the Reich and what it was like for civilian women, including what information they had about the government's actions. I liked this book a lot; it just requires a giant grain of salt to swallow!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
August 12, 2023
خبببب بنظر میرسه که یکی از معماهای بزرگ تاریخ به لطف این کتاب بالاخره حل شد، اما نمیدونم چقدر یا چطور میشه این کتاب رو باور کرد...چون من اصلا نمی تونم🤔😬
ماگدا، پیش مرگ محترم و مصمم هیتلر بعد از تعریف قصه های خاله بازی های صورتی اکلیلی با آدولف و اوا و بقیه ی بچه های پناهگاه هیتلر اینا و خاطرات شخصی اما مثلا نسبتا مهم که نمیدونم چقدرش خیال، اغراق یا واقعیته، یهووو همچنان که شاهد ازدواج اوا براون و هیتلر بوده، ساعاتی بعد به یمن امداد های غیبی از لایه های حفاظتی می گذره و سر از خلوتشون در میاره و شاهد خودکشی اوا با سیانور میشه و خودش شخصاااا به هیتلر تیر خلاص رو میزنه( البته ی کم قبلش هیتلر هم با توجه به روایت کتاب و همچنین اطلاعات موجود از سیانور استفاده کرده) و خلاصه دنیا رو از دست این آفت جهانسوز نجات میده!!
فقط من هر چی سرچ کردم نتونستم اون " منبع موثق🫣😎 " تایید کننده ی " ماگدا ریتر قاتل/منجی _ پیشمرگ " رو پیدا کنم، چون در مورد مرگ و یا فرار هیتلر بین علما اختلافاتی هست، و اگر خیلی خنثی نگاه کنم و بگم اطلاعات این کتاب درسته چرا این پیشمرگ که انقدر هم تاثیرگذار بوده تا این حد گمنامه و از طرفی چرا قطعیت مرگ و یا نوع مرگ هیتلر(خودکشی با سیانور و شلیک یا فقط سیانور) تا حدی هنوووووز در هاله ای از ابهامه؟ 🫤😒
ماگدا، پیش مرگ محترم و مصمم هیتلر بعد از تعریف قصه های خاله بازی های صورتی اکلیلی با آدولف و اوا و بقیه ی بچه های پناهگاه هیتلر اینا و خاطرات شخصی اما مثلا نسبتا مهم که نمیدونم چقدرش خیال، اغراق یا واقعیته، یهووو همچنان که شاهد ازدواج اوا براون و هیتلر بوده، ساعاتی بعد به یمن امداد های غیبی از لایه های حفاظتی می گذره و سر از خلوتشون در میاره و شاهد خودکشی اوا با سیانور میشه و خودش شخصاااا به هیتلر تیر خلاص رو میزنه( البته ی کم قبلش هیتلر هم با توجه به روایت کتاب و همچنین اطلاعات موجود از سیانور استفاده کرده) و خلاصه دنیا رو از دست این آفت جهانسوز نجات میده!!
فقط من هر چی سرچ کردم نتونستم اون " منبع موثق🫣😎 " تایید کننده ی " ماگدا ریتر قاتل/منجی _ پیشمرگ " رو پیدا کنم، چون در مورد مرگ و یا فرار هیتلر بین علما اختلافاتی هست، و اگر خیلی خنثی نگاه کنم و بگم اطلاعات این کتاب درسته چرا این پیشمرگ که انقدر هم تاثیرگذار بوده تا این حد گمنامه و از طرفی چرا قطعیت مرگ و یا نوع مرگ هیتلر(خودکشی با سیانور و شلیک یا فقط سیانور) تا حدی هنوووووز در هاله ای از ابهامه؟ 🫤😒
May 2, 2018
I thought this book was fabulous !!! And, I felt like it was a bit ironic that I finished it yesterday, on the 73rd anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s death. The plot which centered around Magda Ritter’s life working for the Reich and having the job of being one of Hitler’s tasters, due to his mounting fear of being poisoned, was heartbreaking as well as an emotional story filled with acts of extraordinary courage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars !!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars !!
July 21, 2018
I borrowed this book from a fellow teacher at my school and I was so glad that I did. The author, V.S. Alexander, based the premise of this book, on an article she came across about a woman named Margot Woelk who was a taster for Hitler. The article came out in 2013 when Woelk was approaching her 95th birthday. Woelk had never disclosed what she did during WWII before then. V.S. Alexander used some of Woelk's experiences, reported in the article, as the catalyst to write this novel.
