What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kommandant's Girl #2
The Diplomat's Wife
From the
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Orphan’s Tale
and
The Lost Girls of Paris
comes a tale of sacrifice and heartbreak in the aftermath of WWII
How have I been lucky enough to come here, to be alive, when so many others are not? I should have died… But I am here.
1945. Having survived the brutality of a Nazi prison camp, Marta Nederman is lucky to have escaped with her life. Recovering from the horror, she meets Paul, an American soldier who gives her hope of a happier future. But their plans to meet in London are dashed when Paul’s plane crashes.
Devastated and pregnant, Marta marries Simon, a caring British diplomat, and glimpses the joy that home and family can bring. But her happiness is threatened when she learns of a Communist spy in British intelligence, and that the one person who can expose the traitor is connected to her past.
How have I been lucky enough to come here, to be alive, when so many others are not? I should have died… But I am here.
1945. Having survived the brutality of a Nazi prison camp, Marta Nederman is lucky to have escaped with her life. Recovering from the horror, she meets Paul, an American soldier who gives her hope of a happier future. But their plans to meet in London are dashed when Paul’s plane crashes.
Devastated and pregnant, Marta marries Simon, a caring British diplomat, and glimpses the joy that home and family can bring. But her happiness is threatened when she learns of a Communist spy in British intelligence, and that the one person who can expose the traitor is connected to her past.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
2024 people are currently reading
18874 people want to read
About the author
Pam Jenoff
33 books6,738 followersPam is the author of several novels, including her most recent The Woman With The Blue Star, as well as The Lost Girls of Paris and The Orphan's Tale, both instant New York Times bestsellers. Pam was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England. Upon receiving her master’s in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor.
Following her work at the Pentagon, Jenoff moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Jenoff developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.
Having left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania, Jenoff practiced law at a large firm and in-house for several years. She now teaches law school at Rutgers.
Following her work at the Pentagon, Jenoff moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Jenoff developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.
Having left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania, Jenoff practiced law at a large firm and in-house for several years. She now teaches law school at Rutgers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,578 reviews
April 14, 2021
Too smartzy for me! In other words too corny, cheesy, and inauthentic! 😉
July 14, 2008
I read this one because the title caught my eye, and was seriously disappointed. The beginning of the story tracing Marta's ordeal with the Gestapo and her subsequent time in a refugee hospital was by far the best part of the story, but once Paul's plane crashed, both the story and the book headed downhill.
Thought it opened strongly, the book never really took off for me- neither of the two big shockers were at all surprising to me because they were so telegraphed ahead of time (though knowing they were coming didn't make them any more realistic or believable...) The book had potential, but I feel like it just glossed over the issues it raised, and I never really connected with any of the characters. I certainly won't be rushing out to pick up the Kommandant's Girl because I fear it will be an equally shallow treatment of a potentially interesting story.
Thought it opened strongly, the book never really took off for me- neither of the two big shockers were at all surprising to me because they were so telegraphed ahead of time (though knowing they were coming didn't make them any more realistic or believable...) The book had potential, but I feel like it just glossed over the issues it raised, and I never really connected with any of the characters. I certainly won't be rushing out to pick up the Kommandant's Girl because I fear it will be an equally shallow treatment of a potentially interesting story.
June 29, 2008
So this book is the follow up to The Kommandant's Girl but I didn't realize this until I started reading it. It takes one of the supportive characters from the first book and then tells her story as the war ends. Loved it! Lately I have really been intrigued with this period of time in history. Again, just like the first book, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it, but I will say there are events that are a little too far fetched. Even so I would highly recommend this book. Love the ending but my heart broke as you learned the outcome of the character from the first book. The character from the second book experienced more pain and suffering repeatedly than I can imagine but also was allowed a break once in awhile, a "sweep you off your feet and knock you out" romance and in the end became a strong, powerful, successful woman. Girl power!
December 26, 2019
Marta Nederman is rescued from a prison cell of a concentration camp. Having been part of the resistance, Marta was taken by the Gestapo and tortured for information. Despite her injuries, she survives and recovers. She falls in love with Paul, the American soldier that rescued her. The two agree to meet in London to start a life together but then Paul unexpectedly dies. Marta ends up staying in London and marrying Simon, a British diplomat, instead. Life as the diplomat's wife gives her stability and security until a Communist spy infiltrates British intelligence. One of Marta's contacts from her past is the key to uncovering the mole and its up to her to decide if she wants to revisit that painful past.
I first read the first in this series, The Kommandant's Girl a while back (before my days of being on Goodreads). I have to admit that I was having trouble recalling the plot of that book but Pam Jennof did a great job of re-introducing the story of Emma and Jacob (the protagonists of the first book). The sequel follows Marta, she is part of the resistance and after having commited a serious crime is taken alive rather than killed by the Gestapo. For months, she is beaten tortured, and starved. She is sure she will die in that cell until the Americans liberate the camp and rescue her. In the survivor's camp, Emma recovers from her intensive injuries and plans to make a new life in America next to Paul, the soldier that rescued her. All that changes when Paul dies and Marta makes a life next a British diplomat instead. This book lived in my TBR for a while. While I did find certain plot elements predictable and a few quite-convenient-coincidences, I did enjoy the book and the way in which the narrative flowed. Characterization, I thought, was done nicely. The detail at the end, did surprise me. All and all, its a pleasent read and a good companion to the book that preceded it.
I first read the first in this series, The Kommandant's Girl a while back (before my days of being on Goodreads). I have to admit that I was having trouble recalling the plot of that book but Pam Jennof did a great job of re-introducing the story of Emma and Jacob (the protagonists of the first book). The sequel follows Marta, she is part of the resistance and after having commited a serious crime is taken alive rather than killed by the Gestapo. For months, she is beaten tortured, and starved. She is sure she will die in that cell until the Americans liberate the camp and rescue her. In the survivor's camp, Emma recovers from her intensive injuries and plans to make a new life in America next to Paul, the soldier that rescued her. All that changes when Paul dies and Marta makes a life next a British diplomat instead. This book lived in my TBR for a while. While I did find certain plot elements predictable and a few quite-convenient-coincidences, I did enjoy the book and the way in which the narrative flowed. Characterization, I thought, was done nicely. The detail at the end, did surprise me. All and all, its a pleasent read and a good companion to the book that preceded it.
