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The Girl from Munich #1
The Girl from Munich
Germany, 1943. The choices she makes will change her life forever.
Growing up in Hitler’s Germany, Charlotte von Klein has big dreams for the future. Her mind is full of plans for a sumptuous wedding to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich while working for the Luftwaffe, proudly giving her all for the Fatherland.
But in 1943, the tide of the war is turning against Germany, and Lotte’s life of privilege and comfort begins to collapsing around her. As Hitler’s Reich abandons Germany and the country falls to the Allied forces, Lotte is forced to flee from the unfolding chaos to the country with the darkly attractive Erich Drescher, her Luftwaffe superior.
Amid the danger, pain and heartbreak of a country turning on itself, Lotte must forge a new life for herself. But as the country struggles to find its future, shadows of the past come rushing back and Lotte finds herself questioning everything she has fought for - love, duty and freedom.
Growing up in Hitler’s Germany, Charlotte von Klein has big dreams for the future. Her mind is full of plans for a sumptuous wedding to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich while working for the Luftwaffe, proudly giving her all for the Fatherland.
But in 1943, the tide of the war is turning against Germany, and Lotte’s life of privilege and comfort begins to collapsing around her. As Hitler’s Reich abandons Germany and the country falls to the Allied forces, Lotte is forced to flee from the unfolding chaos to the country with the darkly attractive Erich Drescher, her Luftwaffe superior.
Amid the danger, pain and heartbreak of a country turning on itself, Lotte must forge a new life for herself. But as the country struggles to find its future, shadows of the past come rushing back and Lotte finds herself questioning everything she has fought for - love, duty and freedom.
421 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2017
314 people are currently reading
3195 people want to read
About the author
Tania Blanchard
10 books230 followersTania lives in Sydney with her husband and three children. Coming from a family with rich cultural heritage with a German mother and Italian father, stories have always been in her blood. Following a career in physiotherapy, it was only when she had her family that she decided to return to her passion of writing.
Her debut novel is The Girl from Munich, the story she has always wanted to write, inspired by the fascinating stories told by her German grandmother, and she is currently working on the sequel, set in Australia in the 1950s.
Tania is excited to have found her light bulb moment, her love for writing historical fiction. She looks forward to delving further into her interests of history and family stories to enrich and bring to life the many ideas inspired by the amazing tales she has gathered over the years.
Her debut novel is The Girl from Munich, the story she has always wanted to write, inspired by the fascinating stories told by her German grandmother, and she is currently working on the sequel, set in Australia in the 1950s.
Tania is excited to have found her light bulb moment, her love for writing historical fiction. She looks forward to delving further into her interests of history and family stories to enrich and bring to life the many ideas inspired by the amazing tales she has gathered over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
February 25, 2022
I enjoyed this read, recommended by a good friend.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s good.
Unquestionably, there are so many books (both fiction and non-fiction) that tell the story of post-WWII Germany. The Germans must be fed up with them!
Despite that, the historical references are good.
What I like about this one is that it’s told by an Australian author – someone who can perhaps research and write a story with an ‘outsider’s perspective’. Admittedly, Tania Blanchard had a German-born grandmother who informed the story, but for me, it works because it is like a conductor who interprets a composer’s piece, perhaps not exactly as the composer intended, but with a new interpretation that is positive and credible.
This book is melodramatic, but you know, that’s actually okay. It was an easy read, and sometimes that's a relief.
It goes into some strange places with relationships and bitter family interactions, families that were once supportive and loving – I actually wondered if that was a metaphor for what was happening to Germany as a whole after the war? The chaos and the slow, day-by-day rebuilding of fractured lives and buildings, the desperation?
Then again, maybe I was overthinking things (again!).
I purposely wrote the above before reading any reviews on Goodreads. I can see why there would be a mixture of favourable and unfavourable responses. I am one of the former because, for me, I read this book under the right circumstances and at the right time.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s good.
Unquestionably, there are so many books (both fiction and non-fiction) that tell the story of post-WWII Germany. The Germans must be fed up with them!
Despite that, the historical references are good.
What I like about this one is that it’s told by an Australian author – someone who can perhaps research and write a story with an ‘outsider’s perspective’. Admittedly, Tania Blanchard had a German-born grandmother who informed the story, but for me, it works because it is like a conductor who interprets a composer’s piece, perhaps not exactly as the composer intended, but with a new interpretation that is positive and credible.
This book is melodramatic, but you know, that’s actually okay. It was an easy read, and sometimes that's a relief.
It goes into some strange places with relationships and bitter family interactions, families that were once supportive and loving – I actually wondered if that was a metaphor for what was happening to Germany as a whole after the war? The chaos and the slow, day-by-day rebuilding of fractured lives and buildings, the desperation?
Then again, maybe I was overthinking things (again!).
I purposely wrote the above before reading any reviews on Goodreads. I can see why there would be a mixture of favourable and unfavourable responses. I am one of the former because, for me, I read this book under the right circumstances and at the right time.
May 4, 2019
5 Heartwarming stars
The Girl from Munich by Tania Blanchard is about love hardships & decisions tha might make or break you!!
Charlotte Von Klein & her mother Mutti & Father Vati are trying to get by in Munich Germany in 1943, with the war all around them Charlotte wants to do her but for the war effort going to the front line to be a photographer but her parents vehermintly are against it after losing their son Ludqwiga pilot killed in the Eastern front in Stalingrad.
Vati & Mutti are dreading losing another child to this terrible war but Charlotte is so insistent on doing something they let her stay close so she gets a job as a swcretary working for Luftwaffe working for Erich Drescher a handsome man was well chissled & charming she was shown the ropes by Bettina Weiss, learned very quickly but had an instant attraction to ERich he made her heart flutter but at home she was promised to Heinrich ( an arranged marriage) they had been kindred spirits, best friends since children.
Heinrich was in the medical profession wanting to be a doctor eventually he was called up to the eastern front, Charlotte was heartbroken but there was nothing she could do, she continued working at her job profficient at what she had to do but she was drawn to Erich more & more until she could'nt take it any more he kissed her & then she was his.
She got letters from Heinrich saying they would marry when he got back but aftwer a while his letters stopped she had to get on with her life & eventually Erich & charlotte got married they thought eveeything was okay until out of the Blue everything came crumbling down their marriage would be tested.
Meanwhile Mutti was so against Charlottes Marriage they were estranged for a while until Vati was taken to a prison camp in the next town Mutti was inconsolable as her other son Willi was killed also, this put a strain on Mutti she went into deep depression losing both sons to war then having Charlotte away from her was the last thing she could take.
I am really enjoying this genre it really is addictive but sadness is written right throughout i loved Charlotte she was a strong no nonsense woman who's love for Erich was so strong that nothing could break them, it was atmospheric endearing & well written the pacing was up there the tension was building chapter by chapter. I also loved the old style romance between Erich Charlotte & Heinrich was beautifully written no smuttiness which was a nice change, all in all a fabulous read.
The Girl from Munich by Tania Blanchard is about love hardships & decisions tha might make or break you!!
Charlotte Von Klein & her mother Mutti & Father Vati are trying to get by in Munich Germany in 1943, with the war all around them Charlotte wants to do her but for the war effort going to the front line to be a photographer but her parents vehermintly are against it after losing their son Ludqwiga pilot killed in the Eastern front in Stalingrad.
