Lost Boys

by Catherine Bailey

'To say that Catherine Bailey makes history come alive is such a cliché and yet it's so true, she is absolutely one of my favourite writers' Kate Atkinson
___________________________________________________________

Berlin, September 1944. Ulrich von Hassell, former ambassador to Italy and a key member of the German Resistance, is executed for his part in an assassination plot against Hitler. In response to the attack, Himmler, leader of the SS, orders the arrest of all the families of the plotters.

In a remote castle in Italy, von Hassell's beloved daughter, Fey, is discovered just when she thought she had escaped the Nazi net. She is arrested and her two sons, aged three and two are seized by the SS. Fey has no idea of her children's fate as she is dragged away on a terrifying journey to the darkest corners of a Europe savaged by war.

Moving from a palazzo in the heart of the Italian countryside to the horrors of Buchenwald, Catherine Bailey tells an extraordinary story of resistance at the heart of the Second World War. The Lost Boys is an illuminating and devastating account of great personal sacrifice, of loss and, above all, of defiance.

___________________________________________________________

'Remarkable . . . The Lost Boys is a powerful, engrossing story of a journey into the heart of darkness and final escape from it' Sunday Times
'Bailey has an extraordinary ability to penetrate right to the heart of a family and uncover often painful stories. An important book' Daily Telegraph
'Bailey has a knack for bringing characters to life . . . Fascinating' Times

'Bailey has an extraordinary talent for bringing history to life and The Lost Boys is as thrilling as any novel' Daily Mail

'One of the most harrowing, beautifully written and brilliantly researched books I have read in a very long time' Selina Hastings

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, Biography, Historical, War, Nazi Party

Paperback

First published June 27, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Maker of successful television series and documentaries.

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable story, vivid and meticulously researched. Just to clarify this book is also published as The Lost Boys: A Family Ripped Apart by War

This is my first book by Catherine Bailey and Fey's War really made for compelling reading. A true account of a mother separated from her sons and husband and her fight for survival under the hands of the SS. A remarkable account that reads like fiction but filled with fascinating historical facts that just kept me engrossed throughout.

Berlin 1944. Ulrich Von Hassell, former ambassador to Italy and a key member of the German resistance is executed for his part in the assassination plot against Hitler. His daughter Fey, resides in a remote Castle in Italy with her two boys, she is arrested and sent to various camps and her two little boys aged three and two are seized by SS and sent to an orphanage. This is one woman's true account of her life under the Nazi regime.

This books grips the reader right from the very first page, extremely well researched and written.
I leaned so much from this book and I have read quite a few non-fiction accounts of war and this one really does deliver on facts and brings history to life. I sat up late into the night to finish Fey's War as just couldn't put it down.

The author has included photographs and maps which for me are important when reading Non Fiction accounts like this one.

I did find that the book could have been a little better edited. It became quite detailed in the second half and I found myself struggling just a little to keep track of all the names and places, which was why I was really glad to have a hard copy to hand. Having said that it didn't in any way take away from the suspense and enjoyment of the book and so happy to add this one to my read life bookshelf.

[Girish · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In country over country, there was no instituitonal response to this collective emotional crisis. People had to find their own coping mechanism"

Fey's War is one powerful read as far as non-fiction goes. Credit to Catherine Bailey for converting a WWII memoir into a complete novel by weaving history and facts into the context.

Contessa Fey Pirzio-Birloi is the daughter of Ulrich Hassell (integral part of the German opposition to Hitler), wife of Count Detlmo (an Italian cavalry officer who was fighting the reich) and mother of Corrado and Roberto aged 4 and 3. When an assassination attempt of Hitler fails and her husband is underground in Rome, Fey and her sons ae picked up by the SS. The ordeal starts much before, but 7 months through the war her lonely journey away from her sons is portrayed in the backdrop of the war and the camps and prisons.