December 15, 2025
I'm finding it difficult to review this book as I've loved other books by the author, however I didn't feel this one was up to her usual standard.
It was ok. Fine.
Three stars.
It was ok. Fine.
Three stars.
September 7, 2023
3,5⭐️/5⭐️
July 14, 2008
The author looks like she's twelve and she writes like it too...the premise is interesting but it is soooo predictable. They meet, they part, they meet perchance again, they get caught in the rain, they take shelter in the garden shed, they kiss, they share a blanket and shiver, they have sex, they part, ...you get the picture! I know some loved it but I found it really poorly written.
June 6, 2021
I have had THE DIPLOMAT'S WIFE on my TBR list for quite a while and was excited when it came available from my library. I have not read any other books in the series, but this was an easy and enjoyable stand-alone book. I love the WW11 period as it lends itself to such a vast number of storylines, so I was all in.
I found the story fairly well developed and the characters were all drawn well and for the most part, likable. Marta was a great heroine, as she was written with all the good qualities required for us, the readers to sympathize. She was Jewish in a war-torn world, part of the resistance, captured and tortured, shot and beaten, all the while refusing to get the information the Nazis wanted. She was rescued by a young square-jawed jarhead whom she fell in love with. I know this all sounds a bit predictable and too perfectly placed or too sweet. But I have to defend Ms. Jenoff, sometimes it is just how life works out and I am willing to suspend my nay nancying and go with her!
In the end, it was a good choice and I enjoyed the book quite a bit.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
I found the story fairly well developed and the characters were all drawn well and for the most part, likable. Marta was a great heroine, as she was written with all the good qualities required for us, the readers to sympathize. She was Jewish in a war-torn world, part of the resistance, captured and tortured, shot and beaten, all the while refusing to get the information the Nazis wanted. She was rescued by a young square-jawed jarhead whom she fell in love with. I know this all sounds a bit predictable and too perfectly placed or too sweet. But I have to defend Ms. Jenoff, sometimes it is just how life works out and I am willing to suspend my nay nancying and go with her!
In the end, it was a good choice and I enjoyed the book quite a bit.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
August 7, 2019
The characters of this book are one-dimensional and missing of depth, everything seems superficial and the love story between Paul and Marta is unrealistic. The story kept my attention until Marta and Paul run into each other in Paris and after they spent one day together suddenly decided to get married. Everything was so surrealistic that give me more the feeling of an imaginary tale as a historical novel. Very disappointed.
January 14, 2019
Since I just read The Kommandant in December, I figured I should immediately follow it up with the sequel while it's all fresh in my head (I normally, accidentally wait years between reading sequels xD). So yay for actually following that logic for a change! Now was this book great? Did I love it like the first one? Sadly, no. But it did improve as it went on.
In The Kommandant we meet Marta as a young, naive girl in the ghetto, friend of Emma's. I liked her back then. She was kind and full of energy and drive for having to endure the life of the ghetto. But once Emma was snuck out and started her life with Krysia, Marta changed. And it wasn't a good change. When we saw her later in that book she was cold, distant, and rather judgemental towards Emma, which annoyed the hell out of me. She didn't understand what Emma was going through, but was casting her extreme judginess all the same. Such an annoying human tendency lol. Anyway, I loved that book so much I was thrilled to see there was a sequel written. Buuuuuuut when I saw it followed Marta instead of Emma I won't lie. I was disappointed. But I picked it up all the same.
So this book picks up after Marta was captured by the Nazis on the bridge. I'm gathering she's been imprisoned about 2yrs? I'm not entirely sure. But anyway, we see her as she's being liberated from prison at the end of the war and sent to recoop at a palace in Salzburg, Austria. I thought this part of the story was very interesting, hearing what happened with the liberated Jews from those hellholes they were kept in. I loved dear sweet Rose, and I liked their nurse, Dava. It was nice Marta finally met some good people again. Marta herself though I felt was a little flat here. She seemed unexpectedly childish and a bit bland.
Then her struggle to get to England I thought was also a bit interesting, seeing what France was like post-war (something I've never read about before), but again, it wasn't really enthralling like the first book. There was tension yes. I really felt for her struggling to make her way through a country, whose language she didn't understand, to try to catch a boat in a very limited time slot. But I wasn't really hooked. But I must admit right now. I really only picked this up cause I heard you get to hear what happened to Emma, and that was why I pressed on lol.
The initial romance felt super forced and rushed, and so I didn't really like it. I'm a cynical skeptic, and don't believe in "love at first sight." Marta & Paul were super gushy "in love" even though they really knew nothing about each other and just rushed into being engaged, yadda yadda. And when his plane goes down & he dies, I didn't really feel her emotions of grieving, etc. The book just rushed them into all this way too fast, and then took it all away just as fast. Really wasn't a fan. If it had been more gradual I would've been on board. Now I understand this had to all be setup fast so the real plot of the story could get underway, but maybe it should've just been mentioned in a prologue or something (since it all was already so brief anyway). The setup as it was just doesn't work. But I can say I do like how everything is wrapped up at the end, which I'll get to later.
Once Marta gets to England she finds out she's pregnant, which in those days was highly scandalous & heavily judged, so I totally understand her agreeing to marry fast without too many questions asked. However, Simon Gold. *shudders* I found him creepy from the get-go. Practically pounces on her on the boat to England & offers her a job, one that needs "filled soon". So it sounds like a high priority. And he just gives the impression he's "interested" in her even though they just met on this ferry. And it all just comes off rather creepy, and even Marta is quite ready to excuse herself and announce she's engaged. Well after everything she ends up running into him again after Paul dies and again offers her this priority job, which has been open for a month now so it must not really be a priority at all. He just really wants her specifically for some reason. So creepy weird. And then just a few days after she starts working for him he pushes her into dating him. I didn't like any of that. And I was surprised Marta didn't question things more. Again, I know she was pregnant out of wedlock, and so she wanted to avoid a scandal. But at the same time, as someone who fought in the resistance, and suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazis, you'd really assume she'd be a little more mistrustful of people wouldn't you think? You wouldn't trust easily & marriage is a HUGE trust thing to go into. So that was a meh part of the story on Marta's part. She wasn't using her head enough there.