Vati & Mutti are dreading losing another child to this terrible war but Charlotte is so insistent on doing something they let her stay close so she gets a job as a swcretary working for Luftwaffe working for Erich Drescher a handsome man was well chissled & charming she was shown the ropes by Bettina Weiss, learned very quickly but had an instant attraction to ERich he made her heart flutter but at home she was promised to Heinrich ( an arranged marriage) they had been kindred spirits, best friends since children.
Heinrich was in the medical profession wanting to be a doctor eventually he was called up to the eastern front, Charlotte was heartbroken but there was nothing she could do, she continued working at her job profficient at what she had to do but she was drawn to Erich more & more until she could'nt take it any more he kissed her & then she was his.
She got letters from Heinrich saying they would marry when he got back but aftwer a while his letters stopped she had to get on with her life & eventually Erich & charlotte got married they thought eveeything was okay until out of the Blue everything came crumbling down their marriage would be tested.
Meanwhile Mutti was so against Charlottes Marriage they were estranged for a while until Vati was taken to a prison camp in the next town Mutti was inconsolable as her other son Willi was killed also, this put a strain on Mutti she went into deep depression losing both sons to war then having Charlotte away from her was the last thing she could take.
I am really enjoying this genre it really is addictive but sadness is written right throughout i loved Charlotte she was a strong no nonsense woman who's love for Erich was so strong that nothing could break them, it was atmospheric endearing & well written the pacing was up there the tension was building chapter by chapter. I also loved the old style romance between Erich Charlotte & Heinrich was beautifully written no smuttiness which was a nice change, all in all a fabulous read.
September 2, 2017
Charlotte von Klein lived in relative luxury with her Mutti and Vati in Munchen, Germany in 1943. The war was all around them with Lotte’s eldest brother having already been killed which had devastated the family. They hoped desperately that Willi would return to them unscathed. Lotte was engaged to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich, and she knew his training to become a doctor would take him far. But when Heinrich was sent to the Front, Lotte was beside herself…
When Lotte’s father managed to get her a secretarial position with his good friend Erich Drescher, her nerves soon disappeared. She was good at her job and loved working alongside Erich and the office girls. But Germany was losing the war and chaos was surrounding them. Lotte was desperate to join her mother – Erich accompanied her as they fled across the countryside, trying to keep away from the soldiers; both German and Allied.
But the future didn’t look good for Lotte in a Germany that was crumbling around them. The loss of friends and family; the homes which had been destroyed by bombs – would they ever have a peaceful life again? Lotte struggled with the knowledge of what had really happened – it had been ingrained in her since childhood. Was everything she had known and believed in a lie? Would she ever know a new life; a life away from heartache and fear?
The Girl from Munich by Aussie author Tania Blanchard is an exceptional historical fiction novel set in the dying years of World War II. I don’t recall having read a book before from the perspective of a German in the war years and it was well done. Beautifully written with compassion and caring, it just goes to show it doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on, the normal, everyday people are still human beings with the same emotions as us all. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.
When Lotte’s father managed to get her a secretarial position with his good friend Erich Drescher, her nerves soon disappeared. She was good at her job and loved working alongside Erich and the office girls. But Germany was losing the war and chaos was surrounding them. Lotte was desperate to join her mother – Erich accompanied her as they fled across the countryside, trying to keep away from the soldiers; both German and Allied.
But the future didn’t look good for Lotte in a Germany that was crumbling around them. The loss of friends and family; the homes which had been destroyed by bombs – would they ever have a peaceful life again? Lotte struggled with the knowledge of what had really happened – it had been ingrained in her since childhood. Was everything she had known and believed in a lie? Would she ever know a new life; a life away from heartache and fear?
The Girl from Munich by Aussie author Tania Blanchard is an exceptional historical fiction novel set in the dying years of World War II. I don’t recall having read a book before from the perspective of a German in the war years and it was well done. Beautifully written with compassion and caring, it just goes to show it doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on, the normal, everyday people are still human beings with the same emotions as us all. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.
February 20, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
World War II based historical fiction remains one of my favourite genres. It was a welcome experience to read The Girl from Munich, by debut Australian author Tania Blanchard. Rarely do we hear tales of the ordinary German people’s experience of war, especially in the dying stages as they conceded defeat. Blanchard comprehensively explores the war from the German civilian point of view from during the war, in 1943, through to after the war as the Allies took responsibility for Germany’s future. Interwoven in this compelling tale of war, is a coming of age tale and the complicated love story of Charlotte ‘Lotte’ von Klein.
The Girl From Munich transports the reader to July 1943 in Munich. Charlotte (Lotte) von Klein is a young woman devoted to her homeland, Germany and the beloved leader taking her country into war. With both Lotte’s brothers off fighting in the war for their country, Lotte decides it is high time that she did something for the war effort. Ideally, she wants to use her well honed photography skills and take pictures from the front but Lotte’s protective parents deem this too dangerous. Instead, Lotte settles for a secretarial post, working for the Luftwaffe. In the meantime, Lotte is kept busy with her mother’s ambitious wedding plans for Lotte’s upcoming wedding to childhood sweetheart and best friend Heinrich. Heinrich is a junior doctor in training and is soon called up to work on the front, derailing the couple’s plans for marriage. Lotte promises herself to Heinrich as he goes off to war but the war has other plans for Lotte.
I love nothing more than a new tale from rising from the ashes of World War II, I feel it is so important to keep the memory of this chapter in world history alive. I believe the author of The Girl From Munich, Tania Blanchard, must feel this urge too, hence why this book was written. There is a strong ring of truth in this book and the sense of realism hit me quite hard. I feel this is down to the fact that The Girl From Munich is inspired by Blanchard’s own Grandmother’s experiences and memorabilia left from her time in Germany during World War II. It adds much substance to this sweeping historical drama.
Charlotte or ‘Lotte’ as she is referred to in the bulk of this novel was a character I quickly took a liking to. Although she seemed a little immature and sheltered in a way through her upbringing in Germany’s social elite, I still found her experience of war quite fascinating. Lotte goes through quite the transformation over the progression of this book. When we meet her she is fixated on making it as a war photographer. These aspirations are quashed by Lotte’s parents, who with the prospect of losing two sons to war, do not want to lose their little girl either. It gives Lotte a big reality check and she compromises with her parents by taking up an administrative role with the still vital Luftwaffe. It is a position that sees this young naive girl, transform slowly into a woman and it also leads her to cross paths with Erich Drescher, her superior. Erich’s presence has a profound effect on Lotte’s future.
Love plays an important role in this historical fiction offering. When we first meet Lotte, she thinks she is in love with Heinrich, her best friend and childhood sweetheart. He is only man she has had experience with in the love stakes. The pressure Lotte’s family, in particular her mother places on the importance of entering into a marriage with Heinrich is awfully suffocating. In trying to secure a safe future and life of privilege for Lotte through marrying Heinrich, who is substantially more financially secure than Lotte’s family, highlights the lack of choice woman of this era faced. Lotte and Heinrich’s romance is one more of affection than true love. The subsequent love triangle that develops between Lotte, Heinrich and Erich is much more realistic. It forces some tough decisions in the love and life department for our lead. This aspect also serves to highlight the growth Lotte experiences and the maturity that dawns upon her as she must wrestle with her life path. I will say in some respects, Lotte did appear a little too naive and immature. She seemed to run to her parents and family a lot in the difficult times, rather than face her problems head on as a grown woman. Despite this, I enjoyed following Lotte’s progress during and after the war.
