The Note Through the Wire: The Incredible True Story of a Prisoner of War and a Resistance Heroine – An Unforgettable Real-Life WWII Romance of Bravery, Love, and Survival

by Doug Gold

Praised as an “unforgettable love story” by Heather Morris,  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Tattooist of Auschwitz , this is the real-life, unlikely romance between a resistance fighter and prisoner of war set in World War II Europe.
In this true love story that defies all odds, Josefine Lobnik, a Yugoslav partisan heroine, and Bruce Murray, a New Zealand soldier, discover love in the midst of a brutal war. In the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe, two people meet fleetingly in a chance encounter. One an underground resistance fighter, a bold young woman determined to vanquish the enemy occupiers; the other a prisoner of war, a man longing to escape the confines of the camp so he can battle again. A crumpled note passes between these two strangers, slipped through the wire of the compound, and sets them on a course that will change their lives forever.
Woven through their tales of great bravery, daring escapes, betrayal, torture, and retaliation is their remarkable love story that survived against all odds. This is an extraordinary account of two ordinary people who found love during the unimaginable hardships of Hitler’s barbaric regime as told by their son-in-law Doug Gold, who decided to tell their story from the moment he heard about their remarkable tale of bravery, resilience, and resistance.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, War, Romance, Biography, Holocaust

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2019

About the author

Doug Gold has had a long and successful media career. With a business partner, he set up the More FM radio network and, later, was a founding partner of NRS Media, an international media company with offices in London, Atlanta, Toronto and Sydney. He has won numerous broadcasting awards and consulted to major media networks globally. He lives in Wellington, New Zealand, with his wife, Anemarie.

Reviews

[Ｄｒｅｙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

... A true story of a Kiwi and a Slovene.

A tragic and deeply moving true story about a Kiwi soldier and a Slovene woman who survived love against all odds. Set during World War 2, two people from different corners of the world embarked on a perilous journey fighting for peace and freedom, and found love in the most impossible circumstances.

Note: This is a historical nonfiction.

"Love, as they say, conquers all. This is not necessarily or universally true, but persistence and determination help to make it so."

Desperate to seek information for her missing brother who was arrested by Germans, Josefine Lobnik first met Bruce Murray, a prisoner of war, in a chance encounter, when she passed a note to him through the wire fence of the camp delivering a message asking if her brother was also a prisoner of the camp.

The author uses non-linear narrative bringing us back on their lives before the war started. Enter Bruce Murray, a New Zealand native who volunteered for the army against the Germans. He was brought to fight for Greece where he was captured and imprisoned at Stalag camp in Maribor, Slovenia. On the other hand, Josefine Lobnik was a resident of the village of Limbus in Maribor, Slovenia. She was eighteen years old when the war began. Josefine participated in the partisans when the members of her family were one by one arrested by Germans.

"We will be together again ... We'll beat the Svabi, and our family will be together again ... I promise."

Bruce and Josefine crossed paths again in Radkersburg, Austria. Josefine fled Slovenia after someone she knew told a German soldier that she was a member of the partisans. She stayed with her relatives in Radkersburg. While Bruce, a prisoner of war at Stalag camp in Maribor, was transferred to Wolsberg and then to Radkersburg after fights with the German officers. He was a prisoner for a total of four years. In the midst of a brutal struggle for survival, they both fell in love.

After the war ended, bureaucracy made them difficult to reunite. But love conquers all. As the story says, "persistence and determination helps to make it so."

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I liked the simplicity of the writing. The pacing of the first half could have been more better but the promise of the story kept me interested. The romance was satisfying. I loved their love for each other. And the ending was uplifting. This is one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time.

I recommend this to those who likes: Doug Gold, nonfiction, historical, war, emotional, and a happily ever after.

"As long as there is breath in my body, I'll come back to you. I'll wait forever, if I have to."

Trigger Warning: Vivid depiction of everything regarding war.

[Lindsay L]

DNF @ 34%. No connection to the storyline or characters. Reading too much like a history textbook.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Murray is a bit of a larrakin, when his mates Blackie and Logie decide to join up and fight in WW II and he thinks why not? A free boat trip, see a bit of the world, like most blokes and he's feeling pretty brave after a few beers. He had no idea what war was like, for him and his mates it was just a bit of an adventure and a lark!
Basic training is soon over, Bruce is in Greece fighting the Germans with his fellow Kiwi's and he's in the New Zealand 25th Battalion. Suddenly WW II is very real, the army is retreating and before he knows it Bruce finds himself stuck in a Stalag prison camp.