Sippenhaftung - the German term meaning "kin liability", Fey along with other family members of various people involved in the assassination plot or political prisoners or POW are a crucial bargaining chip. Hence, they are kept comfortable even in concentration camps and moved from one camp to other as the Russians and the Americans are knocking at their doors.

Historical facts are a big plus. You wonder about the mentality of a common German citizen, a nation villified as a whole in the war. The stigma of one man borne by the nation. The books talk of the underground network of German political/moral forces trying to kill Hitler and put an end to the havoc. That gets missed out in writings - an opposition. The political scenario between Italy and Germany also gets diffused and history finds two willing partners in crime - at Nation level.

The book, maybe since it took an enormous scope, goes light on the emotional element. Fey's struggle is here and now with some intermittent references to her children (and hence more natural?). It is factual. Also, towards the end of the war, the chaos and confusion resonate well with a regime change. In one of her observations post the war, she talks about a society that was hosting dinner parties for the Allied commanders who an year ago were hosting the Nazis.

The reference to the horrors and the almost factual data strewn in by the author are mere details. You find multiple lucky breaks and in a sense you are hopeful that you are not reading a tragedy.

Liked it.

Noted: Thanks to Penguin books UK and Netgalley for providing the ARC of this book for review. The book releases on 23 Jul.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any tale chronicling human suffering at the hands of the Nazis is inevitably going to be harrowing and upsetting, and this one is no exception. As the sub-title tells us, it’s about a family ripped apart by war and when two of the family members are small boys it becomes even more compelling. I was indeed gripped by the story, especially as I did not know the outcome before starting, but I did find the book overly long and a bit of ruthless editing wouldn’t have come amiss. There’s a lot of background and history, especially about the plots to kill Hitler, and although these are relevant up to a point, I think the suspense and tension would have been better maintained without so much detail. The basic story of a mother looking for her children is drama enough. Nevertheless, it’s a powerful and moving read and I very much enjoyed it.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a harrowing read. Not as gripping as her previous two books but interesting just the same. 1943 German Fey is married to an Italian count working with the Italian resistance. Her German father has just been implicated in a plot to kill Hitler. As a result Fey is arrested by the Gestapo and her two young boys are taken from her and sent to an orphanage in Austria. For the rest of the war Fey is shunted around the camps as Himmler keeps her and other high ranking prisoners alive to use as bargaining chips when the now inevitable German defeat occurs. After the war Fey and her husband embark on a mission to find their two missing boys. Bailey draws on survivors accounts in this to describe life in the camps and it does not make for easy reading. A fab read.

[Maria Bottelier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a perfect combination of well researched history(second world war) and a family history. A gripping story beautifully written with lots well documented information . The characters are brought to life in a fascinating way. I was deeply moved by this book.

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

With so much having been written about the 2nd world war, we should have reached saturation point some time ago but, at least as far as I am concerned, this story of what happened to the families of those who plotted to assassinate Hitler has not had much coverage. The Nazi’s policy, led by Himmler, was to round up and incarcerate all the relatives of the plotters. Catherine Bailey’s book follows the plight of Fey, a German woman, and daughter of one of the most prominent plotters, married to an Italian. Not only was she arrested and imprisoned, but she also had her two infant sons taken away from her.
The story reads like a mystery novel as Fey and the other family members are constantly being transported from place to place: sometimes to concentration camp annexes and sometimes to luxury Alpine hotels. Tension builds as the war is coming to an end and the Russian and American forces are closing in. Will they be executed before they can be rescued?
The only weakness is that it could have done with more ruthless editing as Catherine Bailey has had access to a wealth of material (particularly letters and diaries written at the time) and included much more detail than is necessary.

