The German Girl

by Lily Graham

‘Our parents were taken. And if we go home, the Nazis will take us too…’

Hamburg 1938. Fifteen-year-old Asta is hurrying home from school with her twin brother Jurgen. The mood in the city is tense – synagogues have been smashed with sledgehammers, and Asta is too frightened to laugh as she used to.

But when she and Jurgen are stopped in the street by a friend, her world implodes further. Her Jewish parents have been dragged into the streets by German soldiers and if she and Jurgen return to their house, they will be taken too.

Heartbroken at the loss of her parents, Asta knows they must flee. With her beloved brother, she must make the perilous journey across Germany and into Denmark to reach their only surviving relative, her aunt Trine, a woman they barely know.

Jammed into a truck with other refugees, Asta prays for a miracle to save herself and Jurgen. Crossing the border is a crime punishable by death, and what she and Jurgen must embark on a dangerous crossing on foot, through the snowy forest dividing Germany and Denmark. And when barking dogs and armed soldiers find Jurgen and Asta escapes, she must hold on to hope no matter what. One day she will find her twin, the other half of herself. Whatever the price she has to pay…

A gripping and poignant read that will break your heart and give you hope. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Catherine Hokin will be gripped by the story of a brave brother and sister seeking safety during one of the darkest times in our history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, War, Historical, Fiction, Denmark

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2021

About the author

Lily Graham grew up in South Africa and is a former journalist.

As a child she dreamt of being an author, and had half-finished manuscripts bulging out of her desk drawers, but it wasn't until she reached her thirties that she finally finished one of them. Her first books were written for children, but when her mother was diagnosed with cancer she wrote a story to deal with the fear and pain she was going through - this became her first women's fiction novel, which was published by Bookouture (Hachette) in 2016.

Since then she has written six novels, covering many topics, her first four novels were a blend of light hearted women's fiction and drama, but in recent years she has found her niche in historical fiction, after she wrote The Island Villa - a story about a secret community of Jews, who some believed were living on the island of Formentera during the Inquisition. It is a story about love, betrayal, and courage.

It took getting to her mid-thirties for her to realise that these were the types of stories she truly wanted to write. Since then she has written two other historical fiction novels, including The Paris Secret, a story about a woman, a bookshop and a secret that goes back to the occupation, and most recently, her most daunting book to date - The Child of Auschwitz, which was a story she never meant to write, but found herself compelled to after reading a story about a woman who gave birth to a child after surviving a concentration camp.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The German Girl is a heartbreaking story of teenager twins that will do anything for each other. Trine hardly knows her niece and nephew. When her niece shows up unexpectedly at her house, she will do anything for her. She is worried about her niece and trying to help her through her grief. Asta is struggling and needs to be convinced she wants to survive. Asta slowly develops a friendship with Oliver. Asta was a scared teenager that wouldn’t let anything stop her. I really enjoyed this story. There were unexpected twists in the story that kept me invested. The German Girl is very emotional and includes unique struggles.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for The German Girl.

Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

Marta was Ingrid’s cousin. She was also the old man’s last helper. It was fair to say that it hadn’t gone well. It had ended with Marta refusing to ever darken Jürgen Anderson’s door, even if he died, and someone needed help moving his mouldering body …‘Even then – find somebody else,’

That was our surname – before I changed it after the war. It means swallow, like the bird…. My father used to say that the two of us were like our namesake – you know that swallows seldom rest, they spend most of their lives in flight? … Except of course we became birds without a nest to return to.

If I ever find out who your father is, you horrid brats, I’m going to send him my condolences!

There are people that should be sorry, but you’re not one of them.


My Review:

I must confess to being rather ignorant about the countries of Denmark and Sweden, other than a vague notion of where they rest on a map. Shortly after starting this missive I stopped reading and consulted my go-to all-knowing source, the font of all the important knowledge worth knowing, and my chief source of information – Mr. Google. Armed with a bit more reference and leaving many of my researched pages open, I returned to my rapt perusal of this poignantly written, heart-rending, and compelling tale.