Every Sunday, the prisoners go for a walk around the compound, he's handed a slip of paper by a old lady through the fence wire, she takes a big risk, the guards start shooting at her, it's actually a pretty girl and she's dressed up as an old lady. Josefine Lobnik is an under ground resistance fighter, she's trying to find out what happened to her brother Polde and if he's in the prison camp? Josefine has no idea by giving Bruce the slip of paper it will change both their lives and their families forever.

Bruce is a typical bloke, he likes a drink, he swears, he's loyal, he's funny, he tries so many times to escape prison, he always gets caught, he spends a lot of time in the cooler, and has more lives than a cat. The Note Through the Wire is a story about WW II, how it affected prisoners of war and the local people living on the border between Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy.
It's also a story about finding love during WW II, sacrifice, bravery, betrayal and surviving in the total destruction caused by both the German and Russian armies. Bruce and Josefine never gave up, nothing could stop them from being together and in the end love wins.

I gave the book 4 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and my blog. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story. Against all odds, WWII brings two people from two corners of the world. They both have the same mission to defy the Germans. She passes a note to him through the wire of the compound as she is searching for her brother. He can’t forget this young lady disguised as an elderly woman.

Slovenia (part of former Yugoslavia), 1942. Bruce Murray is a prisoner of war at Stalag camp on the outskirts of Maribor. Through a barbed wire, he receives a note from a woman. A note written in a language he doesn’t understand.

Maribor, 1942. Josefine Lobnik carries a package of documents from one partisan group to another when she encounters Bruce at Stalag camp. Recently, her brother was captured by Germans and now she searches for him. She passes a note to a stranger at a camp asking if her brother is there.

Both stories go back in time and interestingly reveal backgrounds of both characters.

Through his story, we get a more frivolous approach to war, at first. With his two best friends, they leave New Zealand eager to experience the world, the more exotic places and women. The journey takes them from their homeland to Cairo where they roam the streets and get the taste of a very different culture, then Greece where they get the first test of a battle.

Through her story we get to experience a more serious side of the war. Her country is invaded by German forces. Her people want to preserve their identity. They don’t want everything German being shoved down their throats. Her people join the resistance forces. Some get captured and tortured. And for some no matter how long the torture lasts, the spirit doesn’t get broken. It gets even stronger as torture only amplifies their resistance.

It was interesting to read about prisoners of war who at a camp where separated depending on what part of the world they came from. Eastern Europeans were treated the worst, with the pettiest rations of food and the most abusive treatment.

With crisp prose, moving the story fast, we get a true feeling of many places and the time period, from the streets of Cairo filled with fun through Maribor’s policy of “reGermanization” and tensions between ethnic groups to Greece revealing the spirit of its people, their resilience and resistance.

With depth, we get to experience an extraordinary story of two ordinary people, the challenges they face and what fuels them to take such risks. Vividly depicted dangerous work of the partisans – the superheroes.

This is one of the best WWII stories I've ever read. Brilliantly wrought story capturing the trauma of war, the love forged against all odds, the prose peppered with humor despite the sad subject of war.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications)]

DNF. I am aware that The Note Through The Wire: The Incredible True Story of a Prisoner of War and a Resistance Heroine by Doug Gold got many very favorable reviews. Unfortunately, I could not find the connection with this book that many reviewers had. Usually, I can’t wait to get back to the book that I am reading but with this book I found myself skimming over large sections hoping to get to a part where I could finally feel excited. Now more than half way through, I still have not found that spark or desire to finish this book so I am stopping, giving up and moving on to the next book. I won an ARC of this book through a goodreads give away so even though this book was not not the right fit for me I am glad other readers enjoyed it.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 True Story Stars

Since I knew this was a true story (with some unverified details added) I knew it was authentic as the author could make it. It did make me think that truth is stranger than fiction! A story with the backdrop of WWII, although this one had some different settings than many other books I’ve read from this time period. Much of it was set in Slovenia and touched on the complicated politics in that region and a few battles in Greece, which I had forgotten had a role in the war.

One of our main characters is Bruce, a soldier from New Zealand who spends most of the war as an Allied Prisoner of War. He’s captured after a failed battle in Greece and is sent to several camps. He happens to meet the other main character, Josefine, as she is searching for clues about her missing brother. Josefine and her whole family gets involved as partisans and resisting against the Germans. Her town is occupied during the war.

Bruce and Josefine meet up again when he’s loaned out to a local farmer and the two eventually fall in love. The face countless obstacles and near misses during the war. They embark on many missions and are nearly caught several times.

