What do you think?
Rate this book
Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart #5
The Girl from Berlin
An old friend calls Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart to his famous Italian restaurant to enlist their help. His aunt is being evicted from her home in the Tuscan hills by a powerful corporation claiming they own the deeds, even though she can produce her own set of deeds to her land. Catherine and Liam’s only clue is a bound handwritten manuscript, entirely in German, and hidden in its pages is a story long-forgotten…
Ada Baumgarten was born in Berlin in 1918, at the end of the Great War. The daughter of an accomplished first-chair violinist in the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic, she herself was a violin prodigy, Ada’s life was full of the rich culture of Berlin’s interwar society. She formed a deep attachment to her childhood friend Kurt, but they were torn apart by the growing unrest as her Jewish family came under suspicion. As the tides of history turned, it was her extraordinary talent that would carry her through an unraveling society turned to war, and make her a target even as it saved her, allowing her to move to Bologna―though Italy was not the haven her family had hoped, and further heartache awaited.
What became of Ada? How is she connected to the conflicting land deeds of a small Italian villa? As they dig through the layers of lies, corruption, and human evil, Catherine and Liam uncover an unfinished story of heart, redemption, and hope―the ending of which is yet to be written.
Ada Baumgarten was born in Berlin in 1918, at the end of the Great War. The daughter of an accomplished first-chair violinist in the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic, she herself was a violin prodigy, Ada’s life was full of the rich culture of Berlin’s interwar society. She formed a deep attachment to her childhood friend Kurt, but they were torn apart by the growing unrest as her Jewish family came under suspicion. As the tides of history turned, it was her extraordinary talent that would carry her through an unraveling society turned to war, and make her a target even as it saved her, allowing her to move to Bologna―though Italy was not the haven her family had hoped, and further heartache awaited.
What became of Ada? How is she connected to the conflicting land deeds of a small Italian villa? As they dig through the layers of lies, corruption, and human evil, Catherine and Liam uncover an unfinished story of heart, redemption, and hope―the ending of which is yet to be written.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2018
1748 people are currently reading
8744 people want to read
About the author
Ronald H. Balson
13 books1,868 followersWhen he’s not writing books, Ron is a practicing attorney with the firm of Stone, Pogrund & Korey in Chicago. He has been a civil litigation attorney for forty-three years. He was an adjunct professor of business law at the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business for twenty-five years and was a frequent lecturer in the federal bar certification course and in trial advocacy seminars.
The demands of his legal practice have taken Ron into courts all across the United States and Canada, and for deposition testimony all across Europe and Asia. A few years ago, Ron became involved in a commercial dispute concerning telephone service in Poland. Numerous trips to Warsaw and southern Poland provided the inspiration for his first novel, Once We Were Brothers. Ron’s love of history and his travels to the Middle East provided the motivation for his second novel, Saving Sophie.
During the Once We Were Brothers book tour, Ron was introduced to several survivors of the World War II concentration camps. Of all the stories of courage and determination, one woman’s story was so moving that it formed the basis for Karolina’s Twins, Ron’s third book due out in 2016.
Ron was a finalist for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction in 2014 and a finalist for the Premio Bancarella Italian Literature Award in 2014. He was an honoree at the Chicago Public Library Foundation’s Carl Sandburg Literary Award dinner.
The demands of his legal practice have taken Ron into courts all across the United States and Canada, and for deposition testimony all across Europe and Asia. A few years ago, Ron became involved in a commercial dispute concerning telephone service in Poland. Numerous trips to Warsaw and southern Poland provided the inspiration for his first novel, Once We Were Brothers. Ron’s love of history and his travels to the Middle East provided the motivation for his second novel, Saving Sophie.
During the Once We Were Brothers book tour, Ron was introduced to several survivors of the World War II concentration camps. Of all the stories of courage and determination, one woman’s story was so moving that it formed the basis for Karolina’s Twins, Ron’s third book due out in 2016.
Ron was a finalist for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction in 2014 and a finalist for the Premio Bancarella Italian Literature Award in 2014. He was an honoree at the Chicago Public Library Foundation’s Carl Sandburg Literary Award dinner.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,015 reviews
September 26, 2018
3.5 stars, rounded up
I've always enjoyed historical fiction for the ability to learn something while enjoying a good story. Balson’s books combine modern day mysteries with historical fiction.
This book concerns a real estate title issue in Italy. An old woman is being thrown off her property having been told her claim to the land is invalid. The historical story deals with a young Jewish girl in the years leading up to and during WWII. Ada, the young Jewish girl is a gifted violinist. Her talents are such that she manages to be exempt from many of the restrictions placed on Jews, first in Germany and then in Italy.
Again, I’m never sure if I’m seeing parallels where there are none. But reading about how the economy and populism rebounded under Hitler was chilling. “No one wanted to openly admit they condoned nazification. In general, even among adults, Hitler’s hateful rhetoric was discounted as bluster, as if to say, ‘I don’t believe in all that Nazi ideology, but you must admit, Germany’s economy is doing much better economically’.” And it gets worse with time. Again, the greater sin was the acceptance of all the hate. “Everyone is always sorry.”
The weakness is the current story. The Italian lawyers aren’t the only thing that “stink like a dead fish”. I just couldn’t believe the machinations of VinCo and the whole evil conspiracy theory. Luckily, the majority of the book is Ada’s story and I found this part very strong.
Balson’s writing isn’t lush or magical. He tells the story in a straight forward basis. I realized all my highlights were facts I found interesting, not writing I found special. Still, I did lots of highlighting and felt I learned a lot by reading this book.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
I've always enjoyed historical fiction for the ability to learn something while enjoying a good story. Balson’s books combine modern day mysteries with historical fiction.
This book concerns a real estate title issue in Italy. An old woman is being thrown off her property having been told her claim to the land is invalid. The historical story deals with a young Jewish girl in the years leading up to and during WWII. Ada, the young Jewish girl is a gifted violinist. Her talents are such that she manages to be exempt from many of the restrictions placed on Jews, first in Germany and then in Italy.
Again, I’m never sure if I’m seeing parallels where there are none. But reading about how the economy and populism rebounded under Hitler was chilling. “No one wanted to openly admit they condoned nazification. In general, even among adults, Hitler’s hateful rhetoric was discounted as bluster, as if to say, ‘I don’t believe in all that Nazi ideology, but you must admit, Germany’s economy is doing much better economically’.” And it gets worse with time. Again, the greater sin was the acceptance of all the hate. “Everyone is always sorry.”
