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The Survivors
*** PICKED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE MAIL ON SUNDAY *** ‘A clever, absorbing thriller that does not shrink from the horror of the war' Times 'Compelling' Good Housekeeping 'This epic novel is simply an incredible read' Sun'A thrilling rollercoaster of a read' Dinah Jefferies, author of R&J pick The Sapphire Widow 'My best read of the year' Lesley Pearse Discover a brilliant story of love, danger, courage and betrayal, from the internationally bestselling author of The Betrayal.‘Directly I saw him, I knew he had to die.’ Germany, 1945. Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja have walked for weeks to get to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp. In the cramped, dirty, dangerous conditions they, along with 3,200 others, are the lucky ones. They have survived and will do anything to find a way back home. But when Klara recognises a man in the camp from her past, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins. He knows exactly what she did during the war to save her daughter. She knows his real identity.What will be the price of silence? And will either make it out of the camp alive? ‘A compelling, edge-of-your-seat story set in a refugee camp immediately after World War II, where a woman will do anything to protect her child. Full of twists and turns’ Julie Cohen, bestselling author of Together ‘A superb read; brilliantly crafted, exciting, very moving and researched meticulously. Fantastic, my best read of the year’ Lesley Pearse, Sunday Times bestselling author'This gripped me from the start. What a story! Kate Furnivall treads where others have not thought to go. Beware of anyone who comes between a mother and daughter - especially Klara and Alicja' Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author of Blood Sisters and The Dead Ex ‘Meticulously researched, searingly honest and beautifully written’ Lancashire Post ‘Emotional and engaging with a thrilling tale of love and courage at its core’ Culturefly ‘An epic novel that will leave you breathless until the very end’ Mrs B’s Book Reviews‘THE SURVIVORS blends imagination with historical fact to absolute perfection’ Sharon’s Book Blog ‘It is impossible to stop once you start reading this book’ Sissi ReadsFurther praise for Kate Furnivall 'Gripping. Tense. Mysterious. Kate Furnivall has a talent for creating places and characters who stay with you long after you’ve read the final word' Jane Corry 'Exquisitely heart-wrenching & utterly engrossing' Penny Parkes 'A thrilling, compelling read.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2018
526 people are currently reading
2314 people want to read
About the author
Kate Furnivall
22 books999 followersKate Furnivall was raised in Penarth, a small seaside town in Wales. Her mother, whose own childhood was spent in Russia, China and India, discovered at an early age that the world around us is so volatile, that the only things of true value are those inside your head and your heart. These values Kate explores in The Russian Concubine.
Kate went to London University where she studied English and from there she went into publishing, writing material for a series of books on the canals of Britain. Then into advertising where she met her future husband, Norman. She travelled widely, giving her an insight into how different cultures function which was to prove invaluable when writing The Russian Concubine.
It was when her mother died in 2000 that Kate decided to write a book inspired by her mother's story. The Russian Concubine contains fictional characters and events, but Kate made use of the extraordinary situation that was her mother's childhood experience - that of two White Russian refugees, a mother and daughter, stuck without money or papers in an International Settlement in China.
Kate went to London University where she studied English and from there she went into publishing, writing material for a series of books on the canals of Britain. Then into advertising where she met her future husband, Norman. She travelled widely, giving her an insight into how different cultures function which was to prove invaluable when writing The Russian Concubine.
It was when her mother died in 2000 that Kate decided to write a book inspired by her mother's story. The Russian Concubine contains fictional characters and events, but Kate made use of the extraordinary situation that was her mother's childhood experience - that of two White Russian refugees, a mother and daughter, stuck without money or papers in an International Settlement in China.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
May 1, 2019
Update: Publication Day Today - April 30, 2019
Of the many novels and history books about World War Two, one aspect of events that is much rarer to come across is the aftermath. There must be thousands of stories about what happened after the actual fighting was winding down or finished altogether, and yet these stories are not often told or heard.
Poland, 1945 – in a forest, a woman and her 10 year old daughter flee toward Germany, struggling to out-run their pursuers: renegades, refugees - desperate, dissolute, starving people willing to do anything to survive.
Germany, Autumn 1945 – Graufeld Camp near Hanover – a sanctuary for thousands of displaced persons, largely those who made it through the Russian-occupied post-war area of Germany to reach the section of Germany occupied by the British and Americans.
This is where Klara Janowska and her young daughter Alicja find a place to rest and regroup. Klara’s husband, a fighter pilot, was shot down in 1939. Klara’s father was Polish and her mother English, and like millions of others, they died in the war. It is now her strongest desire to leave mainland Europe completely and reunite with the British part of her family.
Klara finds a good friend in Hanna, whose work is in the laundry quarters. Klara also takes 3 other children under her wing and they are all involved in the black market in one way or another. It will take money to buy their way to freedom and there is no possible way to earn enough in Graufeld Camp without taking risks.
Klara is no stranger to risk, and it is when she recognizes one of the men in the Camp from the war years in Poland that she realizes she will need to take an even bigger risk: she must find a way to kill him.
This story gripped my heart and soul from the first sentences and did not let go. The writing is so excellent that I was oblivious to the reality of reading a book. The only reality was the story and the many choices and decisions that had to be made – and acted upon – to reach safety. For Klara has other secrets, and should those be disclosed, her future and that of her young daughter will, at best, be in serious jeopardy. At worst, they will not have a future at all.
It is nearly impossible to write about this novel objectively. Just thinking about it, I am instantly back in the story and maneuvering alongside Klara to evade danger and find safety. Fast-paced and heart-searing, this story will remain with me long into the future, and I highly recommend it to those who also believe that these stories – as many of them as possible – deserve to be heard.
With gratitude to Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon & Schuster UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, thank you Kate Furnivall. Its publication date is April 30, 2019.
Of the many novels and history books about World War Two, one aspect of events that is much rarer to come across is the aftermath. There must be thousands of stories about what happened after the actual fighting was winding down or finished altogether, and yet these stories are not often told or heard.
Poland, 1945 – in a forest, a woman and her 10 year old daughter flee toward Germany, struggling to out-run their pursuers: renegades, refugees - desperate, dissolute, starving people willing to do anything to survive.
Germany, Autumn 1945 – Graufeld Camp near Hanover – a sanctuary for thousands of displaced persons, largely those who made it through the Russian-occupied post-war area of Germany to reach the section of Germany occupied by the British and Americans.
This is where Klara Janowska and her young daughter Alicja find a place to rest and regroup. Klara’s husband, a fighter pilot, was shot down in 1939. Klara’s father was Polish and her mother English, and like millions of others, they died in the war. It is now her strongest desire to leave mainland Europe completely and reunite with the British part of her family.
Klara finds a good friend in Hanna, whose work is in the laundry quarters. Klara also takes 3 other children under her wing and they are all involved in the black market in one way or another. It will take money to buy their way to freedom and there is no possible way to earn enough in Graufeld Camp without taking risks.
Klara is no stranger to risk, and it is when she recognizes one of the men in the Camp from the war years in Poland that she realizes she will need to take an even bigger risk: she must find a way to kill him.
This story gripped my heart and soul from the first sentences and did not let go. The writing is so excellent that I was oblivious to the reality of reading a book. The only reality was the story and the many choices and decisions that had to be made – and acted upon – to reach safety. For Klara has other secrets, and should those be disclosed, her future and that of her young daughter will, at best, be in serious jeopardy. At worst, they will not have a future at all.
It is nearly impossible to write about this novel objectively. Just thinking about it, I am instantly back in the story and maneuvering alongside Klara to evade danger and find safety. Fast-paced and heart-searing, this story will remain with me long into the future, and I highly recommend it to those who also believe that these stories – as many of them as possible – deserve to be heard.
With gratitude to Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon & Schuster UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, thank you Kate Furnivall. Its publication date is April 30, 2019.
July 27, 2019
"Today I will kill Oscar Scholz.
Are you shocked?
I am. The thoughts in my head are on fire."
Klara and her 10yo daughter Alicja find themselves in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany after WW2 after fleeing from their native Warsaw. Klara, being half English, is trying to make her way to England to find family and to try to create a new life for them after her fighter pilot husband was killed in combat. Both Klara and Alicja have been forced to do things that they would much rather not during and after the war, solely in order to survive. They do find some semblance of community in the camp, but these are dangerous times. Then one day Klara catches sight of a newcomer in the camp, and her blood runs cold...
For Klara knows exactly who this man is, and he in turn knows her secrets.
