Unwavering

World War II #3

by Marion Kummerow

From inspiration to heartache, hope is fleeting asfreedom becomes a distant memory…Wilhelm Quedlin’s plan to change the tide of the war is thwarted when he is arrested. And, making matters worse, with the arrest of his wife, Hilde, the fate of their children is thrown into chaos. The situation is desperate and the circumstances become even more dire when Q finds out who was behind his capture and imprisonment.Yet hope remains...In the midst of their situation, Q and Hilde are encouraged when they meet like-minded political prisoners in the penitentiary and rumors of reprieval make the rounds.Despite darkness and despair looming in the distance, their hope never fades.Will they evade the inevitable and come out unscathed by the claws of the Gestapo?Readers who love "I feel privileged to know the names of these bravest heroes and they have filled my soul with inspiration and heart with unrelenting justice. Thank you for sharing this story, it will stay with me forever." - Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"...I was so caught up in the characters, their lives, their hopes and dreams that I was mesmerized to the very end. Knowing that these books were based on true characters and historical times only made for a more intriguing read. I recommend this trilogy to anyone who wishes to lose themselves in a great story." - Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"I feverishly delved through the books craving for the story to unfold and be told. I immediately fell in love with the characters, their lives and their cause. This trilogy does tug at your heart strings but is based on the true story of the author's grandparents throughout the Holocaust and their daring secretive work for the resistance. This story is definitely worth the read!" - Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Fiction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2017

About the author

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime.

It's a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.

Reviews

[Vanessa (bookfairy.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

This was a good end to the trilogy.

Unfortunately, there weren't many scenes with Q and Hilde together. Those were the ones I loved most in the previous books.
As the story was still told from both perspectives and as Hilde and Q's experiences in this book were very similar, there were many repetitions. Sometimes it felt as I was reading the same chapter twice. It wasn't too bad, but noticeable. Also I found that the story was a bit drawn-out. There were all these letter between Q and Hilde and from Hilde to the other family members. And I understand that these letters are the foundation of the story as the are the main source if information for the author. (This was told in the author's notes, which by the way I found very interesting to read!) However, I still believe that the story seemed a bit one-sided, since not much else (except sitting and waiting) happened.

I liked how the main characters thought about each other though and that neither of both blamed the other one what the things that happened. Only Hilde's mother made Q responsible. Which bring me to my biggest issue in this book. The character of Annie - which I hate with all I have - and the way she acts when her daughter is in misery.

The next section will be somewhat if a rant and will contain SPOILERS.





When Hilde is sitting in a cell and suspected of high treason, Annie organises a lawyer for her daughter. Which is awesome. But in exchange for the lawyer Annie expects something. She wants Hilde to sign a contract that transfers the power over all of Hilde and Q's assets and property to her. When visiting Hilde in prison she's wearing her coat. And when visiting Q she's wearing her diamond wedding ring? Seriously?
I mean what mother would do that?
And then she's talking about what a lovely and handsome man Kriminalkommisar Becker is and that Q is a monster. Or when she says "I should have drowned you in the first bath water." to her own bloody daughter!?!?!?! Excuse me?????
I was SO enraged reading this. SHE is the real monster in this book.
And she's so sneaky. She had Hilde and Q sign this contract to have the means to care for the children, and then she sent them both away to Hilde's father. She's probably using all that money on herself now. That's the only thing she cares about. Money. 
And Hilde is so understanding. She's way too good. Annie doesn't deserve that understanding!

Another thing is that I really didn't expect that ending. Like, not at all. I thought after all that waiting and having hope and all the mentioning of the war coming to an end was a sign. I thought we would experience the end of war and that all those people sentenced to death because of high treason would then be released. I was really shocked when Hilde was executed. And then I thought maybe Q will survive and that the author had her information directly from her grandfather. But when Q was executed as well and he thought about Hilde and their reunion at last I felt also somewhat happy and I really hope that these two got reunited in an afterlife because their love story and how they stuck together was told wonderfully.

[Jennifer Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy was a read unlike other readings i have had. I felt too inside the characters lives and wasn't really comfortable with it. It wasn't until reading the 3rd book in this series that I fully understood why this story needed to be shared. One story in the story of thousands of Germans that witnessed atrocities i hope to never know. The titles are so fitting for their spirits and convictions to live on. Thank you for writing about your own family. I can't imagine how huge this task was to try to do your best by those who came before you.