After the war, it’s challenging as well as he’s sent back to New Zealand and she can’t get an exit visa. I enjoyed this story and it sheds more light on the difficult times that people endured in WWII.

Thank you to Book Club Girls/William Morrow/Custom House for the complimentary copy of this one to read.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★s
The Note Through The Wire is a fictionalised memoir by New Zealand author, Doug Gold. Gold’s in-laws were reticent regards their wartime experiences, and died before he could record their story, so the events and incidents in this tale are taken from press articles, military records, official war histories, eyewitness accounts and letters. Gold skilfully fills in the many blanks to produce a heart-warming wartime love story.

It is the arrest and torture by the Germans of her older sister and younger brother that makes it an easy decision for Josefine Lobnik to work for the partisans, to do whatever she can to get rid of the occupying force and keep Slovenia for the Slovenes. If that means helping the British and their allies, she is happy to do it, even if she is also terribly afraid.

After she watches twenty innocent Slovenes murdered in cold blood in the town square of Maribor that she realises this may have been the fate of her missing brother Polde. One of her friends suggests asking a British prisoner at the POW camp if anyone had heard about him, or if he is there.

When Kiwi, Bruce Murray first arrives at the POW camp, Stalag XVIIID, near Maribor, he vows two things: the first is that he will do whatever he can to sabotage German operations, and using his fertile imagination, Bruce comes up with a plethora of innovative ways to do this; the second is to escape, which he also eventually manages to do, after two unsuccessful attempts.

But while he’s there, taking his usual walk around the perimeter fence on a Sunday morning, an old crone comes to the wire with a request. Only it’s not an old crone, it’s a young woman, a beautiful green-eyed young woman, looking for information about her missing brother. She hands him a note.

The narrative alternates between Josefine and Bruce: at first, Josefine’s story sets the scene of civil unrest and food shortages leading up to the occupation by the Germans. The contrast between this and Bruce’s story of a stable and prosperous New Zealand is stark. While Josefine’s narrative then describes her work for the partisans, Bruce details his battle experiences and the horror of the enforced marches and camps as a POW.

Gold evokes the era well, both wartime Slovenia and 1930’s Wellington. While a wartime story is bound to include hardship and heartache, as well as disgust at certain atrocities, there is also triumph from this remarkable pair, and quite a bit of humour involved in the antics in which Bruce indulged. Obviously slivovitz must feature, but also leeches, semolina, a German greatcoat, a sidecar outfit, and a German general’s appropriated Savile Row suits. A map and a glossary of the Slovene terms commonly used in the text would certainly enhance the enjoyment of this moving true story.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Murray, a POW in Stalag XVIIID Maribor is nursing a dreadful hangover when his close mate Frank at the camp drags him out for their usual Sunday walk around the perimeter of the wire fencing of their prison. An old woman bent over stands silently at the fence. Bruce with his usual gung-ho attitude heads over to the fence totally unconcerned even with Frank warning him that he'll be shot if the guards see him.

The old woman speaks in German and a note is shoved through the wire written in German, for which he can't understand. Looking into the woman's eyes he notices that she is actually a young woman who is wearing a disguise. Bruce is a man that prior to his enlistment has been a bit of a "dandy" (a description used often at the time). He is usually meticulous about his appearance even as a POW and on the very day his appearance is shoddy, unkempt and his hangover is obvious he comes face to face with a lovely woman.

They are both spotted by a guard who yells, Bruce yells out for the woman to run and typically he challenges the guard with a death stare determination even with the rifle pointed at him, the guard turns the gun and bludgeons him with the butt. This gives time for the young woman to reach the woods.

Josefine in disgust only sees a man who looked at her as most men look at women. These are desperate times, she is a partisan fighting the Nazis and her immediate concern is for news about her brother Polde who hasn't been seen or heard of for a long time. Her note pleads for help to find him.

From here on a remarkable story unfolds. Bruce, a New Zealander who has enlisted along with his mates to join the Army seems to have been born with the luck of the gods that sees him not only survive the war but his involvement with Greek partisans and fighting with the Red Army along with some of the friendships he forms with some of his guards, the assistance he gets from many that he crosses path with are extraordinary, particularly in light of his pior colourless life in New Zealand as a silk stocking salesman.

After a time Bruce is sent to a farm to help as a labourer and remarkably Josefine is related to the family who arrives to escape possible capture because of her partisan activities. She slowly recognises Bruce as the scruffy man at the fence, so different now, even in his tattered farm clothes his cleaned up appearance is very different.