Blanchard is able to haul the reader into one of our most defining eras in our world history, Germany in World War II, through The Girl From Munich. It is almost refreshing to hear the voices of the everyday German citizens through reading this book. It is important to recognise that the ordinary people living in Germany during World War II were victims of war themselves. They were led to blindly believe that all their country’s problems would be solved by the war. They continued to believe in this philosophy even as the country was plunged into disarray. Through The Girl From Munich, we see a country hit with bombs, air raids, displacement, rations and stealing. Blanchard helps us to see how this continued long after the war, when the German people were subjected to further difficulties. These included the anxieties associated with the round up of anyone who was associated with the Nazi party, a lack of appropriate housing, little amenities, a fight for employment and the changed way of life due to the presence of the Allies. Blanchard excels in bringing a time and a place in our past to our attention.
The Girl From Munich is a sad and devastating tale of sorts that is touched with much realism. Blanchard’s story highlights Germany’s loss of human life, through the soldiers who fought for the country, through to the bystander’s who got caught up in the bombings and air raids. The Jewish people’s plight and the Holocaust is touched on only very briefly through an American soldier’s recount of what he saw when he liberated one of the camps. I found noteworthy world events attached to the war such as the Nuremberg trials fascinating and I appreciated how Blanchard wove these important world events into her narrative. Although I found this a sad tale, it offers a strong light of hope at the end, as Lotte survives the war with all the horrors she has seen and experienced.
The Girl From Munich was a book I am grateful for reading, due to the insight it gave me into the German experience of war. With strong messages of hope and new beginnings at the close of this wartime novel, I was pleased to learn from the author that a sequel is in the works. I know for sure I will be rushing out to read this one as soon as it is released. And, I thank you for sharing your family’s history with us Tania Blanchard.
4.5 stars
World War II based historical fiction remains one of my favourite genres. It was a welcome experience to read The Girl from Munich, by debut Australian author Tania Blanchard. Rarely do we hear tales of the ordinary German people’s experience of war, especially in the dying stages as they conceded defeat. Blanchard comprehensively explores the war from the German civilian point of view from during the war, in 1943, through to after the war as the Allies took responsibility for Germany’s future. Interwoven in this compelling tale of war, is a coming of age tale and the complicated love story of Charlotte ‘Lotte’ von Klein.
The Girl From Munich transports the reader to July 1943 in Munich. Charlotte (Lotte) von Klein is a young woman devoted to her homeland, Germany and the beloved leader taking her country into war. With both Lotte’s brothers off fighting in the war for their country, Lotte decides it is high time that she did something for the war effort. Ideally, she wants to use her well honed photography skills and take pictures from the front but Lotte’s protective parents deem this too dangerous. Instead, Lotte settles for a secretarial post, working for the Luftwaffe. In the meantime, Lotte is kept busy with her mother’s ambitious wedding plans for Lotte’s upcoming wedding to childhood sweetheart and best friend Heinrich. Heinrich is a junior doctor in training and is soon called up to work on the front, derailing the couple’s plans for marriage. Lotte promises herself to Heinrich as he goes off to war but the war has other plans for Lotte.
I love nothing more than a new tale from rising from the ashes of World War II, I feel it is so important to keep the memory of this chapter in world history alive. I believe the author of The Girl From Munich, Tania Blanchard, must feel this urge too, hence why this book was written. There is a strong ring of truth in this book and the sense of realism hit me quite hard. I feel this is down to the fact that The Girl From Munich is inspired by Blanchard’s own Grandmother’s experiences and memorabilia left from her time in Germany during World War II. It adds much substance to this sweeping historical drama.
Charlotte or ‘Lotte’ as she is referred to in the bulk of this novel was a character I quickly took a liking to. Although she seemed a little immature and sheltered in a way through her upbringing in Germany’s social elite, I still found her experience of war quite fascinating. Lotte goes through quite the transformation over the progression of this book. When we meet her she is fixated on making it as a war photographer. These aspirations are quashed by Lotte’s parents, who with the prospect of losing two sons to war, do not want to lose their little girl either. It gives Lotte a big reality check and she compromises with her parents by taking up an administrative role with the still vital Luftwaffe. It is a position that sees this young naive girl, transform slowly into a woman and it also leads her to cross paths with Erich Drescher, her superior. Erich’s presence has a profound effect on Lotte’s future.
Love plays an important role in this historical fiction offering. When we first meet Lotte, she thinks she is in love with Heinrich, her best friend and childhood sweetheart. He is only man she has had experience with in the love stakes. The pressure Lotte’s family, in particular her mother places on the importance of entering into a marriage with Heinrich is awfully suffocating. In trying to secure a safe future and life of privilege for Lotte through marrying Heinrich, who is substantially more financially secure than Lotte’s family, highlights the lack of choice woman of this era faced. Lotte and Heinrich’s romance is one more of affection than true love. The subsequent love triangle that develops between Lotte, Heinrich and Erich is much more realistic. It forces some tough decisions in the love and life department for our lead. This aspect also serves to highlight the growth Lotte experiences and the maturity that dawns upon her as she must wrestle with her life path. I will say in some respects, Lotte did appear a little too naive and immature. She seemed to run to her parents and family a lot in the difficult times, rather than face her problems head on as a grown woman. Despite this, I enjoyed following Lotte’s progress during and after the war.
Blanchard is able to haul the reader into one of our most defining eras in our world history, Germany in World War II, through The Girl From Munich. It is almost refreshing to hear the voices of the everyday German citizens through reading this book. It is important to recognise that the ordinary people living in Germany during World War II were victims of war themselves. They were led to blindly believe that all their country’s problems would be solved by the war. They continued to believe in this philosophy even as the country was plunged into disarray. Through The Girl From Munich, we see a country hit with bombs, air raids, displacement, rations and stealing. Blanchard helps us to see how this continued long after the war, when the German people were subjected to further difficulties. These included the anxieties associated with the round up of anyone who was associated with the Nazi party, a lack of appropriate housing, little amenities, a fight for employment and the changed way of life due to the presence of the Allies. Blanchard excels in bringing a time and a place in our past to our attention.
The Girl From Munich is a sad and devastating tale of sorts that is touched with much realism. Blanchard’s story highlights Germany’s loss of human life, through the soldiers who fought for the country, through to the bystander’s who got caught up in the bombings and air raids. The Jewish people’s plight and the Holocaust is touched on only very briefly through an American soldier’s recount of what he saw when he liberated one of the camps. I found noteworthy world events attached to the war such as the Nuremberg trials fascinating and I appreciated how Blanchard wove these important world events into her narrative. Although I found this a sad tale, it offers a strong light of hope at the end, as Lotte survives the war with all the horrors she has seen and experienced.
The Girl From Munich was a book I am grateful for reading, due to the insight it gave me into the German experience of war. With strong messages of hope and new beginnings at the close of this wartime novel, I was pleased to learn from the author that a sequel is in the works. I know for sure I will be rushing out to read this one as soon as it is released. And, I thank you for sharing your family’s history with us Tania Blanchard.
dnf-abandoned
September 13, 2018Did not finish - no rating
This may appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance for a YA audience. I don't know that this was written for young people, but it reads that way to me. After reading only five chapters, I certainly can’t offer a fair opinion of the book or give it a rating.
The story focuses on ‘the girl’, of course, and how her family (what’s left of it) is managing in Munich during WW2. I have no doubt there's a strong story line, judging by what I read and what other reviewers have said.
