The Other Side of the Wire

by Harold Coyle

Germany, 1935: When Hans Koch, a Jewish boy of nine is afforded the opportunity to escape his heritage, he does not hesitate to seize it even though the cost is incredibly steep. Denying a religion that has brought him nothing but grief is of little consequence to him. Doing so by assuming the role of a girl on the other hand does present him with a difficult choice. Still, for Hans anything is better than persecution. Taken in the wife of an SS officer and renamed Hanna, she throws herself into the role. Hanna's blond hair and blue eyes along with her academic excellence become a source of pride to Ernst Richter. Her idyllic, if precarious existence begins to unravel in 1942 when Richter takes command of a concentration camp. There she is confronted with the terrible truth of what Germany has become. As the end of the war nears and Richter is ordered to destroy evidence of war crimes, Hanna throws caution to the wind in an effort to save a single life and by doing so, her soul.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust

296 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2020

About the author

Harold Coyle is an American author of historical, speculative fiction and war novels including Team Yankee, a New York Times best-seller.He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1974 and spent seventeen years on active duty with the U.S. Army.He lives in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Reviews

[Rogan Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this copy to review.

Representation: Trans MC

A Jewish child became orphaned in Nazi Germany and Julia Richter is determined to at least see the child off to their family. Lena, her sister who happens to be married to a higher-ranking SS officer in the Nazi party, ends up taking in the child, dressed in Julia's daughter's clothes. The plan was to send her off to America, but after catching the interest of some higher-ups in the Nazi party, Lena has no choice but to adopt the girl, who is the model of Aryan perfection with her long blond hair and blue eyes. This follows Hannah as she grows up in the Third Reich, hiding her past as a Jew and someone who was assigned male at birth. Hannah tries to be the perfect German girl, joining the BDM and supporting the Nazi Party. But her perfect world doesn't last long, and she's forced to reevaluate everything.

Rating: 3.75/5 I enjoyed this unique take on a dark period in history, following a trans Jewish girl growing up in the Third Reich. Since I have a lot to say about the trans rep, I'll say the other general feelings about this book first. It was interesting to kind of get a glimpse into the daily life of a German family who were completely insulated from the horrors that went on in the concentration camps. There was an eventual discovery and grief at what was happening, horror at what their own family and friends were capable of doing. It also showed the scary part of children being indoctrinated into the Nazi ideology via Hitler Youth, having no idea that it's actually quite horrible.

Reading the other reviews, I have to mention that this is historical fiction, and the author did mention that some of the details were fictional, such as the camp in Borkow, the Richter family, and a few others. Spoiler for the LGBT rep: I also saw a few people saying that having a trans person who underwent a surgery in this time period was inaccurate. It is not. The book mentions the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute of Sex Research), founded by Magnus Hirschfeld. This was open in 1919-1933, and it was closed down and destroyed by the Nazis. The Institute did research on homosexuality, pioneered surgeries for trans people, and endocrinological treatments. So while it might not have been that common back then, it was certainly possible for someone to have the surgery. While Hannah never explicitly says she's trans, she has at least some cognizance that she's not what she was assigned at birth. From Lena's perspective, this surgery was just to help Hannah stay hidden, so she was surprised when Hannah readily agreed. Hannah tells part of the truth: "...if an operation to create something resembling a female's genitals was necessary to keep her from developing into a normal boy, she would gladly do so." This shows me that Hannah has no desire to be a boy. I say this because one review said that they felt there was no pre-determination from Hannah that she identified this way, Again, this is historical fiction. Terminology was still developing in the early 1900s, and Hannah certainly didn't have access to that kind of information, being in Nazi Germany and all. There are times where Hannah thinks on the hidden parts of her, and works hard to be the perfect daughter. I'm not an expert on Nazi Germany, so I can't fully speak to the accuracy of this book, but I thought it was done fairly well in regards to the LGBT representation.

[beauty_andbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written historical fiction with LGBTQ+ aspects. I’m a huge fan of WWII/holocaust fiction and this was a great example of a well written novel.
The only reason for three stars is that the LGBTQ+ aspects were not always believable because there was no before realization of the main character in identifying female versus male. I would have loved more pre-determination from the main character that she identified as so.