So begins a deadly game of uneasy truces and fear. But Klara hasn't come this far to lose all now, she will do anything to protect her daughter.
The Survivors is a powerful tale of courage and endurance. It tells of one woman's tenacity and ingenuity in the face of adversity. Klara is a feisty heroine and her daughter Alicja is wise beyond her years, but an absolute delight.
I quickly raced through this book, I couldn't get to the end fast enough. I had to find out how Oscar and Klara knew each other and how he had a hold over her. It is a beautifully written story, the characters are well drawn and come to life on the page. You can feel Klara's despair and desperation, and Alicja's fierce protectiveness. Kate Furnivall's meticulous research makes this book a captivating and compelling read. I recommend it to all lovers of Historical Fiction and feisty heroines.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for a copy to read and review. The opinions are all my own.
Are you shocked?
I am. The thoughts in my head are on fire."
Klara and her 10yo daughter Alicja find themselves in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany after WW2 after fleeing from their native Warsaw. Klara, being half English, is trying to make her way to England to find family and to try to create a new life for them after her fighter pilot husband was killed in combat. Both Klara and Alicja have been forced to do things that they would much rather not during and after the war, solely in order to survive. They do find some semblance of community in the camp, but these are dangerous times. Then one day Klara catches sight of a newcomer in the camp, and her blood runs cold...
For Klara knows exactly who this man is, and he in turn knows her secrets.
So begins a deadly game of uneasy truces and fear. But Klara hasn't come this far to lose all now, she will do anything to protect her daughter.
The Survivors is a powerful tale of courage and endurance. It tells of one woman's tenacity and ingenuity in the face of adversity. Klara is a feisty heroine and her daughter Alicja is wise beyond her years, but an absolute delight.
I quickly raced through this book, I couldn't get to the end fast enough. I had to find out how Oscar and Klara knew each other and how he had a hold over her. It is a beautifully written story, the characters are well drawn and come to life on the page. You can feel Klara's despair and desperation, and Alicja's fierce protectiveness. Kate Furnivall's meticulous research makes this book a captivating and compelling read. I recommend it to all lovers of Historical Fiction and feisty heroines.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for a copy to read and review. The opinions are all my own.
December 17, 2020
This is a title that has been sitting on NG shelve for quite some time now, so when Lindsay told me she was reading The Survivors, I decided it was time to knock it off. Halfway in, we started chatting about the characters, and I had no idea what she was talking about. Then it hit me, we are reading two different books. Well, that added some laughter to our day, and I am glad I got the push to read this one finally.
The Survivors focuses on the aftermath of the fall of Hitler's regime. Klara and her daughter flee Poland to a camp for Holocaust survivors -Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp. She recognizes a man from her past, Oskar Sholz, and decides she needs to kill him before he kills her.
Kate Furnivall creates a thrilling story full of tension and suspense with historical details, romance, and an exciting cat and mouse game. This one is best described as a historical thriller with compelling, entertaining characters that create some suspense with who to trust and who not to trust. There is plenty of action that had me on the edge of my seat with twists and reveals that shocked and surprised me. The ending wraps up well, and I enjoyed the different pace the thriller element brought to the story.
I received a copy from the publisher on NG.
The Survivors focuses on the aftermath of the fall of Hitler's regime. Klara and her daughter flee Poland to a camp for Holocaust survivors -Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp. She recognizes a man from her past, Oskar Sholz, and decides she needs to kill him before he kills her.
Kate Furnivall creates a thrilling story full of tension and suspense with historical details, romance, and an exciting cat and mouse game. This one is best described as a historical thriller with compelling, entertaining characters that create some suspense with who to trust and who not to trust. There is plenty of action that had me on the edge of my seat with twists and reveals that shocked and surprised me. The ending wraps up well, and I enjoyed the different pace the thriller element brought to the story.
I received a copy from the publisher on NG.
March 28, 2021
I learnt a lot of interesting things from reading this novel but I didn’t fall in love with it.
For me it would have worked better if the flashbacks in time came quicker. I found it only made complete sense and significant meaning towards the end.
For me it would have worked better if the flashbacks in time came quicker. I found it only made complete sense and significant meaning towards the end.
September 5, 2018
Klara Janowska and her ten-year-old daughter Alicja had managed to evade capture after their escape, but the desperate looking women, determined to have their ounce of flesh just about destroyed Klara. Once again they had nothing. Their arrival at the Graufeld Camp - home of thousands of Displaced Persons - which the British had set up after the end of the war, was a safety of sorts. At least they had a roof over their heads, and food (although very little) in their bellies. Klara’s determination to head to England and her grandmother was foremost in her mind.
Until she saw a man from her past – a man who was a danger to both her and Alicja. Would she have to kill him to rid them of danger? Klara did her best to keep her daughter safe; she enlisted the help of three other children she trusted, and Davide from the administration office. There was also Hanna, mother of one of the boys, and in charge of the laundry. But the past had a way of making itself known when it was least expected. What was she to do? Would they ever be safe again?
The Survivors is another brilliant historical fiction novel by Kate Furnivall which I absolutely loved. This is the third I have read by her, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. Her research is meticulous; her character building is powerful; the story heartbreaking and traumatic. Wonderful! Highly recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Until she saw a man from her past – a man who was a danger to both her and Alicja. Would she have to kill him to rid them of danger? Klara did her best to keep her daughter safe; she enlisted the help of three other children she trusted, and Davide from the administration office. There was also Hanna, mother of one of the boys, and in charge of the laundry. But the past had a way of making itself known when it was least expected. What was she to do? Would they ever be safe again?
The Survivors is another brilliant historical fiction novel by Kate Furnivall which I absolutely loved. This is the third I have read by her, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. Her research is meticulous; her character building is powerful; the story heartbreaking and traumatic. Wonderful! Highly recommended.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster AU for my uncorrected proof ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 18, 2019
I have been a fan of Kate Furnivall's since reading The Red Scarf and so I didn't hesitate to request this one. A powerful story of love and betrayal in the aftermath of WWII.
The Survivors takes place in a DP(displaced persons) camp after WWII. Polish mother and daughter Klara and Alicja are awaiting travel to England to be near Klara's grandmother. They have found friends in the camp and spend their days surviving the best way they can. When a man from Klara's past enters the camp under another name, Klara's actions spell danger for not only herself, but Alicja has well.
Echoing some of my fellow reviewers, most books about WWII that I have read do not address the immediate consequences following the war. I was captivated from the very beginning of this story and enjoyed all of the characters. The story moved at a fair pace and I just couldn't put this book down until I reached the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Shuster Canada for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Review 17/04/19
Publication Date 30/04/19
The Survivors takes place in a DP(displaced persons) camp after WWII. Polish mother and daughter Klara and Alicja are awaiting travel to England to be near Klara's grandmother. They have found friends in the camp and spend their days surviving the best way they can. When a man from Klara's past enters the camp under another name, Klara's actions spell danger for not only herself, but Alicja has well.
Echoing some of my fellow reviewers, most books about WWII that I have read do not address the immediate consequences following the war. I was captivated from the very beginning of this story and enjoyed all of the characters. The story moved at a fair pace and I just couldn't put this book down until I reached the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Shuster Canada for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Review 17/04/19
Publication Date 30/04/19
October 7, 2018
Kate Furnivall's writing is just exquisite. The Survivors is an excellent read, full of emotion and underlying tension, this moving story of war survivors is compelling and impossible to put down.
Furnivall wrote a well-rounded and interesting characters. Especially Klara, her determination to protect her daughter, made her such a compelling character, I could not help but feel for her. The grit and strength she needed to survive, all that she went through, her story will stay with me for a long time.
This is my first book by Kate Furnivall but it definitely won't be the last. The story is engaging and beautifully written. I'm happy to recommend it.
Furnivall wrote a well-rounded and interesting characters. Especially Klara, her determination to protect her daughter, made her such a compelling character, I could not help but feel for her. The grit and strength she needed to survive, all that she went through, her story will stay with me for a long time.
This is my first book by Kate Furnivall but it definitely won't be the last. The story is engaging and beautifully written. I'm happy to recommend it.
December 5, 2018
I must confess that I wasn’t aware of the Displaced Persons Camps that sprung up in Germany after the Second World War.
Serving as a safe place for refugees or concentration camp survivors it makes sense that something cataclysmic would take time to resolve, especially as borders changed and homes were bombed.
The Survivors follows Klara Janowaska as she strives to give her daughter Alicja a better future, with Klara being half British they arrive at a camp in the British sector with the intention of eventually making it to England.