I love historical fiction, WW2 or otherwise, I enjoy a good romance, and I’m quite fond of some YA literature. The Book Thief by another Aussie author, Markus Zusak, is historical YA fiction and remains one of my favourite books. (Admittedly, the heroine is much younger, so there's no heart-fluttering romance to speak of, although I like a fluttering heart as much as anyone.)
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a preview copy, and best of luck to Aussie author Tania Blanchard, who I’m sure has already attracted a good fan base.
This may appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance for a YA audience. I don't know that this was written for young people, but it reads that way to me. After reading only five chapters, I certainly can’t offer a fair opinion of the book or give it a rating.
The story focuses on ‘the girl’, of course, and how her family (what’s left of it) is managing in Munich during WW2. I have no doubt there's a strong story line, judging by what I read and what other reviewers have said.
I love historical fiction, WW2 or otherwise, I enjoy a good romance, and I’m quite fond of some YA literature. The Book Thief by another Aussie author, Markus Zusak, is historical YA fiction and remains one of my favourite books. (Admittedly, the heroine is much younger, so there's no heart-fluttering romance to speak of, although I like a fluttering heart as much as anyone.)
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a preview copy, and best of luck to Aussie author Tania Blanchard, who I’m sure has already attracted a good fan base.
June 18, 2017
I enjoy reading Historical fiction, especially World War II fiction, but this is not what I expected it to be, and had I known more I probably would never have picked it up. I'm not a fan of Young Adult or Romance as I do not enjoy reading about immature characters, soppy storylines or love triangles so I'm probably not the best person to review this book, I just wish I wasn't the first one to do so. I did enjoy reading the parts of the book that described what was going on in Germany at that time, but for me they were too few and there was far too much focus on the relationships of the main characters, none of whom I really cared about.
October 1, 2017
To describe this as a "sweeping tale" is an exaggeration. Although set in WWII Germany the reader never feels transported. Characters are 2 dimensional with no real personal growth demonstrated by either Lotte, Erich or Heinrich. Genuinely interesting ideas aren't explored in depth ( the brain washed generation; German civilian expectation of being "liberated" by the Americans and shock at being treated as the guilty vanquished; national shame; women's rights). The persistent love triangle is also very Mills and Boon. There are much better novels out there than this
May 21, 2020
this was... a let down. i was expecting, and hoping for, a dramatic and devastating war book, chock full of death, destruction and pain (sorry i ran out of D adjectives). instead, i got a book that was half war and then turned into this whole soap opera thing with bigomy and romance. and no one even died! like, no-one! i swear!
basically, this book really wasn't for me and i could barely finish :(
basically, this book really wasn't for me and i could barely finish :(
January 7, 2018
This was an incredibly superficial narrative which could have been so much better. It certainly did not live up to its blurb. I only finished reading it because I am stubborn and did not want to admit defeat. Lots of melodrama and very simplistic writing. Such a shame as the subject matter is intriguing and could have become a riveting story.
August 13, 2017
I very much enjoyed being immersed in 1943 WW2 Munich and seeing events through the eyes of everyday Germans who up then had believed that their revered leader Adolf Hitler was winning the war. Now as the tide starts to turn they discover what it is like to be on the losing side, to be subjected to nightly bombings, hearing rumours of what has happened to so many of their Jewish friends and neighbours and to have so many of their sons, brothers and husbands dying and missing.
The story is told through the eyes of Lotte, a girl from a well to do family who is engaged to Heinrich, the heir of a wealthy family. Against her parents wishes she goes to work at the local airfield as a secretary to Erich, a man she comes to love. With her Heinrich missing during the retreat from the Russian front, and Erich's family missing during the bombing in Berlin Lotte and Erich flee Munich together. After Erich and Lotte safely reached her family, I found myself losing interest somewhat as the story slowed down focusing more on their relationship, rather than what was going on around them as the Americans took charge and tried to restore order. Although Lotte is a strong, resolute character she seemed somewhat immature in dealing with her feelings for Heinrich and Erich as well as being unable to tell her mother to stop interfering. However, this was an interesting debut novel with hints of a sequel as Erich and Lotte sail for Australia in the final pages.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for a copy of the ebook to read and review.
The story is told through the eyes of Lotte, a girl from a well to do family who is engaged to Heinrich, the heir of a wealthy family. Against her parents wishes she goes to work at the local airfield as a secretary to Erich, a man she comes to love. With her Heinrich missing during the retreat from the Russian front, and Erich's family missing during the bombing in Berlin Lotte and Erich flee Munich together. After Erich and Lotte safely reached her family, I found myself losing interest somewhat as the story slowed down focusing more on their relationship, rather than what was going on around them as the Americans took charge and tried to restore order. Although Lotte is a strong, resolute character she seemed somewhat immature in dealing with her feelings for Heinrich and Erich as well as being unable to tell her mother to stop interfering. However, this was an interesting debut novel with hints of a sequel as Erich and Lotte sail for Australia in the final pages.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for a copy of the ebook to read and review.
August 30, 2017
I have read several books set during the second World War but never from a German civilian perspective. Once again, I had my mind and eyes opened by this telling on what it was like for the people living in these war torn countries and the struggles they went through.
Lotte has dreams of pursuing a career in photography and marrying her sweet fiance Heinrich. He is a doctor and can offer her a secure future where she will want for nothing. Unfortunately he gets called up as a medic to serve his country in one of the army hospitals. It is 1943 in Germany and their country is at war.
Lotte has already lost one brother to this horrendous battle being led by Hitler and the thought of losing Heinrich terrifies her. Her dreams of being a photographer are soon squashed by her parents when she is employed in an office position at the regional command headquarters. Lotte will be assisting Oberinspektor Erich Drescher in a personal assistant/administration role, helping him cope with his workload.
Over the months Lotte develops a bit of a crush on Erich which leaves her feeling ashamed of herself. She is engaged to another man but feeling this strange pull towards Erich. Heinrich’s communication with Lotte dimishes over time and it gets to a point when nobody even knows if he is still alive. Erich goes through a similar experience with his own family and eventually Erich and Lotte find comfort in each others arms.
The people of Germany hear murmurings of the Americans slowly moving towards their country and having the upper hand in this horrendous war but Hitler has completely brainwashed them into thinking he is still in control. Many lives are lost unnecessarily on the frontline and all those innocent jewish people are being carted away on trains every day. There are air raids at night killing people, destroying homes and it made me sad to think of all of the beautiful history that was destroyed by this war, although the loss of human life could never compare.
‘I dreamed of life going back to normal but a little voice in my head wondered how life could ever be normal again without the ones we loved and with the trauma this war had left with the living.’
Seventh of May 1945 the war is over. Like a lot of displaced people, Lotte is determined to find her family so she can begin to rebuild her life. Erich plans on doing the same, once Lotte is safely back with her parents. The bond between them has only strengthened, they have been through so much together. Heinrich is still in her heart but the connection Erich is even moreso.
This war has changed Lotte, the things she thought she always wanted, the life she envisioned, the things she deemed important to her now are no longer important. The war may be over but the struggle to survive is just beginning. Will she be spending her future with Heinrich or Erich?
I got completely swept up in this story of love, duty and survival. I learnt a lot and was also left feeling really sad for what so many people went through. The civilians of Germany were victims too, brain washed and loyal to the end to their horrid leader. Despite all the sadness surrounding this book, it was a fantastic, enjoyable read for me.