The weakness is the current story. The Italian lawyers aren’t the only thing that “stink like a dead fish”. I just couldn’t believe the machinations of VinCo and the whole evil conspiracy theory. Luckily, the majority of the book is Ada’s story and I found this part very strong.
Balson’s writing isn’t lush or magical. He tells the story in a straight forward basis. I realized all my highlights were facts I found interesting, not writing I found special. Still, I did lots of highlighting and felt I learned a lot by reading this book.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
October 13, 2018
Book 5 in the Catherine Lockhart &Liam Taggert series, The Girl from Berlin takes the pair from Chicago to Tuscany, where they tackle a corporation who wants to oust an elderly woman from her vineyard. As Catherine scrambles to adjust to Italian legalization, she is given a journal written by a German musician that may hold answers to the vineyard 's origins.
Considering that I just finished The Girl They Left Behind, a person might think that I wouldn't want to delve back into another World War II background story. Yet, here I am once again. We have Ada, a vibrant German musician, only child of a musician father and a socialite mother living in Berlin. The focus is specifically on how one family watched as their civil liberties were stripped and their highly educated and cultured country fell under the spell of Nazism. It's always difficult to read a book like this one because of course I, the reader are from the "future" and these characters are living in the "past" and everytime they uttered the sentence "Well, we can't go right now"... well, it's a struggle not to scream. Of course, that only reinforces that so many people could not even imagine what was going to end up happening. That is perhaps a big reason for me to continue re-visiting this time period again and again.
The Girl from Berlin illustrates he bonds of family, the sacrifices of parents, and the fierce ability of some to continue keeping secrets.
Thanks to Netgalley for an e- ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Considering that I just finished The Girl They Left Behind, a person might think that I wouldn't want to delve back into another World War II background story. Yet, here I am once again. We have Ada, a vibrant German musician, only child of a musician father and a socialite mother living in Berlin. The focus is specifically on how one family watched as their civil liberties were stripped and their highly educated and cultured country fell under the spell of Nazism. It's always difficult to read a book like this one because of course I, the reader are from the "future" and these characters are living in the "past" and everytime they uttered the sentence "Well, we can't go right now"... well, it's a struggle not to scream. Of course, that only reinforces that so many people could not even imagine what was going to end up happening. That is perhaps a big reason for me to continue re-visiting this time period again and again.
The Girl from Berlin illustrates he bonds of family, the sacrifices of parents, and the fierce ability of some to continue keeping secrets.
Thanks to Netgalley for an e- ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2018
Do not bother. This historical fiction uses words from present times. Although I am not a fan of Donald Trump, the author makes endless comparisons without using his name--"Let's make Germany great again," etc.
October 8, 2018
We travel from present-day Italy and back to the 1930’s during Hitler’s regime in Germany.
In Nazi Germany, we are introduced to Ada as she masterfully plays her violin solos. In Italy we come across a land dispute that may or may not have Ada Baumgaurten, famous violinist in the Berlin Philharmonic, involved.
The land dispute has Liam and Catherine flying to Italy to the beautiful villa of Senora Vincenzo, aunt of a close friend in Chicago.
Catherine has the task of trying to dispute the fact that Senora does own the land and the home she is living in contrary to the Italian attorneys who say she is not the owner. The claim the Italian attorneys had seemed pretty suspicious.
We also gets a glimpse into beautiful Tuscany - its food, its people, and its landscapes.
I enjoyed the back and forth from the 1930’s to 2017. The connection between the two time periods set in Germany at the beginning of WWII then moving to present-day Italy was a manuscript that Ada had written about her life and the life of a famous violinist. Senora Ada Vincenzo insisted that Catherine read the manuscript for the background because she just couldn’t bring herself to tell the details.
THE GIRL FROM BERLIN is a very absorbing dual-timeline that will immediately capture your interest with detailed descriptions of the characters and events.
Mr. Balson has written another beautiful, well researched book that opens up our eyes to the life the European people were living at that time to today’s lifestyle in Italy. The present-day story line has secrets being revealed about Ada’s and Senora Vincenzo’s claim on the land.
Historical fiction fans, opera fans, and fans of Mr. Balson’s books definitely will not be disappointed in his newest beauty.
THE GIRL FROM BERLIN is outstanding, unforgettable, and well written.
Magnificent, marvelous, heart wrenching, and should be given high praise are perfect descriptions of THE GIRL FROM BERLIN. 5/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. . All opinions are my own.
November 9, 2021
I love this author. The stories of Liam and Catherine are some of my favorites. What a dynamic team they make
May 11, 2019
3.5 Stars
I struggled a bit with the alternating story lines at the beginning of the story as it was hard to get invested in either story line. However, once we got to the meat of both stories, I became immersed in them.
Present day Liam Taggart and Cathrine Lockhart are asked to go to Italy to help solve a legal dispute over who owns the vineyards currently occupied by Gabriella: her or VinCo. While there, Gabriella gives Catherine a memoir of a girl from WWII.
Ada, whose memoir we (and Catherine) read, is a German Jew and a gifted violinist. Unfortunately, with Hitler’s rise to power it becomes increasingly hard for her to play publicly and she eventually moves to Italy to pursue her dream. But with WWII raging on and Mussolini joining ranks with Hitler she isn’t safe there either. Her story is heartbreaking and upsetting.
Back in present day, Catherine works hard with an Italian lawyer to try and prove Gabriella the rightful owner of the land. You know the two stories have to be connected, but it takes some time to work and out and even longer to see how the memoir can help the case. I think Balson does a great job at slowly unraveling both stories and then bringing them together.
This is book five in the Taggart and Lockhart series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. But, as I’ve read other books in this series, I would recommend reading them all.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I struggled a bit with the alternating story lines at the beginning of the story as it was hard to get invested in either story line. However, once we got to the meat of both stories, I became immersed in them.
Present day Liam Taggart and Cathrine Lockhart are asked to go to Italy to help solve a legal dispute over who owns the vineyards currently occupied by Gabriella: her or VinCo. While there, Gabriella gives Catherine a memoir of a girl from WWII.
Ada, whose memoir we (and Catherine) read, is a German Jew and a gifted violinist. Unfortunately, with Hitler’s rise to power it becomes increasingly hard for her to play publicly and she eventually moves to Italy to pursue her dream. But with WWII raging on and Mussolini joining ranks with Hitler she isn’t safe there either. Her story is heartbreaking and upsetting.