Lily Graham’s moving and thoughtfully written account repeatedly bruised and squeezed my coronary muscle in a ruthless manner before breaking it completely and finally patching me up again. I am ruined! Her evocative yet tensely striking storylines were expertly crafted with well-chosen words, which delivered a resounding emotional impact and hit all the feels from the carefree childhood of clever prankster twins to their traumatic escapes and distressing and harrowing adventures once separated. I was quickly sucked into every new thread and felt familiar with each new locale with her vivid and haunting depictions. She has mad skills and an ardent new fangirl.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

The German Girl is a heartbreaking and captivating story of the fates of a Jewish family living in war-torn Hamburg, Germany. It is a story about family, belonging and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love. It's 1933 and the Jews living in the city are becoming more and more concerned about Hitler’s intentions in the wake of laws being passed to curtail their freedom. His National Socialist Party was increasing power by the day. Fast forward to 1938 and it's the end of another school day when Jürgen Schwalbe exits the boys’ grammar school as quickly as possible and walks the five minutes to meet up with twin sister, Asta, outside the girls’ grammar school to start the walk home together. But on their way back to the flat they share with their parents they are ambushed by a nurse known to their family who ushers them away. Heartbreakingly they are informed that their parents have both been taken by the Nazis to Dachau work/prison camp all because Mr Schwalbe had been brave enough to contest the situation when he was asked to produce documents to verify that he had made the changes that had been previously specified. All Jews must have a ’J’ stamped on their passports and men have been forcibly assigned the middle name Israel while the women must use Sara. Due to his resistance and non-compliance he and his wife are shipped off unable to even say goodbye to their loved ones who they will likely never see again.

Asta and Jürgen manage to escape to the safety of their Aunt Trine’s residence in Denmark where they try to come to terms with losing their parents in such a tragic manner. The second plotline is set in Northern Sweden in the 1990s and tells the tale of a granddaughter caring for her elderly grandfather who has decided to live in an isolated cabin in a tiny hamlet and this also showcases the beauty of family relationships. This is a compulsive and deeply moving World War II historical novel and it's even more gripping as it is seemingly based on a true story. The relationship between the twins was beautiful and made for wholesome reading. The German Girl highlights the unbreakable bond between brother and sister who have both been through the same horrific events together. At points, I was moved to tears by the powerful and richly-detailed narrative that has so much atmosphere and intensity. The dramatic escape from Germany had me on the edge of my seat and Graham ratcheted up the tension. You are desperately hoping the pair manage to escape Hitler’s clutches and my heart was literally pounding. Written superbly and in a way that sucks you in and has you invested in what is going to happen from the very beginning, I thought the dual narrative played out effortlessly and the changes between North Sweden in the 90s and Germany in the 30s were seamless. A touching, enthralling and scintillating historical thriller, this is a book I highly recommend.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamburg1938: fifteen year old Asta is hurrying home from school with her twin brother Jurgen. The mood in the city is tense, synagogues have been smashed with sledgehammers and Asta is frightened to laugh as she used too. But when she and Jurgen are stopped in the streetby a friend, their worl implodes further. Her Jewish parents have been dragged into the streets by the German soldiers and if she and Jurgen return to their home, they will be taken too. Asta and Jurgen must make the perilous journey across Germany and into Denmark to reach their only living relative. Will the twins make it there unscathed?

The atory is told in two timelines. 1990's Sweden and 1938 Germany. Asta and Jurgen's parents have been arrested and put in a consentration camp. Asta and Jurgen were very close and quite a lot of the story covers their journey to Denmark where the twins get seperated. Now, Jurgen is an elderly man with the onset of Alzheimers. He tells his granddaughter what had happened back then. This is a well written and researched book. The characters are realistic and believsble. What the Jewa had to endure doesn't bare thinking about. This story will mess with your emotions.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author # LilyGraham for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first point for this review has to be about the change of title for this novel. Originally entitled 'The Flight of Swallows', the title brought out a feeling of a very emotive read. This was then changed to 'The German Girl', and I cannot think of a more bland title, especially when dealing with traumas around World War Two. It just doesn't do it for me.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will definitely recommend it to others. It had great characters and a strong plot. The time lapse feature worked well, although I feel this could have been developed further rather than just at the beginning and end of the novel.
I am a twin too and this bond was warmly brought out by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Lily Graham's latest heartbreaking novel THE GERMAN GIRL (previously title "The Flight of Swallows").