[Neil Spark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The futility of war, the horror of the consequences of extreme right wing politics and a heart-breaking love story are ingredients of this World War II novel. It is based on the true story of the author's grandparents. Unwavering is the third and final in a series that begins when the heroes -- and they are heroes -- Wilhelm and Hilde meet when Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany.
Unwavering is set in two prisons. Wilhelm -- Q to his friends -- has been betrayed. His plan to assassinate a leading Nazi is exposed and he is arrested. Hilde is also arrested, torn from her two-year-old and nine-month-old sons.
The monotony and stress of jail life is well portrayed as is the way Q and Hilde deal with it. They have the added stress of Hilde's mother, Annie. She is a Nazi supporter and blames Q for her daughter's predicament.
The couple's respective jails are bombed as Germany's defences weaken and the Allies' march to victory strengthens.
Unwavering is a sad story that moved me to tears. Q and Hilde's letters are poignant and full of love and yearning. But they maintained their anti-Nazi ideals throughout their ordeals. This story is also one of hope, a testament to the strength of the human spirit and a wonderful tribute to the author's brave indomitable grandparents.

[Robyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic conclusion to a story that needed to be told

This book grabbed my interest from the very beginning. It starts with the main character, Wilhelm Quedlin known to friends and family as Q, being arrested by the Gestapo. At almost the same time, his wife , Hilde, is also arrested. They are separated from their two young children who are allowed to go with family. Much of the story takes place while the two are in prison awaiting the outcome of their trials and legal please.

The author liberally used letters written between the characters to move the plot forward. It turns out many of these letters are based on letters actually written by the people on which these characters are based .

This well written-story is based on the lives of the author's grandparents. What a legacy to leave to their descendents. It leaves me pondering if I or my family members would have the courage to do what her grandparents did and be willing to endure the hardships involved in order to work for what they believed to be best for the future of their country.

This is the third book in a series. You may read my reviews of the first two books.

[Cfountain10 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant and Moving!

Interesting trilogy, made more so because based on a true story. Very emotional. Harrowing account of atmosphere in German prisons during last few years of Nazi power. Also impressive story of love and beliefs in following one's convictions.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A true story of what life was like for some inside WWII Germany. This review is for all 3 books.

[Lenora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book

This was definitely a five star book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was sad I almost cried over the difficult situatios.

[Patrick J Scussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Unwavering, the third book in the trilogy. As an avid reader of WWII novels, I give Kummerow accolades for her story telling of her grandparents lives during the war. So many novels focus on the atrocities to the Jewish citizens. There is a grim reality to the attitudes and experiences of German citizens during WWII who opposed the Nazis. The trilogy is a very good read.

[Frances Supernaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story you have told about your grandparents,and what happened to them during Hitlers’ WW2. So very well told I had to put this down for short periods of time as the story is so disturbing,but also inspiring and thoughtful.Spending the end of the war in jail,after being arrested for treason 'both he and his wife . A scientist by profession and the father of two young sons,very devoted and very much in love with his wife, he felt very guilty about her incarceration. This last book covers the years of their life in the Nazi prisons.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't even know where to begin,read all 3 books,the 1st one in 5 days,2nd in 3 the 3rd in 2! Couldn't wait to see what happened! The terrible things that the family had to go through because one person decided to rebel against the Nazis. It's true,the decisions you make has a effect on everyone in your family and the people you know. Beautiful love story mixed with so much history,you begin to really know these people and feel that happens to them. Years later you can understand why they did what they did and it still affects all generations later to this day. A true and heartwarming story and shows how much courageous people paid the penalty for what they believed in. The letters that were exchanged during their prison time you are even in prison with them. Best read I have seen in a long time and have spread the word on these 3 books.

[Michelle Jarboe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read that follows the lives of the author's grandparents through World War II

I received book 1 in this trilogy as a free book read and successively purchased the following two remaining books in the series as I was hooked in and longed to hear the rest of the story. I feverishly delved through the books craving for the story to unfold and be told. I immediately fell in love with the characters, their lives and their cause. This trilogy does tug at your heart strings but is based on the true story of the author's grandparents throughout the Holocaust and their daring secretive work for the resistance. This story is definitely worth the read!

[JT CAREY · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of the trilogy was just as good a book as the first two. The storyline at this point has a certain fate woven into it. The war is coming to an end, life is getting worse for those living in Germany, yet the current regime grinds on regardless with its wicked plans. I won't lie, this part of the story is sad, but by this time I was so caught up in the characters, their lives, their hopes and dreams that I was mesmerized to the very end. Knowing that these books were based on true characters and historical times only made for a more intriguing read. I recommend this trilogy to anyone who wishes to lose themselves in a great story.