Whilst at the camp Klara spots someone from her past...
The horrible day to day life is vividly portrayed, the dirty cramped nature of these ramshackle locations show how tough it must have been for those that had already faced horrendous conditions during the war.
Though Klara persistence and determination for her daughter gives an optimistic tone to the story.
The mystery of Klara’s past really drove the narrative forward, I was desperate to find out what happens next.
Not only was I swept along with the story, I also felt that I’d learnt something that I hadn’t previously been that knowledgable about.
Highly recommend!
Serving as a safe place for refugees or concentration camp survivors it makes sense that something cataclysmic would take time to resolve, especially as borders changed and homes were bombed.
The Survivors follows Klara Janowaska as she strives to give her daughter Alicja a better future, with Klara being half British they arrive at a camp in the British sector with the intention of eventually making it to England.
Whilst at the camp Klara spots someone from her past...
The horrible day to day life is vividly portrayed, the dirty cramped nature of these ramshackle locations show how tough it must have been for those that had already faced horrendous conditions during the war.
Though Klara persistence and determination for her daughter gives an optimistic tone to the story.
The mystery of Klara’s past really drove the narrative forward, I was desperate to find out what happens next.
Not only was I swept along with the story, I also felt that I’d learnt something that I hadn’t previously been that knowledgable about.
Highly recommend!
December 8, 2018
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for this book to read and review.
The author has created a beautiful and complex thriller. The end of WW2 and all of Europe is in turmoil with millions of displaced people. The Allies have set up camps to house as many as is possible, to feed, clothe and to try and re-establish identities for those who have lost or had personal papers destroyed and eventually to try and repatriate them with any family still alive. There are also Nazis hiding within the camps with new identities, those Nazis who haven't escaped to South America and for whom need to be held accountable for war crimes. Klara Janowska and daughter Alieja are in a camp in Germany run by the British. Under an assumed name, the Nazi Sturmbannfürer who interrogated and tortured Klara and who knows her secret is in the same camp under an assumed name, her dead brother’s name. Why did he choose this name? Discovering his presence at the camp throws Klara into a further state of anxiety with memories flooding back to her and of his promised threat when in Warsaw. Davide Bouvier, a Frenchmen who is assisting the British Colonel running the camp has great affection for Klara. He has lost all his family and suffers with lung disease from his time as a POW. Oskar Sturmbannfürer has more to pursue from Klara than she imagines and unbeknown to her she is pursued also by the Russians, who have her transferred from the British camp, she escapes is finally recaptured but not before obtaining the knowledge she has wanted from her German lover’s sister. The author adds a further dimension to this read that would seem to thwart her plans of being with Davide. Klara throughout all her struggles has kept the light for her husband burning even though she believed him to be dead, however in the end this light was not reciprocated.
The author has created a beautiful and complex thriller. The end of WW2 and all of Europe is in turmoil with millions of displaced people. The Allies have set up camps to house as many as is possible, to feed, clothe and to try and re-establish identities for those who have lost or had personal papers destroyed and eventually to try and repatriate them with any family still alive. There are also Nazis hiding within the camps with new identities, those Nazis who haven't escaped to South America and for whom need to be held accountable for war crimes. Klara Janowska and daughter Alieja are in a camp in Germany run by the British. Under an assumed name, the Nazi Sturmbannfürer who interrogated and tortured Klara and who knows her secret is in the same camp under an assumed name, her dead brother’s name. Why did he choose this name? Discovering his presence at the camp throws Klara into a further state of anxiety with memories flooding back to her and of his promised threat when in Warsaw. Davide Bouvier, a Frenchmen who is assisting the British Colonel running the camp has great affection for Klara. He has lost all his family and suffers with lung disease from his time as a POW. Oskar Sturmbannfürer has more to pursue from Klara than she imagines and unbeknown to her she is pursued also by the Russians, who have her transferred from the British camp, she escapes is finally recaptured but not before obtaining the knowledge she has wanted from her German lover’s sister. The author adds a further dimension to this read that would seem to thwart her plans of being with Davide. Klara throughout all her struggles has kept the light for her husband burning even though she believed him to be dead, however in the end this light was not reciprocated.
July 28, 2020
"We all kept our secrets. It's what we carried around inside us. All of us survivors. Sorrow. Sadness. Heartache. Secrets. You cannot go through a war without being branded."
Klara Janowska and her ten-year-old daughter, Alicja have survived the war. Klara's husband was a pilot whose plane was shot down. Klara is half Polish and half English and seeks to find a way to England. To that end, she seeks refuge in Graufeld Camp, a British controlled camp for displaced persons in Germany. While waiting for her case to advance, Klara recognizes a familiar face, that of Oskar Scholz. Oskar Scholz is a Nazi and a man that caused Klara a lot of pain during the war. Klara knows Oskar's secrets but Oskar also knows hers. Life at the camp further complicates for her promting Klara to make tough choices.
Narratives about WWII and its aftermath abound. I have read enough of them to know it is a challenge to find one that stands out for the correct reasons. The Survivors is one of the better ones I have read these past few years. Klara and Alicja now live in Graufeld Camp, a camp for displaced people. They have a roof over their heads and food but life is still anything but easy. Klara's case depends on tracking down an English relative so she can leave Germany for good. When she sees Oskar, she knows she must leave Graufeld by any means and soon. Oskar is a Nazi disguised as a displaced person. Klara knows who he is. The trouble is Klara has her own secrets and Oskar knows them. A game of cat and mouse ensue that force Klara to confront her past.
As part of diversifying my repertoire of historical fiction books I read, I am now more particular in picking books that deal with WWII. I have to say that The Survivors did not disappoint (also being able to cross off a book off my TBR was quite satifying). I particularly liked the characterization as everyone was distinct and complex. There were moments were Klara herself seemed to me almost an unreliable narrator. How much of what she was saying was true? Could Oskar not be entirely wrong? The tone was one of tension and urgency. I genuinely had no idea how the plot was going to play out. The prose is well written and the narrative intriguing. I think I found another author who I quite like and already have another book by Furnivall on standby. I am glad to have read this book and wish I had read it sooner. A good read for sure.
Klara Janowska and her ten-year-old daughter, Alicja have survived the war. Klara's husband was a pilot whose plane was shot down. Klara is half Polish and half English and seeks to find a way to England. To that end, she seeks refuge in Graufeld Camp, a British controlled camp for displaced persons in Germany. While waiting for her case to advance, Klara recognizes a familiar face, that of Oskar Scholz. Oskar Scholz is a Nazi and a man that caused Klara a lot of pain during the war. Klara knows Oskar's secrets but Oskar also knows hers. Life at the camp further complicates for her promting Klara to make tough choices.
Narratives about WWII and its aftermath abound. I have read enough of them to know it is a challenge to find one that stands out for the correct reasons. The Survivors is one of the better ones I have read these past few years. Klara and Alicja now live in Graufeld Camp, a camp for displaced people. They have a roof over their heads and food but life is still anything but easy. Klara's case depends on tracking down an English relative so she can leave Germany for good. When she sees Oskar, she knows she must leave Graufeld by any means and soon. Oskar is a Nazi disguised as a displaced person. Klara knows who he is. The trouble is Klara has her own secrets and Oskar knows them. A game of cat and mouse ensue that force Klara to confront her past.
As part of diversifying my repertoire of historical fiction books I read, I am now more particular in picking books that deal with WWII. I have to say that The Survivors did not disappoint (also being able to cross off a book off my TBR was quite satifying). I particularly liked the characterization as everyone was distinct and complex. There were moments were Klara herself seemed to me almost an unreliable narrator. How much of what she was saying was true? Could Oskar not be entirely wrong? The tone was one of tension and urgency. I genuinely had no idea how the plot was going to play out. The prose is well written and the narrative intriguing. I think I found another author who I quite like and already have another book by Furnivall on standby. I am glad to have read this book and wish I had read it sooner. A good read for sure.
June 29, 2019
2.5 stars rounded down
This story will certainly have its fans but, for me, the plot was too slow. It takes place shortly after WW2 in a displacement camp. I'd never heard of displacement camps before so it was interesting to learn more about this setting, the overcrowding and rustic conditions. The author uses multiple perspectives and flashbacks during the war to tell the story of Klara, a Polish resistance fighter who is forced to work as a collaborator after being captured by the Nazis.. Klara and her 10-year-old daughter are battle-hardened survivors. Klara works tirelessly to manipulate the camp system to get her and her daughter out of the camp and away from one of her former Nazi captors, who is disguising himself as a displaced refugee.to avoid capture by the Allies. It is a race against time as Klara’s enemy plots to kill her.