Lotte has dreams of pursuing a career in photography and marrying her sweet fiance Heinrich. He is a doctor and can offer her a secure future where she will want for nothing. Unfortunately he gets called up as a medic to serve his country in one of the army hospitals. It is 1943 in Germany and their country is at war.
Lotte has already lost one brother to this horrendous battle being led by Hitler and the thought of losing Heinrich terrifies her. Her dreams of being a photographer are soon squashed by her parents when she is employed in an office position at the regional command headquarters. Lotte will be assisting Oberinspektor Erich Drescher in a personal assistant/administration role, helping him cope with his workload.
Over the months Lotte develops a bit of a crush on Erich which leaves her feeling ashamed of herself. She is engaged to another man but feeling this strange pull towards Erich. Heinrich’s communication with Lotte dimishes over time and it gets to a point when nobody even knows if he is still alive. Erich goes through a similar experience with his own family and eventually Erich and Lotte find comfort in each others arms.
The people of Germany hear murmurings of the Americans slowly moving towards their country and having the upper hand in this horrendous war but Hitler has completely brainwashed them into thinking he is still in control. Many lives are lost unnecessarily on the frontline and all those innocent jewish people are being carted away on trains every day. There are air raids at night killing people, destroying homes and it made me sad to think of all of the beautiful history that was destroyed by this war, although the loss of human life could never compare.
‘I dreamed of life going back to normal but a little voice in my head wondered how life could ever be normal again without the ones we loved and with the trauma this war had left with the living.’
Seventh of May 1945 the war is over. Like a lot of displaced people, Lotte is determined to find her family so she can begin to rebuild her life. Erich plans on doing the same, once Lotte is safely back with her parents. The bond between them has only strengthened, they have been through so much together. Heinrich is still in her heart but the connection Erich is even moreso.
This war has changed Lotte, the things she thought she always wanted, the life she envisioned, the things she deemed important to her now are no longer important. The war may be over but the struggle to survive is just beginning. Will she be spending her future with Heinrich or Erich?
I got completely swept up in this story of love, duty and survival. I learnt a lot and was also left feeling really sad for what so many people went through. The civilians of Germany were victims too, brain washed and loyal to the end to their horrid leader. Despite all the sadness surrounding this book, it was a fantastic, enjoyable read for me.
November 13, 2018
The story is centred around Lotte, a German girl, a product of the Nazi Régime. Her unfaltering belief in Hitler and the Third Reich like most Germans of the time is identified. The obvious brain washing received by Lotte at school and by her parents leaves no doubt in her mind that Hitler is the saviour of Germany. This story has a background of real family experiences and for this reason it is an astounding admission that, Lotte, a teenager/young woman is unaware of families within her neighbourhood and surrounds that are being thrown out of their homes and trucked away for being “undesirables, impure” by the Gestapo, never questioning “why” and remaining committed to the fanaticism of the Nazi doctrine. It isn’t until when one of their own household staff disappears that Lotte is discomforted, the reader may have little sympathy with her and the organised life of privilege that surrounds her considering also the rationing taking place for ordinary Germans. Lotte’s stepfather “Vati” is well off and Lotte has a good life, rather precocious, mapped out for her by her mother to marry a family friend’s son Heinrich, a young man training to be a doctor. It seems that the events of this war engineered by Hitler have little impact on this family until the loss of Lotte’s two brothers. However the belief in Hitler’s war still leaves the family in a bubble not questioning any of the events taking place. Mutti, becomes understandably protective and possessive of Lotte and regardless of everything continues to make wedding preparations for her daughter. Mother and daughter are a little dismayed that some materials are not available, so inopportune for them this war! The wedding dress is to be made by Munich’s best designer who suddenly disappears, shuttled off by the Nazis for being a Jew. The dress is finished off by the assistant. Still, there is no real understanding by this family of events that are unfolding other than Vati having to spend a lot of time away from home. Lotte finds her mother’s attitude suffocating and longs to develop her photographic skills further and/or play her part in the war effort. Through her stepfather she is able to obtain a safe job assisting Oberinspektor (Upper Inspector) Erich Drescher. From here events around Lotte move quickly. The Allies start bombing Berlin and are beginning to move through Germany, the Russians are moving in from the East but still the fantasy exists for Lotte and her German workmates. Heinrich can no longer hide from his responsibilities and is sent to the Eastern front as a medic while Lotte despairs that their marriage plans will have to be postponed. With the Americans moving further into Germany and now defeat well in sight plans to evacuate are put into place. Lotte’s situation has already been compromised by Erich for whom she has developed a strong attachment. On the run they end up at an aunt of Lotte’s where her condition is now obvious. Sadly for Lotte, even with Germany defeated yet again, the country being torn apart, she has to endure her shame, associated bigotry and the continued obsession by her mother. As this book progresses, now approximately half way, the reader may have a change of heart regarding Lotte with so many further complications occurring to her young life. A change has come about, standing up for herself, taking responsibilities for herself and Erich. This is further consolidated when meeting a young American soldier who reveals to her and Erich the conditions he witnessed when Dachau was liberated. It is only then that Lotte comes face to face with the reality of the brutality carried out by the Nazis and Hitler. “There was nothing we could say. It was hard to believe the stories, hard to believe that our fellow citizens, Germans like ourselves, could be capable of such cruelty. Everything I had believed about this war which we had put our hearts and souls into, was not so. I began to understand the obsession with finding any ties to the Nazis. I felt ashamed to be German.”
October 28, 2017
This felt more like an Edwardian bodice ripper than an historical novel set in WWII Germany. I felt like the war was incidental and that, frankly, the heroine could have been anywhere at any time. The actually horrors of WWII were really nowhere in sight in Charlotte’s romantic little world. Be warned, this is not a historical novel, it’s a romance and not a very good one at that.
September 8, 2017
The Girl From Munich is set in Germany during WW11 and post war. It shows the lives of the ordinary people as they too coped with the war that their "beloved" Fuhrer had led them into. Lotte was one young woman who believed in the cause and wanted to help where she could and escape the confines surrounding her from her mother and others. She is a keen photographer, however that has all to fall by the wayside as war sets limits on film. She is expected to marry Heinrich, a young doctor and life long friend. Although Lotte notices some things just don't sit right with her, even though she does have love for him.
We follow Lotte through the last three years of the war, and in doing so see Germany coping with bombs being dropped on them, losing loved ones to the battlefield and not being able to find loved ones in other areas. Lotte like many believes what she has been indoctrinated with, until finally she realises what others might be saying could be true. So often we see the war from the eyes of the allied forces, so I really liked being given the chance to empathise with those also caught up in war on the other side. It also highlighted for me the unswerving and unthinking loyalty that some give to a leader, blinkered - and it is happening today, which is the sad thing, many have not learned from our past.
This is a coming of age story for Lotte, a valuing of herself and a learning to trust her own heart and instincts. I liked her courage, fortitude and ability to keep going. Her relationship with Heinrich comes into question when she finds herself attracted to Erich, and it is this relationship that helps Lotte blossom into the person she becomes.
This is a debut novel written by Tania Blanchard, she is an Australian with an Italian father and a German mother. She was fascinated by the stories her German grandmother told her, and for me that gives this book a ring of truth, an inheritance that she shares in a work of fiction. I am pleased to see she intends writing a book to continue this story in the new chosen land, and I for one will be looking out for it.