But that's all easily explained since . Which is a problem I had with this book. Just like the book I reviewed prior to this one, you're pretty much told in the book blurb who the villain is in the story. And that just really ruins the whole plot of intrigue and mystery that you'd expect in a spy novel about the Cold War. But in this book you know who the baddie is, and you're just reading frustratedly along wanting to shake Marta into questioning things more!!! Poke around, be suspicious, ask questions! I know she shouldn't have to expect any danger now that she's safe in England and the Nazis are gone. She expects life to be safe and mundane. But it's not.
All of this slow buildup takes up more than half of the book to get through, and obviously, it's important ground work for the later half. However, it just wasn't gripping and tense like The Kommandant, which again can be expected since we're not dodging Nazis & stuff in this book. But to have to follow that kind of epic tension & drama is a hard shadow to follow in. And I just kept wishing this book was more exciting like it's predecessor. Buuuuuuuuuttt my wish did get answered, finally, after the halfway point. Marta goes to Prague undercover as a diplomat to try to make contact with old resistance contacts of hers. It brings back some of that epic drama from the first book. And you don't know who to trust, and you feel like you're hiding in the shadows on the streets right alongside Marta. I really enjoyed this part of the book. And there are some surprises in store
Now this was my favorite part of the whole book, but there was a point where I just wanted to slap Marta. For most of the book she'd been missing Emma, and feeling bad that she was left behind in Europe while the Soviets are taking over everywhere. So when she finally runs into her again all of that goes out the window and she instantly falls back in the judgy bitch from book 1. That made me so mad after all the times she supposedly missed her friend. However, she mentally slapped herself because she was in no position to judge after she too got pregnant out of wedlock. So then we finally got a bittersweet moment between them that I just loved so much!! And like Marta, I wished that Emma would come to England where it was safe and they could spend time together with their children. Oh well. I still really liked that part.
When Marta makes it back to England I was afraid things were going to get quiet and boring again, but luckily that wasn't the case. We get poisonings, unexpected betrayals, kidnapping, murders exposed, and finally, a happily ever after. Here's all that goes down (and let me tell you I was engrossed in all of this tying ups of lose ends) So in the end, it was all very satisfying how things turned out. Sooooo I think I'll actually at least give this book an extra half star, making it a reasonable 3.5 star read And I am happy I read it. Marta grew on me by the end. Really the bonding moment between her and Emma made me like her better from then on. I'll definitely buy the first book down the road for a reread, and now I may even have to buy this one, too ^_^
In The Kommandant we meet Marta as a young, naive girl in the ghetto, friend of Emma's. I liked her back then. She was kind and full of energy and drive for having to endure the life of the ghetto. But once Emma was snuck out and started her life with Krysia, Marta changed. And it wasn't a good change. When we saw her later in that book she was cold, distant, and rather judgemental towards Emma, which annoyed the hell out of me. She didn't understand what Emma was going through, but was casting her extreme judginess all the same. Such an annoying human tendency lol. Anyway, I loved that book so much I was thrilled to see there was a sequel written. Buuuuuuut when I saw it followed Marta instead of Emma I won't lie. I was disappointed. But I picked it up all the same.
So this book picks up after Marta was captured by the Nazis on the bridge. I'm gathering she's been imprisoned about 2yrs? I'm not entirely sure. But anyway, we see her as she's being liberated from prison at the end of the war and sent to recoop at a palace in Salzburg, Austria. I thought this part of the story was very interesting, hearing what happened with the liberated Jews from those hellholes they were kept in. I loved dear sweet Rose, and I liked their nurse, Dava. It was nice Marta finally met some good people again. Marta herself though I felt was a little flat here. She seemed unexpectedly childish and a bit bland.
Then her struggle to get to England I thought was also a bit interesting, seeing what France was like post-war (something I've never read about before), but again, it wasn't really enthralling like the first book. There was tension yes. I really felt for her struggling to make her way through a country, whose language she didn't understand, to try to catch a boat in a very limited time slot. But I wasn't really hooked. But I must admit right now. I really only picked this up cause I heard you get to hear what happened to Emma, and that was why I pressed on lol.
The initial romance felt super forced and rushed, and so I didn't really like it. I'm a cynical skeptic, and don't believe in "love at first sight." Marta & Paul were super gushy "in love" even though they really knew nothing about each other and just rushed into being engaged, yadda yadda. And when his plane goes down & he dies, I didn't really feel her emotions of grieving, etc. The book just rushed them into all this way too fast, and then took it all away just as fast. Really wasn't a fan. If it had been more gradual I would've been on board. Now I understand this had to all be setup fast so the real plot of the story could get underway, but maybe it should've just been mentioned in a prologue or something (since it all was already so brief anyway). The setup as it was just doesn't work. But I can say I do like how everything is wrapped up at the end, which I'll get to later.
Once Marta gets to England she finds out she's pregnant, which in those days was highly scandalous & heavily judged, so I totally understand her agreeing to marry fast without too many questions asked. However, Simon Gold. *shudders* I found him creepy from the get-go. Practically pounces on her on the boat to England & offers her a job, one that needs "filled soon". So it sounds like a high priority. And he just gives the impression he's "interested" in her even though they just met on this ferry. And it all just comes off rather creepy, and even Marta is quite ready to excuse herself and announce she's engaged. Well after everything she ends up running into him again after Paul dies and again offers her this priority job, which has been open for a month now so it must not really be a priority at all. He just really wants her specifically for some reason. So creepy weird. And then just a few days after she starts working for him he pushes her into dating him. I didn't like any of that. And I was surprised Marta didn't question things more. Again, I know she was pregnant out of wedlock, and so she wanted to avoid a scandal. But at the same time, as someone who fought in the resistance, and suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazis, you'd really assume she'd be a little more mistrustful of people wouldn't you think? You wouldn't trust easily & marriage is a HUGE trust thing to go into. So that was a meh part of the story on Marta's part. She wasn't using her head enough there.
But that's all easily explained since . Which is a problem I had with this book. Just like the book I reviewed prior to this one, you're pretty much told in the book blurb who the villain is in the story. And that just really ruins the whole plot of intrigue and mystery that you'd expect in a spy novel about the Cold War. But in this book you know who the baddie is, and you're just reading frustratedly along wanting to shake Marta into questioning things more!!! Poke around, be suspicious, ask questions! I know she shouldn't have to expect any danger now that she's safe in England and the Nazis are gone. She expects life to be safe and mundane. But it's not.