I have read many books about WWII over the years but this book opened my eyes to several things. First of all, I had never known that Hitler employed tasters, young women who tasted his food to make sure he was not poisoned. He was so paranoid about being poisoned. It also opened my eyes to realize that there were some SS soldiers who began to question Hitler and what he was doing. Some of these SS soldiers even banned together to try and assassinate Hitler. Different sides of Hitler's being was revealed to the reader in a way that only a personal connection, like a taster, could have known.
Magda Ritter was a young woman living with her parents in Berlin during WWII. In 1943, the bombings in Berlin became so widespread and frequent, that Magda's parents thought it would be safer for her to go to her father's brother's house in Bavaria, far away from Berlin. Magda went to live with Uncle Willy and Aunt Reina. Her first night there was welcoming. Bavaria was so much more quiet that Berlin and Uncle Willy and Aunt Reina seemed nice. The next morning, Aunt Reina informed Magda that it was her duty to get a job and work for the Reich. Young German women were expected to either get married and have children or go to work for the Reich. Since Uncle Willy was a police officer and respected member of the party he got her an interview at the Reichsbund which was the office for civil service. The next day, the Reichsbund office called and Magda was told she had a job although they never mentioned what she was going to do. She reported to the Reichsbund the next morning and was taken to Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Magda was to become a taster.
This is not the typical WWII book. It was well written and researched. I highly recommend it.
I have read many books about WWII over the years but this book opened my eyes to several things. First of all, I had never known that Hitler employed tasters, young women who tasted his food to make sure he was not poisoned. He was so paranoid about being poisoned. It also opened my eyes to realize that there were some SS soldiers who began to question Hitler and what he was doing. Some of these SS soldiers even banned together to try and assassinate Hitler. Different sides of Hitler's being was revealed to the reader in a way that only a personal connection, like a taster, could have known.
Magda Ritter was a young woman living with her parents in Berlin during WWII. In 1943, the bombings in Berlin became so widespread and frequent, that Magda's parents thought it would be safer for her to go to her father's brother's house in Bavaria, far away from Berlin. Magda went to live with Uncle Willy and Aunt Reina. Her first night there was welcoming. Bavaria was so much more quiet that Berlin and Uncle Willy and Aunt Reina seemed nice. The next morning, Aunt Reina informed Magda that it was her duty to get a job and work for the Reich. Young German women were expected to either get married and have children or go to work for the Reich. Since Uncle Willy was a police officer and respected member of the party he got her an interview at the Reichsbund which was the office for civil service. The next day, the Reichsbund office called and Magda was told she had a job although they never mentioned what she was going to do. She reported to the Reichsbund the next morning and was taken to Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Magda was to become a taster.
This is not the typical WWII book. It was well written and researched. I highly recommend it.
May 16, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Carol Monda and enjoyed her voice tremendously. She sounds very unique with almost a rasp and a lower register voice tone which was pleasing to my ear. Her voice translated quite well to my idea of the German accent, although I am no audiophile, and have no proficiency in German.
The story begins in 1943 in Berlin with Magda Ritter. Her parents are concerned about the encroaching war and send her to her Uncle Willy and Aunt Reina in Berchtesgaden. Aunt Reina tells Magda to get married or look for work as they can’t afford another mouth to feed. With no real job skills, she looks for work a while before finally landing a job working at ‘The Berghof,’ Hitler’s mountain retreat. Magda has been selected as a taster for the Führer, sampling his food to be sure it has not been poisoned. Hitler is exceedingly paranoid, Cook explains as she teaches Magda how to recognize both the smell and taste of poison. Mushrooms, arsenic, mercury chloride, and cyanide were the poisons Magda was taught to recognize. Only people with a certain genetic trait can smell cyanide, which emits the odor of bitter almonds.
I enjoyed the history in this story. Alexander positions her main character, Magda Ritter, in strategic ways to exploit as much of Hitler's history as possible. This makes things seem a little contrived at times. Magda acts in ways that land her in hot water, ways that to me were not always credible considering the stressful situations, but advance the plot. Magda meets Ava Braun, Hitler’s lady companion, and becomes familiar with some of the SS officers. A romance will brew, adding to my enjoyment as well as the suspense of the narrative. The daily intrigues of life surrounding the Führer will become known to Magda.