As it happens I saw on a current events TV programme a piece interviewing an Austrian Willi Huber who came to New Zealand to see Mt Cook, in the Sth Island. He was an SS soldier at 17 and was a gunner on a tank until in hand to hand combat he received a bayonet wound. He is 94 now and was instrumental in setting up the ski slope at Mount Hutt. What struck me was the similarities in the history in this book and his story. It added to the realism of the book for me, plus I was hooked into his amazing story.
We follow Lotte through the last three years of the war, and in doing so see Germany coping with bombs being dropped on them, losing loved ones to the battlefield and not being able to find loved ones in other areas. Lotte like many believes what she has been indoctrinated with, until finally she realises what others might be saying could be true. So often we see the war from the eyes of the allied forces, so I really liked being given the chance to empathise with those also caught up in war on the other side. It also highlighted for me the unswerving and unthinking loyalty that some give to a leader, blinkered - and it is happening today, which is the sad thing, many have not learned from our past.
This is a coming of age story for Lotte, a valuing of herself and a learning to trust her own heart and instincts. I liked her courage, fortitude and ability to keep going. Her relationship with Heinrich comes into question when she finds herself attracted to Erich, and it is this relationship that helps Lotte blossom into the person she becomes.
This is a debut novel written by Tania Blanchard, she is an Australian with an Italian father and a German mother. She was fascinated by the stories her German grandmother told her, and for me that gives this book a ring of truth, an inheritance that she shares in a work of fiction. I am pleased to see she intends writing a book to continue this story in the new chosen land, and I for one will be looking out for it.
As it happens I saw on a current events TV programme a piece interviewing an Austrian Willi Huber who came to New Zealand to see Mt Cook, in the Sth Island. He was an SS soldier at 17 and was a gunner on a tank until in hand to hand combat he received a bayonet wound. He is 94 now and was instrumental in setting up the ski slope at Mount Hutt. What struck me was the similarities in the history in this book and his story. It added to the realism of the book for me, plus I was hooked into his amazing story.
February 10, 2018
I was completely unimpressed with this book. The characterisation is flat and rote, the story is almost entirely told rather than shown, and the emphasis is on the emotional life and romance of Lotte, the POV character, who has all the depth of a puddle.
All of those deficiencies could have been forgiven however, if not for the context in which this story was set. The author doesn't seem to have done any research beyond wikipedia and given the atrocities of the Nazis and the war this is not a subject to be taken so lightly, particularly when the emphasis is on dreary, immature Lotte's romantic and career problems rather than the events supposedly affecting her and driving the story.
I'm not sure why this book was set in WW2 Germany given how little impact it had on the characters. There was no sense of setting, or the impact a decade of propaganda and brainwashing had had on the German people as well as the current impact of the war (especially by 1943, no mention of rationing, just lots of discussion over which flowers would be best for a wedding...).
People talk openly about doubting the Fuhrer as though unworried about the consequences of questioning the regime. Mentions are made casually about the Holocaust and the White Rose group and then attention turns once more to the romance and forbidden love. Lotte muses that although she's been taught that 'Jews are the root of all evil', the one Jewish woman she knew probably wasn't and now she's a bit sad that she's been arrested. Then we return to talk of wedding dresses.
I could go on but I don't want to waste any more time on this travesty of a book. A very disappointing read. Recommended to no one.
All of those deficiencies could have been forgiven however, if not for the context in which this story was set. The author doesn't seem to have done any research beyond wikipedia and given the atrocities of the Nazis and the war this is not a subject to be taken so lightly, particularly when the emphasis is on dreary, immature Lotte's romantic and career problems rather than the events supposedly affecting her and driving the story.
I'm not sure why this book was set in WW2 Germany given how little impact it had on the characters. There was no sense of setting, or the impact a decade of propaganda and brainwashing had had on the German people as well as the current impact of the war (especially by 1943, no mention of rationing, just lots of discussion over which flowers would be best for a wedding...).
People talk openly about doubting the Fuhrer as though unworried about the consequences of questioning the regime. Mentions are made casually about the Holocaust and the White Rose group and then attention turns once more to the romance and forbidden love. Lotte muses that although she's been taught that 'Jews are the root of all evil', the one Jewish woman she knew probably wasn't and now she's a bit sad that she's been arrested. Then we return to talk of wedding dresses.
I could go on but I don't want to waste any more time on this travesty of a book. A very disappointing read. Recommended to no one.
December 19, 2020
I love historical fiction and enjoyed a German experience of WWII presented in this book. Despite this fascinating back drop and relatively interesting story, I was disappointed in the writing which was unsophisticated and full of cliches. All the characters lacked depth. Too often I thought their reactions and dialogue were inauthentic and I found myself rolling my eyes at some points. Lotte, the main character, seemed to think like a modern day woman so it was hard to believe that she was born and raised in the time of the novel. A number of inconsistencies were also annoying. For example, Erich risks his relationship with Lotte to bring his children from a previous marriage back into his life but then is willing to leave them behind when he decides to emigrate to Australia.
January 12, 2020
I picked this book up at a relative's place over the break. Big mistake! I did push myself to finish it just so I could add it to my 2020 reading list. This is no more than a Mills and Boon mushy story. It is set in Germany in ww2. Triangulated love relationship, manipulative mother, make up most of the story. There are some seriously questionable ideas in this story; questionable in that there is no credible explanation as to why circumstances happen. You're left scratching your head wondering 'what just happened there'? Most unrealistic events occur, becoming almost cringeworthy. However, if you like pages frequently full of kissy kissy stuff then you will probably like this story. For me, it was weak in writing, content, and plot.
February 9, 2023
This book provoked conversations with my husband Luke about WW2, the Berlin Wall, Russia's involvement & so much more.
March 9, 2019
This is one of the worst books I’ve read in recent memory. Woeful. One star feels generous.
September 19, 2017
Review appears in its entirety at: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
Tania Blanchard has written an eye opening debut set in WWII. Now, I learned about the war in high school history, I have watched movies about the war and I have read books set in the war but The Girl From Munich was something completely different from anything I have been exposed to, and remember.
The Girl From Munich is set in Germany, during the war and in the aftermath, and centres on German civilians. These are stories that I haven’t heard. I remember wondering, as a student, how this happened; if the atrocities really were performed by such a small percentage of Germans then how did the rest of the population allow it to happen. The Girl From Munich goes a little way to demonstrating exactly that.
It’s 1943 and Charlotte is planning a gorgeous wedding to her childhood sweetheart, actually it’s more like she’s sitting listening while the mothers plan the perfect wedding. She loves Heinrich but as her childhood best friend she’s known no-one else. Charlotte, Lotte as she’s known throughout the book, is a patriotic supporter of her homeland and wants to do her bit for her country in the war effort. Trained as a photographer she would love to use her camera to capture what is going on but her mother won’t have it; she’s afraid of losing her, and afraid of the effect it will have on the family name.
Lotte gets a job as a secretary for the Luftwaffe, the best compromise that could be arranged with her protective mother. She does administration work relating to the aircraft and airfields, far away from the front. Heinrich is studying to be a doctor; far enough along in his studies to be working and posted to hospitals on the front.
The Girl From Munich is the story of Lotte, an ordinary girl from a wealthy family. A girl who loves her country and believes in the promises being made by the Fuhrer, unaware of all that is going on and hoping that the promises of an end to the war come to pass sooner rather than later.