All of this slow buildup takes up more than half of the book to get through, and obviously, it's important ground work for the later half. However, it just wasn't gripping and tense like The Kommandant, which again can be expected since we're not dodging Nazis & stuff in this book. But to have to follow that kind of epic tension & drama is a hard shadow to follow in. And I just kept wishing this book was more exciting like it's predecessor. Buuuuuuuuuttt my wish did get answered, finally, after the halfway point. Marta goes to Prague undercover as a diplomat to try to make contact with old resistance contacts of hers. It brings back some of that epic drama from the first book. And you don't know who to trust, and you feel like you're hiding in the shadows on the streets right alongside Marta. I really enjoyed this part of the book. And there are some surprises in store
Now this was my favorite part of the whole book, but there was a point where I just wanted to slap Marta. For most of the book she'd been missing Emma, and feeling bad that she was left behind in Europe while the Soviets are taking over everywhere. So when she finally runs into her again all of that goes out the window and she instantly falls back in the judgy bitch from book 1. That made me so mad after all the times she supposedly missed her friend. However, she mentally slapped herself because she was in no position to judge after she too got pregnant out of wedlock. So then we finally got a bittersweet moment between them that I just loved so much!! And like Marta, I wished that Emma would come to England where it was safe and they could spend time together with their children. Oh well. I still really liked that part.
When Marta makes it back to England I was afraid things were going to get quiet and boring again, but luckily that wasn't the case. We get poisonings, unexpected betrayals, kidnapping, murders exposed, and finally, a happily ever after. Here's all that goes down (and let me tell you I was engrossed in all of this tying ups of lose ends) So in the end, it was all very satisfying how things turned out. Sooooo I think I'll actually at least give this book an extra half star, making it a reasonable 3.5 star read And I am happy I read it. Marta grew on me by the end. Really the bonding moment between her and Emma made me like her better from then on. I'll definitely buy the first book down the road for a reread, and now I may even have to buy this one, too ^_^
March 15, 2021
Lots of Action
This book really surprised me. It starts out as a dreamy story and then flips into a fast paced spy like action novel.
Overall, I thought the characters were very easy to relate to and in the case of the protagonists, very easy to support and cheer for.
I enjoyed this book. I think it’s some thing that a wide range of genres will enjoy.
I recommend
This book really surprised me. It starts out as a dreamy story and then flips into a fast paced spy like action novel.
Overall, I thought the characters were very easy to relate to and in the case of the protagonists, very easy to support and cheer for.
I enjoyed this book. I think it’s some thing that a wide range of genres will enjoy.
I recommend
January 14, 2021
There were an uncanny number of coincidences, comical dialogue and beyond predictable sequences in this novel. I could go into greater detail...but have already invested far too much time in this work.
After the dismal The Orphan’s Tale I swore I would never read another book by this author. After receiving The Diplomat’s Wife as a Christmas gift I decided to break my vow and give Pam Jenoff’s work another shot. While the writing in Diplomat’s Wife was somewhat better than Orphan it was still not what one would expect from an author with a Masters in history from Cambridge and a Juris Doctor from Penn.
After the dismal The Orphan’s Tale I swore I would never read another book by this author. After receiving The Diplomat’s Wife as a Christmas gift I decided to break my vow and give Pam Jenoff’s work another shot. While the writing in Diplomat’s Wife was somewhat better than Orphan it was still not what one would expect from an author with a Masters in history from Cambridge and a Juris Doctor from Penn.
August 12, 2019
While listening to this book by rating kept switching back and forth between 4 and 5 stars. This was an historical fiction story that takes place just after WWII. This was a time of great upheaval and political change and Russia was controlling large parts of Eastern Europe and communism had taken a hold. This story takes place during this time. It was also an historical romance full of heartbreak and a story of friendship. Being a sequel to The Kommandant's Girl, I thought it would be the story of Emma/Anna, but I was wrong. This was Marta's story, a friend and fellow resistance member that we met in the previous book.
The story opens with Marta in a hospital in Prague after being rescued from Dachau Camp. In the first book, she is shot and this reader assumed she died, but she was arrested and while being in a camp, she was not in the general population, but in her own cell while being questioned and tortured to find out who else was in the resistance. She recovers from her gunshot wound and ends up going to England to inform a well-to-do British woman that her niece died in the hospital/castle after the war. During her recovery, she meets an American soldier who she has an immediate connection to. During her tumultuous trip to England they reconnect and become engaged. Things do not go well and Marta ends up married to an English Diplomat. All is not what it seems and Marta is not happy. She is recruited to travel into Russian held territory to locate a person who has information that English Intelligence needs and once again, puts herself in danger.
There was a lot to like about this story. I loved the character of Marta. She was honest, loyal, strong, intelligent, resourceful yet so sad and melancholy about all she has lost in her life. The story about her recovery and friendships at the hospital that opened the book were wonderful. As her life continued, I kept thinking, can anything else go wrong for Marta. It was realistic to me as I know how much confusion the rebuilding and liberation would have been involved in. So many refugees, so many secrets, so many lost identities were all part of this story. I had not read anything about this time and it was interesting to read how the people went from Nazi rule to Russian rule, both causing so much loss, oppression and fear. This was all in this story. The one part I did not like as much as the rest was the traitor theme. I will not tell you anymore about that as it needs to be discovered as you read the story. Overall, this was a well written story, with several twists, a lot of heartbreak with a satisfactory ending. If you have read Kommandant's Girl, you will definitely want to read this one.
I listened to the Audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I found that she was able to switch seamlessly from the British accents to those of the Eastern European characters, then to American. Each character has a distinct voice and I very much enjoyed her narration and performance of this story. The publisher, Harlequin Audio, generously provided me with a copy of this audiobook upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
The story opens with Marta in a hospital in Prague after being rescued from Dachau Camp. In the first book, she is shot and this reader assumed she died, but she was arrested and while being in a camp, she was not in the general population, but in her own cell while being questioned and tortured to find out who else was in the resistance. She recovers from her gunshot wound and ends up going to England to inform a well-to-do British woman that her niece died in the hospital/castle after the war. During her recovery, she meets an American soldier who she has an immediate connection to. During her tumultuous trip to England they reconnect and become engaged. Things do not go well and Marta ends up married to an English Diplomat. All is not what it seems and Marta is not happy. She is recruited to travel into Russian held territory to locate a person who has information that English Intelligence needs and once again, puts herself in danger.