Magda will also spend time at the Wolf’s Lair, in Rastenburg, Poland, where she will meet new girls who come to be tasters. One girl, Minna has an air of superiority. Alexander sets up a dramatic clash between the two girls. During its peak operation, two thousand people worked at the Wolf's Lair, within three rings of security, the outermost ring being surrounded by land mines. Alexander does a superb job of describing the anxiety that Magda faces living in such a place.
In 'The Taster' we will meet Germans who believe fully in Hitler and those who do not, as well as those who are ready to die to depose him. Hitler’s last days play out from Magda’s POV, and we see Berlin as it falls. Alexander’s narrative is straight forward. The story is mainly plot-driven, yet there are some interesting insights into the characters. A real-life taster, Margot Woelk, who tells her story at age 95, gave the author the idea for the story, although Alexander says this is not an account of Woelk’s life. I would definitely read this author again.
The story begins in 1943 in Berlin with Magda Ritter. Her parents are concerned about the encroaching war and send her to her Uncle Willy and Aunt Reina in Berchtesgaden. Aunt Reina tells Magda to get married or look for work as they can’t afford another mouth to feed. With no real job skills, she looks for work a while before finally landing a job working at ‘The Berghof,’ Hitler’s mountain retreat. Magda has been selected as a taster for the Führer, sampling his food to be sure it has not been poisoned. Hitler is exceedingly paranoid, Cook explains as she teaches Magda how to recognize both the smell and taste of poison. Mushrooms, arsenic, mercury chloride, and cyanide were the poisons Magda was taught to recognize. Only people with a certain genetic trait can smell cyanide, which emits the odor of bitter almonds.
I enjoyed the history in this story. Alexander positions her main character, Magda Ritter, in strategic ways to exploit as much of Hitler's history as possible. This makes things seem a little contrived at times. Magda acts in ways that land her in hot water, ways that to me were not always credible considering the stressful situations, but advance the plot. Magda meets Ava Braun, Hitler’s lady companion, and becomes familiar with some of the SS officers. A romance will brew, adding to my enjoyment as well as the suspense of the narrative. The daily intrigues of life surrounding the Führer will become known to Magda.
Magda will also spend time at the Wolf’s Lair, in Rastenburg, Poland, where she will meet new girls who come to be tasters. One girl, Minna has an air of superiority. Alexander sets up a dramatic clash between the two girls. During its peak operation, two thousand people worked at the Wolf's Lair, within three rings of security, the outermost ring being surrounded by land mines. Alexander does a superb job of describing the anxiety that Magda faces living in such a place.
In 'The Taster' we will meet Germans who believe fully in Hitler and those who do not, as well as those who are ready to die to depose him. Hitler’s last days play out from Magda’s POV, and we see Berlin as it falls. Alexander’s narrative is straight forward. The story is mainly plot-driven, yet there are some interesting insights into the characters. A real-life taster, Margot Woelk, who tells her story at age 95, gave the author the idea for the story, although Alexander says this is not an account of Woelk’s life. I would definitely read this author again.
April 12, 2018
An absolutely amazing novel loosely based on an interview a 95 year old woman gave several years ago that was a taster for Hitler. It was fascinating to read about the many books the author has read on the Third Reich and all the research he has done on this. German woman Magda Ritter is at the end of her life and feels she must release her lifelong secrets from their inner prison. She feels she has been punished enough by them so it goes to the beginning of her life and tells her story. . Young German women are expected to do their duty—working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. When she is interviewed she is assigned to Berghof, Hitler’s mountain retreat. She is there for weeks clueless before she learns of her duty as one of fifteen tasters of Hitler's foods. She offers herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned. Upon arriving for her assignment she was meek,mild, timid but as the books moves on we see Magda come into her own as she adjusts to where she is and becomes a stronger woman and self assured. She then goes on to reassure other new women coming in to work. As time goes on she becomes disillusioned and hatches a plan to "get rid of Hitler". Tough,gritty,heartbreaking,breathtaking and not knowing what to expect will keep you on your toes wanting to read more and more of this book.Hitler was pure evil but yet he was grandfatherly towards some of the children and his dog Blondi went everywhere with him. I enjoyed it so much it was hard to see this Historical fiction book come to an end. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
Pub Date 30 Jan 2018 I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pub Date 30 Jan 2018 I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 14, 2019
3.5 German WWII historical fiction stars
I really wanted to love this one as I see so many other Goodreads Friends gave it 4 and 5 stars. Maybe it just wasn't the right timing for me.