Back in present day, Catherine works hard with an Italian lawyer to try and prove Gabriella the rightful owner of the land. You know the two stories have to be connected, but it takes some time to work and out and even longer to see how the memoir can help the case. I think Balson does a great job at slowly unraveling both stories and then bringing them together.
This is book five in the Taggart and Lockhart series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. But, as I’ve read other books in this series, I would recommend reading them all.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
August 19, 2018
This was such a good book! This is book 5 in the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart series and my first one to read. This book is easily a stand alone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first four books. This book went back and forth between 2017 and the life of Ada Baumgarten and her family during World War II as Jews in Berlin. I found both storylines fascinating. I've read before in a memoir that the legal system in Italy is a little hard to navigate with some lawyers not caring and some who can be paid off. I was frustrated with Ada and her father where were both professional violinists. They kept saying they would leave Berlin and Germany after the season was done or with one more performance left. They also kept thinking Hitler wasn't going to last, people wouldn't believe him, people wouldn't get behind him. Of course behind on this side of the Holocaust it's easy to yell RUN every time I read they were going to wait a few months or a few days. Or Ada saying she could easily go back into Berlin after moving to Italy. Balson does a great time showing how naive the Jews were until it was too late. He does a great job in showing just how bad conditions became and how slowly people became such racist people. Best friends shunning their Jewish friends and neighbors. There were a lot of parallels from how Hitler and the Nazis grew and changed the way people thought, the way hate grew to some of what is happening here. Balson showed how easy people got complacent and things changed before people even knew what was going on. I would highly recommend this book. It was so well written, and the characters were so well rounded that I cared for the many of them and didn't like some of them.
I received a copy from NetGalley.
I received a copy from NetGalley.
December 11, 2018
Balson has written a number of powerful novels set during the war in recent years and his latest does not disappoint. It juxtaposes a modern tale about a fight to save an elderly woman's home in Tuscany with the story of Ada, a young woman struggling to survive during the war. I loved Ada's story, from her young days in Italy growing close to her friend Kurt to her fateful flight to Italy (and especially the way Ada's story ties together with the modern Italian mystery...)
June 22, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Opening with a drive through the beautiful Italian countryside, this book grabbed from the start and had me turning page after page.
Gabi is an old lady, about to be evicted from her Italian vineyard to make room for Vinco, Big Vine.
The land and its villa have been her property for decades and she's not giving up without a fight. Having had no luck with the Italian lawyers, her nephew in the United States hires his friends Catherine and Liam to sort things out. They move to Italy to investigate the case.
Gabi meanwhile is fiercely defending her award winning plot of Ada's grapes. But who is Ada and why is this tiny plot so important to Gabi?
The book alternates between Gabi in 2017 and Ada in the late 1930's. Through Ada's memoir we learn about her life as a young violin player. It tells of everyday events and gives great insight into the workings of the operahouse, the orchestra and Ada finding her place as a Jewish woman in a man's world now also dominated by nazis. From Berlin to Bologna you can smell the fear, hear the music, engage in lively conversation, enjoy both Jewish and Italian traditions. All scenes so vividly described. All characters indepth.
In 2017 we race against the clock to find evidence of Gabi being the true owner of the land.
Both stories entwine seamlessly, the 2017 parts giving the reader a welcome break to deal with the nazi horrors.
The moment the connection between Gabi and Ada reveals itself takes my breath away. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
While writing this review I'm standing in Gabi's vineyard, mesmerized, enjoying the Tuscan sunset, wonderful violin music playing in my head. The Girl From Berlin is a treasure that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
Opening with a drive through the beautiful Italian countryside, this book grabbed from the start and had me turning page after page.
Gabi is an old lady, about to be evicted from her Italian vineyard to make room for Vinco, Big Vine.
The land and its villa have been her property for decades and she's not giving up without a fight. Having had no luck with the Italian lawyers, her nephew in the United States hires his friends Catherine and Liam to sort things out. They move to Italy to investigate the case.
Gabi meanwhile is fiercely defending her award winning plot of Ada's grapes. But who is Ada and why is this tiny plot so important to Gabi?
The book alternates between Gabi in 2017 and Ada in the late 1930's. Through Ada's memoir we learn about her life as a young violin player. It tells of everyday events and gives great insight into the workings of the operahouse, the orchestra and Ada finding her place as a Jewish woman in a man's world now also dominated by nazis. From Berlin to Bologna you can smell the fear, hear the music, engage in lively conversation, enjoy both Jewish and Italian traditions. All scenes so vividly described. All characters indepth.
In 2017 we race against the clock to find evidence of Gabi being the true owner of the land.
Both stories entwine seamlessly, the 2017 parts giving the reader a welcome break to deal with the nazi horrors.
The moment the connection between Gabi and Ada reveals itself takes my breath away. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
While writing this review I'm standing in Gabi's vineyard, mesmerized, enjoying the Tuscan sunset, wonderful violin music playing in my head. The Girl From Berlin is a treasure that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
October 16, 2018
"The Girl from Berlin" is the fifth book in Ronald H. Balson's Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series. It is a story told in dual times. One takes place in the present day as Liam and Catherine are trying to solve the mystery and help a friend in Italy. The other takes place as the Nazis are consolidating power in Germany and Ada, a young woman, is making her way through the ranks of an orchestra that will take her all over Europe.
The story in this book is fascinating although I was much more interested in Ada's story. She captures the fear of watching all that she has known change under the Nazis as well as her excitement to be a part of the orchestra and to travel to places she has never been before. She watches as the continent of Europe is marred by war. The present day story was okay but did not have the same draw for me as Ada's story.
The writing of the book was alright. There were many places in the book both in the present day story and the past story where too much was told rather than showed. It worked okay for the past story where Ada told her story in first person point of view so that the telling rather than showing almost gave her part of the book a diary-like feel. It did not work so well for the present-day story and really made the narrative drag in some places.
This was an interesting story but it would have been nice for the detail to have been better woven in.
The story in this book is fascinating although I was much more interested in Ada's story. She captures the fear of watching all that she has known change under the Nazis as well as her excitement to be a part of the orchestra and to travel to places she has never been before. She watches as the continent of Europe is marred by war. The present day story was okay but did not have the same draw for me as Ada's story.