Blanchard explores the slow dawning of scepticism in many patriotic people as the war continues and the tides don’t seem to be turning in Germany’s favour. Lotte remains loyal to her country, believing the propaganda that is publicised and believing that atrocities are committed without the knowledge of the Fuhrer. We watch on as time passes until she too is left questioning what she has always believed.
There is a lot going on in The Girl From Munich and I think I would benefit from a second read to see what new information I grasp second time round. Yes, it’s a story of WWII and set in the heart of Germany. Yes, it’s a story of civilians and the way they experienced the war.
It is also a coming of age story for the bright-eyed girl desperate to help fight for her country as she waits for the time she can marry her childhood sweetheart and become a woman. Blanchard explores the grief and loss faced when loved ones are lost, or feared lost, in the devastation of battle or bombings. It is the uncertainty of war, the hardship of rations and the commandeering of property by the armed forces for the displaced.
Lotte faces some hard decisions and finds herself at a crossroad more than once. She is faced with following her heart or her family, choosing her affluent upbringing or a life of hard work. Lotte is also faced with the constant fear and uncertainly of possible consequences when the war is over and the Allied forces are trying to round up all involved in the Nazi Party because a membership to the party wasn’t the same as being involved in the Party.
I was drawn to Lotte and her story, her life so different from anything I could imagine; born in a time where young women of good breeding saved themselves for marriage and were always on the look out for a suitable match, not necessarily a meeting of hearts.
The characters are vibrant and well drawn with stories that captivated as well as horrified me. Heinrich, the fiance, is an affluent young man who is used to getting his own way and he annoyed me from the outset. He knew what he wanted and what was expected and dismissed Lotte’s desires and dreams as frivolous because they didn’t fit with his plans. It was a stark contrast with her superior at work Oberinspektor Erich Drescher who listened, respected and valued the work she did to keep their department flowing.
The Girl From Munich follows Lotte from 1943 through the end of the war and beyond. There is a sequel being worked on and I look forward to seeing what is next for Lotte.
I really enjoyed this look at life in Hitler’s Germany and a completely new perspective of World War Two. Tania Blanchard writes a compelling tale that left me invested in the characters and looking forward to more of her work.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an uncorrected proof copy for review.
Tania Blanchard has written an eye opening debut set in WWII. Now, I learned about the war in high school history, I have watched movies about the war and I have read books set in the war but The Girl From Munich was something completely different from anything I have been exposed to, and remember.
The Girl From Munich is set in Germany, during the war and in the aftermath, and centres on German civilians. These are stories that I haven’t heard. I remember wondering, as a student, how this happened; if the atrocities really were performed by such a small percentage of Germans then how did the rest of the population allow it to happen. The Girl From Munich goes a little way to demonstrating exactly that.
It’s 1943 and Charlotte is planning a gorgeous wedding to her childhood sweetheart, actually it’s more like she’s sitting listening while the mothers plan the perfect wedding. She loves Heinrich but as her childhood best friend she’s known no-one else. Charlotte, Lotte as she’s known throughout the book, is a patriotic supporter of her homeland and wants to do her bit for her country in the war effort. Trained as a photographer she would love to use her camera to capture what is going on but her mother won’t have it; she’s afraid of losing her, and afraid of the effect it will have on the family name.
Lotte gets a job as a secretary for the Luftwaffe, the best compromise that could be arranged with her protective mother. She does administration work relating to the aircraft and airfields, far away from the front. Heinrich is studying to be a doctor; far enough along in his studies to be working and posted to hospitals on the front.
The Girl From Munich is the story of Lotte, an ordinary girl from a wealthy family. A girl who loves her country and believes in the promises being made by the Fuhrer, unaware of all that is going on and hoping that the promises of an end to the war come to pass sooner rather than later.
Blanchard explores the slow dawning of scepticism in many patriotic people as the war continues and the tides don’t seem to be turning in Germany’s favour. Lotte remains loyal to her country, believing the propaganda that is publicised and believing that atrocities are committed without the knowledge of the Fuhrer. We watch on as time passes until she too is left questioning what she has always believed.
There is a lot going on in The Girl From Munich and I think I would benefit from a second read to see what new information I grasp second time round. Yes, it’s a story of WWII and set in the heart of Germany. Yes, it’s a story of civilians and the way they experienced the war.
It is also a coming of age story for the bright-eyed girl desperate to help fight for her country as she waits for the time she can marry her childhood sweetheart and become a woman. Blanchard explores the grief and loss faced when loved ones are lost, or feared lost, in the devastation of battle or bombings. It is the uncertainty of war, the hardship of rations and the commandeering of property by the armed forces for the displaced.
Lotte faces some hard decisions and finds herself at a crossroad more than once. She is faced with following her heart or her family, choosing her affluent upbringing or a life of hard work. Lotte is also faced with the constant fear and uncertainly of possible consequences when the war is over and the Allied forces are trying to round up all involved in the Nazi Party because a membership to the party wasn’t the same as being involved in the Party.
I was drawn to Lotte and her story, her life so different from anything I could imagine; born in a time where young women of good breeding saved themselves for marriage and were always on the look out for a suitable match, not necessarily a meeting of hearts.
The characters are vibrant and well drawn with stories that captivated as well as horrified me. Heinrich, the fiance, is an affluent young man who is used to getting his own way and he annoyed me from the outset. He knew what he wanted and what was expected and dismissed Lotte’s desires and dreams as frivolous because they didn’t fit with his plans. It was a stark contrast with her superior at work Oberinspektor Erich Drescher who listened, respected and valued the work she did to keep their department flowing.
The Girl From Munich follows Lotte from 1943 through the end of the war and beyond. There is a sequel being worked on and I look forward to seeing what is next for Lotte.
I really enjoyed this look at life in Hitler’s Germany and a completely new perspective of World War Two. Tania Blanchard writes a compelling tale that left me invested in the characters and looking forward to more of her work.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an uncorrected proof copy for review.
September 26, 2018
I had seen this book floating around on the popular books list so when I saw it in the library I thought I would give it a go.
I wish I didn't.
Not knowing much about the story I thought I was picking up a book that would be about a strong woman in WW2 Germany standing up and showing her worth. What I got was dribble. The female character Lottie was the most anti-feminist weak character I've encountered for a long time. Her reliance on men telling her what to do and her constant ignorance and stupidity about the war irritated me and made me role my eyes more than once.
This book is for sappy romance readers and not one I would recommend to your teenage daughters unless you want them believing that woman are second to men in life and that a girl ought to do as she's told.
Not my cup of tea.
I wish I didn't.
Not knowing much about the story I thought I was picking up a book that would be about a strong woman in WW2 Germany standing up and showing her worth. What I got was dribble. The female character Lottie was the most anti-feminist weak character I've encountered for a long time. Her reliance on men telling her what to do and her constant ignorance and stupidity about the war irritated me and made me role my eyes more than once.
This book is for sappy romance readers and not one I would recommend to your teenage daughters unless you want them believing that woman are second to men in life and that a girl ought to do as she's told.
Not my cup of tea.