Against all the odds the couple fall in love, Bruce is totally besotted which gives him something to live for given that as a POW he has felt such a loser and a failure as a soldier.

After peace is declared Bruce now in the hands of the Russians experiences even greater problems trying to return to Josefine. The world is in mess and one POW's desires are not of any consequence to anyone. However, in time all obstacles are removed and finally these two people are together.

Bruce and Josefine return and live out their lives in New Zealand, raising their family but their war experiences are never talked about. That chapter in their lives locked away.

The author has captured elements of the history of the partisans' efforts during the war, the brutality of both the Nazis and Russians, the failure of the Allies regarding Greece as well as shedding light on the POW camps and presents a beautiful story of love against all the odds.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baseado em factos verídicos este livro é uma perspectiva diferente da segunda guerra.
É a história de vida e de amor entre uma guerrilheira eslovena e um prisioneiro de guerra neozelandês e tudo vai começar pela entrega de um pedido de ajuda.
Bruce e Josefine lutam pela sobrevivência mas também pela sua felicidade.
Os capítulos sobre o Bruce são mais descritivos e nestes momentos o livro perde um pouco de ritmo, por isso é mais um 3,5

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A part fictionalised but overall true account of love flourishing between a Kiwi prisoner of war and a member of the resistance. Told by the lovers’ son-in-law, who has used a degree of artistic licence, this is a beautifully written story and paints a vivid picture in the readers mind from page one.

Although I generally stay away from true stories that include some fictionalised aspects, that didn’t bother me reading this because the author stayed very authentic to the facts. This would make an excellent movie, and hopefully it’s only a matter of time.

This book took me a while longer than most to read, simply because the subject matter was so challenging - risking their lives to pass secret documents hidden among a basket of eggs is just one of the tales. I think in the overall narration of World War Two, the partisans and resistance movement are largely undervalued. This is a shining example of how important they were in the fight against the Nazi regime. An excellent read for fans of historical works.

[Peter Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that once you start to read you cannot put down - a very mesmerising book.

Through the period of 1939-1945 it was an horrendous time in the world and in particular Europe with brutality and death. These two young people meet in the most extraordinary circumstances and survived. Their bravery and hardship is today very hard to comprehend, but it happened and their story of survival is captured with this book.

A great read and highly recommended.

[Renee Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the most interesting things you hear about the WWII generation is their propensity to fall in love at first sight, and that many of these relationships lasted a lifetime. That was the case for Bruce Murray, who fell for resistance partisan Josefine Lobnik when she passed him a note through the fence at his POW camp. It took Josefine longer, but they did eventually overcome great odds and get to experience a lifetime of marriage and family together. This is a true story, and remarkable for all their resilience.

(As an aside, my own father was one of those guys, and decided to marry my mother the day he met her.)

So why only 2 stars? Predictability. Nazi cruelty and torture, close calls, tragic killings, feats of bravery, horrors of war, stolen romantic moments. I knew it was all coming, and there were no surprises. I actually enjoyed the author's note in the end more than the book. Nicely narrated.

[TK]

A lovely piece of nonfiction with some fictionalized bits for dramatic propulsion in the story. This is quote a remarkable story of two people's experiences in World War II - honestly, if you read enough of these tales you'd come away thinking everyone who lived or fought in Europe during that time was a hero of some sort - because even just scraping to survive required incredible bravery and resourcefulness. This book deals with little-known corners of the war - a New Zealand soldier and a member of the Slovenian resistance. A must-read for WWII aficionados.

[Vera_leest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi en indrukwekkend boek waarin je meer leert over het leven ten tijde van de oorlog en verloop van WO2 in Slovenië.

Het liefdesverhaal loopt van begin tot eind als rode draad door het boek, zonder té aanwezig te zijn. De auteur heeft uitstekende research gedaan waardoor je je echt waant in die tijd. Zeker interessant omdat er weinig verhalen zijn die zo laagdrempelig een goed beeld weergeven van Slovenië ten tijde van de oorlog.

Sommige stukken lazen wel erg traag. Met name in het begin zitten meerdere erg feitelijke vertellingen die meer als een geschiedenisboek aandeden dan een roman. Het boek heeft echter, met name op het einde, ook hele aangrijpende stukken waarbij ik echt even brok in mijn keel kreeg.