This tale is the story of Magda Ritter, a young German woman who becomes a food taster for Hitler. With a fear of being poisoned, Hitler employed dozens of women who tasted his food prior to it being delivered to him.
This was an insider's view of life during WWII in close proximity to Hitler. Magda has several encounters with the German leader. She eventually becomes more embroiled in politics and plots and falls in love with a German officer.
Magda had some interesting thoughts that I usually question about Germans during WWII -- how many of them knew of the atrocities happening? was there anything the average German could do to stop what was happening? how many of them went along and how many embraced the ideology with fervor?
I wish I would have connected more with the characters in this one. It was an interesting read but was not the most compelling WWII read.
I really wanted to love this one as I see so many other Goodreads Friends gave it 4 and 5 stars. Maybe it just wasn't the right timing for me.
This tale is the story of Magda Ritter, a young German woman who becomes a food taster for Hitler. With a fear of being poisoned, Hitler employed dozens of women who tasted his food prior to it being delivered to him.
This was an insider's view of life during WWII in close proximity to Hitler. Magda has several encounters with the German leader. She eventually becomes more embroiled in politics and plots and falls in love with a German officer.
Magda had some interesting thoughts that I usually question about Germans during WWII -- how many of them knew of the atrocities happening? was there anything the average German could do to stop what was happening? how many of them went along and how many embraced the ideology with fervor?
I wish I would have connected more with the characters in this one. It was an interesting read but was not the most compelling WWII read.
January 30, 2018
Wow.
I requested this book because it sounded interesting. I had no idea just how in-depth it would be and just how much this book would affect me. I cannot even imagine what life must have been like during the war, especially for the Germans who didn't subscribe to Hitler's madness; I can imagine even less what it must have been like to be plucked out of nothing and made a "taster" of Hitler's food to make sure it wasn't poisoned.
Magda is just a normal German girl; she has no great ambitions and she isn't interested in being part of the "party" that was spreading across Germany with the rise of Hitler and his Army. She is sent to her Aunt and Uncle's house where she earns the favor of the SS and is sent to Hitler's private Alpine residence to become one of his 15 official tasters. While there, she meets and falls in love with a young SS captain and also learns just how much she truly dislikes Hitler and all he was doing, while his people were suffering. Magda has to hide her displeasure and pretend, all while wishing the very man she was "tasting to save" dead.
This was an amazing story and I am so glad that I was able to read it. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC; I guarantee if you read this, you will never be the same.
I requested this book because it sounded interesting. I had no idea just how in-depth it would be and just how much this book would affect me. I cannot even imagine what life must have been like during the war, especially for the Germans who didn't subscribe to Hitler's madness; I can imagine even less what it must have been like to be plucked out of nothing and made a "taster" of Hitler's food to make sure it wasn't poisoned.
Magda is just a normal German girl; she has no great ambitions and she isn't interested in being part of the "party" that was spreading across Germany with the rise of Hitler and his Army. She is sent to her Aunt and Uncle's house where she earns the favor of the SS and is sent to Hitler's private Alpine residence to become one of his 15 official tasters. While there, she meets and falls in love with a young SS captain and also learns just how much she truly dislikes Hitler and all he was doing, while his people were suffering. Magda has to hide her displeasure and pretend, all while wishing the very man she was "tasting to save" dead.
This was an amazing story and I am so glad that I was able to read it. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC; I guarantee if you read this, you will never be the same.
October 27, 2017
The Taster tells the story of Magda, a young woman who tasted Hitler’s food to make sure he didn’t get poisoned. It’s an interesting premise, but sadly the book doesn’t live up to it. I think the main issue is the writing. It’s very distant, with lots of telling instead of showing. I never felt connected to the characters or the events described in the book. The story covers several years and is told in a linear fashion, without any suspense or surprises. It all makes the book a little uninspiring. The one surprise at the end was so farfetched, it didn’t really make sense. I had to work hard to suspend my disbelief at some other points in the book as well.
*** I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review ***
*** I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review ***
February 22, 2019
Opinião completa em: https://marcadordelivros.blogspot.com...
November 15, 2021
Solamente con ver el titulo de la novela, llama mucho la atención y mas si eres fan de este tipo de historias…
Comencé el libro con muchas ganas, y la verdad que no defrauda, se lee de una forma muy agil y muy rápida.