Having thoroughly enjoyed Lily Graham's previous book "The Child of Auschwitz" I was both eager and excited to dive into this one. Graham has a an easy style to her writing that is both revealing and engaging yet without being bogged down in facts - though she does note certain historical events yet without leaving you drowning in them. I read for pleasure and escape, and if I'd wanted a text book I would read one. But Graham's novels are heartfelt, heartbreaking and heartwarming and THE GERMAN GIRL is no exception.

Northern Sweden 1995: In a cabin in the woods surrounded by snow, Jürgen is an eldrly man living alone. His cabin has no electricity or any of the mod cons to help make his life more comfortable. His only form of heating is the fireplace and yet it remains unlit as he silently struggles to collect the firewood from the shed...though he would be loathe to admit that to anyone should they dare to suggest it. He lives a hermit's existence with his only contact in the form of his grand-daughter Ingrid, who comes to check on him daily and give him assistance. A proud man, Jürgen refuses her help, citing there is nothing wrong with him and to leave him alone.

But Ingrid sees the changes in her Morfar (Swedish for grandfather, translated as "mother's father") and knows he needs help even if he refuses to admit it. His arthritis prevents him from collecting wood from the shed to keep a fire burning in his cabin and she has no idea when the last time he bathed was. But it's not just his body that is failing him...his memories are also beginning to fade. Jürgen has Alzheimer's and there are days he forgets to bathe, forgets to eat, forgets to take care of himself. Which is why Ingrid comes to check on him daily, reporting back to her mother her concerns. They both know how stubborn he is.

It is at one such time he is refusing Ingrid's help that he seamlessly slips from Swedish into German. At first Ingrid doesn't notice, as German was second nature to her having lived with her German boyfriend for ten years, but it's not second nature to her Morfar...or is it? Ingrid recalls a time when she was a child when she had a new friend who didn't speak Swedish and so she made every effort to learn German and when her Morfar heard her reciting words in German he flew into a rage that frightened her. Normally so close she had never seen him like that before...but she never spoke German around him again. And then when tidying her Morfar's cabin one day, she comes across what appears to be a sketchbook with the initials J.S. inscribed into the leather. She knew her Morfar loved to sketch and paint, but she had not seen this before. When he discovered her looking through the sketchbook he became angry. Morfar never spoke about his childhood, her mother's mother or anything about his life before. But in those moments when he spoke German, Jürgen was almost childlike in his speech as he giggled and called her Asta. Ingrid knows there is more to the story and after some prompting and a few tears, he relents and tells her of his life before the war, what happened during those times...and reveals a huge secret that he has kept from the family.

Hamburg 1933: It is the beginning of Hitler's rise to power with the National Socialist Party but no one could foresee just how bad things would become under his rule. As laws came into place regarding Jews and anyone deemed inferior to the greater Aryan race, 11 year old twins Jürgen and Asta were oblivious as they created their own havoc, namely with the local ferry boat on one of Hamburg's many canals. The twins lived in a flat in the city with their parents, their father a doctor and their mother a nurse, and were often in trouble for playing pranks amongst the locals.

But life was about to become more difficult in the coming years. With the news of these changes which stripped Jews of their rights, the twins' father urged their mother that they must move before it got worse. His sister Trine lived in Denmark, which was neutral, and had asked them to come and live with her on numerous occasions but their mother refused to leave. She had a job she loved and she didn't speak Danish. Not only that, they would be living in a barn. A barn! But she would come to regret her decision.

1938: One day as the threat of war loomed over Germany, the twins were returning from school when a nurse who worked with their mother rushed to greet them and urged them not to return home. Their father had caused such a fuss at the hospital when some SS officers asked for their papers and he refused so their parents were taken, most likely to one of the many concentration camps. She told them that the Nazis would be searching and staking out their flat, awaiting the twins return so it was no longer safe and they must escape before they are captured. With nowhere to go, Jürgen and Asta broke into the ferry boat they regularly pranked and hid there until the owner discovered them. Fearing he would give them up, Polgo (the ferry boat owner) instead arranged for them to be taken to the border and into Denmark.

This is where things began to go incredibly wrong.

The heartbreaking story told is one of courage, strength and love between the two twins. The lengths to which they went to escape the Nazi rule and into Denmark is tinged with hope as well as sadness. As Denmark was neutral and not under Nazi occupation, the twins knew they would be safe there. They just had to find their aunt despite not knowing her address. But when they are separated, Asta is forced to make the trip on her own.