Overall zeker een aanrader!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well told story of a soldier from New Zealand who is captured during WWII and ends up in a POW camp in Slovenia. By chance e meets a partisan girl, and though it is a path that meanders greatly and is fraught with danger, they find each other many times, eventually falling in love. I'm not familiar either with the area of the camp, nor New Zealanders in the war, where they were fighting in Greece, also not a battleground I'm familiar with! I find it so strange the differences in the camps and soldiers throughout the world. Very interesting information, and a true love story

[Wayne Gillett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doug Gold’s exceptional research and commitment have produced a stunning read that I couldn’t put down. The storyline of Josefine and Bruce, whose lives come together in a chance encounter, mostly alternates between the perspectives of the two. There are endless moments of suspense, many of these cleverly introduced at the end of a chapter and directing the reader to move quickly to the next. The author does not hold back in a gripping story of two people very close to him, revealing the atrocities and horrors of war.

[Babete · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Continente 40% )

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great - once I started I could not put it down. As I read the book it opened my eyes to the real extent of the hardships and brutality men, women and children endured during the war and how through all of the carnage love conquered all. This book is not only a true love story for the ages but also an historical account of the brutality of war and the heroics of individuals who have often been forgotten about, not spoken about or lost as the memory is not preserved. I look forward to seeing this come to life as a movie in years to come.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moving account of two little known heroes of WWII. It's a biography but written more in a storytelling manner that provides a fast paced read.

Note: There is a heavy use of language so I would not recommend to younger readers who have interest in this time period.

[Carol Irvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

True story of Bruce Murray and Josefine during WWII. Thoroughly enjoyed!

[Mirela]

Premessa: ho 'letto' l audiolibro. Anche se la narratrice era brava, ho fatto fatica a rimanere concentrata durante questo romanzo storico ispirato ad una storia vera. Siccome nn mi piace il livello di deconcentrazione che c'è stato, facendomi prolungare la 'lettura' x mesi e mesi, dovrò riprenderlo successivamente. Il libro è valido, xò probabilmente nn era per me in questo momento.
Vedo di prendere il cartaceo dalla biblio x provare a rimediare al risultato che mi lasciò l'esperienza dell' audiolibro.
Può darsi xchè sono allergica al pensiero della guerra in sé.
Un titolo che devo leggere alla vecchia maniera.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not look at the amount of time it took me to read this book as any indication of its quality. This book was just a lot to take in. I’ve read a lot of books (fiction and nonfiction) about WWII, but the nonfiction ones always take a bit longer because it’s just so much to process. “A Note Through the Wire” reads almost like a novel, and I had to remind myself multiple times that this actually happened to real people. Incredibly moving story, highly recommend.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and knowing this was a true story made me want to read it even more!
It starts off slow, building character development and some breif history behind the era but quickly picks up.
This story is absolutely incredible, so much strength and resilience in such terrible times, and two people who absolutely adore each other.
I cannot imagine what people went through in these times, even as much as I read about it, I will never be able to fathom it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Monique Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving. Exceptional read

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit confusing in the beginning. I listened to it, so it could have been the accent that made it hard to follow. I read a lot of holocaust survivor stories. This one is unique to me. He is from New Zealand. Becomes a prisoner of war. It’s a true love story also. I wish it had leaned more non fiction in the story lines. Bruce and his love are so brave. She was a heir partisan fight against the swabi.

[Joan Waite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on a true story occurring during WWII. POW Bruce and partisan heroine Josefine first encounter each other when she is searching for her missing brother at the POW camp where Bruce is being held. The first half of the book went very slowly for me with learning all the characters, the confusing town names (some of which I couldn't find on the provided maps,) the alternating time lines, and the battle scenes. The second half after Bruce and Josefine meet again was better.
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway and would recommend it to historical fiction fans.

[Carol Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story based on real people, but only average writing

[Antony Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Note Through the Wire at it's heart is a story about a romantic encounter between an incredible brave, young and beautiful woman operating in the Slovenian Nazi resistance and a humble Kiwi solider caught up in the ravages of WWII.

What makes this story extraordinary is that it is true. The author is magically able to transpose the reader to their world and that part of history. It makes you appreciate how war makes even the most likely events unlikely. If you're like me, you'll find yourself racing through this book to see how it might end, but you'll also want to savour every interlude it takes you through.

I'm certainly no WWII buff, but the book did give a stark reminder and very human picture of life as a ANZAC in some of their bloodiest campaigns.

[Arna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting and informatative true story. I found it difficult to read because of the profuse swearing, use of the"F" word, drinking and debauchery, and treatment of women by Germans, and after the war, by the Russians. I skimmed over many of these scenes. Many scenes involved brutality. The love story interwoven of a resistance fighter and a prisoner of war holds the book together.
I only gave this book 3 stars because of the language but I realise that this was unfortunately real life. It really deserves 4.

[Anna Perillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

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