There was a lot to like about this story. I loved the character of Marta. She was honest, loyal, strong, intelligent, resourceful yet so sad and melancholy about all she has lost in her life. The story about her recovery and friendships at the hospital that opened the book were wonderful. As her life continued, I kept thinking, can anything else go wrong for Marta. It was realistic to me as I know how much confusion the rebuilding and liberation would have been involved in. So many refugees, so many secrets, so many lost identities were all part of this story. I had not read anything about this time and it was interesting to read how the people went from Nazi rule to Russian rule, both causing so much loss, oppression and fear. This was all in this story. The one part I did not like as much as the rest was the traitor theme. I will not tell you anymore about that as it needs to be discovered as you read the story. Overall, this was a well written story, with several twists, a lot of heartbreak with a satisfactory ending. If you have read Kommandant's Girl, you will definitely want to read this one.
I listened to the Audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I found that she was able to switch seamlessly from the British accents to those of the Eastern European characters, then to American. Each character has a distinct voice and I very much enjoyed her narration and performance of this story. The publisher, Harlequin Audio, generously provided me with a copy of this audiobook upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
March 16, 2022
I had such high hopes for this because “The Kommandant’s Girl” is one of my favorite historical fiction reads. This started off right where that book ended which was really engaging and kept me interested but then the story took a turn that was, quite frankly, really unbelievable. I kept rolling my eyes listening to this book which is never a good sign. So yeah, 2 stars and I’m sad about it. Usually I love Pam Jenoff but this one was not it sis.
September 12, 2017
"Yüzük harika," diye yanıtladım. "Yalnızca her şey o kadar sıradan ki. Muhteşem, kusursuz bir sıradanlıkta."
"Aksine ben," diye yanıtladı saçımı geriye atıp alnıma bir öpücük kondurarak, "bir günümüzün bile sıradan geçeceğinden şühpeliyim."
4,5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟
Herhangi bir beklentim olmadığı halde beni büyük bir beğeniyle karşılayan kitaplara bayılıyorum ve kendisi de onlardan biri oldu. İkilemeden oluşan serinin ilk kitabı olan Kumandanın Aşığı'nı okumamıştım ve bu yüzden ikinci kitabı tek okursam kurguda her şeyi anlamam konusunda bir şeyler eksik kalır mı diye kafa yoruyordum. Her ne kadar ikinci kitabın ilki okunmadan okunabileceğini öğrensem de yine de eksik bir şeyler olmaz diye umut ediyordum. Kitabın başlangıcında Marta'nın hücrede çektiği işkencelere ve oradan kurtulmasını okuyoruz. Neden bu işkenceye maruz kaldığı üzerinden anlatılsa da başta tam olarak geçmişte yaşananları bilmiyoruz. Onu kurtaran asker Paul'e neredeyse ilk görüşte aşık oluyor. Sonrasında iyileşme sürecini, edindiği dostlukları ve Paul'le tekrar karşılaştığında aralarında filizlenen tatlı aşk hikayesini okuyoruz ama aslında şöyle bir hisse kapılıyorsunuz. Okuduğunuz çoğu gelişme boşa yazılmış gibi geliyor çünkü kitabın arka kapağında Paul'un tam evlenme kararı aldıklarından sonra bindiği uçağın düşmesi sonucu öldüğünü okuyoruz. Yani kitabın arka kapağı aslında ilk yüz sayfada yaşananların ağır bir hüzne varacağının habercisi niteliğinde. Paul'un bebeğiyle ne yapacağını bilemeyen ve üzüntüden kahrolan Marta ise kısa bir süre sonra ona iş teklifinin ardından evlenme teklifi eden diplomat Simon ile evleniyor. Buraya kadar her şey detaylı bir anlatıma sahipken Simon ve Marta'nın evliliğinin geçen iki senesi neredeyse birkaç paragrafa sığdırılıyor. Bu aceleci yazım stili elbette beni rahatsız etti. Asıl ana konunun baş gösterdiği kısımsa Marta'nın eski bağlantıları sayesinde tehlikeli bir göreve atılmasıyla başlıyor. Bundan sonrasında kitap heyecanlı ve sayfaların elimden aktığı bir akıcılıkla devam etti. Son yüz sayfa ise beklemediğim bir şekilde harika ilerledi. Özellikle son bölümlerde ortaya çıkan sırlar beni şaşkınlığa uğrattı. İlk kitaptaki ana karakter Emma'nın yaşadıklarına da kısa bir özetle ikinci kitabın sonlarına doğru değiniyoruz. Böylece iki en yakın arkadaşının yollarının nasıl birleştiğini, birbirlerinin hayatlarını nasıl kurtardıklarını detaylıca okumuş oluyoruz. İçerdiği aşk hikayesiyle harika güzellikte bir kitaptı. Bunun yanı sıra ortaya çıkardığı ummadık sırlar, o zamanın tarihinin havasının kitaba yansıtılması ve kurgunun genel hatlarıyla övgüyü kesinlikle hak eden bir kitaptı. Ayrıca yazarın bu serisi sadece iki kitaptan oluşuyor. Umarım diğer romanları da bir an önce dilimize kazandırılır. Size de canı gönülden okumanızı öneririm..
"Aksine ben," diye yanıtladı saçımı geriye atıp alnıma bir öpücük kondurarak, "bir günümüzün bile sıradan geçeceğinden şühpeliyim."