[Geraldina Nunes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um livro incrível baseado numa grande investigação histórica. Uma história bem contada, com uma escrita envolvente que trata de um tema pouco falado: a resistência alemã que quis matar Hitler e que pediu ajuda internacional que nunca veio...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the wake of the 20 July 1944 attempt to assassinate Hitler, mass arrests of not only anyone suspected of having been even tangentially involved in the plot, but also the families of many of the leading conspirators are carried out across the Third Reich. Among them is Fey, a young mother of two whose father Ulrich von Hassell, a former German ambassador to Rome and staunch anti-Nazi, was one of many executed for their part in the attempted coup. Arrested at her home in Italy, Fey is taken to Austria, separated from her young sons, and imprisoned alongside a small group of family members of others deeply involved in the plot. Until the end of the war, they are shuttled from concentration camp to concentration camp, held as a mixture of collective punishment, high value hostages, and potential bargaining chips with the Allies. Once the war is over, Fey and her remaining family set up in search of her children, who, unbeknownst to her, were spirited away to an SS-run orphanage under fake names.

While Fey's story is at the heart of this book, Bailey frequently branches out into related topics, such as the German Resistance movement, the various previous attempts to assassinate Hitler, the horrors of the concentration camps, the floods of refugees from the East and deathmarches from the camps during the final months and days of the war. An interesting read.

[Aaron Lozano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story, one of millions from WW2. Great read.

[Adelaide Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história envolvente com uma grande investigação por trás

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very difficult to read, text far too small had to read in alot smaller chunks than usual.

[Pirate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard pressed to read a more moving historical book all year and if I could I would give it 10 stars. A remarkable tale of loss, courage -- the patriarch former ambassador to Italy is one of the main conspirators in the July 20 Plot to assassinate Hitler -- perseverance, maltreatment and heartbreaking love story between the mother of the boys and the one survivng von Stauffenberg brother. Whilst the treatment of the 'valued prisoners', whom Himmler thought he could use as bargaining chips in his desperation to save his own skin, is pretty dire as they are carted from one appalling concentration camp to another -- the description of their train ride from East Prussia and the plight of the refugees who have to walk is especially striking -- but nothing compared to what is taking place elsewhere in the camp....the guards who smile at them and give them special treatment are sociopathic monsters once they pass through the door to the part of the camp that houses the Jews, homosexuals, Roma etc...the nihilistic character of the Nazis is portrayed brilliantly as they go to the wire with no let up in their brutality even with the Allies closing in. Superbly written and chapeau to the author for coming upon this compelling story really impressive. Is there a happy ending ....well everything is relative given what goes before it ....and for you to find out..no spoilers here my dears.....

[Richard Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read 'Black Diamonds' but 'The Lost Boys' is far better than 'The Secret Rooms' if only because it has a much more gripping story to tell. I disagree with those who consider it too long; providing the political and military context in which Fey von Hassell, her family, friends and fellow prisoners had to operate enhances rather than distracts from the account. The story is not new - Fey von Hassell herself wrote about it in A Mother's War (1990) - but it is not well known in the U.K. and Catherine Bailey is very good at conveying the complexities and dangers in particular localities during the final years of the war.

One of the strengths of the book is that, although its focus is on the tribulations experienced by an aristocratic, liberal, anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist group, it never tries to conceal the horrors dealt out to less well-placed opponents and victims of the Nazi regime. The pro democratic "aristocrats" are well aware of the atrocities and (spoiler alert) it come as no surprise to me that the elder of the lost boys subsequently made his career in the E.U. Commission. Multi-lingual, eloquent and cultured, the heroes of this book stand in vivid contrast to the insular ignoramuses about to Get Brexit Done.

[Letture Sale e Pepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

RECENSIONE DOPPIA:

Un viaggio tra Germania ed Italia alla ricerca di due bimbi scomparsi e forse sopravvissuti nei campi di concentramento. Una madre disperata, Fey, arrestata solo sulla base di supposizioni complotti politici, la speranza di trovare ancora i suoi bimbi vivi.

Un personaggio chiave Frau Buri, la bambinaia a capo dell’orfanotrofio nel periodo in cui la Gestapo “rapiva” i bambini degli arrestati.