The writing of the book was alright. There were many places in the book both in the present day story and the past story where too much was told rather than showed. It worked okay for the past story where Ada told her story in first person point of view so that the telling rather than showing almost gave her part of the book a diary-like feel. It did not work so well for the present-day story and really made the narrative drag in some places.
This was an interesting story but it would have been nice for the detail to have been better woven in.
May 16, 2018
This is a phenomenal book. Story is about a young outstanding Jewish woman violinist and her family in Berlin prior to & during WWII. In addition it tells the story of an old woman in Italy fighting to keep her land with the help of an American lawyer, her investigator husband, several Italian lawyers, a German lawyer and of course the Nazis. Suspenseful, intriguing and a page turner.
January 19, 2019
This is a relative review in some ways. Relative in that I’ve read Balsom’s Karolina’s Twins and Once We Were Brothers and it’s hard not to hold those past books up as a marker of sorts. I gave high marks to both books, especially the former. So when I went into this book I expected all the excellence I’ve become accustomed to from Balsom. I was sorely disappointed. Would this book get poor marks from me if I didn’t read Balsom before? Yes, but by a pinch at best. The bottom line was that this book was poorly done. It lacked pathos and depth, it was devoid of feeling and poignancy. It was trite, honey, and also extremely and overtly obvious. It was clear from the beginning who was behind the lawsuit in question. That was as anticlimactic as it gets. There was also an abundance of what I call ‘Oh Please’’. This book was crawling with Oh Please. Let me sum it up in a question. If you were a young Berlin Jew who’s father was taken to a prison camp and murdered, and your German Officer boyfriend (a good guy forced to be a soldier by his mean dad - there’s a new one, eh?) told you in a few days the SS was sweeping Rome and taking all the Jews to concentration camps, AND the very officer directing the sweep happens to have made ruining your life the top of his Nazi Wish List, what would you do? A) Let your German boyfriend take you away from Rome and run away together (he’s willing to desert and risk death for you) B) Tell your Mother and close friends to pack bags and all disappear as soon as possible? C) Hide because you’re even too worried about trying to get away without being caught D) Tell your boyfriend you can’t leave for 3 days as you surely can’t desert the orchestra during your last 3 violin performances, especially the final one in which the entire SS hierarchy will be there, so he’ll have to wait...but you guys will be just fine. If your answer is D, this book is for you. Sadly, there were several other Oh Please moments just like this one, and I spent most of them silent-screaming, ‘This would never happen!!!’ into my book. This book was a sea of bad decisions and head slapping coinkydinks! Worse, the amount of human connection I felt as a reader was zilch! When the protagonists childhood sweetheart gets shot while protecting her and I think to myself, ‘hmmm, I wonder if we have any more of those yummy cherry Italian ices in the freezer’—there’s a problem. The entire book was devoid of any emotion. Honestly, it was as if Balsom quickly slapped together a book in a week with remnant WWII research (very surface level WWII), stock characters, and run of the mill clichès. So disappointing. Balsom, please give us better next time. We know you have it. So bring it.
December 3, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
This book seemed like a real bait and switch. It's purportedly a PI novel, but the PI stuf is merely a framing device for a rather lame holocaust romance.
Someone is trying to take a winery away from its elderly owner in Italy. Italian lawyers are all corrupt, so the owner recruits an American lawyer, Catherine Lockhart. She and her PI lover, Liam Taggart go to Italy to set things right. The owner gives her a manuscript, detailing the historical romance. This takes up the whole book, when the owner could have told the story in a couple of paragraphs.
A PI series should have a lot more PI stuff.
This book seemed like a real bait and switch. It's purportedly a PI novel, but the PI stuf is merely a framing device for a rather lame holocaust romance.
Someone is trying to take a winery away from its elderly owner in Italy. Italian lawyers are all corrupt, so the owner recruits an American lawyer, Catherine Lockhart. She and her PI lover, Liam Taggart go to Italy to set things right. The owner gives her a manuscript, detailing the historical romance. This takes up the whole book, when the owner could have told the story in a couple of paragraphs.
A PI series should have a lot more PI stuff.
July 23, 2018
What can I say? It's a Ronald H Balson book. I knew it had to be amazing just based on that. And it was. I adore Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart and I'm always ready to join them on one of their exciting heartwarming adventures. And I hope they have many more of t hem. I love that he has two characters that are always in his books. That you get to explore different time periods and places but you get the familiarity of these two beloved characters. You also don't have to read his books in any particular order though I would recommend reading the previous book, Karolina's Twins(which is AMAZING) before reading The Girl from Berlin because you'll be spoiled for something pretty major. I loved Ada Baumgarten so so much. In fact she is now in my top four of five female characters. And for a male author to have written that female is amazing. Somehow Ronald H Balson writes female characters very well. And not only that but females in different time periods.it's so perfect it's eerie. I also loved Kurt. The side characters were just as enthralling though. I would love to read Natalia's story as well. Ada's story was fascinating and captivated me from the start. I loved reading about WWII from inside Germany and, eventually Italy. You can tell that he does his research and brings it into the story in a very entertaining way. I just couldn't put this book down. I adore it and I can't recommend it enough! If it has the name Ronald H Balson on it, it's amazing!
September 29, 2021
📚 Hello Book Friends! I was concerned when I started reading THE GIRL FROM BERLIN by Ronald H. Balson that I would be loss in the story because this is the fifth book in the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart Series. I am happy to say that this was not the case. You can read this book as a stand alone and it is very enjoyable. There are references to events that took place in previous books, but they were well explained and not an issue. Now back to this wonderful book! I loooove the dual timeline and the link between the two. Ada’s journal about of her childhood and career as a violinist prior and during WWII was enthralling and heart-breaking. I love how the author used this account to save Gabrielle’s vineyard from being stolen by this evil corporation almost 75 years later. This book will pull at your heart and make you sad at time but will reiterate that goodness can be found in this world amidst the ugliness of war and greed. Beautiful read!
#bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #thegirlfromberlin #ronaldhbalson #stmartinspress #bookreview
Read
September 25, 2018No rating as I didn't get very far into the book, about one-fourth.
The book didn't hold me at all. Its writing style seemed 'pedestrian,' in that it had no rhyme or rhythm to it. Now, the type-setting was also very poor, but I didn't hold that against it. (This was an ARC and I know that happens.) But it wandered and veered and repeated itself. The dialogue was often of the 'let me use dialogue to describe and explain the obvious,' which always read so false to me. Yes, dialogue CAN be used to set mood, define a place, detail events - but only when, and if, it would do so in a natural and REAL setting. This book didn't that for me.