March 13, 2019
3 1/2 stars. This was an ok story set in wartime and postwar Germany, from the perspective of German civilian. It read more like an autobiography, with jumps in time and explanations of what was happening in Lotte’s life, more so than a descriptive narrative. I would have enjoyed the story more if I’d have liked the characters more. Lotte came across as a spoilt rich kid who was largely untouched by the war. Her repeated internal dialogue in choosing between Erich or Heinrich, or whether to go back to Heinrich even when she was with the love of her life, annoyed me. Even Heinrich wasn’t very likeable, making her anguish at choosing more frustrating to read. I would have loved to see her be a stronger lead. Maybe that happens in the next book... I’m not sure if I’m keen to read it though, but this book has got me interested in reading about the war from the German perspective.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2017
Actual 3.5*
I found this a difficult genre to pinpoint. It's obviously historical fiction but there are strong elements of romance with a hint of being aimed at a younger audience.
This is the story of Charlotte (Lotte), a young woman in Hitler's Germany. Lotte has dreams of being a photographer but her mother has ideas of marrying her off to a wealthy doctor and family friend Heinrich. Lotte instead gets a job as a receptionist for the local Luftwaffe base and meets Erich. This is a story of love, responsibility and growing up.
What I particularly enjoyed about this story was the insight into the brainwashing of German citizens and how strong their convictions were that Hitler was good. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel when it's released next year.
I found this a difficult genre to pinpoint. It's obviously historical fiction but there are strong elements of romance with a hint of being aimed at a younger audience.
This is the story of Charlotte (Lotte), a young woman in Hitler's Germany. Lotte has dreams of being a photographer but her mother has ideas of marrying her off to a wealthy doctor and family friend Heinrich. Lotte instead gets a job as a receptionist for the local Luftwaffe base and meets Erich. This is a story of love, responsibility and growing up.
What I particularly enjoyed about this story was the insight into the brainwashing of German citizens and how strong their convictions were that Hitler was good. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel when it's released next year.
September 29, 2017
‘It was as if a tiny crack in the very ordered, planned world of mine had appeared, allowing me to look at life around me, at the life I might want to take for myself.’
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Girl from Munich’ by Aussie author Tania Blanchard set in the final years of World War II. It was refreshing to read a book from the perspective of a young German girl during this period and I found it to be excellent historical fiction, especially considering it is her debut. Inspired by tales from her German grandmother, it most definitely rings true and I am thrilled to see that she intends to continue the story with a new novel set in the 1950s.
Full review at;
https://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogsp...
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Girl from Munich’ by Aussie author Tania Blanchard set in the final years of World War II. It was refreshing to read a book from the perspective of a young German girl during this period and I found it to be excellent historical fiction, especially considering it is her debut. Inspired by tales from her German grandmother, it most definitely rings true and I am thrilled to see that she intends to continue the story with a new novel set in the 1950s.
Full review at;
https://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogsp...
Read
August 16, 2018Yawn. Dnf
Won’t rate it because I read just a few chapters and that was enough, I could not suppress my scepticism that this would improve.
I will just say that Dachau is 30 mins north of Munich by car. If you don’t know about Dachau look it up.
Fantasy.
Won’t rate it because I read just a few chapters and that was enough, I could not suppress my scepticism that this would improve.
I will just say that Dachau is 30 mins north of Munich by car. If you don’t know about Dachau look it up.
Fantasy.
September 7, 2017
Up front - this is not the usual type of book that I read. Having said that though I did enjoy the story though I do have a couple of gripes:
1) Some of the situations seemed contrived so that particular comments could be made about WWII and the way in which it was conducted and people treated
2) The writing style was at times laboured
The overall story was however enjoyable and in the main well paced. For a debut novel this was a good read.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
1) Some of the situations seemed contrived so that particular comments could be made about WWII and the way in which it was conducted and people treated
2) The writing style was at times laboured
The overall story was however enjoyable and in the main well paced. For a debut novel this was a good read.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2020
its nice knowing how someones love life goes on during a world war that affects their whole life but there was way too much romance, I would've liked more war focused chapters.
Went into this thinking I would love it because of how the book was described but its kinda misleading, I really didn't know it would be this romance heavy
Went into this thinking I would love it because of how the book was described but its kinda misleading, I really didn't know it would be this romance heavy
September 30, 2017
Beautiful and moving historical fiction set against the backdrop of Germany at the end of WW2. I raced to the end, desperate to know what happened. Great read.
July 5, 2017
‘Times have changed, Mutti.’
In 1943, Charlotte (Lotte) von Klein is a young woman with grand plans. A proud German, she wants to support the Fatherland as best she can. She and her family are planning for her wedding to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich, but in the meantime Lotte wants to support Hitler’s war effort. Although Lotte’s mother would prefer her not to work, Lotte’s father arranges for her to work for the Luftwaffe. This sets Lotte on a path that will change her life.
Lotte is a young woman who has lived a life of privilege. The war changes this. Her family home becomes accommodation for other families whose homes have been destroyed, and her fiancé Heinrich is caught up in the war. Lotte finds her Luftwaffe supervisor, Erich Drescher, attractive and is unsettled by her feelings for him. They are thrown together as they flee in search of safety as Germany falls to the Allies forces.
This is another side of World War II, of people who believed (at least initially) in their country’s leadership, who ended up on the losing side of the war. It’s also a love story with more than a few twists. It’s difficult to write more detail about the story without spoiling it for intending readers.
This is Ms Blanchard’s debut novel. While there were aspects I didn’t like, overall, I enjoyed the read. The way in which Ms Blanchard bought this aspect of Germany at war to life, depicting ‘normal’ (albeit privileged) people as they came to terms with the consequences of being on the losing side in war. I also thought that the way in which Ms Blanchard depicted the anxieties of individuals, through the uncertainty of losing contact, of not knowing whether some family members were alive or dead rang true. And then, when the war is over, there’s the struggle to find a new way of life in a world that has changed in so many different ways.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In 1943, Charlotte (Lotte) von Klein is a young woman with grand plans. A proud German, she wants to support the Fatherland as best she can. She and her family are planning for her wedding to her childhood sweetheart Heinrich, but in the meantime Lotte wants to support Hitler’s war effort. Although Lotte’s mother would prefer her not to work, Lotte’s father arranges for her to work for the Luftwaffe. This sets Lotte on a path that will change her life.
Lotte is a young woman who has lived a life of privilege. The war changes this. Her family home becomes accommodation for other families whose homes have been destroyed, and her fiancé Heinrich is caught up in the war. Lotte finds her Luftwaffe supervisor, Erich Drescher, attractive and is unsettled by her feelings for him. They are thrown together as they flee in search of safety as Germany falls to the Allies forces.
This is another side of World War II, of people who believed (at least initially) in their country’s leadership, who ended up on the losing side of the war. It’s also a love story with more than a few twists. It’s difficult to write more detail about the story without spoiling it for intending readers.
This is Ms Blanchard’s debut novel. While there were aspects I didn’t like, overall, I enjoyed the read. The way in which Ms Blanchard bought this aspect of Germany at war to life, depicting ‘normal’ (albeit privileged) people as they came to terms with the consequences of being on the losing side in war. I also thought that the way in which Ms Blanchard depicted the anxieties of individuals, through the uncertainty of losing contact, of not knowing whether some family members were alive or dead rang true. And then, when the war is over, there’s the struggle to find a new way of life in a world that has changed in so many different ways.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 11, 2023
I feel like I just went on the super man ride at Movie World. I cried and I smiled, over and over again. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to endure a war, let alone live through the aftermath of it, that seemed to be so much harder. It makes sense why Lotte, the girl from München made questionable decisions.
Despite it being an easy read and holding a fairly common storyline, I couldn’t stop reading it!
Despite it being an easy read and holding a fairly common storyline, I couldn’t stop reading it!
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