Le atrocità della guerra si susseguono nel corso del libro, cadaveri, forni, campi di concentramento, bombardamenti, ufficiali delle SS e ambienti logori e fatiscenti “C’erano centocinquanta donne in uno spazio pensato per quaranta o forse cinquanta persone.”

Oppure “C’erano talmente tanti cadaveri che i forni lavoravano 24 ore al giorno.”

“Apatici e silenziosi, siamo rimasti rannicchiati a tremare dal freddo per ore e ore, concentrandoci solo sul calore e sulla nostra sopravvivenza.”

Una storia dove lasci il cuore, dove trovi le sofferenze e le paure di una madre, dove l’orrore della guerra lo senti addosso come senti le urla silenti dei prigionieri dei campi.

“Nessuno deve dimenticare la crudeltà assoluta dei campi.”

Solo nei campi di concentramento, erano stati uccisi fino a un milione e mezzo di bambini.

- Cara Z.
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Salve a tutti, oggi ho avuto il piacere di avere tra le mani questo lavoro a dir poco straordinario.

Dalla sinossi avrete sicuramente capito che l’argomento di cui narra è uno dei periodi storici più bui dell’esistenza umana.

Stavolta però visto dall’altra facciata dei campi di concentramento come siamo abituati a leggere e vedere nei film e nei documentari. Qui si racconta di un ex ambasciatore tedesco in Italia, il quale faceva parte della resistenza contro il regime nazista e viene condannato a morte per alto tradimento.

Viene ordinato anche l’arresto di tutti i familiari dei sospetti che hanno tramato contro Hitler e qui incontreremo Fey, la figlia dell’ex ambasciatore, che si nasconde insieme ai suoi due figli nella campagna italiana.

Quando le SS arrivano e le strappano via i suoi figli, inizia per questa donna una vera battaglia. Viaggerà per tutta l’Europa nel tentativo di riabbracciare i suoi figli sperduti. Una protagonista forte, coraggiosa, determinata, un amore di mamma e di donna senza eguali, che riempie il lettore di energia, di forza, di voglia di tenerla per mano in questo suo terrificante viaggio.

L’autrice è straordinaria nel modo in cui dà vita ai suoi personaggi e a tutto ciò che costruisce intorno a loro. Dal periodo storico, a quello emotivo ed emozionale, le descrizioni sono palpabili, le emozioni ti arrivano come una pallottola dritta al cuore.

Non aspettatevi di leggere ciò che in passato avete letto, questi prigionieri sono diversi da coloro che venivano tenuti nei campi di concentramento, qui si descrivono prigionieri leggermente privilegiati, il testo è un racconto avvincente e romanzato in un periodo storico di cui tutti, aimè, conosciamo l’esistenza. In questa storia il protagonista non è la seconda guerra mondiale né tantomeno il regime nazista, ma l’amore invincibile e inarrestabile di una madre.

Non scoraggiatevi perché il romanzo è veramente lungo, vi garantisco che si legge tutto d’un fiato e che alla fine di quelle pagine spererete ce ne siano ancora e ancora e ancora altre.

Una storia da leggere nelle giornate in cui ci sentiamo particolarmente soli e fragili, vulnerabili agli eventi storici che ci circondano.

In alcune casi l’unica scelta che abbiamo è proprio quella di lottare e di non abbandonare mai la speranza.

Complimenti all’autrice che ha dimostrato un talento naturale per la scrittura, una persona che sa fare delle parole magia, quella magia che quando il lettore finisce un libro si sente avvolgere da mille milioni di emozioni proprio sulla sua pelle.

- Marina B.

[Strickleserl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die 1918 geborene Fey von Hassell hat zunächst ein märchenhaftes Leben. Sie wächst in einer wohlhabenden Familie auf. In ihren Jugendjahren ist ihr Vater, Ulrich von Hassell, deutscher Botschafter in Rom. Dort lernt sie ihren adligen Ehemann kennen, den sie 1939 heiratet.