Nuestra protagonista, Magda, cuenta su historia y la autora lo hace de tal manera que logras ponerte en la piel de ella, con esa tensión de ciertos momentos.. logra que te enganches…
La historia se desarrolla sobretodo en dos escenarios, Berghof, retiro de Hitler en los Alpes, y en el Bunker de Berlín.
El mismo titulo te dice de que trata la novela, Magda será una de las 15 catadoras de Hitler, al estar tan obsesionado porque todos querían matarle, tenia catadoras de todo lo que comía para asegurarse que no lo envenenaban…
Es una historia que esta muy bien documentada, a través de nuestra protagonista y otra seria de personajes, contactara con Hitler y con Eva, y nos relatara todo lo que vivió allí, como habia demasiadas personas que estaban en su contra y no pensaban para nada igual y que aun así se les trato como a todos los nazis.
Es una novela que tiene su parte dura, pero también tiene un toque de amor, que quizá es lo que me ha fallado, un amor que se desarrolla de una manera muy rápida y que no acaba de convencerme.
El final me ha gustado, hay una parte que no te esperas, y otras que si porque sabes la historia de este personaje y las muchas “leyendas” que giran a su alrededor.
Si te gusta esta época y este tipo de historias te la recomiendo.
Comencé el libro con muchas ganas, y la verdad que no defrauda, se lee de una forma muy agil y muy rápida.
Nuestra protagonista, Magda, cuenta su historia y la autora lo hace de tal manera que logras ponerte en la piel de ella, con esa tensión de ciertos momentos.. logra que te enganches…
La historia se desarrolla sobretodo en dos escenarios, Berghof, retiro de Hitler en los Alpes, y en el Bunker de Berlín.
El mismo titulo te dice de que trata la novela, Magda será una de las 15 catadoras de Hitler, al estar tan obsesionado porque todos querían matarle, tenia catadoras de todo lo que comía para asegurarse que no lo envenenaban…
Es una historia que esta muy bien documentada, a través de nuestra protagonista y otra seria de personajes, contactara con Hitler y con Eva, y nos relatara todo lo que vivió allí, como habia demasiadas personas que estaban en su contra y no pensaban para nada igual y que aun así se les trato como a todos los nazis.
Es una novela que tiene su parte dura, pero también tiene un toque de amor, que quizá es lo que me ha fallado, un amor que se desarrolla de una manera muy rápida y que no acaba de convencerme.
El final me ha gustado, hay una parte que no te esperas, y otras que si porque sabes la historia de este personaje y las muchas “leyendas” que giran a su alrededor.
Si te gusta esta época y este tipo de historias te la recomiendo.
February 17, 2025
I could not put this book down.
If you’re into WWll historical fiction this book is for you.
Easily made it into my top 10 of all time book list.
If you’re into WWll historical fiction this book is for you.
Easily made it into my top 10 of all time book list.
February 17, 2018
A big thank you to Kensington publishing, V. S. Alexander and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you as well to my Goodreads friends for introducing me to this book. The moment I started reading, I was captivated and intrigued. It's not too often that a book captures my attention from start to finish but The Taster was successful in achieving this feat.
I found the writing style to be quite interesting. It was simple and straightforward and worked well in this instance. We meet Magda, a young woman who is naive and seemingly apathetic about WW2 and her country's Nazi regime. Up until now, Magda has lived a sheltered existence but her life is about to change. As the Allies draw nearer to Berlin and the likelihood of being killed by bombs increases,, Magda's parents arrange for her to stay with relatives outside of the city. It is through her uncle that she is hired as a Taster for the fuhrer. Who knew that such an occupation even existed??? The story does a fabulous job in mixing Magda's fictional experiences with historical details. It is the first time I've read a war story from this particular perspective and with Hitler playing a prominent character in the narration. I found it fascinating.
The story moves along at a good clip. Readers that enjoy more of a plot-based narrative will probably enjoy this book. Magda's situation changes throughout the story from 1943 to 1945 (and beyond), which allows the reader to witness different aspects and atrocities of the war from a German civilian perspective. i felt the author successfully achieved a nice balance of detail and narration. Although it is raw and tragic, it is well crafted and I found the violence to be an instrumental part of the plot, which added depth and understanding. I do love a good war story, however, so this may not be everyone's cup of tea.
If you're okay with some violence, like WW2 stories and looking for an interesting, engaging and unique WW2 historical fiction, this might be worth a try. I found it to be quite thoughtful and hard to put down.