[Lorraine lepel · Rating 5 out of 5]

true love

A very good writing about the life and lives of a young couple in love, and trying to get married during WW11.

[caroljordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always together

I enjoyed this true story. It is very disturbing and keeps you aware of the horrific times in our history. May we all learn how valuable our freedom is.

[Diane Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Read the trilogy in 4 days. Very good story. Loved your writing. Will look for more of your work. Thanks.

[Ted Valmassei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

This trilogy will keep wanting to continue reading to the end. The story inspiring with a sad ending and another tale of how cruel the Nazis were.

[Pamela J. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable true story

I was overwhelmed reading this trilogy. World war two was the most horrible war. Hitler was insane. You really must read this trilogy to understand.

[barbara conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional

Interesting, emotional, informative, awe inspiring. A very different telling of WW II. Learn how Hitler's rule effected his own people

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful

I've become addicted to Marion Kummerow's novels. I've all of the World War II Trilogy and the War Girl series, each is an excellent read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad but interesting look into the outcome for Hilde and Q in the Nazi prisons. Seeing the Reich from “inside” from resisters and compilers was quite a mind trip. Very well written.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

recensione a cura del blog “Libri Magnetici" by Meghan

Alla fine di questa lettura e di questo terzo volume, Q e Hilde ci lasciano con grande malinconia ma anche con un coraggio appunto incrollabile.La resistenza fatta da Q nei dieci anni anche del suo matrimonio con Hilde hanno avuto un tragico finale nell’arresto con cui si è chiuso il secondo volume: la paura sempre presente nelle loro vite è arrivata ad un punto di svolta.Da questo momento il racconto si svolge su due piani fisici diversi, in due prigioni, ma riusciamo perfettamente a capire tutti i loro sentimenti, le loro preoccupazioni per i figli, la rabbia verso quel sistema che non mostra nulla se non una punizione continua, sia nei POV dei due protagonisti che nelle lettere.

«Ancora e ancora. Il dolore straziante esplose in stelle nere, e il respiro si fece affannoso alla ricerca d’aria.»

Il loro non è più vivere ma affrontare le ore della prigionia, ascoltare la condanna sapendo di averla provocata all’altro, con una consapevolezza e un amore struggente.
Q e Hilde ci mostrano i loro ultimi momenti, condividendo i ricordi, l’amore per i figli, le piccole speranze per il futuro di quei due bambini, e consapevoli che ciò resterà per sempre nella loro anima.

«Quando arriverà il momento per me di lasciare questa terra, sarò grato e felice per aver avuto tutto quello che un uomo potrebbe mai chiedere. Con te.»

Gli orrori della guerra intorno a loro continuano, nelle condanne ormai eseguite senza alcuna pietà, nei bombardamenti incessanti, in quei carcerieri di cui si intravede uno spiraglio di umanità: il racconto in questi passaggi è oggettivo, privo di sbavature e riesce a incastrarsi con i momenti dedicati ai due protagonisti in modo lineare.
Ottima la traduzione e l’editing, che per una storia così commovente e complessa dovevano essere assolutamente impeccabili.“Nella buona e nella cattiva sorte”, Q e Hilde ce lo raccontano con grande coraggio e dignità, vittime come tante di uno dei più grandi e terribili regimi dittatoriali del Novecento: l’autrice, nipote dei protagonisti, ha raccolto l’eredità nel racconto di un ricordo, onorato con lo stesso amore che aveva legato i suoi nonni.

Cinque petali.