And, if by the 20th page, I couldn't care less (I like that expression, btw), about any of the characters, well then ...
So a dnf, which I feel is more than fair. And for those who might say: you should have kept going! It gets so much better!
Bah humbug. If a book can't hold me from the start, it's not worth my time or effort. And I say that about my fav. authors, too. (And often have.) There are soooooo many good books out there and life is toooooooo short to waste on a book that doesn't interest or engage.
But to those who love this writer and this series, read on!
I won this through Goodreads giveaway, a program I love, and from which I've found (literally) over a dozen new writers I would not have otherwise.
The book didn't hold me at all. Its writing style seemed 'pedestrian,' in that it had no rhyme or rhythm to it. Now, the type-setting was also very poor, but I didn't hold that against it. (This was an ARC and I know that happens.) But it wandered and veered and repeated itself. The dialogue was often of the 'let me use dialogue to describe and explain the obvious,' which always read so false to me. Yes, dialogue CAN be used to set mood, define a place, detail events - but only when, and if, it would do so in a natural and REAL setting. This book didn't that for me.
And, if by the 20th page, I couldn't care less (I like that expression, btw), about any of the characters, well then ...
So a dnf, which I feel is more than fair. And for those who might say: you should have kept going! It gets so much better!
Bah humbug. If a book can't hold me from the start, it's not worth my time or effort. And I say that about my fav. authors, too. (And often have.) There are soooooo many good books out there and life is toooooooo short to waste on a book that doesn't interest or engage.
But to those who love this writer and this series, read on!
I won this through Goodreads giveaway, a program I love, and from which I've found (literally) over a dozen new writers I would not have otherwise.
March 7, 2019
This novel was an extremely poor recommendation by a friend. The plot revolves around a land claim controversy in Italy that stretches back to the Second World War. Hence, it comprises two timeframes - the 1930’s and 40’s on the one hand, and 2017 on the other. While the former, which involves a talented Jewish musician from Berlin, has some interest despite stretching credibility to breaking point, the latter features a smug romantically engaged couple who have the most trite and annoying repartee I have ever encountered in fiction. The plot is often quite unconvincing. It’s amazing, for example, how many characters are miraculously able to communicate effortlessly in Italian after spending only the shortest time there
If you’re looking for consistency in quality, depth, good writing and a plausible plot devoid of “wow that really happened?” moments, this book is not for you. If not, knock yourself out. I certainly won’t be reading any more by this author.
If you’re looking for consistency in quality, depth, good writing and a plausible plot devoid of “wow that really happened?” moments, this book is not for you. If not, knock yourself out. I certainly won’t be reading any more by this author.
January 10, 2020
I'm so sad that this is the last book in this series. This was a sold 4 star read for me and I added another for 2 great characters and just a great historical fiction all around! If you enjoy reading historical fictions, pick us this series.... (I can say that book number 4 I wasn't that crazy about, but the others are really good!)
March 22, 2019
Ronald Balson can do no wrong in my eyes. Once We Were Brothers will forever be one of my favorites, and while nothing will ever live up to that to me, this gets pretty close. I always love reading about Catherine and Liam’s adventures, and Gabi and Adas story was no different. He does a great job weaving in modern day with a unique Holocaust story. Highly recommend!!
April 12, 2019
4.5/5 Stars
What a great and beautiful story! I was captivated by it and hated to put the book down. There's sleuthing, a murder mystery, historical fiction, courtroom drama, love, sacrifice, struggle, hatred, and redemption. It hit all of my favorite buttons.
The story opens in July, 2017, with a sleazy Italian lawyer working for a German company trying to force an old woman off her land and claiming that the company he works for is the rightful owner of said property. She's furious and calls on her only living relative, a nephew and restaurateur in Chicago, for help. He then bribes his dear friends who happen to be a happily married couple - detective Liam Taggart and phenom lawyer, Catherine Lockhart - with a Tuscan vacation at a villa near Siena - all expenses paid - in exchange for looking into Aunt Gabi's dire situation.
At first blush, Aunt Gabi doesn't appear to have a leg to stand on and may soon have to relinquish the property on which she has lived for nearly eight decades. Thrilled for receiving the added assistance, Aunt Gabi sends a copy of a Berliner Jewish woman's memoir to help Catherine get a better handle on Aunt Gabi's frustration and belief in her absolute right of ownership. Even the local judge sided with the corporation, given the evidence on hand and Gabi's attorney's lack of showing up in court. Liam and Catherine are not easily intimidated or dissuaded from digging deeper into the matter. They find a young bright female lawyer who is eager to serve and deliver justice in her part of the world.
It is the WWII memoir of violinist Ada Baumgarten which truly pushes all of the emotion hot buttons. While preparing a performance of Mahler's 3rd Symphony, I was reading a particularly difficult and heart wrenching passage while listening to the tremendously moving 6th movement of the symphony. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I could barely read the words through the wet curtain of sorrow. (Emotional music will do that to me every time. Just take away the music track of a movie and suddenly the whole story falls flat.) Yet in spite of all the difficulties Ada encounters and the challenges she and her family endure, she somehow still finds hope.
Author Ronald H. Balson spins a spectacular yarn in this 5th installment of the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series. As a lawyer himself, he knows the jargon and the legal details needed for such a story. But beyond that, he is a masterful storyteller and a tremendous writer. I was transported back in time and silently walked alongside the characters as they strolled down Berlin's, Bologna's and Rome's streets. The visuals were spectacularly described and the tension, palpable.
If you enjoy a good mystery, solidly researched historical fiction and great courtroom drama, then I highly recommend this book to you.
What a great and beautiful story! I was captivated by it and hated to put the book down. There's sleuthing, a murder mystery, historical fiction, courtroom drama, love, sacrifice, struggle, hatred, and redemption. It hit all of my favorite buttons.
The story opens in July, 2017, with a sleazy Italian lawyer working for a German company trying to force an old woman off her land and claiming that the company he works for is the rightful owner of said property. She's furious and calls on her only living relative, a nephew and restaurateur in Chicago, for help. He then bribes his dear friends who happen to be a happily married couple - detective Liam Taggart and phenom lawyer, Catherine Lockhart - with a Tuscan vacation at a villa near Siena - all expenses paid - in exchange for looking into Aunt Gabi's dire situation.