I found the writing style to be quite interesting. It was simple and straightforward and worked well in this instance. We meet Magda, a young woman who is naive and seemingly apathetic about WW2 and her country's Nazi regime. Up until now, Magda has lived a sheltered existence but her life is about to change. As the Allies draw nearer to Berlin and the likelihood of being killed by bombs increases,, Magda's parents arrange for her to stay with relatives outside of the city. It is through her uncle that she is hired as a Taster for the fuhrer. Who knew that such an occupation even existed??? The story does a fabulous job in mixing Magda's fictional experiences with historical details. It is the first time I've read a war story from this particular perspective and with Hitler playing a prominent character in the narration. I found it fascinating.
The story moves along at a good clip. Readers that enjoy more of a plot-based narrative will probably enjoy this book. Magda's situation changes throughout the story from 1943 to 1945 (and beyond), which allows the reader to witness different aspects and atrocities of the war from a German civilian perspective. i felt the author successfully achieved a nice balance of detail and narration. Although it is raw and tragic, it is well crafted and I found the violence to be an instrumental part of the plot, which added depth and understanding. I do love a good war story, however, so this may not be everyone's cup of tea.
If you're okay with some violence, like WW2 stories and looking for an interesting, engaging and unique WW2 historical fiction, this might be worth a try. I found it to be quite thoughtful and hard to put down.
March 22, 2018
Not a terrible book, but also not one that I really loved. I didn’t feel anything for the romance that seemed to just happen one day. There was no real development I feel. It was just like ‘one day we made love’ and so on. Was just emotionless for me. Towards the ending though, I begin to feel the heartache and sorrow the world experienced back then. Overall, the story was okay, but a bit unbelievable. The writing was okay. I wouldn’t rule out reading other books from the author, but this won’t be a book I keep on my shelves unfortunately. Would still recommend it if you want a short historical fiction read with a slightly different approach.
December 24, 2018
9 de 10*
Depois de ter lido inúmeros livros sobre Hitler e o Holocausto ou sobre os campos de concentração fica difícil ler algo diferente que me traga uma outra visão ou informação inédita. Foi, por isso mesmo, que assim que li a sinopse de “A Provadora” fiquei muito curiosa na sua leitura, já que aborda um vertente que nunca tinha lido.
Comentário completo em:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...
Depois de ter lido inúmeros livros sobre Hitler e o Holocausto ou sobre os campos de concentração fica difícil ler algo diferente que me traga uma outra visão ou informação inédita. Foi, por isso mesmo, que assim que li a sinopse de “A Provadora” fiquei muito curiosa na sua leitura, já que aborda um vertente que nunca tinha lido.
Comentário completo em:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...
March 20, 2024
نمیدونم دقیقا باید به این کتاب چند بدم بخاطر اینکه این کتاب برای من یه مدت طولانی ای طول کشید خوندنش و واقعا تحت تاثیر این کتاب قرار کردم و برای همین این امتیاز رو بهش میدم ولی واقعا ارزش خوندن داره و خوندن درباره هیتلر و اون زمان و جنگ چیز دردناکیه برای من
March 9, 2019
Questo romanzo si origina da una testimonianza diretta raccontata, in finzione letteraria, da Margot Wölk che vive ancora oggi a Berlino ha 95 anni e per due anni lavorò per le SS come assaggiatrice dei pasti dei Fhurer.
Sono gli ultimi mesi prima della capitolazione, quando il rischio di avvelenamento per Hitler era diventato una ossessione, del tutto giustificata dal precipitare degli eventi.
La cuoca ci serve un cucchiaio di ogni portata, prendendolo da vari punti del piatto. Alcune di noi lo assaggiano e poi aspettiamo. A volte, quando aprono una bottiglia, ci fanno assaggiare anche il vino. Dobbiamo mangiare un’ora prima del Führer
Il racconto è ambientato in parte a Berlino e in parte in due luoghi emblematici del Terzo Reich: il Berghof, rifugio di montagna che poi divenne la dimora prediletta da Hitler, luogo stupendo affacciato e dominante le Alpi bavaresi dove
Il panorama conferiva al suo padrone la superiorità psicologica di uno che si crede Dio. Guardando i picchi rocciosi attorno al Berghof, sembrava di essere in cima al mondo, mentre il resto dell’umanità, in fondo alla valle, era come polvere sotto le suole delle scarpe. E Hitler era il padrone di tutto ciò su cui il suo occhio spaziava
L’ambientazione poi si sposta a Rastenburg in Prussia nella cosidetta Tana del Lupo un insieme di bunker fortificati e nascosti nella foresta, da dove Hitler diresse l'offensiva contro l'avanzata russa verso Berlino.