[Mary Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth your while reading. It's very well-written. Volume 2 ends with Q's arrest, and early in 'Unwavering' his wife Hilde is arrested also. Q and Hilde's love for each other is strong, and in spite of great trials, they stay devoted to each other.
It was good to see some characters develop especially Hilde's mother, who in the first two volumes was hopelessly selfish. Still selfish, she is the only person with the foresight to provide what was needed for her daughter in the time of her greatest need. Her character is somewhat redeemed as she steps in to take care of her grandchildren, and though she still has very annoying traits, one has to have a certain respect for her too. She seems to have been one of those Scarlett O'Hara types, selfish but when the chips are down and there's upheaval everywhere, she is the one who knows how to get people what they need, albeit with a great deal of bitter complaining. It helped that she had the current political views too, so she was free to go where she pleased.
The writer (the grandchild of the two protagonists) did a wonderful job with imagined conversations with cell-mates, and managed to keep them interesting, witty and heartwarming. She only had a limited number of surviving letters to work from.
I wished for a happy ending for this family. I wished for Mother, Father and two children to escape and go to a new life in America where they had relatives. I was rooting for them.
But this was a true story from Nazi Germany, not a novel.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading these three books as a set gives a total picture of the life of two young Germans as they do what they feel they must to oppose the Hitler regime. All three books are written by Q's granddaughter and become a tribute to the heroism of those who persisted in opposing the regime despite great fear for their lives. The author has reconstructed their lives and their personalities from letters that they wrote. In the field of WWII literature, this is a very personal and close-to-home account of life in those times. Q and Hilde meet, fall in love, marry and have two children. The most difficult emotional fear is the leaving behind of their two sons, though there are family members who can step in. Letters written while they are imprisoned form a lot of the substance of the last book and we can see how accepting they become of what awaits them. It is hard to read books that depict the cruel treatment of common people during this time. It was felt that the killing of Jewish citizens must be just rumors. People did not know what to believe. I would give these books 4 stars, but I couldn't be sure if I could say that I REALLY liked them! Parts were very hard to read.

[kathleen r. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grief, gullibility, and guilt


It's an interesting read, but the writing is choppy and clunky. The chapters are weirdly spaced and there is a lack of cohesion to a single point of explanation. In the first bow the primary persons are introduced and the time frame is set. There is the basic understanding of the setting which is the few years just before Adolph Hitler seized control of post WW2 Germany 1933-1940. The second book details the extent to which Germans begin to accept that another war is imminent and explains how the resistance began to form and the risks common citizens were willing to accept in order to derail the Nazis regime while also setting up the story for whatever follows. The third book brings the conclusion and ties up all the loose ends and draws the story to a bitter and gut wrenching conclusion.
If true stories are your favorite type of reading, these will not disappoint.
r just blew me away.

[L Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book in the trilogy. I’m glad I finished so I could know the ending. It’s based on the lives of the author’s grandparents. She obviously had to take some literary license with the story to fill in the gaps from what she knew and the letters that existed. The first book in the series was probably the best. The second and third ones seemed to drag for obvious reasons once you read them. A lot of this book is composed of the letters they wrote. I was listening to the audiobook so I got tired of hearing letter after letter especially when they became repetitive. They provide insight into the thoughts and experiences of the two main characters. They are admirable people who had strong moral convictions and lived by those. So many WWII stories focus on the Jews and other groups that we sometimes forget the stories of other German citizens who suffered in their own way.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read as Hilde and Q are picked up by the Gestapo. They were tortured but kept to their beliefs. Their 2 sons were sent to Hilde’s mother’s home but Volker went to Hilde’s father’s home. Eventually Peter was placed there also. Both Hilde a Q were sentenced to death by execution for treason against the state. They were imprisoned at different locations and only saw one another at the courthouse. This tells their story during this time when Hilde asked for clemency,but was denied each time.
Even though the names were changed, this is the story of the author’s grandparents. It showed their love for each other never wavered throughout the time they were I prisoner u til their executions.
It is a worthwhile read for seeing what happens when a dictator takes over a country and wants complete control.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad that I read the entire trilogy after my mom talked me into reading the first book. This was the hardest book in the trilogy to read because it was as if the reader was waiting in the cell with Hilde and Q for the final outcome of their actions. The letters were sometimes cumbersome to read and yet realizing that they were based on the actual letters the authors grandparents wrote to their family members, it made sense why they were included in their entirety. Thank you Marion Kummerow for sharing the journey of your grandparents.

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book of the Trilogy & it's as it had to be.
Hilde being separated from her boys,was just ready to go,after she had been denied a pardon of any kind and met her death by having her head removed. She did see Q one last time.
Q met his end sometime after Hilde and too was more than ready,as the love of his life was gone & he had made provisions for his sons.
This is also a very tough read and how hard it must have been for the author to research & write about her own grandparents,we can only imagine ?

[Margaret Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3: the whole series is so well written and shows how some people were resisting the Nazi’s in their own way. The court system was a one way traffic to the gallows. No justice given there! The murder of Hilde was traumatic and Q later on. Even when the war was closing the Nazis still pushed their agenda.
I would recommend that you read this series as it shows the plight of normal people heading to ruin by a dictator who was clinically mad.

[Sandy McDowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible series

Horrible waste of time to read. I bought the books and felt I must read. The first was ok but the latter two were filled willed letters the two main characters were writing to each other, etc. Do not waste your money and time on these. Sorry if my comments hurt your feelings Me Kummerow. Horrible