At first blush, Aunt Gabi doesn't appear to have a leg to stand on and may soon have to relinquish the property on which she has lived for nearly eight decades. Thrilled for receiving the added assistance, Aunt Gabi sends a copy of a Berliner Jewish woman's memoir to help Catherine get a better handle on Aunt Gabi's frustration and belief in her absolute right of ownership. Even the local judge sided with the corporation, given the evidence on hand and Gabi's attorney's lack of showing up in court. Liam and Catherine are not easily intimidated or dissuaded from digging deeper into the matter. They find a young bright female lawyer who is eager to serve and deliver justice in her part of the world.
It is the WWII memoir of violinist Ada Baumgarten which truly pushes all of the emotion hot buttons. While preparing a performance of Mahler's 3rd Symphony, I was reading a particularly difficult and heart wrenching passage while listening to the tremendously moving 6th movement of the symphony. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I could barely read the words through the wet curtain of sorrow. (Emotional music will do that to me every time. Just take away the music track of a movie and suddenly the whole story falls flat.) Yet in spite of all the difficulties Ada encounters and the challenges she and her family endure, she somehow still finds hope.
Author Ronald H. Balson spins a spectacular yarn in this 5th installment of the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series. As a lawyer himself, he knows the jargon and the legal details needed for such a story. But beyond that, he is a masterful storyteller and a tremendous writer. I was transported back in time and silently walked alongside the characters as they strolled down Berlin's, Bologna's and Rome's streets. The visuals were spectacularly described and the tension, palpable.
If you enjoy a good mystery, solidly researched historical fiction and great courtroom drama, then I highly recommend this book to you.
January 12, 2023
the king of historical fiction/legal thrillers does it again
October 12, 2018
Liam and Catherine are persuaded by an old friend to help his aunt in Italy keep ownership of her home as an unscrupulous and powerful landowner attempts a takeover. They are given an old manuscript to read translated from German as they embark on their flight. Catherine begins to read, captivated from the start.
This is the diary of Ada Baumgarten, a child Jewish prodigy violin player from Berlin who begins her story as Hitler’s power and control is rising. Ada becomes entangled in the politics and horrors of what’s to come, how they relate to her family, her patrons, and a special person named Kurt. I truly cared for the characters Ada and Kurt. Their resiliency, loyalty and bravery are masterfully portrayed by the author. A great choice for historical fiction fans.
This is the diary of Ada Baumgarten, a child Jewish prodigy violin player from Berlin who begins her story as Hitler’s power and control is rising. Ada becomes entangled in the politics and horrors of what’s to come, how they relate to her family, her patrons, and a special person named Kurt. I truly cared for the characters Ada and Kurt. Their resiliency, loyalty and bravery are masterfully portrayed by the author. A great choice for historical fiction fans.
October 24, 2018
I needed little convincing when this one came up for review. The cover is beautiful and it’s set in pre war Italy. It was an easy yes for me.
I didn’t know that this book was part of a series when I agreed, and honestly I don’t think that it mattered too much with this one. Sure there is a backstory between Liam and Catherine, but the heart of the book is the mystery and the historical details of Ada’s plot line.
This book should have been a quick read for me but I confess, I struggled and didn’t read it nearly as quickly as I had hoped. The plot crosses between 2017 and the 1930s, and while I loved the 1930s part, the modern period was wanting for me.
Ada’s story is where Balson shines. The history and depth of feelings that the characters are feeling are finely drawn and interesting. But when we shift back to the modern period, the shine of history dissolves leaving the reader feeling a little disappointed.
Ada’s story is interesting and inviting. I can only imagine what it would have been like for a young girl growing up in Berlin at the rise of Nazi Germany’s power. I loved how elegantly the music was woven into the plot.
Balson is a strong writer when it comes to weaving history and mystery together, but I personally felt like the modern period just needed something more—-though I am not sure what, I just felt like it needed something else to make it balance with the beauty of the historical period. Writing in two periods can sometimes be a challenge. Having not read any other books by Balson, I don’t really have a comparison or reference to his ability to blend the two, but this novel just felt like an unbalanced to me when it came to richness in plot both historic and modern.
I enjoyed Ada’s story and uncovering the mystery—-for me this was a good novel—-not great but entertaining. I just didn’t love it in the way that I had hoped.
See my full review here
I didn’t know that this book was part of a series when I agreed, and honestly I don’t think that it mattered too much with this one. Sure there is a backstory between Liam and Catherine, but the heart of the book is the mystery and the historical details of Ada’s plot line.
This book should have been a quick read for me but I confess, I struggled and didn’t read it nearly as quickly as I had hoped. The plot crosses between 2017 and the 1930s, and while I loved the 1930s part, the modern period was wanting for me.
Ada’s story is where Balson shines. The history and depth of feelings that the characters are feeling are finely drawn and interesting. But when we shift back to the modern period, the shine of history dissolves leaving the reader feeling a little disappointed.
Ada’s story is interesting and inviting. I can only imagine what it would have been like for a young girl growing up in Berlin at the rise of Nazi Germany’s power. I loved how elegantly the music was woven into the plot.
Balson is a strong writer when it comes to weaving history and mystery together, but I personally felt like the modern period just needed something more—-though I am not sure what, I just felt like it needed something else to make it balance with the beauty of the historical period. Writing in two periods can sometimes be a challenge. Having not read any other books by Balson, I don’t really have a comparison or reference to his ability to blend the two, but this novel just felt like an unbalanced to me when it came to richness in plot both historic and modern.
I enjoyed Ada’s story and uncovering the mystery—-for me this was a good novel—-not great but entertaining. I just didn’t love it in the way that I had hoped.
See my full review here
June 28, 2018
Yes, Ron's next book is being released this fall and I gladly welcomed Catherine and Liam back into my life:) This time they travel to Siena, Italy to help their friend Tony's aunt avoid being evicted from her wine villa. As always, it was a strong mystery, with Catherine playing the lead role this time. The descriptions of Siena brought back good memories from my vacation there 6 years ago. The story switches between the present day in Siena and the late 1930s and early 1940s in Berlin, Germany and multiple locations in Italy. Prior to this book I hadn't read much about the impact of Hitler on the Jews in the major cities and the country side of Italy. I always learn something new when reading Ron's books and this time was no exception. I knew a bit about musicians during the war but I learned a lot more about music in general along with a bit more about wine and wineries. If you have been anticipating Ron's next book as much as I was, you won't be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2020
I just loved this! As an afficianado of WWII books, you would think I would tire of this theme. So many elements of this were so similar to so many books in this genre that I have read before. But I loved it all the same.