This book is about survival, as the title implies. It’s about protecting what matters to you. It’s about learning how to find oneself and feel humanity again after being emotionally scarred beyond repair. How does one heal and go back to being who they were before the war? Is this even possible?
The author weaves thoughtful predicaments and unbearable circumstances throughout the story, which make the reader contemplate. Having read many historical fictions about WW2, it was refreshing to read one that focuses on the immediate aftermath of the war. There are flashbacks about Klara’s experience during the war, but they were quite watered down and nothing exceptional to set this book apart from other war stories. Readers who have not read much about WW2, will probably get more out of it than I did.
I was initially intrigued by the present day plot about the Nazi in hiding and his threat towards Klara. However, the plot was one-note and dragged too much. I kept waiting for something to happen. I didn’t care for Klara’s character all that much either. It was difficult to empathize or sympathize with her. As a result, I found it challenging to remain engaged in the book. This was one of those instances in which the execution of the story just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story will certainly have its fans but, for me, the plot was too slow. It takes place shortly after WW2 in a displacement camp. I'd never heard of displacement camps before so it was interesting to learn more about this setting, the overcrowding and rustic conditions. The author uses multiple perspectives and flashbacks during the war to tell the story of Klara, a Polish resistance fighter who is forced to work as a collaborator after being captured by the Nazis.. Klara and her 10-year-old daughter are battle-hardened survivors. Klara works tirelessly to manipulate the camp system to get her and her daughter out of the camp and away from one of her former Nazi captors, who is disguising himself as a displaced refugee.to avoid capture by the Allies. It is a race against time as Klara’s enemy plots to kill her.
This book is about survival, as the title implies. It’s about protecting what matters to you. It’s about learning how to find oneself and feel humanity again after being emotionally scarred beyond repair. How does one heal and go back to being who they were before the war? Is this even possible?
The author weaves thoughtful predicaments and unbearable circumstances throughout the story, which make the reader contemplate. Having read many historical fictions about WW2, it was refreshing to read one that focuses on the immediate aftermath of the war. There are flashbacks about Klara’s experience during the war, but they were quite watered down and nothing exceptional to set this book apart from other war stories. Readers who have not read much about WW2, will probably get more out of it than I did.
I was initially intrigued by the present day plot about the Nazi in hiding and his threat towards Klara. However, the plot was one-note and dragged too much. I kept waiting for something to happen. I didn’t care for Klara’s character all that much either. It was difficult to empathize or sympathize with her. As a result, I found it challenging to remain engaged in the book. This was one of those instances in which the execution of the story just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2018
Well that was a quick paced read right through from start to finish, I would have read this one in a couple of days easily if it wasn't for my roles and responsibilities in my life interrupting...
Kate Furnivall has a magical way of making you a spectator in the midst of the action like you are visiting their world but they can't see you but you can see and feel what is happening... I have read a few war stories as its one of my favourite eras of time to read about but I haven't come across one around the Displaced Persons (DP) camps.. I loved the strength of Klara you can see its for survival and the strong convictions she holds and the love of her daughter.. The choices she made during the war and now although war is over, they now have to survive a new kind of war fare.. I never knew much of DP camps and I never had a chance to ask my grandparents who were DPs themselves to hear what it was like for them and then the relief when they made the trip to Australia but wow if it was even half of what I read in this book then hats off to every single person who had survived the war and then survived those camps..
Love Kate Furnivall book's and have a couple in my tbr to get too.. Might move them up the line now since this awesome reminder of why I enjoyed her writing in the past. It is with thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for my free uncorrected ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kate Furnivall has a magical way of making you a spectator in the midst of the action like you are visiting their world but they can't see you but you can see and feel what is happening... I have read a few war stories as its one of my favourite eras of time to read about but I haven't come across one around the Displaced Persons (DP) camps.. I loved the strength of Klara you can see its for survival and the strong convictions she holds and the love of her daughter.. The choices she made during the war and now although war is over, they now have to survive a new kind of war fare.. I never knew much of DP camps and I never had a chance to ask my grandparents who were DPs themselves to hear what it was like for them and then the relief when they made the trip to Australia but wow if it was even half of what I read in this book then hats off to every single person who had survived the war and then survived those camps..
Love Kate Furnivall book's and have a couple in my tbr to get too.. Might move them up the line now since this awesome reminder of why I enjoyed her writing in the past. It is with thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for my free uncorrected ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2019
Haunting, moving, and gritty!
The Survivors is an edgy, poignant tale that sweeps you away to the Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp, post-WWII, where thousands of people live in cramped conditions with basic rations while they struggle to comprehend the horrors they’ve endured, find love ones possibly lost forever, protect their beloved, rebuild lives, and for some hide from the justice they deserve.
The prose is tense and mysterious. The characters are scared, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot, set in Germany during the mid-1940s, is an exceptionally enthralling tale about life, love, strength, bravery, deception, loss, injustice, hope, survival, the aftermath of war, and the powerful bonds between a mother and her daughter.
Overall, The Survivors is a magical blend of historical facts, cat-and-mouse mystique, thrilling fiction, and heartwrenching emotion that does a beautiful job of reminding us that humanity can not only be barbaric and cruel but also incredibly compassionate, resilient, and kind.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Survivors is an edgy, poignant tale that sweeps you away to the Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp, post-WWII, where thousands of people live in cramped conditions with basic rations while they struggle to comprehend the horrors they’ve endured, find love ones possibly lost forever, protect their beloved, rebuild lives, and for some hide from the justice they deserve.
The prose is tense and mysterious. The characters are scared, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot, set in Germany during the mid-1940s, is an exceptionally enthralling tale about life, love, strength, bravery, deception, loss, injustice, hope, survival, the aftermath of war, and the powerful bonds between a mother and her daughter.
Overall, The Survivors is a magical blend of historical facts, cat-and-mouse mystique, thrilling fiction, and heartwrenching emotion that does a beautiful job of reminding us that humanity can not only be barbaric and cruel but also incredibly compassionate, resilient, and kind.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2021
This book is a slow burn. It doesn’t quite have the fast moving action of the author’s other books such as “The Betrayals”. But if you keep on reading, you will be rewarded by the end of the book. Strong female protagonist and beautifully written. I enjoyed it but a plot that moved a bit faster would’ve been great.
September 6, 2018
Visit the locations in the novel
Until this book, I can't say I'd read a novel quite like it which described the post war conditions of those who survived the war. I've read books about the conditions in Auschwitz etc and other camps and indeed in Jewish ghettos but this story about the Displaced Persons camp was new and utterly fascinating if not grim and heartbreaking at the same time.
It's set largely inside such a camp. The people there come from all walks of life and I was horrified to learn that a woman or man tortured during the war by the Nazis could now be forced to live with them in one of these camps supposedly where they were waiting to be rescued . These camps were not safe places but rather waiting rooms of sorts and the struggles of Klara to keep herself and her daughter safe are phenomenal. She recognises a man from her past there, and they both know secrets about each other which could get them killed. They are each others enemies and the stakes are high.
I was on tenterhooks throughout reading this. The underlying tension bubbled to the surface frequently but it was during the quiet bits that I was most afraid for Klara and her daughter. Interestingly, both get a voice here ,and I think it works really well to have both the mother and the child try work out the world around them. Both excellently written and brave people. Klara's past, told through flashbacks just shows how people during wartime had to do anything to survive and these faces, masks were hard to hide afterwards.
It's moving, emotional and traumatic all at once. Heartbreaking yet one character in particular shows that humanity can lie in the most unexpected of places.
Recommended.
September 26, 2018
Set just after WWII in a refugee camp in Germany. Klara and Alicja Janowska are survivors of the horrors of war and find themselves living in Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp. Klara recognises a man from her past, someone posing as a refugee and therefore hiding his true identity. Klara believes that she and her daughter are in grave danger and she is left with a dilemma.
This is an exciting and gripping story about greed and revenge. It’s quite the page turner, a rollercoaster of a ride. I was virtually on the edge of my seat on occasions! There are some great, well rounded characters, including a strong and courageous mother with an even feistier daughter. I’ve never considered refugee camps after the war before, all those people homeless through no fault of their own and living in terrible conditions but still finding something to smile about. It seems to resonate with today’s world somewhat, so a tale told from this perspective was interesting and revealing. The research which has gone into this book is admirable. I wasn’t too sure about the ending. I thought it was a little too neatly tied off but this is just a small point.