Die junge Familie lebt auf dem Familiengut Castello di Brazzà in der Nähe von Venedig. Sie bekommen zwei wunderschöne Söhne und fühlen sich hier sicher vor den Wirren des Kriegs. Doch dann wird Italien von den Deutschen besetzt und Soldaten ziehen in ihr Zuhause ein. Feys Mann, der im Widerstand aktiv ist, lebt nicht mehr auf dem Landgut. Die junge Fey fühlt sich alleingelassen. Als Deutsche, die mit deutschen Soldaten zusammenlebt, wird sie von den Nachbarn argwöhnisch betrachtet, obwohl sie im Herzen ein Nazigegner ist.

Als am 20. Juli 1944 ein Attentat auf Hitler misslingt, ergreift die SS voller Wut nicht nur die Täter und Planer, sondern auch viele Frauen und Kinder der Mitwirkenden im Widerstand. Dazu gehört auch Feys Vater. Fey ist selbst in Italien nicht sicher, sie wird von einem Leutnant, der in ihrem Haus lebt, denunziert. Ihre beiden Söhne und sie werden zunächst nach Innsbruck gebracht. Fey wird zu Befragungen mitgenommen und muss ihre zwei- und vierjährigen Söhne der Obhut von SS-Schwestern überlassen.

Zuerst hofft sie in wenigen Tagen freigelassen zu werden, doch zusammen mit anderen Sippenhäftlingen muss sie quer durch Deutschland reisen. Mal werden die Gefangenen in Hotels untergebracht, meistens jedoch in Gefängnissen und Konzentrationslagern. Sie genießen eine Sonderbehandlung, denn Himmler sieht in ihnen wertvolle Geiseln. Doch sie sind sich nie sicher, wie lange sie für ihn von Wert sein werden und wie es mit ihnen weitergehen wird. Fey und andere Mütter leiden vor allem an der Trennung von ihren Kindern. Niemand sagt ihnen, wo ihre Kinder sind und wie es ihnen geht.

Dieses umfangreiche Buch erzählt nicht nur die Geschichte von Fey, sondern berichtet auch ausführlich von dem Geschehen in ihrer Umgebung. Dabei werden viele Quellen zitiert. So erfährt der Leser, zum Beispiel, von den verschiedenen Versuchen Hitlers Leben zu nehmen, von den Flüchtlingsströmen, von den Todesmärschen der KZ-Insassen in den letzten Tagen des Kriegs und von Himmlers Tod. Wer sich nur für Feys Geschichte interessiert, findet das vielleicht zu ausschweifend, doch wer die geschichtlichen Hintergründe verstehen will, wird hier von den vielen Informationen begeistert sein, die Feys Geschichte untermalen.

Am Anfang des Buchs fällt es schwer sich die verschiedene Namen und Orte zu merken und die Zusammenhänge zu verstehen, doch schon bald steht Feys spannende Geschichte im Vordergrund. Neben dem grauenvollen Leid des Krieges, berichtet dieses Buch von Heldenmut und Liebe.

So schreibt Feys Mutter über ihren Ehemann: „Sein klarer Charakter, sein überragender Geist, seine glühende Beherztheit und sein immer einsatzbereiter Mut beglückten mich jeden Tag. Ich bete zu Gott, dass sein Opfer, sein Leben hinzugeben, der Welt beweisen wird, dass es ein besseres Deutschland gab, … Und ich hoffe, dass die Welt begreift, dass es Männer gab, die bereit waren, uns unter Aufopferung ihres Lebens von diesem Übel zu befreien.“

Fazit: Die erschütternde Geschichte einer unschuldigen Frau, die von ihren Kindern getrennt und eingesperrt wird, liegt diesem wertvolle Zeugnis zu Grunde. Es berichtet von dem Mut vieler Deutschen, die mit dem nationalsozialistischen Regime nicht einverstanden waren. Sehr empfehlenswert für alle, die sich für authentische historische Berichte interessieren.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Bailey is a British historian and the author of two previous books. She tends to look at specific incidents and people in history and her books are always well-written. Her new book, "The Lost Boys: A Family Ripped Apart by War", which covers the well-known "Operation Valkyrie" and it's aftermath.