*received free to review

[Laura McToal · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Banality of Evil - the great evils of history are not committed by fanatics or sociopaths, but rather by ordinary people who accept that what they are doing is not only right, it is normal. Doing terrible things in an organised and systematic way rests on 'normalisation.' This is the process whereby ugly, degrading, murderous, and unspeakable acts become routine and are accepted as the way things are done." Loc 81 -87 of The Other Side of the Wire Kindle pre-release version.

This is the story of an orphaned child who is half-Jewish, and hides their identity to avoid being persecuted in Nazi Germany. Adopted into the family of a high-ranking SS officer, they grow up trying to be the perfect German child to their adopted family. The adoptive father is a wonderful, loving person at home, but a completely different person as soon as he steps outside his front door. This story is about how normal people contributed to the evils that occurred during this time.

It is hard to say much more without ruining the story, but I can say that lovers of The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, will love this book. I will say that I was not aware that certain surgical procedures were available in the 1930's, but a little research informs me that it was. I am surprised that at such an early stage of such procedures being developed, I am surprised that the character who underwent this surgery survived. I would have been interested in the after effects experienced by this character post-surgery in a little more detail. However, I do understand that shining light on this, is a small added feature and not really the purpose of this story.

Harold Coyle writes in a way which is wonderfully engaging and captures the reader from the very first page. I would have liked a more stretched out, detailed ending. The ending felt a bit like the author had a strict word count to adhere to, whereas the rest of the story was perfectly paced and detailed. It would have meant more to be with the characters we bond with throughout, at the end of the story too.

I have had a look at other books by Harold Coyle on Goodreads and they do all seem to be set during various war time periods. I have added a couple that look interesting to my 'want to read pile', as his delicate, yet honest telling of The Other Side of the Wire has made me very interested in exploring his works further.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this free, pre-release copy of #TheOtherSideoftheWire in exchange for an honest review.

[Elize Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Other Side of the Wire offered an amazing insight into the life accounts of a Jewish boy adopted by a Nazi Family. The author successfully described the events whereby the boy's father left him with a Jewish family and sadly never returned. Because the author explained the background so clearly, the reader could easily understand the reasoning behind the story. Also, the author explained in detail the most complex situations children faced during the time. The hurt, anxiety and fear came across in the storyline and pictured the typical choices families made during the time. Also, the complex relationships between the different role players played a key role to set the scene. Any person who enjoys reading historical material around World War II and the impacts on families should read this story.

[linda hole · Rating 2 out of 5]

The other side of the wire by by Harold coyle. I regret to say I did not understand this book. I did not find the book believeable. I had a hard time finishing the book. and the ending,what can I say about that. I have to think about it, maybe my brain was not working properly when I read the book. ..but I HONESTLY did not understand the ending. or the book at all. But thank you to netgalley for letting me read it and of course the publiher

[Linda Fallows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I loved this book. It is well thought out and the characters are solid and well described. The only part I had a minor problem with was when the little boy had surgery to change him into a girl. I thought maybe this was too unusual to have happened in the years immediately prior to WWII.
On the whole it was a real page turner and thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

[Rachel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.
I was gripped from the beginning wondering what will happen to the main character.
I just didn’t want to put this book down.
If you enjoy WW2 stories then this is a great read.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great novel about a Jewish boy whose father leaves him with a Nazi family and doesn't return. The author's excellent writing allowed the reader to understand the reasoning behind the decisions people had to make at the time. This is a great piece of historical fiction.

[Alena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for anyone interested in WWII historical fiction. The author provides an inside look at what daily life was like inside a Nazi family. The main character, Hannah, was originally Hans, a Jewish boy by heritage, was tired of a daily life of being bullied for a religion he didn’t practice. When Hans has the opportunity to be taken in by a Nazi family disguised as Hannah, he goes to extremes to hide his identity just to be accepted and enjoy the privileges of being their daughter. Hannah thrives within the Nazi family until her late teen years when she is confronted with the reality of what is happening in the concentration camps. She spends the remaining years of her life trying to make up for denying her Jewish heritage.