I thought this was an excellent piece of storytelling, a must for those who enjoy historical fiction. I very much enjoyed it.
This is an exciting and gripping story about greed and revenge. It’s quite the page turner, a rollercoaster of a ride. I was virtually on the edge of my seat on occasions! There are some great, well rounded characters, including a strong and courageous mother with an even feistier daughter. I’ve never considered refugee camps after the war before, all those people homeless through no fault of their own and living in terrible conditions but still finding something to smile about. It seems to resonate with today’s world somewhat, so a tale told from this perspective was interesting and revealing. The research which has gone into this book is admirable. I wasn’t too sure about the ending. I thought it was a little too neatly tied off but this is just a small point.
I thought this was an excellent piece of storytelling, a must for those who enjoy historical fiction. I very much enjoyed it.
October 30, 2022
3.75/5. This book is for fans of Kate Quinn and kick-ass heroines. While I have read a lot of WWII books, I'm less familiar with the desperation and chaos of the immediate post-war period.
Klara Janowski and her 10 year old daughter, Alicja, find themselves in one of the many Displaced Persons camps in Germany after fleeing her destroyed hometown of Warsaw. Survival of the fittest is very much in evidence as they scramble daily for food and anything of value to buy their way out of the camp and to safety elsewhere, preferable England where the half English Klara hopes to reunite with her maternal grandmother. Klara is fit and very much a survivor and Alicja has her mother's grit and intellect. They need both up against a man from Klara's past, a Nazi Waffen-SS officer who had previously held the balance of their lives in his hands and who has reemerged to once again threaten their existence and the future they hope to secure.
The desolation and starvation of Germany and its newly liberated territories was starkly detailed in the book as were the desperate and dangerous conditions in the refugee camps set up by the Allies. The story itself was a bit holey . Nevertheless, it was informative and entertaining, and the spirited Alicja and her kiddie companions elevated the book for me.
The narration was good for the most, but sometimes the male voices (David's) went oddly high-pitched while Klara's voice remained a pleasant deeper tone.
Klara Janowski and her 10 year old daughter, Alicja, find themselves in one of the many Displaced Persons camps in Germany after fleeing her destroyed hometown of Warsaw. Survival of the fittest is very much in evidence as they scramble daily for food and anything of value to buy their way out of the camp and to safety elsewhere, preferable England where the half English Klara hopes to reunite with her maternal grandmother. Klara is fit and very much a survivor and Alicja has her mother's grit and intellect. They need both up against a man from Klara's past, a Nazi Waffen-SS officer who had previously held the balance of their lives in his hands and who has reemerged to once again threaten their existence and the future they hope to secure.
The desolation and starvation of Germany and its newly liberated territories was starkly detailed in the book as were the desperate and dangerous conditions in the refugee camps set up by the Allies. The story itself was a bit holey . Nevertheless, it was informative and entertaining, and the spirited Alicja and her kiddie companions elevated the book for me.
The narration was good for the most, but sometimes the male voices (David's) went oddly high-pitched while Klara's voice remained a pleasant deeper tone.
September 2, 2018
Kate Furnivall's heroines are always smart, tough and feisty but Klara Janowska is the most powerful yet. Stuck in a displaced persons' camp in postwar Germany, she has to fight to protect herself and her daughter Alicja from an unwelcome arrival from the past, and to stay out of the grip of the ruthless Soviet army.
Beautifully written and impeccably researched, the novel gives a vivid, evocative picture of the claustrophobia of the camps, where they slept in bunks within large airless huts, and where some areas are too dangerous to venture. Everyone is simply doing what they must to survive. Klara's love for Alicja is absolute and unshakeable, a beacon in the bleakness – and then along comes a man called Davide to ignite another spark of something that may or may not become love.
We are rooting for Klara from the start: she has endured unspeakable horrors yet she clings to the hope of a better future for her and Alicja. You will not be able to stop reading this gripping, raw story of love in the darkest of times.
Beautifully written and impeccably researched, the novel gives a vivid, evocative picture of the claustrophobia of the camps, where they slept in bunks within large airless huts, and where some areas are too dangerous to venture. Everyone is simply doing what they must to survive. Klara's love for Alicja is absolute and unshakeable, a beacon in the bleakness – and then along comes a man called Davide to ignite another spark of something that may or may not become love.
We are rooting for Klara from the start: she has endured unspeakable horrors yet she clings to the hope of a better future for her and Alicja. You will not be able to stop reading this gripping, raw story of love in the darkest of times.
March 2, 2019
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster, and #Netgalley for an ARC of The Survivors in return for an honest review.
I have read a large number of books that are set in the time of the second World War, but I haven't read very many set in the time shortly after the war ended, and this was in part what drew me to this book. I knew very little of what life was like for those who had to live in displaced persons camps and knowing that there are still far too many displaced person camps in existence in the present time I wanted to learn more. This book was quite the eye opener for me.
It hardly seems fair that those who have struggled so hard to survive the horrors of war should end up basically losing their freedom once the war has ended, but this was very common during the post war era. Countries were ill-equipped to deal with the massive number of people who had no safe homes to return to and they did their best by placing people into camps where they would provide for them at least on a subsistence level while trying to work out what they should do with them.
This novel grabbed me from the very first pages. The story begins in Poland in 1945. Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja have been hiding out in a forest while making their way West to what they hope will be safety far from the advancing Soviet army. They hear people coming - "Fear slid up my throat as they moved constantly in and out of the trees, grey as ghosts, brief flickers in the darkness. Circling us. Like Wolves. One laughed, high-pitched and greedy. My skin crawled." The author had the ability to use words to make me feel as if I was there with them holding my breath too!
Eventually Klara and Alicja make it to Graufeld (Grey Field) camp for displaced persons. They are there along with 3,200 other people, refugees, "a costly and intractable problem that no one wanted."
Klara described herself as living "in a fog of hope and despair." " If you've always been safe, you don't know the meaning of unsafe. That it changes you. I thought I was safe. Here. In this camp. With bread on the table and a roof over our heads. But I was wrong."
A chance sighting of a man from Klara's past sets her off on a course that she believes will ultimately lead to her killing a man. That man is Oscar Schotz , and Klara believes that if she doesn't kill him, he will eventually kill her or her daughter or both.
The story is told from several viewpoints - sometimes Klara's, sometimes her young daughter Alicja and sometimes that of Davide Bouvier, a Frenchman who while also an internee, works in the administrative section of the camp where he frequently comes into contact with Klara. Regardless of which voice is speaking and whether it is a flashback to the past or the present day in the internment camp, the story is riveting and extremely moving. There is an element of mystery as the reader tries to understand why Klara and Oscar are such bitter enemies. There are twists and turns along the way and surprises.
In the end, Klara is what she has always been - a survivor. While still in Graufeld and unsure of what her future will hold she ponders, " We all need love and we all need to give love. It's what keeps our souls warm and alive. Without love, something dies in you. I thought of Davide. I thought of Alicja. I thought of Rafal, Alzbeta and Izak. How my love for them had helped bring me back from the brink."
This book has such an important story to tell. It shows how war can change a person and how love for one's child or family will lead him or her to do almost anything to ensure their survival. Too many people in the world today know this from first hand experience, and too few of us can understand or empathize with what these individuals have gone through in their search for survival, safety and a place to call home. Thanks to Kate Furnivall for helping this reader to understand a little better. I think everyone could benefit from reading this book and stepping into the shoes of these characters if only for a few hours.
I have read a large number of books that are set in the time of the second World War, but I haven't read very many set in the time shortly after the war ended, and this was in part what drew me to this book. I knew very little of what life was like for those who had to live in displaced persons camps and knowing that there are still far too many displaced person camps in existence in the present time I wanted to learn more. This book was quite the eye opener for me.
It hardly seems fair that those who have struggled so hard to survive the horrors of war should end up basically losing their freedom once the war has ended, but this was very common during the post war era. Countries were ill-equipped to deal with the massive number of people who had no safe homes to return to and they did their best by placing people into camps where they would provide for them at least on a subsistence level while trying to work out what they should do with them.
This novel grabbed me from the very first pages. The story begins in Poland in 1945. Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja have been hiding out in a forest while making their way West to what they hope will be safety far from the advancing Soviet army. They hear people coming - "Fear slid up my throat as they moved constantly in and out of the trees, grey as ghosts, brief flickers in the darkness. Circling us. Like Wolves. One laughed, high-pitched and greedy. My skin crawled." The author had the ability to use words to make me feel as if I was there with them holding my breath too!