Il libro indulge su alcuni aspetti della vita privata di Hitler intimi e anche meno noti.
Pare quasi un Hitler più fragile che come una belva ferita comincia ad avere paura e a intravedere il declino del suo folle sogno, gli sta accanto la fedele compagna Eva Braun resa cieca dal suo carisma. Hitler legge, scrive ascolta musica, fa passeggiare Blondi l’amato pastore tedesco, scambia cordiali parole con il personale al suo servizio quasi fosse un amabile padrone, riceve le visite dei gerarchi di Partito, si sposa poche ora prima di togliersi la vita.
Scopro che Hitler è vegetariano e non mangia carne, quasi solo frutta verdura e uova (che sono il suo piatto preferito), spesso mette a disagio gli ospiti che non seguono il suo regime alimentare con raccapriccianti invettive contro la macellazione degli animali; evidente l'incoerenza di un uomo che da una parte depreca l'uccisone degli animali dall’altra non esita a dare ordine di bruciare carne umana nei forni crematori.
C’è anche la narrazione di un tentativo di resistenza al nazismo da parte della protagonista legata ad uno dei colonnell autori dell'attentato alla vita di Hitler, parzialmente fallito, e noto come Operazione Valchiria, e c'è anche la storia d'amore (e figuriamoci…se mancava), un romanzo che comunque non ha la pretesa di essere una ricostruzione storica rigorosa.
E' curioso perché le stesse vicende, con qualche variazione, sono state raccontata più recentemente anche da Rosella Postorino nel libro intitolato Le assaggiatrici che l'anno scorso ha vinto Il Campiello .
Ma il libro di V. S. Alexander, appassionato studioso di storia, è stato pubblicato prima.
Mi chiedo se la Pastorino lo conosceva, se lo aveva letto, nelle interviste rilasciate a giornali o in rete non vi ho trovato alcun accenno.
Certo gli argomenti di cui si occupa la narrativa non sono mai esclusivi né di proprietà alcuna, e ogni scrittore offre il proprio taglio e prospettiva, libero di scrivere e riscrivere la stessa storia, non ne verrà fuori mai la stessa, ma la primogenitura di un fatto preciso, mai raccontato prima, io credo forse andrebbe riconosciuta.
Sono gli ultimi mesi prima della capitolazione, quando il rischio di avvelenamento per Hitler era diventato una ossessione, del tutto giustificata dal precipitare degli eventi.
La cuoca ci serve un cucchiaio di ogni portata, prendendolo da vari punti del piatto. Alcune di noi lo assaggiano e poi aspettiamo. A volte, quando aprono una bottiglia, ci fanno assaggiare anche il vino. Dobbiamo mangiare un’ora prima del Führer
Il racconto è ambientato in parte a Berlino e in parte in due luoghi emblematici del Terzo Reich: il Berghof, rifugio di montagna che poi divenne la dimora prediletta da Hitler, luogo stupendo affacciato e dominante le Alpi bavaresi dove
Il panorama conferiva al suo padrone la superiorità psicologica di uno che si crede Dio. Guardando i picchi rocciosi attorno al Berghof, sembrava di essere in cima al mondo, mentre il resto dell’umanità, in fondo alla valle, era come polvere sotto le suole delle scarpe. E Hitler era il padrone di tutto ciò su cui il suo occhio spaziava
L’ambientazione poi si sposta a Rastenburg in Prussia nella cosidetta Tana del Lupo un insieme di bunker fortificati e nascosti nella foresta, da dove Hitler diresse l'offensiva contro l'avanzata russa verso Berlino.
Il libro indulge su alcuni aspetti della vita privata di Hitler intimi e anche meno noti.
Pare quasi un Hitler più fragile che come una belva ferita comincia ad avere paura e a intravedere il declino del suo folle sogno, gli sta accanto la fedele compagna Eva Braun resa cieca dal suo carisma. Hitler legge, scrive ascolta musica, fa passeggiare Blondi l’amato pastore tedesco, scambia cordiali parole con il personale al suo servizio quasi fosse un amabile padrone, riceve le visite dei gerarchi di Partito, si sposa poche ora prima di togliersi la vita.