I wish that the author had touched more upon Hannah’s transformation from Hans; there are a couple of references where the character thinks about “giving up everything about themselves that’s true”, but overall, it seems to be a seamless transition without any struggles other than needing hormone treatments in the teenage years.

The book is very detailed throughout until the end. I wish that the author had taken the time to expand upon the final chapters.

I'm avoiding spoilers, so I won't give details, but there are some areas of the book that are hard to accept as plausible. If you are willing to give the author some creative liberties (no matter how extreme) you will enjoy the other details of the story.

Tip: There are Historical Notes by chapter on page 282 that help explain any references you may not understand.

[. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, I didn't really enjoy this. In fact, I felt myself spacing out a lot while reading it. I've certainly read my fair share of WW2/Holocaust books, but this didn't capture my attention at all. That and the fact that it is pretty damn historically inaccurate -- or at the very least, an incredibly unbelievable scenario. Listen, I applaud the author for attempting to tell a story (a trans person growing up in Nazi Germany) that hasn't really been told much, if at all But it just didn't work, not in the way it was presented.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Harold Coyle. I've read all of his books from "Team Yankee", his first, through his last, "No Warriors, No Glory", published in 2009.

So, when I discovered this book written by him in 2019 about WWII, I was interested in reading it. The story of a young Jew hiding his true nature in as Nazi Germany moves towards the Final Solution was interesting. When the main character, a male child had a surgery to change his outward appearance to a female, my interest in this book faded. I found this fictional aspect of the story to be unnecessary and very implausible in 1930s Germany when the basis for this story was interesting enough.

Despite this issue, the writing and the story is well done as usual for Coyle.

But, bringing into this story a trans storyline at a time when that wasn't even a thing, really detracts from the power of the story being told. I found it hard to believe that this was anything close to possible even in Nazi Germany, even if there were some experimenting with that at the time. So, I just ignored this aspect of the story and read on.

This is a sad end for an author I thoroughly enjoyed reading and will be the last book from Coyle that I read.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, the story was VERY GOOD.

However, there were so many incorrectly used words (a blue 'stripped' dress, dusting 'flower' off her hands, someone being 'interned' in a cemetery.....and too many others to count) that it got irritating and was distracting.

There were also MANY typos, if you will, and they were glaring (She washed HE hands, and so much more like that). It's difficult to read a book that's so inconsistently written. What a shame that Mr. Coyle's publishers didn't adequately proofread this book. It could have been so much better!

[Megan Paulsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been getting into reading historical fictional novels of WWII. I thought this was an interesting take. The main character's journey was super interesting, from beginning to end. It was an great read and I couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a unique take/perspective on WWII.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

god I felt really bad for the main character, I really felt for his struggle and what he goes through the book. It really makes you think about history. Overall this was a really well done book and I look forward to more from the author.

[Sandy Korom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story but I had some trouble following some of the characters and plots.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

totally different subject than what he has written about before.

[Charles R Schiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, heart wrenching look at an aspect of growing up in Nazi Germany. set during the rise of Nazi Germany before the Second World War.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Other Side of the Wall" was a fantastic read. I was unable to put it down until the last page. Horrifying and sad the persecution and lies told to the Jews to get them in the camps and humiliating treatment they suffered at the hands of the Nazi.
Hans Koch, a Jewish boy, left at a German home by his physician father and later found murdered.
Raised as Hannah, to escape religious persecution and adopted by a high ranking Nazi family.

"History is what history is. The ease with which the Nazi leadership seduced the German youth is a story we cannot ignore, for it is happening again in various parts of the world today."

Harold Coyle stated in his book that the story was inspired by the true life of Solomon Perel, an orphaned Jewish-German boy who fled Nazi persecution by becoming a member of the Hitler Youth.
Mr. Coyle did a fantastic job on this gripping, fearful story. Well-written and researched. He told the story in such a way, as though you were right there.

Thank you to author and publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.