Eventually Klara and Alicja make it to Graufeld (Grey Field) camp for displaced persons. They are there along with 3,200 other people, refugees, "a costly and intractable problem that no one wanted."
Klara described herself as living "in a fog of hope and despair." " If you've always been safe, you don't know the meaning of unsafe. That it changes you. I thought I was safe. Here. In this camp. With bread on the table and a roof over our heads. But I was wrong."
A chance sighting of a man from Klara's past sets her off on a course that she believes will ultimately lead to her killing a man. That man is Oscar Schotz , and Klara believes that if she doesn't kill him, he will eventually kill her or her daughter or both.
The story is told from several viewpoints - sometimes Klara's, sometimes her young daughter Alicja and sometimes that of Davide Bouvier, a Frenchman who while also an internee, works in the administrative section of the camp where he frequently comes into contact with Klara. Regardless of which voice is speaking and whether it is a flashback to the past or the present day in the internment camp, the story is riveting and extremely moving. There is an element of mystery as the reader tries to understand why Klara and Oscar are such bitter enemies. There are twists and turns along the way and surprises.
In the end, Klara is what she has always been - a survivor. While still in Graufeld and unsure of what her future will hold she ponders, " We all need love and we all need to give love. It's what keeps our souls warm and alive. Without love, something dies in you. I thought of Davide. I thought of Alicja. I thought of Rafal, Alzbeta and Izak. How my love for them had helped bring me back from the brink."
This book has such an important story to tell. It shows how war can change a person and how love for one's child or family will lead him or her to do almost anything to ensure their survival. Too many people in the world today know this from first hand experience, and too few of us can understand or empathize with what these individuals have gone through in their search for survival, safety and a place to call home. Thanks to Kate Furnivall for helping this reader to understand a little better. I think everyone could benefit from reading this book and stepping into the shoes of these characters if only for a few hours.
February 21, 2019
Post war Germany 1945, this epic historical fiction brings us to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp where we follow Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicja, they along with thousands others who needed to navigate through dangerous conditions and do anything to find a safe home. Klara and Alicja were the lucky ones.
Klara and Alicka are the heart in this sad tale. The story highlights how far a mother would go to protect her child and how deep the love of a daughter has for her mother. Both had endured the horrors of war before fleeing their native Poland walking for weeks to get to Graufeld , a camp where they found themselves in a grim situation, with basic rations and where they will be plunged in a cat and mouse game with an old adversary….. Oskar Schotz.
The story is narrated by Klara, Alicja and Davide Bouvier, the camp administrator.
The characterisation is superb especially when Klara and Oskar circle each other amidst the confines of the camp. The story also moves beyond the camps’ walls where the cost of war is revealed in heart wrenching depth. Cruelty and kindness and simple human compassion are poignantly explored. Ms. Furnivall particularly knows how to emotional engage us with shocking events in the darkest days of wartime and by vividly bringing to life the uncertainty and desperation of the displaced.
“The Survivors” although brutal is beautifully written, full of tension, thrills, and historical details. This is another cleverly plotted historical fiction which explores the resistance of human against adversity.
Well-done
Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalleys for this ARC
Klara and Alicka are the heart in this sad tale. The story highlights how far a mother would go to protect her child and how deep the love of a daughter has for her mother. Both had endured the horrors of war before fleeing their native Poland walking for weeks to get to Graufeld , a camp where they found themselves in a grim situation, with basic rations and where they will be plunged in a cat and mouse game with an old adversary….. Oskar Schotz.
The story is narrated by Klara, Alicja and Davide Bouvier, the camp administrator.
The characterisation is superb especially when Klara and Oskar circle each other amidst the confines of the camp. The story also moves beyond the camps’ walls where the cost of war is revealed in heart wrenching depth. Cruelty and kindness and simple human compassion are poignantly explored. Ms. Furnivall particularly knows how to emotional engage us with shocking events in the darkest days of wartime and by vividly bringing to life the uncertainty and desperation of the displaced.
“The Survivors” although brutal is beautifully written, full of tension, thrills, and historical details. This is another cleverly plotted historical fiction which explores the resistance of human against adversity.
Well-done
Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalleys for this ARC
October 28, 2018
4-4.5 stars - loved it, a book set in post WW2 Germany, centred around a displaced persons camp.
As always with this author the writing is engaging, the characters are wonderfully drawn and the descriptions of the displaced persons camp, the bombed cities and the dangers and travel restrictions between the four military occupation zones and are vividly absorbing and were (for me) really educational. I LOVED that the lead female Klara was a strong, highly intelligent woman who will do anything to keep her daughter safe and the way that the author shows that even in the most brutal environments help, compassion and innate goodness can be found.
The desperation of these displaced people and the chilling sense of unease when Klara sees her nemesis (a Nazi SS officer from her past) keep the tension ramped up - lots of suffering, brutality and deceit are tempered with the love and care Klara has for her daughter and with the gentle friendship growing between Klara and Davide.
Highly recommended to those who love either Historical fiction or mysteries
As always with this author the writing is engaging, the characters are wonderfully drawn and the descriptions of the displaced persons camp, the bombed cities and the dangers and travel restrictions between the four military occupation zones and are vividly absorbing and were (for me) really educational. I LOVED that the lead female Klara was a strong, highly intelligent woman who will do anything to keep her daughter safe and the way that the author shows that even in the most brutal environments help, compassion and innate goodness can be found.
The desperation of these displaced people and the chilling sense of unease when Klara sees her nemesis (a Nazi SS officer from her past) keep the tension ramped up - lots of suffering, brutality and deceit are tempered with the love and care Klara has for her daughter and with the gentle friendship growing between Klara and Davide.
Highly recommended to those who love either Historical fiction or mysteries
November 30, 2018
This is a story so well told!
April 7, 2019
The Survivors is about love, betrayal and revenge. Klara Janowska and her daughter Alicija arrived at Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp after World War Two and thought that she had found safety at last. However, this was not the case. Klara Janowska recognised a man from her past that could destroy everything for her and her daughter. The readers of The Survivors will continue to follow to see what happens to Klara and Alicija. Also, the readers will be surprised and pleased with the ending of this book.
The Survivors is the first book I have read of Kate Furnivall, and I was impressed with the way she describes living in a displaced person camp after the war and the dangers that the residents had to face every day. Until I read The Survivors, I did not think about what happens to the women and children who lost their home due to war. The Survivors is well written and researched by Kate Furnivall. I like Kate Furnivall portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other thought out The Survivors. Kate Furnivall engaged me with the plot of The Survivors from the beginning.
The readers of The Survivors will learn about living in a displaced person camp run by allie forces after the second world war. Also, the readers of The Survivors will understand the sacrifices that some women will do to save their children.
I recommend this book.
The Survivors is the first book I have read of Kate Furnivall, and I was impressed with the way she describes living in a displaced person camp after the war and the dangers that the residents had to face every day. Until I read The Survivors, I did not think about what happens to the women and children who lost their home due to war. The Survivors is well written and researched by Kate Furnivall. I like Kate Furnivall portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other thought out The Survivors. Kate Furnivall engaged me with the plot of The Survivors from the beginning.
The readers of The Survivors will learn about living in a displaced person camp run by allie forces after the second world war. Also, the readers of The Survivors will understand the sacrifices that some women will do to save their children.
I recommend this book.
October 24, 2018
There are a lot of WW2 books written and I do love WW2 stories that take you to a time and place that we as the reader can only imagine, but this book was a little different mainly set directly afterwards in a Displaced Persons Camp which I didn’t really know about before. Characters were amazing and I was able to feel the horror and desperation in each page. They were brave people for sure and I was invested to see how it all came out in the end and if they got out. A nice little twist at the end also that I didn’t see coming. A great, gripping read.
September 20, 2018
Historical novels are one of my go to genres when I find I need a break from crime.
The Survivors was a bit different from the normal books I read about the war, this was set directly after WW2 , in 1945, we don’t often read about the millions of Displace People with no money, no home and for many, no hope. For most they have lost everything, and not just wealth, entire families have been killed and they have nowhere to call home.
Klara Janowska was separated from her young daughter Alicja several years into the war and everything she did from that point on, was to survive and be reunited with Alicja.
Klara and Alicja have walked for weeks to get to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp. In the cramped, dirty, dangerous conditions they, along with 3,200 others, are the lucky ones. They have survived and will do anything to find a home, in their case it is with family in England.
But when Klara recognises a man in the camp from her past, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins.