4,5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟
Herhangi bir beklentim olmadığı halde beni büyük bir beğeniyle karşılayan kitaplara bayılıyorum ve kendisi de onlardan biri oldu. İkilemeden oluşan serinin ilk kitabı olan Kumandanın Aşığı'nı okumamıştım ve bu yüzden ikinci kitabı tek okursam kurguda her şeyi anlamam konusunda bir şeyler eksik kalır mı diye kafa yoruyordum. Her ne kadar ikinci kitabın ilki okunmadan okunabileceğini öğrensem de yine de eksik bir şeyler olmaz diye umut ediyordum. Kitabın başlangıcında Marta'nın hücrede çektiği işkencelere ve oradan kurtulmasını okuyoruz. Neden bu işkenceye maruz kaldığı üzerinden anlatılsa da başta tam olarak geçmişte yaşananları bilmiyoruz. Onu kurtaran asker Paul'e neredeyse ilk görüşte aşık oluyor. Sonrasında iyileşme sürecini, edindiği dostlukları ve Paul'le tekrar karşılaştığında aralarında filizlenen tatlı aşk hikayesini okuyoruz ama aslında şöyle bir hisse kapılıyorsunuz. Okuduğunuz çoğu gelişme boşa yazılmış gibi geliyor çünkü kitabın arka kapağında Paul'un tam evlenme kararı aldıklarından sonra bindiği uçağın düşmesi sonucu öldüğünü okuyoruz. Yani kitabın arka kapağı aslında ilk yüz sayfada yaşananların ağır bir hüzne varacağının habercisi niteliğinde. Paul'un bebeğiyle ne yapacağını bilemeyen ve üzüntüden kahrolan Marta ise kısa bir süre sonra ona iş teklifinin ardından evlenme teklifi eden diplomat Simon ile evleniyor. Buraya kadar her şey detaylı bir anlatıma sahipken Simon ve Marta'nın evliliğinin geçen iki senesi neredeyse birkaç paragrafa sığdırılıyor. Bu aceleci yazım stili elbette beni rahatsız etti. Asıl ana konunun baş gösterdiği kısımsa Marta'nın eski bağlantıları sayesinde tehlikeli bir göreve atılmasıyla başlıyor. Bundan sonrasında kitap heyecanlı ve sayfaların elimden aktığı bir akıcılıkla devam etti. Son yüz sayfa ise beklemediğim bir şekilde harika ilerledi. Özellikle son bölümlerde ortaya çıkan sırlar beni şaşkınlığa uğrattı. İlk kitaptaki ana karakter Emma'nın yaşadıklarına da kısa bir özetle ikinci kitabın sonlarına doğru değiniyoruz. Böylece iki en yakın arkadaşının yollarının nasıl birleştiğini, birbirlerinin hayatlarını nasıl kurtardıklarını detaylıca okumuş oluyoruz. İçerdiği aşk hikayesiyle harika güzellikte bir kitaptı. Bunun yanı sıra ortaya çıkardığı ummadık sırlar, o zamanın tarihinin havasının kitaba yansıtılması ve kurgunun genel hatlarıyla övgüyü kesinlikle hak eden bir kitaptı. Ayrıca yazarın bu serisi sadece iki kitaptan oluşuyor. Umarım diğer romanları da bir an önce dilimize kazandırılır. Size de canı gönülden okumanızı öneririm..
April 10, 2015
A sequel to The Kommandant's Girl which follows Marta, a friend of Emma's, a Resistance fighter who is imprisoned by the Gestapo and soon rescued by an American soldier, Paul. Marta is soon put in an Austrian refugee camp so that she can recover from her injuries and she soon meets up with the dashing American soldier that rescued her. Paul and Marta agree to meet in England and then sail to America. However, Paul never arrives and Marta's life takes a different path than what is planned. Years later, Marta's Resistance training is once again needed by her adopted nation and what she finds brings feelings long ago suppressed.
Pam Jenoff presents another thrilling wartime page turner.
Pam Jenoff presents another thrilling wartime page turner.
November 17, 2013
This book is getting a perfect seven star rating from me.
What a wonderful way to finish up my 2013 reading challenge! The author Pam Jenoff had me hooked when after reading only the first chapter, just the first few pages and I was immediately connected to our main character Marta and brushing tears from my eyes. I would say this is the absolute success of this book. The lightning fast bonding to each character as they were introduced.. you longed to know what would happen next to these people to whom you've quickly formed an attachment. I couldn't put it down. I've owned this book within my personal library for some time and I'm kicking myself for not having read it sooner. It was great!
This is the ultimate fiction book. Even though it technically falls within the Historical fiction genre, that I so love, I just can't tack on that limitation with this one. The ultimate fiction, it contains within this one novel all the genre's that I enjoy reading: historical, romance, mystery, action, thriller, espionage. This reader seriously couldn't ask for more.
This is the point in a review where I would usually give a little synopsis about the book. I won't. You just must read it. I don't want to spoil a single thing for anyone. You must jump right in, feeling everything, meeting the characters and going for this ride. I'll say the synopsis on the jacket of the book gives you a slight peek into what the book is about if you need that information but it doesn't nearly do justice to this novel as a whole. Pick it up, buckle up and I'm sure you won't be sorry at all. Since I'm not giving a synopsis I'll give some adjectives: struggle, love, pain, fear, excitement, curiosity, determination, stubbornness, truth, lies, secrets, surprise. I talked to this book... a lot! I cried with it. I sat with twisted lip & eyebrow raised flanked with suspicion. I reread sections that pleased me. I was even so happy to see a particular character I at one point even put the book down and kicked my feet for several minutes out of extreme excitement! I loved it! (clapping hands)
Yes, I DO recommend this to fiction readers of all kinds. Yes, I most definitely will read more books by this author. Actually, I think The Kommandant's Girl may be the prequel to this book as there was a slight alluding to it but this book never made me feel like I needed to go read it first.. although, I now plan to read it. Again, seven perfect stars from me. Bravo to the author. Bravo to the book. Bravo to me for picking it up. Bravo to a happy ending to my reading challenge.
This is the ultimate fiction book. Even though it technically falls within the Historical fiction genre, that I so love, I just can't tack on that limitation with this one. The ultimate fiction, it contains within this one novel all the genre's that I enjoy reading: historical, romance, mystery, action, thriller, espionage. This reader seriously couldn't ask for more.
This is the point in a review where I would usually give a little synopsis about the book. I won't. You just must read it. I don't want to spoil a single thing for anyone. You must jump right in, feeling everything, meeting the characters and going for this ride. I'll say the synopsis on the jacket of the book gives you a slight peek into what the book is about if you need that information but it doesn't nearly do justice to this novel as a whole. Pick it up, buckle up and I'm sure you won't be sorry at all. Since I'm not giving a synopsis I'll give some adjectives: struggle, love, pain, fear, excitement, curiosity, determination, stubbornness, truth, lies, secrets, surprise. I talked to this book... a lot! I cried with it. I sat with twisted lip & eyebrow raised flanked with suspicion. I reread sections that pleased me. I was even so happy to see a particular character I at one point even put the book down and kicked my feet for several minutes out of extreme excitement! I loved it! (clapping hands)
Yes, I DO recommend this to fiction readers of all kinds. Yes, I most definitely will read more books by this author. Actually, I think The Kommandant's Girl may be the prequel to this book as there was a slight alluding to it but this book never made me feel like I needed to go read it first.. although, I now plan to read it. Again, seven perfect stars from me. Bravo to the author. Bravo to the book. Bravo to me for picking it up. Bravo to a happy ending to my reading challenge.