I have read many books surrounding the Holocaust with many different stories, but THE GERMAN GIRL (as with "The Child of Auschwitz" ) is such a different tale one would expect to read. As I said earlier, Graham's books are true to life without being bogged down by historical facts, making them easy to read. In her note at the end, Graham does explain that this book is based on a true story. With that being said, it certainly felt true to life without reading like a text book. Graham has the ability to bring fact into fiction and making it an easy and enjoyable read. Stories such as these, like Jürgen's and Asta's, are battles we may not have even known existed and by Graham's hand are made interesting to read.

Beginning in 1990 in Northern Sweden, the story of and elderly Jürgen now in his twilight years begins a little slow but gradually builds a picture of the man he became as a result of the horrors he lived through as a child. It is imperative to the story to come as we see his gradual decline into dementia as he begins to relive happier days in Hamburg with his twin, the other half of himself. There is a line of his that speaks volumes, revealing that Jürgen is aware of his condition and that one day his story...their story...will be gone. When he relents and decides to tell Ingrid his story but seeing how painful it is for him, Ingrid says that he doesn't have to do it. But Jürgen shakes his head and says...

"No, Inge - you're right. I must speak about it. I can't bear to - but I must, somehow. Because when I go - when my memories do - so will she...so will they."

When his memories go, so will Asta. So will his parents. So will his story. So Jürgen must share it so that they may live on. It is a heartbreaking line that shows an awareness that not everyone with dementia is willing to admit.

It is when Jürgen begins his story that we are then transported back to Hamburg before the war and then his story takes us through those early days of war when they were making their escape into Denmark. While it takes several chapters to build up to this point, as Graham lays the groundwork for Jürgen's story, it is so well written that the slow pace at the start simply fades into the rest of the story. Covering several years, THE GERMAN GIRL is an emotional tale that sweeps us back through the years of the Holocaust and is filled with bravery, perseverance and courage. It is powerful, gripping and completely compelling.

Heartbreaking and heartwarming, THE GERMAN GIRL was previously titled "The Flight of Swallows" and while it underwent a title change I actually feel it's original title is more fitting to the story...for a few reasons. Jürgen's surname, for one, translated into "swallow" and their father used to compare the twins to swallows in flight...never settling until they were home. You will see when you read it, I do believe the original title was better suited that the current one which I feel is somewhat vague.

There are some funny moments that will have you chuckling as you read the escapades of the young Jürgen and Asta in Germany. It makes you a little sad to think how that changed and Jürgen became a grumpy hermit in the woods of Northern Sweden, far removed from the cheeky and mischievous young lad that he was back in Germany...before life changed for him forever.

I cannot say enough about this book without giving too much away. I can only say go out, grab yourself a copy and read it. You will not be sorry. It is an emotional and riveting book that is completely unputdownable.

A definite 5 star read and recommended for fans of historical fiction with an interest in WW2 fiction surrounding the Holocaust and the plight of the Jews.

I would like to thank #LilyGraham, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGermanGirl aka #TheFlightOfSwallows in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

How would you feel if you were stopped on your way home from school and told never to return to your home because someone had taken your parents and were out, at that very moment, hunting you down? Lily Graham expertly explores this possibility in her five-star historical fiction novel, ‘The Flight of Swallows,’ to be published January 12, 2021.

Set in Hamburg in the eve of World War Two, this novel focuses on the power of family, the need for belonging and the lengths we will go for the ones we love. For a few years, the Jews in Hamburg have been nervously anticipating Hitler’s next move. As more laws are signed, more freedoms are lost for the Jewish people. For the Schwalbe family, the day in 1938 that changes their lives forever begins like any regular day for two working parents and their 16-year-old twins. While at work, Mr. Schwalbe is asked to produce his documents to verify that he’s made the necessary changes. In addition to having a ‘J’ stamped on their passports, Jews have been forced to add new middle names to their documents, Sara, for females and Israel, for males. When he resists handing over their passports to the authorities and producing his documents, both he and his wife are arrested and taken to Dachau work camp. They never get to say goodbye to their children. Owing their life to the canal boatman, Asta and Jurgen escape and head for their aunt’s home in northern Sweden. Your heart will be pounding and, with tears in your eyes, you’ll be frantically flipping pages in an effort to find out if the twins make it to safety.