Scopro che Hitler è vegetariano e non mangia carne, quasi solo frutta verdura e uova (che sono il suo piatto preferito), spesso mette a disagio gli ospiti che non seguono il suo regime alimentare con raccapriccianti invettive contro la macellazione degli animali; evidente l'incoerenza di un uomo che da una parte depreca l'uccisone degli animali dall’altra non esita a dare ordine di bruciare carne umana nei forni crematori.
C’è anche la narrazione di un tentativo di resistenza al nazismo da parte della protagonista legata ad uno dei colonnell autori dell'attentato alla vita di Hitler, parzialmente fallito, e noto come Operazione Valchiria, e c'è anche la storia d'amore (e figuriamoci…se mancava), un romanzo che comunque non ha la pretesa di essere una ricostruzione storica rigorosa.
E' curioso perché le stesse vicende, con qualche variazione, sono state raccontata più recentemente anche da Rosella Postorino nel libro intitolato Le assaggiatrici che l'anno scorso ha vinto Il Campiello .
Ma il libro di V. S. Alexander, appassionato studioso di storia, è stato pubblicato prima.
Mi chiedo se la Pastorino lo conosceva, se lo aveva letto, nelle interviste rilasciate a giornali o in rete non vi ho trovato alcun accenno.
Certo gli argomenti di cui si occupa la narrativa non sono mai esclusivi né di proprietà alcuna, e ogni scrittore offre il proprio taglio e prospettiva, libero di scrivere e riscrivere la stessa storia, non ne verrà fuori mai la stessa, ma la primogenitura di un fatto preciso, mai raccontato prima, io credo forse andrebbe riconosciuta.
September 6, 2018
I love World War II books, anything I can learn I will, even if fictionalized to make it more interesting. The bones are there, and that is what I like. Of course, no one knows exactly what was said, but the setting is true and fills my history loving heart.
This is the story of Magda Ritter, a German girl, but not a party member because she wasn’t sure she believed the ways of the Reich. When Berlin was being bombed her father and mother sent her to Berchtesgaden to live with her aunt and uncle who praised Hitler. They demanded she get work, at which she went and eventually because a taster for the food to be eaten by Hitler. This was a job that was very dangerous, but showed extreme faithfulness to ensure the safety of the Fuhrer. Magda fell in love with an SS Captain, who turns out felt the same as her and was in a group set to kill Hitler. Being close to the Fuhrer also brought some advantages to make this more possible. She watched as two friends were killed, one was murdered, and the thought of her love dying brought the cause of killing Hitler that much closer to the person she wanted never to become.
I truly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it highly to those that enjoy reading about World War II and the trials that some went through to stay alive.
I received this book from Netgalley, Kensington Books, and author V. S. Alexander for my honest review. As such I would give this one 4.5 stars.
This is the story of Magda Ritter, a German girl, but not a party member because she wasn’t sure she believed the ways of the Reich. When Berlin was being bombed her father and mother sent her to Berchtesgaden to live with her aunt and uncle who praised Hitler. They demanded she get work, at which she went and eventually because a taster for the food to be eaten by Hitler. This was a job that was very dangerous, but showed extreme faithfulness to ensure the safety of the Fuhrer. Magda fell in love with an SS Captain, who turns out felt the same as her and was in a group set to kill Hitler. Being close to the Fuhrer also brought some advantages to make this more possible. She watched as two friends were killed, one was murdered, and the thought of her love dying brought the cause of killing Hitler that much closer to the person she wanted never to become.
I truly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it highly to those that enjoy reading about World War II and the trials that some went through to stay alive.
I received this book from Netgalley, Kensington Books, and author V. S. Alexander for my honest review. As such I would give this one 4.5 stars.
April 9, 2021
En esta novela se trata el tema de la segunda guerra mundial desde el punto de vista de una alemana, eso sería lo único novedoso de este libro. Sin embargo, la ejecución es muy deficiente con una protagonista alemana que pasa de ser una chica que ni siquiera ha trabajado ni sabe mucho de política, a trabajar con Hitler sin aprobar sus acciones, haciendo planes inverosímiles en su contra mientras mantiene un romance que se desarrolla en 5 minutos y que en general es muy cursi. No hay ninguna evolución en el personaje, que parece escrito más bien para agradar al lector actual, pero no es realista. Y el final qué decir, fantasioso y al parecer solo para darse un gusto el autor rellenando partes de la historia que en realidad nunca conoceremos. Lo peor que he leido como novela de la segunda guerra mundial y no entiendo las buenas calificaciones.
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