March 14, 2023
Nu stiu cum sa reactionez. Imi place cum scrie Pam Jenoff, mi-a placut mult “Fetele pierdute din Paris” pana si “Iubita comandantului” mi-a placut insa cartea aceasta, continuarea “Iubita comandantului” nu am simtit-o ca pe celelalte, am avut momente cand nu am rezonat cu actiunea sau cu personajele, mi s-a parut totul o mare exagerare. Undeva pe la mijlocul cartii am realizat asta si de acolo parca totul a devenit previzibil si nu am mai putut vedea povestea ca pana acolo. Mi-a placut totusi incotro a luat-o povestea si desi e putin credibila a avut ceva ce m-a tinut legata pana la final🤷🏻♀️
Marta Nederman este o evreica scapata ca printr-o minune dintr-un lagar nazist. Ajutata de un soldat american, Paul Mattinson, Marta reuseste sa se refaca dupa ororile prin care a trecut la un spital din Salzburg. Cei doi traiesc o iubire extrem de intensa dar de scurta durata, pana cand avionul lui Paul se prabuseste, lasand-o pe Marta insarcinata si cu inima ranita. Singura alternativa pentru ea este sa mearga mai departe alaturi de Simon Gold, un diplomat al Ministerului de externe din Anglia, care o cere in casatorie, inainte ca oamenii din jur sa realizeze ca ea este insarcinata.
Lucrurile se schimba in momentul in care o misiune a Ministerului o pune sub lumina reflectoarelor pe Marta: trebuie sa se intalneasca cu un fost membru al rezistentei, sa afle informatii importante pentru bunastarea mai multor tari implicate. Marta accepta misiunea. Ce descopera si prin cate trece Marta, va las pe voi sa descoperiti.
3🌸
Marta Nederman este o evreica scapata ca printr-o minune dintr-un lagar nazist. Ajutata de un soldat american, Paul Mattinson, Marta reuseste sa se refaca dupa ororile prin care a trecut la un spital din Salzburg. Cei doi traiesc o iubire extrem de intensa dar de scurta durata, pana cand avionul lui Paul se prabuseste, lasand-o pe Marta insarcinata si cu inima ranita. Singura alternativa pentru ea este sa mearga mai departe alaturi de Simon Gold, un diplomat al Ministerului de externe din Anglia, care o cere in casatorie, inainte ca oamenii din jur sa realizeze ca ea este insarcinata.
Lucrurile se schimba in momentul in care o misiune a Ministerului o pune sub lumina reflectoarelor pe Marta: trebuie sa se intalneasca cu un fost membru al rezistentei, sa afle informatii importante pentru bunastarea mai multor tari implicate. Marta accepta misiunea. Ce descopera si prin cate trece Marta, va las pe voi sa descoperiti.
3🌸
December 12, 2021
Following on from the book, the Kommandant's Girl where at the end the Kommandant is shot by Marta who is also shot, wounded she is initially cared for before being thrown into a Nazi prison camp where she is finally rescued by the Americans with Paul the soldier that assists her. Her bullet wound had not been taken care of properly and she is again in hospital after more surgery. Here she meets nurse Dava and another patient Rose whom she becomes attached to.
Paul gives Marta the hopes of a better future visiting her at the hospital. Rose tragically dies from her condition but through an Aunt in London and with the persuasion of Dava along with a promise from Paul, Marta heads for London. Paul's plane crashes and is believed dead. Marta, now pregnant to him, seeks refuge with Rose's Aunt who welcomes her into her life. After being pursued by a British diplomat Simon, she marries him for the sake of her child. Her happiness is threatened when after travelling back to Poland and Germany for the British to obtain a cipher from one of the old resistance members she discovers that her husband is in fact a Communist spy and Dava his co-conspiralist and lover who admits to killing Rose for the benefit of their plans. In the middle of all of this Marta discovers that Paul is still alive and that after being rescued from the plane crash with no dog tags he initially couldn't be identified, he had given them to Marta. He was recruited as a spy for the west with a new identity.
Paul gives Marta the hopes of a better future visiting her at the hospital. Rose tragically dies from her condition but through an Aunt in London and with the persuasion of Dava along with a promise from Paul, Marta heads for London. Paul's plane crashes and is believed dead. Marta, now pregnant to him, seeks refuge with Rose's Aunt who welcomes her into her life. After being pursued by a British diplomat Simon, she marries him for the sake of her child. Her happiness is threatened when after travelling back to Poland and Germany for the British to obtain a cipher from one of the old resistance members she discovers that her husband is in fact a Communist spy and Dava his co-conspiralist and lover who admits to killing Rose for the benefit of their plans. In the middle of all of this Marta discovers that Paul is still alive and that after being rescued from the plane crash with no dog tags he initially couldn't be identified, he had given them to Marta. He was recruited as a spy for the west with a new identity.
March 13, 2021
1.5 stars
Super disappointing! I can't believe this is the same author that wrote the prequel. This story was flatter than the prairies. I felt no attachment whatsoever to any of the characters. In fact Marta, the MC, was incredibly annoying and grating. In the audio version, she does nothing but whine. It's too bad her character lived to make this sequel. Would've been way more interesting to follow Emma's life instead.
This is one of those books that read like a hockey announcer - play by play. No emotion was conveyed whatsoever in the telling of it and the plot was incredibly dull. The only redeeming element about this book was the twisty ending and hence an extra half a star rather than 1.
If you like an insecure and judgmental main character who pretends to be strong and accepting but really isn't; unrealistic and eye rolling dialogue, cheesie forced romances that seem implausible....then you might enjoy this book. I know this was a waste of time for me.
Super disappointing! I can't believe this is the same author that wrote the prequel. This story was flatter than the prairies. I felt no attachment whatsoever to any of the characters. In fact Marta, the MC, was incredibly annoying and grating. In the audio version, she does nothing but whine. It's too bad her character lived to make this sequel. Would've been way more interesting to follow Emma's life instead.