There was fairly strong anti-Hitler/anti-Nazi sentiment in Germany during the war. Several assassination plots against Hitler and his coterie were planned...but basically remained plots as they were too difficult - or the plotters ran into bad luck - until "Valkyrie", on July 20, 1944. Bad luck because the meeting was held in a practically open room and the bomb that did actually blow up, wasn't strong enough to kill Hitler. The plotters were quickly rounded up and many plotters were put to death. Hitler also vowed to take the punishment to the plotters' families and that's the basis of Bailey's book. One of the plotters was Ulrich von Hassell, a German diplomat, and his family was arrested by the Gestapo.

One of the v0n Hassell's four children was Fey Pirzio-Biroli, who was married to an Italian aristocrat. Both families were active in the resistance against Hitler and Mussolini. The two boys - ages 3 and 4 - when they are arrested with their mother by the Gestapo in their northern Italian villa. Separated from her children, Fey is put with a group of "Prominenten", family of those considered important to the Gestapo. This group was often held as hostages and trade bait to foreign governments.

Okay, if I've made "The Lost Boys" sound confusing, it is because the book IS confusing. I've given it four stars instead of five because I thought it could have been written in a clearer manner. For instance, the story is much more about Fey Pirzio-Biroli and what she endured as she was shuffled from one holding cell to another, from one concentration camp to another, as part of the "Prominenten" for the last 8 months of the war. Her boys were "lost" to her and their family, but by the end of the book, their story ended happily. I think the book needed a strict editor to shape the story and the characters.

However, the book is interesting and I can recommend it. I was pleased to see all the photographs of the people and places referred to in the text, as well as some excellent maps of Germany, Austria, and Italy. I would just advise you read the book when you have easy access to Wikipedia, because there are lots of people and places to look up.

[Luisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der etwas kitschig klingende Titel lässt kaum vermuten, dass sich hinter dem Cover ein unglaublich erschütterndes, spannendes, nervenaufreibendes und sehr gut recherchiertes Sachbuch mit hoher Lesbarkeit verbirgt. Bis wir uns wiedersehen erzählt die Geschichte Fey von Hassels, Tochter eines der Widerstandskämpfer des 20. Juli, und ihre Odyssee durch die Grausamkeiten des zerfallenden Deutschen Reichs.

Die Tatsache, dass Fey ihre beiden sehr kleinen Söhne weggenommen werden, ist zwar der vermeintliche Ausgangspunkt dieses Buches, gerät aber schnell zu einer Nebenhandlung, denn den eigentlichen Mittelpunkt bildet Feys Überleben, ihr ständiges Bangen um ihre Familie und ihr von Gefangenschaft, KZ-Verlegungen, Solidarität unter den anderen Sippenhäftlingen und Ungewissheit geprägtes Leben von der Verhaftung bis zum Kriegsende.

Catherine Baileys recht rationaler (leider an einigen Stellen etwas ungelenk übersetzter) Stil, entfaltet gerade aufgrund seiner Nüchternheit einen Reiz. Dieses Buch ist ein Sachbuch und will auch kein Roman sein - muss es auch nicht, denn die Dinge, die hier von der Autorin beschrieben werden, sind so unfassbar, dass man sie sich kaum besser bzw. schrecklicher ausdenken könnte. Das Leseerlebnis ist gerade deshalb und in Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass es sich hier um Fakten, Augenzeugenberichte und Erinnerungen verschiedenster Personen handelt, die zu einem sehr komplexen Teppich verwoben wurden, außergewöhnlich intensiv. Die detailreichen Schilderungen, die Exkurse über Dinge, die Feys Schicksal nicht unmittelbar betreffen (wie z.B. das Vorgehen der Roten Armee in den Städten Ostpreußens, die perfide KZ-Organisation, die Vorgeschichte des Wiesenhof), aber unglaublich interessant sind, entwerfen ein sehr umfassendes Bild der Geschichte und der Zeit. Der Leser bekommt den Eindruck, dass hier nichts vergessen, nichts ausgelassen wurde. Jede noch so kleine Ecke Wissen wird ausgeleuchtet, sodass eine nachhaltige Wirkung entsteht. Das Buch ist in jeder Hinsicht außerordentlich lehrreich.