And so finishes my series for the year, that began with Ron Balson's Once We Were Brothers. This is the fifth of the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart Series. By book four I tired of them, and it was only the historical fiction stories that mattered. But I liked them more in this book, far more than I did in book four. This one might have been my favorite of the five. Music, Vineyards, strong heroic women.... It hit all the high notes for me.
Ron Balson has written a sixth book that has just come out, called Eli's Promise. I think it is unrelated to this series. I am excited to read it.
And so finishes my series for the year, that began with Ron Balson's Once We Were Brothers. This is the fifth of the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart Series. By book four I tired of them, and it was only the historical fiction stories that mattered. But I liked them more in this book, far more than I did in book four. This one might have been my favorite of the five. Music, Vineyards, strong heroic women.... It hit all the high notes for me.
Ron Balson has written a sixth book that has just come out, called Eli's Promise. I think it is unrelated to this series. I am excited to read it.
August 25, 2018
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My favorite book I have read this year. An incredible story that will grab your heart. Gabi is in risk of losing her family land. Liam and Catherine fly to Italy to try and help her. They had no idea the adventure that would be before them. This is a must read!
March 3, 2019
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
I am not sure how I have not heard of this author or series before, I absolutely loved this book. I could not stop listening to it. I have become a lover of Historical Fiction, especially those using dual timelines and this book fit the bill perfectly.
For those of you not familiar with this series, Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart are a lawyer and private detective. The live in Chicago and have a young son. They are contacted by a friend, restaurateur, Tony, who wants them to go to Italy to help his Aunt Gabby. It seems Gabriella is being forced off her land by a greedy corporation. They have managed to get a court to confirm ownership by the VinCo Company and she has 60 days to leave the property. She is adamant she owns the property and it is up to Catherine and Liam to find the paperwork to prove that Gabriella Vincenzo owns the property. The only clues they have is a memoir or diary written by Ada Baumgarten, a talented violinist that becomes the first female to play in a national orchestra. This is the story in the past, the horrible, terrifying past of being a German Jew during the rise of Hitler.
I listened to this book and the narrator was wonderful. Fred Berman used cadence, accent and tone to become the various characters in the story and I was captivated by this tale. The story was not lyrical, but it was well told, gritty, it gripped me. The unfairness, the corrupt corporation and lawyers trying to bully this old woman and intimidate her friends and lawyers had me wanting to know what is going to happen. I did figure out what the connection between the past and present was and how VinCo fit in, but trying to prove it and learning the rest of Ada's story kept me hooked. This book is a very absorbing dual-timeline that will immediately capture your interest with detailed descriptions of the characters and events. In the 1930s/1940s timeline, Balson does a great job showing how naive the Jews were until it was too late. Everytime Ada or her father said they would leave tomorrow, or at the end of the month, I wanted to cry, I knew what was going to happen. I had not read any stories about the people in Italy and what they were going through as allies of Hitler.
I do not want to share anymore of the plot or story with you, but suffice it to say, it is sad and terrible. The characters in this story were so real to me. I hated the lawyers in Italy that were willing to bend the law for their clients, an extremely wealthy corporation. I was rooting for Catherine and the young female lawyer Liam finds willing to work with them and fight the greedy corporation. Those in the past that we were meant to like and cheer for, had my pity and admiration and those who were the evil characters earned my disdain. I definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, dual-timelines, WWII, Holocaust stories, and mysteries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request, although I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the story. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
I am not sure how I have not heard of this author or series before, I absolutely loved this book. I could not stop listening to it. I have become a lover of Historical Fiction, especially those using dual timelines and this book fit the bill perfectly.
For those of you not familiar with this series, Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart are a lawyer and private detective. The live in Chicago and have a young son. They are contacted by a friend, restaurateur, Tony, who wants them to go to Italy to help his Aunt Gabby. It seems Gabriella is being forced off her land by a greedy corporation. They have managed to get a court to confirm ownership by the VinCo Company and she has 60 days to leave the property. She is adamant she owns the property and it is up to Catherine and Liam to find the paperwork to prove that Gabriella Vincenzo owns the property. The only clues they have is a memoir or diary written by Ada Baumgarten, a talented violinist that becomes the first female to play in a national orchestra. This is the story in the past, the horrible, terrifying past of being a German Jew during the rise of Hitler.
I listened to this book and the narrator was wonderful. Fred Berman used cadence, accent and tone to become the various characters in the story and I was captivated by this tale. The story was not lyrical, but it was well told, gritty, it gripped me. The unfairness, the corrupt corporation and lawyers trying to bully this old woman and intimidate her friends and lawyers had me wanting to know what is going to happen. I did figure out what the connection between the past and present was and how VinCo fit in, but trying to prove it and learning the rest of Ada's story kept me hooked. This book is a very absorbing dual-timeline that will immediately capture your interest with detailed descriptions of the characters and events. In the 1930s/1940s timeline, Balson does a great job showing how naive the Jews were until it was too late. Everytime Ada or her father said they would leave tomorrow, or at the end of the month, I wanted to cry, I knew what was going to happen. I had not read any stories about the people in Italy and what they were going through as allies of Hitler.