The second timeline, set in Northern Sweden in the mid-1990s, is about a granddaughter who lovingly provides care for her cantankerous elderly grandfather who has isolated himself in a cabin in a remote hamlet. Graham’s writing evokes the gamut of emotions and you’ll be smiling at some of the one-liners Ingrid’s grandpa comes up with: “You don’t have to look after me – I have underpants older than you.” Told to leave countless times, she pushes through the protective wall he’s built to discover who he really is underneath his gruff exterior. Keep the tissues handy, you’ll need them by the end of chapter 3!

By far the absolute best book I’ve read this year! Lily Graham’s writing will entrance you from the first page and keep you absorbed in the twins’ plight until the very last page. I devoured it in one sitting. Not only has she done extensive research making this a historical fiction masterpiece, but she’s also managed to craft exceptional characters in a heart-pounding and suspenseful read. I love it when author’s titles make me pause. The Flight of Swallows; Is it about birds? Is it a surname? How does it relate to the plot? You’ll have to read this masterfully written account to find out. I love to learn as I read and, although I was familiar with the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht, I appreciated learning more about how they affected the Jews throughout Europe. I also learned about the Kindertransport and the Elsinore Sewing Club. This book will stay with me for a long time and I don't think I'll ever look at my toaster again without thinking about Esther!

Please keep writing, Lily Graham, the world needs more of your books!

A heartfelt thank you to Lily Graham, Bookouture and NetGalley for this amazing advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE GERMAN GIRL
BY LILY GRAHAM

A swallow will always find its way home if it can find its nest. This one is another favorite of 2020. It is about the Holocaust that begins in Hamburg, Germany and ends in Denmark. This one played out like a Shakespeare tragedy. At its heart it is about a brother and sister who grow up being really close and are forced to flee Germany and emigrate to their Aunt's in Denmark. The man that arranges for them to cross the border to flee Germany is swindled out of his money because the man driving them in a vehicle along with other refugees doesn't hold up his side of the bargain and he leaves them all at the beginning of a forest to cross in the middle of freezing cold Winter.

This ragtag group of the brother and sister who are the youngest of only sixteen year's old get into a skirmish with a couple of older people in the group. The Nazi's capture some of them in the forest and Asta the youngest and the sister gets separated from her beloved brother. This is really their story. The thing that I loved most about this novel is that it takes place in Denmark which is quite a different and unique setting for a Holocaust story. Another thing that makes this a favorite of 2020 is the belief of Asta and her brother whom both wrongly believe each other are dead and their journeys finding their ways back to one another.

This was a fascinating story that held my attention throughout the entire story from beginning until the end. There was never a point while reading this that I grew bored ever. I highly recommend this story of World War II that makes the bond of the brother and sister Asta's closeness so real and an unbreakable bond. This allows them to reconnect with each other with the help of one great man that transcends two different Countries--Germany and Denmark.

Holocaust stories are often hard to read because of the cruelties of the SS Officer's following Hitler's propaganda about making Germany the greatest country and world power. We don't often read these for enjoyment because of the cruelties endured by people who were hunted as in the case of this story. This one was much more enjoyable to read and the arc of this story about this one family is absolutely heartbreaking. If you only read one World War II story a year about the Holocaust, please make it this one. It is that excellent!

Publication Date: January 12, 2021

Thank you to Net Galley, Lily Graham and Bookouture for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinion's are my own.

#TheGermanGirl #LilyGraham #Bookouture #NetGalley

[Sydney Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lily Graham for access to this chilling, heartbreaking WWII story. Please be sure to read the authors notes before you close the book and learn about the inspiration for this story.

Before the Germans invaded, Juergen and Asta were typical kids...twins... in Hamburg. They were pranksters for sure but had bit ambitions. They were the children of a surgeon and nurse so life was good. Then, hitler rose to power and slowly their lives began to change. They had a place to escape to but their parents kept putting it off in the hopes that things would get better. Then the unthinkable happened, their parents are arrested and the SS are after the twins as well. So they run. Their best bet is to find a way to cross the border into Denmark where their aunt lives. A run in with a German officer leaves one of the twins on deaths door and the on the run to save her life. This story explores the bond between twins and the kindness of those who realize just how evil the Germans are. It also explores a bit of PTSD which at that time didn’t have a name but was very much a real thing and not something to be ignored.