This is one of those books that read like a hockey announcer - play by play. No emotion was conveyed whatsoever in the telling of it and the plot was incredibly dull. The only redeeming element about this book was the twisty ending and hence an extra half a star rather than 1.
If you like an insecure and judgmental main character who pretends to be strong and accepting but really isn't; unrealistic and eye rolling dialogue, cheesie forced romances that seem implausible....then you might enjoy this book. I know this was a waste of time for me.
November 11, 2008
Another WWII book, that was amazing. I truly wish this book is made into a movie. It was very well written, and it got your attention right at the beginning. The last 100 pages had my up until 2am, biting my nails while finishing it. Although, I did predict a key part of it, there were still some twists and turns, that I was totally not expecting. A great read!
October 8, 2023
Proza este plină de acțiune cu personaje vulnerabile, curajoase și puternice. Iar intriga este o combinație despre viață, pericole, pierderi, secrete, durere, trădare, supraviețuire, prietenie și dragoste.
July 23, 2016
My friend, Henry and I chose this book strictly because we loved the cover. Henry discovered that it is the colorized version of a New York Penn Station photograph taken for Life Magazine during WW2.
One of the strengths of this book is how it moves from one genre to another.
This book began as historical fiction with a disturbing scene from a women's camp/prison. Admittedly I was ready to abandon it because I'd just finished LILAC GIRLS which dealt with the same subject matter.
Within a few pages, the mood lightened and became a huge romance story. It was all enchantment, flirtation, passion, lite and airy frivolity. Some of the expressions, and all that "burning" and "breathing" were so sappy, I laughed hysterically. Great fun!
Then things became somber at which time it transformed into an action thriller. It was full of international intrigue and suspense and I couldn't stop reading. Suddenly, I was yelling at the characters (yes,aloud) by rooting for the good guys and hissing at the villains. There were several juicy little twists which caught me off guard as well.
WARNING: So, you have to just " read and enjoy" this book. If you analyze the situations, actions of the characters, the coincidences, and the time lines, you just might close the book while exclaiming,"No Way." HOWEVER, don't analyze. Have fun with it and enjoy yourself. I did!
One of the strengths of this book is how it moves from one genre to another.
This book began as historical fiction with a disturbing scene from a women's camp/prison. Admittedly I was ready to abandon it because I'd just finished LILAC GIRLS which dealt with the same subject matter.
Within a few pages, the mood lightened and became a huge romance story. It was all enchantment, flirtation, passion, lite and airy frivolity. Some of the expressions, and all that "burning" and "breathing" were so sappy, I laughed hysterically. Great fun!
Then things became somber at which time it transformed into an action thriller. It was full of international intrigue and suspense and I couldn't stop reading. Suddenly, I was yelling at the characters (yes,aloud) by rooting for the good guys and hissing at the villains. There were several juicy little twists which caught me off guard as well.
WARNING: So, you have to just " read and enjoy" this book. If you analyze the situations, actions of the characters, the coincidences, and the time lines, you just might close the book while exclaiming,"No Way." HOWEVER, don't analyze. Have fun with it and enjoy yourself. I did!
December 17, 2014
Ok I had to put this down at about page 100. Not sure why I read that far. I liked the general plot but the unimaginative cheesy writing outweighs it. The point at which I quit was when the hero had just been intimate for the first time with his newly betrothed and he exclaims, "Wow." Yup, that's about how the dialogue goes generally.
August 25, 2025
This is a WWII Historical Fiction. I read this book by listening to the audiobook, and I loved the audiobook for this book. I loved this book. I got totally pulled into this book story, and I did not want to put it down. There was romance, drama and action. This book touched my heart, and I loved the ending.
December 18, 2019
Ama yani bu kadar tesadüf sadece Türk filmlerinde olmalı
December 4, 2020
Moving, enthralling, and intense!
The Diplomat’s Wife is the thrilling, absorbing sequel to The Kommandant’s Girl set at the end of WWII that takes you into the life of Marta Nederman, a Polish resistance fighter who after being liberated from Dachau meets a handsome American soldier, travels to London on a borrowed visa, marries a British Diplomat, and then returns to Poland two years later on a mission that will ultimately change her life forever.
The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are brave, vulnerable, and strong. And the plot is a compelling blend of life, loss, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, betrayal, survival, danger, friendship, and romance.
Overall, The Diplomat’s Wife is a passionate, riveting, action-packed tale by Jenoff that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the personalities, feelings, and lives of the characters within it that you can’t help but be fully absorbed and invested.
Thank you to HTP Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Diplomat’s Wife is the thrilling, absorbing sequel to The Kommandant’s Girl set at the end of WWII that takes you into the life of Marta Nederman, a Polish resistance fighter who after being liberated from Dachau meets a handsome American soldier, travels to London on a borrowed visa, marries a British Diplomat, and then returns to Poland two years later on a mission that will ultimately change her life forever.
The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are brave, vulnerable, and strong. And the plot is a compelling blend of life, loss, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, betrayal, survival, danger, friendship, and romance.
Overall, The Diplomat’s Wife is a passionate, riveting, action-packed tale by Jenoff that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the personalities, feelings, and lives of the characters within it that you can’t help but be fully absorbed and invested.
Thank you to HTP Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2019
I couldn’t wait to read this sequel to THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL... and was initially disappointed. As much as I was surprised that Book 2 follows Marta, rather than Emma, I felt that the first third of the book (through page 184) was too slow and predictable.
Although some later events felt far fetched, the remaining plot reflected the tensions of post WWII Europe and Marta finally snapped back to the courageous young woman we met initially. Finally, the pace picked up, the plot thickened and the groundwork established earlier began to make sense. The last chapters had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them!
I am now waiting for a 3rd novel... would it follow Marta to America or return to Emma in Prague??
Couldn’t give this 5⭐️ because the plot took too long to grab me!!
Although some later events felt far fetched, the remaining plot reflected the tensions of post WWII Europe and Marta finally snapped back to the courageous young woman we met initially. Finally, the pace picked up, the plot thickened and the groundwork established earlier began to make sense. The last chapters had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them!
I am now waiting for a 3rd novel... would it follow Marta to America or return to Emma in Prague??
Couldn’t give this 5⭐️ because the plot took too long to grab me!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2009
Excellent sequel to The Kommandant's Girl...great historical fiction.
February 9, 2021
Just ok. Implausible coincidences, and the like.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,578 reviews