I do not want to share anymore of the plot or story with you, but suffice it to say, it is sad and terrible. The characters in this story were so real to me. I hated the lawyers in Italy that were willing to bend the law for their clients, an extremely wealthy corporation. I was rooting for Catherine and the young female lawyer Liam finds willing to work with them and fight the greedy corporation. Those in the past that we were meant to like and cheer for, had my pity and admiration and those who were the evil characters earned my disdain. I definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, dual-timelines, WWII, Holocaust stories, and mysteries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request, although I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the story. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
January 29, 2019
I’d looked forward to this book as I really enjoyed Balsam’s books Karolina’s Twins and Once We Were Brothers. I found him to be a very good writer. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed in The Girl from Berlin. I considered that maybe I had to high expectations. It’s true, that gave this book a steeper climb, but in the end the difference it would’ve made in my final review was infinitesimal. This book was banal. It was formulaic. It had no heart. If you’re going to write a book about WWII, you cannot write about it without being 100% true to the realities of WWII. You cannot sidestep and tiptoe through the truth and consequences of what happened to people and families under the Third Reich simply because it’s not the crux of your story and you don’t want to get stuck in the depths of that dark place. Balsam seemed to do just that. He used WWII as a tool, a setting that made the story work, and in which to write a story around. Basically, it’s WWII lite. Sadly, this was a story about, well, nothing. It was neither a story of familial love, or romantic love, friendship or loss, or anything. It was maybe a story of hatred for hatred sake, but even that wasn’t explored in the human condition. Rather it was a story point. It skimmed through anything that touched the depths of one’s heart. It glossed over pain and suffering. It was a pedestrian story. A surface tale without an ounce of meat on the bone. There was neither valid motivation for the characters nor a touch of consequence. Real people and real feelings were set aside to get from point A to point B. The disappointment of this book was huge. Even the big reveal wasn’t even 1% of a reveal. I have to imagine 100% of those reading this book knew exactly what or rather who was behind the lawsuit-from the beginning. When a book begins with a new mother and father deciding to leave the US to take on a lawsuit in Italy, leaving their firstborn/newborn with only the very slightest hesitation, and then briefly mentioning missing the child in a sentence or two it becomes extremely clear that reality and human emotion are going to be sparse. If you want to read Balsam, I highly recommend Karolina’s Twins, which portrays WWII with authenticity and grace, and which focuses beautifully on the human condition, the choices we make, and the love and connections we share even in the darkest of times. Do yourself a big favor and give The Girl from Berlin a pass. I’m not giving up on this writer. He’s good at story and language, it just felt like this one was phoned in. Not recommended!
November 7, 2018
After reading Once We Were Brothers and this book, Ronald H. Balson has just become one of my few favorite authors. I'm really regretting not keeping Once We Were Brothers.
This is such an incredible novel I've come across in a while! Mr. Balsom most certainly has done his research. He is so eloquently talented with words where he brings the story alive immediately from the beginning to the end, holding your interest. He is one of the few phenomenal storytellers of our time.
First of all, having read Once We Were Brothers over a year ago, I did not know he had written other books until The Girl From Berlin came out. This book is the fifth book of Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart series. Now, this should not scare you off because this can be a stand alone novel and I can tell you why. The heart of this novel truly sets on the mystery, music, and historical details of the main character who wrote the journal.
This is a historical novel which takes place pre WWII and during WWII and present which are alternated back and forth but easy to keep up. Once you start reading the first couple of pages, there's no turning back. Balsom did an incredible job bringing the depths of history, music and feelings alive. I LOVE how he conveyed a story to each of the classical music pieces.
It isa not for a quick reading. This novel will bring out all kinds of emotions from you. It is intended to be savored reading and long after you finish reading the book.
I truly truly enjoyed this story. It is one of the best WWII stories I've come across this year. I'd say this beats Lilac Girls, Nightingale, and All the Light We Cannot See hands down. I will read his other books and continue to read more of his books in the future.
I recieved this marvelous ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my unbiased and honest review. Thank you!
This is such an incredible novel I've come across in a while! Mr. Balsom most certainly has done his research. He is so eloquently talented with words where he brings the story alive immediately from the beginning to the end, holding your interest. He is one of the few phenomenal storytellers of our time.
First of all, having read Once We Were Brothers over a year ago, I did not know he had written other books until The Girl From Berlin came out. This book is the fifth book of Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart series. Now, this should not scare you off because this can be a stand alone novel and I can tell you why. The heart of this novel truly sets on the mystery, music, and historical details of the main character who wrote the journal.
This is a historical novel which takes place pre WWII and during WWII and present which are alternated back and forth but easy to keep up. Once you start reading the first couple of pages, there's no turning back. Balsom did an incredible job bringing the depths of history, music and feelings alive. I LOVE how he conveyed a story to each of the classical music pieces.
It isa not for a quick reading. This novel will bring out all kinds of emotions from you. It is intended to be savored reading and long after you finish reading the book.
I truly truly enjoyed this story. It is one of the best WWII stories I've come across this year. I'd say this beats Lilac Girls, Nightingale, and All the Light We Cannot See hands down. I will read his other books and continue to read more of his books in the future.
I recieved this marvelous ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my unbiased and honest review. Thank you!
July 23, 2018
Honestly what else could you expect from a Ronald H Balson book besides a 5 star read? No surprise here. I can't recommend his books enough. RTC *thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC for review*
Full review:
What can I say? It's a Ronald H Balson book. I knew it had to be amazing just based on that. And it was. I adore Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart and I'm always ready to join them on one of their exciting heartwarming adventures. And I hope they have many more of t hem. I love that he has two characters that are always in his books. That you get to explore different time periods and places but you get the familiarity of these two beloved characters. You also don't have to read his books in any particular order though I would recommend reading the previous book, Karolina's Twins(which is AMAZING) before reading The Girl from Berlin because you'll be spoiled for something pretty major. I loved Ada Baumgarten so so much. In fact she is now in my top four of five female characters. And for a male author to have written that female is amazing. Somehow Ronald H Balson writes female characters very well. And not only that but females in different time periods.it's so perfect it's eerie. I also loved Kurt. The side characters were just as enthralling though. I would love to read Natalia's story as well. Ada's story was fascinating and captivated me from the start. I loved reading about WWII from inside Germany and, eventually Italy. You can tell that he does his research and brings it into the story in a very entertaining way. I just couldn't put this book down. I adore it and I can't recommend it enough! If it has the name Ronald H Balson on it, it's amazing!
Full review:
What can I say? It's a Ronald H Balson book. I knew it had to be amazing just based on that. And it was. I adore Liam Haggard and Catherine Lockhart and I'm always ready to join them on one of their exciting heartwarming adventures. And I hope they have many more of t hem. I love that he has two characters that are always in his books. That you get to explore different time periods and places but you get the familiarity of these two beloved characters. You also don't have to read his books in any particular order though I would recommend reading the previous book, Karolina's Twins(which is AMAZING) before reading The Girl from Berlin because you'll be spoiled for something pretty major. I loved Ada Baumgarten so so much. In fact she is now in my top four of five female characters. And for a male author to have written that female is amazing. Somehow Ronald H Balson writes female characters very well. And not only that but females in different time periods.it's so perfect it's eerie. I also loved Kurt. The side characters were just as enthralling though. I would love to read Natalia's story as well. Ada's story was fascinating and captivated me from the start. I loved reading about WWII from inside Germany and, eventually Italy. You can tell that he does his research and brings it into the story in a very entertaining way. I just couldn't put this book down. I adore it and I can't recommend it enough! If it has the name Ronald H Balson on it, it's amazing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,015 reviews