Hinzu kommt, dass die Geschichte (obwohl real) ungeheuer spannend ist. Oftmals kann man das Buch kaum weglegen und tut es nur, weil das Furchtbare nicht mehr zu ertragen ist. So etwas muss ein Sachbuch erst einmal schaffen! Ich bin davon so begeistert, dass ich auf jeden Fall sehr gern noch weitere Bücher von Catherine Bailey lesen werde.

[Colautti Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story takes place in the last two years of the second world war. Fey von Hassell, the protagonist of the book, lives in Friuli in North-Eastern Italy. The region is the theatre for fierce fighting between the Allied and Axis forces and is in the grip of a civil war. From this beginning, the story moves to Germany which is fast yielding to Russian and Allied forces pushing in on all fronts. In a balanced, restrained, yet evocative fashion, Catherine Bailey outlines these complicated historical events and the social environs in which Fey von Hassell moves. From orderly, tensed but still civilized, the story turns dramatic and brutal. Catherine Bailey with masterfully-placed strokes delivers a fair, complete and insightful portrait of the protagonist. She uses Fey's own voice - from letters, diary entries and memoirs - to reveal her feelings. In so doing Catherine Bailey deeply involves the reader in the pain, suffering and emotional turmoil that Fey has to withstand. This book is a reminder of the catastrophic consequences that fascist ideologies have had and can have in European history. It is also a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that millions of people - symbolically personified in the story in Fey’s father Ulrich - underwent to hand us the liberal democracies we now live in. Ultimately what makes this a must-read book, is Catherine Bailey’s fine and vivid prose. It is her prose that brings the story to life, transposing the reader right into the unfolding of events.

[Sandra Kennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was both an EASY read and a HARD read. EASY because it was beautifully written and in a logical order. HARD because it was difficult to read about and comprehend the awfulness of the war-time atrocities. There were times when I thought I couldn’t read any further as the brutality was described in such detail that I almost felt as though I was a bystander watching the horrors a close quarters.
Although it is the story of the two lost sons it mainly tells the story of their mother Frey’s experiences during world war two. Fey was a German married to an Italian. Fey’s father was one of the instigators in the plot, which failed, to kill Hitler and because of this her fate as a “special prisoner” was almost inevitable.
Catherine Bailey’s research of this story is to be applauded. I have already read her book “Black Diamonds”, which was also superb and I have now started her book “The Secret Rooms”, which is proving to be an excellent read. I have searched to see if she has written anything else but sadly it doesn’t appear to be the case. So, I will be keeping an eye out for whatever she writes next and will be in the queue to buy it when it does come out.

[Angelika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zum Inhalt:
Im Dezember 1944 werden die eiden kleinen Söhne der Diplomatentochter Fey von Hassel von der SS entführt. Fey wird währenddessen zusammen mit Angehörigen von z. B. der Familie Stauffenberg von einem Lager zum anderen Lager geschleust. Wird Fey jemals ihre Kinder wiedersehen? Wird sie diese Reise überleben?
Meine Meinung:
Und wieder einmal ein Name, der mir unbekannt war, aber eine ungeheure Geschichte erlebt hat. Hier wird die Geschichte der Fey von Hassel erzählt und das als romanhaftes Sachbuch. Es muss die Autorin enorm viel Recherche gekostet haben, denn wenn man sch mal die ganzen Anhänge ansieht, das macht man mal nicht so nebenher. Das Ergebnis ist wirklich gelungen, auch wenn man am Anfang ein wenig braucht, um in das Buch rein zukommen, weil so viele Informationen auf einen einstürmen, das gibt sich aber im Laufe des Buches, weil man sich daran gewöhnt. Der Schreibstil ist anfangs auch etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig.
Fazit:
Beeindruckende Geschichte