Everything from this point is about survival and Klara’s devotion to Alicja and she will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing to protect her daughter.
Fantastic characters, Klara, the wonderful Frenchman Davide and gutsy and brave little Alicja.
A wonderful and emotional journey of love and survival with loads of excitement and heartbreak.
This is my first book by Kate Furnivall and I look forward to many more.
The Survivors was a bit different from the normal books I read about the war, this was set directly after WW2 , in 1945, we don’t often read about the millions of Displace People with no money, no home and for many, no hope. For most they have lost everything, and not just wealth, entire families have been killed and they have nowhere to call home.
Klara Janowska was separated from her young daughter Alicja several years into the war and everything she did from that point on, was to survive and be reunited with Alicja.
Klara and Alicja have walked for weeks to get to Graufeld Displaced Persons camp. In the cramped, dirty, dangerous conditions they, along with 3,200 others, are the lucky ones. They have survived and will do anything to find a home, in their case it is with family in England.
But when Klara recognises a man in the camp from her past, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins.
Everything from this point is about survival and Klara’s devotion to Alicja and she will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing to protect her daughter.
Fantastic characters, Klara, the wonderful Frenchman Davide and gutsy and brave little Alicja.
A wonderful and emotional journey of love and survival with loads of excitement and heartbreak.
This is my first book by Kate Furnivall and I look forward to many more.
November 10, 2018
I really enjoyed this post wartime novel - as ever, it’s refreshing to read about heroines and female resistance fighters even if they are fictional. The author excellently sets the scene in a displaced persons camp soon after the conclusion of World War Two and creates strong, believable women who have survived the war in Europe but are still in danger.
There is a lot of tense scenes within the story, and the author diligently describes how even kind and law abiding people are reduced to theft and worse to survive. This novel really produced a fresh perspective on life post war when so many other books within the genre focus on the frontlines.
This was my second novel by this author and I anticipate it won’t be my last. Historical fiction is a difficult genre to get right and still remain respectful to the era and the people on which it is based, but this author manages just that.
There is a lot of tense scenes within the story, and the author diligently describes how even kind and law abiding people are reduced to theft and worse to survive. This novel really produced a fresh perspective on life post war when so many other books within the genre focus on the frontlines.
This was my second novel by this author and I anticipate it won’t be my last. Historical fiction is a difficult genre to get right and still remain respectful to the era and the people on which it is based, but this author manages just that.
June 26, 2019
This is the first book which I have read by this author. Her descriptive powers are impressive and it seemed quite unique to me. I found it hard to get into at first but it pulled me in. Centred around a displaced persons' camp in Germany shortly after WW2 where old foes meet once again, it is gritty and bleak but that is reflective of the time and circumstances. It would have been nice to have had more about the main character’s background in Poland. Some have criticised the ending, and you could take issue with that depending on your point of view.
October 25, 2018
Kate Furnivall is one of my all time favourite authors and once again with her new book The Survivors she has crafted another masterpiece, it's a gripping story from beginning to end. It's packed full of tension, danger, manipulation, mystery and intrigue with the theme of survival being the focal point to the plot. Right from the opening pages I was instantly drawn into the world of Klara Janowska and her young daughter Alicja as theirs was a story that was absorbing, thrilling, powerful and in a lot of ways haunting for all they had to endure. Klara is a character who will really get inside your head as you journey with her as she attempts to get to England where she has relatives and where she feels she will be safe following the conclusion of World War Two. Unfortunately Europe is in chaos following the downfall of Hitler and travelling from Poland to England is no easy feat with threats and danger lurking at every corner. But Klara is resourceful and intuitive and she is determined to complete her task no matter what happens. She needs to both for herself and Alicja as she knows a better life has to be out there for them.
The path to a peaceful more happy existence does not run smoothly and soon the pair find themselves in Graufeld Camp in Germany, a holding camp for displaced persons. For those who have survived the atrocities of war yet lost their homes and in some ways their identity and sense of self. Europe is on the move with a huge mass migration in full flow. Will this be the last stopping place for Klara and Alicja or will they battle through to reach their intended destination? It was so refreshing to see an author putting a new slant on World War Two in the fact that the war itself was not the major focus rather the fallout from all that had occurred for six long years.
We've all read and enjoyed, if that's the word you can use, historical fiction set during the war but admittedly I have given scant thought to what happened afterwards. By setting this novel in the camp Kate Furnivall has shone a light on what happened post war and how Europe coped with so many people migrating or fleeing the Russians in some cases. The research and detail throughout the story was phenomenal. The writing was excellent and visually descriptive giving the reader a real sense of time and place. I really do think that The Survivors would make a great mini drama series for television as it has it all - a brilliant storyline that you reels you in and keeps you hooked and guessing, characters you become deeply invested in and of course a love story.
The descriptions of the British run camp were so real and never once did the author spare the reader from what actually went on there. It really was everyone for themselves as they waited in a kind of limbo to move on in the next stage of their journey if that was at all possible. Klara essentially set up a new life for herself but she didn't become bogged down in the fact that she may never leave the camp. She knew she had an end goal in sight and was courageous and determined that she would carry these through right to the bitter end. I felt Klara was a very restless character that she could never sit still for long as she was always observing her surroundings, the comings and goings at the camp and essentially she was wary that could she ever really trust anybody.
Davide Bouvier, an administrative assistant to the camp Colonel Whitmore, proved to be an ally and a friend to Klara when she needed resources and help the most. The affections bubbling away between the pair developed at a slow and relaxed pace but for the most part I felt this was more on Davide's side rather than Klara's. Again I think this goes back to the fact that she was always on high alert and always plotting different ways to get out of the camp. She used her time and acquired resources wisely, she wasn't just existing from day to day like some others. She was cunning in a good way and was always looking at their bigger picture. Everything was carefully planned and worked out and what she had been up to during the war years stood her in good stead as her cleverness and resilience shone through the further we delved into the story.
Klara has to be one of my favourite characters that I have read in a book this year. Kate Furnivall put her heart and soul into creating a character that had such a strong voice and brilliant mind. But above all else her love and devotion towards her daughter was heart warming to see and she wanted nothing but a positive future for Alicja given their enforced separation during the war. Every so often chapters from Alicja's viewpoint came about and although they were interesting to read and showed a child's viewpoint in relation to everything that was unfolding Klara's chapters and story still remain my firm favourite. Alicja in some ways was an innocent and then in others she surprised me with her actions. It showed she was observant and very devoted to her mother. She too wanted to leave the camp and begin a new life but the secrets from the recent past will have a strong forbearing on the present and future as an old face appears at camp.
When Klara sees this person she is like a cat defending her new born kittens. Her hackles rise and the sense of urgency that is ever present throughout the book only increases as I rapidly flew through the chapters. To understand why the appearance of this person sets Klara in a panic the author interspersed the chapters with recollections as Klara looks back on how she spent her time during the war years in Poland. An enforced separation from Alicja and the strong urge to reunite kept her going through the darkest of times. I don't think she would say she was proud of some of the things she had to do but again this goes back to the fact that it was all about survival, about being alive come wars end in order to make a new life for herself and her daughter without her husband who was lost while fighting.
Given what we learn about Klara and some of the compromising situations she went through there could have been a danger my opinion of her would have changed but I sensed there had to be a further more complicated reason behind everything. Why was she so guarded and always so worried about self protection? What kept her on high alert at all times? Why was the past really like the shadow that never leaves you? I had a feeling that there were major revelations to come but that was not before some major twists, turns and surprises that left me thinking would Klara and Alicja ever achieve some form of happiness? But against all the odds and no matter what the powers that be threw in her direction I knew Klara was gutsy enough, determined and brave enough to just keep on keeping on as they say. Klara's hardened outer core was present for a reason but at the back of my mind I kept wondering just what was the truth behind Klara the person and had her actions affected Alicja so much that she had lost the innocence, lightness and exuberance a young child should have?
No doubt about it Klara was a remarkable character who could have let hatred all consume her but she just held herself back from the brink and exacted everything in the most awe inspiring and riveting manner. Revenge is a dish best served cold and the reader is left guessing until the last possible moment to discover if all the plotting and planning will come to fruition. I was thrown by the last few chapters when we reached the culmination of everything but thrown in a good way. Kate Furnivall had certainly pulled the wool over my eyes and I was left gasping in shock at some of the revelations. On reflection I should have been more astute but I think I was too caught up in the pace and development of the story to read further into circumstances and people than I did. The twists were mind blowing but slotted in perfectly with the overall story, scenarios and picture that the author was trying to achieve.
The Survivors blends imagination with historical fact to absolute perfection and by the time you reach the last page you will be disappointed to leave such amazing characters behind. Kate Furnivall never fails to disappoint and with The Survivors being the fantastic, spell binding story that it was she has yet again not disappointed this reader. Long may things continue in this vein.
The path to a peaceful more happy existence does not run smoothly and soon the pair find themselves in Graufeld Camp in Germany, a holding camp for displaced persons. For those who have survived the atrocities of war yet lost their homes and in some ways their identity and sense of self. Europe is on the move with a huge mass migration in full flow. Will this be the last stopping place for Klara and Alicja or will they battle through to reach their intended destination? It was so refreshing to see an author putting a new slant on World War Two in the fact that the war itself was not the major focus rather the fallout from all that had occurred for six long years.
We've all read and enjoyed, if that's the word you can use, historical fiction set during the war but admittedly I have given scant thought to what happened afterwards. By setting this novel in the camp Kate Furnivall has shone a light on what happened post war and how Europe coped with so many people migrating or fleeing the Russians in some cases. The research and detail throughout the story was phenomenal. The writing was excellent and visually descriptive giving the reader a real sense of time and place. I really do think that The Survivors would make a great mini drama series for television as it has it all - a brilliant storyline that you reels you in and keeps you hooked and guessing, characters you become deeply invested in and of course a love story.
The descriptions of the British run camp were so real and never once did the author spare the reader from what actually went on there. It really was everyone for themselves as they waited in a kind of limbo to move on in the next stage of their journey if that was at all possible. Klara essentially set up a new life for herself but she didn't become bogged down in the fact that she may never leave the camp. She knew she had an end goal in sight and was courageous and determined that she would carry these through right to the bitter end. I felt Klara was a very restless character that she could never sit still for long as she was always observing her surroundings, the comings and goings at the camp and essentially she was wary that could she ever really trust anybody.
Davide Bouvier, an administrative assistant to the camp Colonel Whitmore, proved to be an ally and a friend to Klara when she needed resources and help the most. The affections bubbling away between the pair developed at a slow and relaxed pace but for the most part I felt this was more on Davide's side rather than Klara's. Again I think this goes back to the fact that she was always on high alert and always plotting different ways to get out of the camp. She used her time and acquired resources wisely, she wasn't just existing from day to day like some others. She was cunning in a good way and was always looking at their bigger picture. Everything was carefully planned and worked out and what she had been up to during the war years stood her in good stead as her cleverness and resilience shone through the further we delved into the story.
Klara has to be one of my favourite characters that I have read in a book this year. Kate Furnivall put her heart and soul into creating a character that had such a strong voice and brilliant mind. But above all else her love and devotion towards her daughter was heart warming to see and she wanted nothing but a positive future for Alicja given their enforced separation during the war. Every so often chapters from Alicja's viewpoint came about and although they were interesting to read and showed a child's viewpoint in relation to everything that was unfolding Klara's chapters and story still remain my firm favourite. Alicja in some ways was an innocent and then in others she surprised me with her actions. It showed she was observant and very devoted to her mother. She too wanted to leave the camp and begin a new life but the secrets from the recent past will have a strong forbearing on the present and future as an old face appears at camp.
When Klara sees this person she is like a cat defending her new born kittens. Her hackles rise and the sense of urgency that is ever present throughout the book only increases as I rapidly flew through the chapters. To understand why the appearance of this person sets Klara in a panic the author interspersed the chapters with recollections as Klara looks back on how she spent her time during the war years in Poland. An enforced separation from Alicja and the strong urge to reunite kept her going through the darkest of times. I don't think she would say she was proud of some of the things she had to do but again this goes back to the fact that it was all about survival, about being alive come wars end in order to make a new life for herself and her daughter without her husband who was lost while fighting.
Given what we learn about Klara and some of the compromising situations she went through there could have been a danger my opinion of her would have changed but I sensed there had to be a further more complicated reason behind everything. Why was she so guarded and always so worried about self protection? What kept her on high alert at all times? Why was the past really like the shadow that never leaves you? I had a feeling that there were major revelations to come but that was not before some major twists, turns and surprises that left me thinking would Klara and Alicja ever achieve some form of happiness? But against all the odds and no matter what the powers that be threw in her direction I knew Klara was gutsy enough, determined and brave enough to just keep on keeping on as they say. Klara's hardened outer core was present for a reason but at the back of my mind I kept wondering just what was the truth behind Klara the person and had her actions affected Alicja so much that she had lost the innocence, lightness and exuberance a young child should have?
No doubt about it Klara was a remarkable character who could have let hatred all consume her but she just held herself back from the brink and exacted everything in the most awe inspiring and riveting manner. Revenge is a dish best served cold and the reader is left guessing until the last possible moment to discover if all the plotting and planning will come to fruition. I was thrown by the last few chapters when we reached the culmination of everything but thrown in a good way. Kate Furnivall had certainly pulled the wool over my eyes and I was left gasping in shock at some of the revelations. On reflection I should have been more astute but I think I was too caught up in the pace and development of the story to read further into circumstances and people than I did. The twists were mind blowing but slotted in perfectly with the overall story, scenarios and picture that the author was trying to achieve.
The Survivors blends imagination with historical fact to absolute perfection and by the time you reach the last page you will be disappointed to leave such amazing characters behind. Kate Furnivall never fails to disappoint and with The Survivors being the fantastic, spell binding story that it was she has yet again not disappointed this reader. Long may things continue in this vein.
November 27, 2019
The Survivors by Kate Furnivall is a powerful epic historical novel that consumed me from the start.
The novel is set in 1945 mainly in a displaced persons camp in Europe. The war is officially over but for thousands of people there still is nowhere to go. An air of suspicion hangs over the camp as people await their future.
War alters people. They behave by a different set of rules and moral code. They do what they have to do to survive. Lies easily roll off the tongue. Whose version of the truth is correct? Favours are still being called in. Past secrets lie hidden until a face from the past threatens to reveal them.
A mother’s love is fiercely protective. It governs her movements as we witness a close bond within the novel. The pair fight for life for each other.
We always have the choice to do the right thing but there are still those who are governed by hate and greed.
Kate Furnivall has perfectly captured the atmosphere within the camp in this epic read. The war was far from over for many. Despair was never far away. The Survivors was a powerful read. I will leave you with this quote:
The hating has to stop somewhere. We cannot build a future on hate.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The novel is set in 1945 mainly in a displaced persons camp in Europe. The war is officially over but for thousands of people there still is nowhere to go. An air of suspicion hangs over the camp as people await their future.
War alters people. They behave by a different set of rules and moral code. They do what they have to do to survive. Lies easily roll off the tongue. Whose version of the truth is correct? Favours are still being called in. Past secrets lie hidden until a face from the past threatens to reveal them.
A mother’s love is fiercely protective. It governs her movements as we witness a close bond within the novel. The pair fight for life for each other.
We always have the choice to do the right thing but there are still those who are governed by hate and greed.
Kate Furnivall has perfectly captured the atmosphere within the camp in this epic read. The war was far from over for many. Despair was never far away. The Survivors was a powerful read. I will leave you with this quote:
The hating has to stop somewhere. We cannot build a future on hate.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
November 8, 2018
Five Diamonds! *****
The Survivors by Kate Furnivall set in post-war Germany tells the story of Klara Janowska and Alicia (her daughter) and the Graufield Displaced Persons Camp.
It's a story of power, struggle, survival and a fight for freedom.
Spies, Nazis, Soldiers in post-war Germany.
Bombs, explosions.
Diamonds ... thousands of diamonds.
I covered myself in diamonds as I read this book.
Subtle descriptions of fashion.
I read The Survivors over almost one night and day - totally gripping and un-put-down-able.
Superb storytelling once again by Kate Furnivall.
Thank you, Kate for another captivating and thrilling read.
Highly recommend.
The Survivors by Kate Furnivall set in post-war Germany tells the story of Klara Janowska and Alicia (her daughter) and the Graufield Displaced Persons Camp.
It's a story of power, struggle, survival and a fight for freedom.
Spies, Nazis, Soldiers in post-war Germany.
Bombs, explosions.
Diamonds ... thousands of diamonds.
I covered myself in diamonds as I read this book.
Subtle descriptions of fashion.
I read The Survivors over almost one night and day - totally gripping and un-put-down-able.
Superb storytelling once again by Kate Furnivall.
Thank you, Kate for another captivating and thrilling read.
Highly recommend.
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