[Emma L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another fantastic historical saga from Catherine Bailey that tells the true story of two young brothers, taken from their mother and placed in a Nazi orphanage during the Second World War. Their grandfather, Ulrich von Hassell was the German ambassador to Italy and it was his actions against Hitler that led to their punishment. The book is written with great factual detail and really brings to life the horrible realities of war on a personal level.
I have also read Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey and found both books to be fascinating. Her writing style brings these sad events to life, but I do feel her books are over long which can take some enjoyment from them.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary story, one that brings many of the horrors of the Nazi regime into sharp relief through the lens of one family's story. A fairly privileged family to be sure, but this doesn't diminish the impact, and indeed, it is probably due to this that so much of the background information was available. The book is comprehensive and detailed (at times, too much so? I was on the edge of thinking so at times, but the detail was usually important) and well told. The maps are useful to those unfamiliar with the geography. Recommended, although I think my next book will be more of a fun read!

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not think I could finish this book as a very difficult read (as you would expect) but it was all thought consuming so I put it down. But I kept thinking about it and a year later picked it ip and started from the beginning and very glad I did.
A Germans mothers love for her children which are taken from her by the Nazis and her story on trying to find them after the end of the war reads as the perfect plot for a story - but this is based on a real life story and for me, the horrors, despair and hope stay with me.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absorbing, brilliantly pieced together and clearly written. Inevitably horrifying in parts. Inspiring in others. This book is, in my opinion, even better than the same author’s “The Secret Rooms”, yet this one is not so well known. I agree with other reviewers that it could do with sharpening up slightly in the second half. However, it absolutely came to life again towards the end, with the search for the boys after the war, and the final epilogue chapter telling us what became of everybody in later years.

[Jennsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is based on a young mother who became a victim to the Nazis and had her children taken from her because her family plotted against Hitler. There are so many details to the life as a prisoner, albeit a special one, who was moved around with similar people. The detail and eye witness accounts make you feel as if you are there. It makes the monstrosities of the Nazis come to life. It makes you feel for what was endured and lost in this terrible time.

[Jenelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a huge fan of non-fiction history novels. My particular interest is all books related to World War II (having had three grandparents be active). I believe they are so incredibly important for all to read and understand the horrors of history.

I can't imagine having to go through what Fey had to go through. What an incredible and horrendous story all at once. Read it within a day I was so engrossed.

[Shane Lawlor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book. Well written. A wonderful true life story .

I am probably harsh in not giving this excellent book 5 stars. It should appeal to readers of all good drama not just WW 2 students. The author has honoured her primary subjects with a compelling account of their lives.

[Bolli Thor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ótrúlega grípandi og um leið átakanleg lesning. Einhver áhrifamesta lýsing á hryllingi seinni heimsstyrjaldarinnar eins og hann birtist í meðferð þýskra nasista á föngum, m.a. í útrýmingarbúðunum. Bókin er byggð á yfirgripsmikilli úrvinnslu samtímaheimilda höfundar. Bókin fær mín bestu meðmæli, jafnvel meira en fimm stjörnur.

[Christa Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, this is a history/biography of the war that one never hears about. Set in Italy during WWII, how a father’s action affects the whole family. Suspense from the first page right to the end. I loved it!!!!

[Vika Ryabova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мне понравилось. Масса документального материала (дневники, письма, мемуары) так удачно вписывается в рассказ (хорошо построенный), что кажется, что читаешь не нонфикшн, а художественное произведение. Книга напрашивается на экранизацию, кстати.