I should explain the 4 star rating. The story itself is every bit of a 5 star story. I loved it. I gave it a 4 star because of the title. This book was originally titled, The Flight of Swallows but has since changed to The German Girl which I do not think is very fitting, in fact i find it to be very generic and bland and probably something I would skip over because it is so common. The Flight of Swallows is not only fitting for the story itself but it is what caught my attention in the first place. It correlates with the theme of the story and it broke my heart a little when I got the notification of its change.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We first meet Asta and Jurgen just as the war is about to have an impact on their lives. They are twins and extremely close. I loved the bond between this brother and sister and how carefree they are to start with, often getting into mischief. Sadly all that is about to change.

A lot of the story follows the twins and their journey to get to Denmark to stay with a relative. My heart was in my mouth as their journey is dangerous with the German soldiers horrific behaviour towards Jewish people. There are many heart warming moments throughout though and whilst a work of fiction, what isn't is the bravery of people that tried to help which really stands out.

The German Girl was a story of so many things. It offers hope in such a dark time. The friendships and different relationships between the characters made for some heart string tugging reading. The ending was particularly emotional and made an impact on me. History is something that we need to learn from and even in a book of fiction, you still get the reality of the horrors that went on during the war. This was so wonderfully written and Asta and Jurgen will stay with me for a long time to come.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was simply amazing. It started out with Ingrid, a young woman, caring for her elderly grandfather, Jurgen–who also suffers from dementia. He’s rude, and difficult to care for–as he lost his last caretaker, Marta, due to his verbal abuse.

In the beginning I felt so bad for Ingrid–this grandfather that she was caring for, who was just awful to her. And then we go back in time to Jurgen’s story…

What follows is such a tremendously sad tale of twins Jurgen and Asta and how they were impacted by the Germans and the holocaust, while living in Hamburg, Germany.

Reading this story made me incredibly uncomfortable because the thought of what real-life victims put through similar situations, was heartbreaking. I am so fortunate to have read this wonderfully-written story that evoked so much emotion and left me with quite the book hangover.

Uncomfortable or not, I am so glad I read this. I’m so glad to have been able to immerse myself in the lives of these characters and to see what hardships certain groups of people had to go through due to Hitler’s Nazi regime.

If anything, this has made me more hungry to learn more history, as well.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escape from Germany

In Sweden, Jurgen is an elderly man living alone . His granddaughter is helping him out. He is suffering from the early effects of Alzheimer's and dementia. He does not want help. He never talks about the war years, but he sometimes lapses into speaking German instead of Swedish. His granddaughter knows there is a story and after much prompting he finally tells her the story of what happened during those times and a huge secret he has kept from the family.

Hamburg, Germany; at the beginning of Hitler's rise in power , no one realized how bad it would become under his rule. Many Jewish waited too late to leave Germany. When the twins, Asta and Jurgen's parents were taken, a nurse warned them not to return home.

They broke into the ferry boat and stayed there until the owner found them. He arranged fit them to be taken to the Border into Denmark.

This is when things went very wrong. The heartbreaking story told of these times is a story of courage and love between two twins.

This book was very good. It inspired me with not only the fortitude of the Jewish twins, but of the help they received from the Danish who did not agree with Hitler and helped a large number of the Jewish in Denmark escape to Sweden.
It also impressed on me the need to listen to the elderly and to hear their stories. To treat them with kindness as we do not know what they have lived.

The book was very well written and the characters were perfect. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Lily Graham, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Διαβάστε το review στο site μας:
https://www.culture21century.gr/2022/...

Η Lily Graham είναι μια συγγραφέας που μοιάζει να έχει κάποιου είδους εμμονή με τα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα, ειδικά με εκείνα που οι ιστορίες τους διαδραματίζονται κατά την περίοδο του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου. Πολλές φορές έχει αποτελέσει το χρονικό πλαίσιο των δικών της αφηγήσεων, αν και κάθε μία απ' αυτές προσπαθεί να το κάνει με διαφορετικό τρόπο, εστιάζοντας σε μια άλλη πραγματικότητα, μέσα από τα μάτια ηρώων που θ' αποδώσουν ένα διαφορετικό νόημα στη λέξη "αλήθεια". Κι αυτό κάνει και αυτή τη φορά, αφηγούμενη την ιστορία της δεκαπεντάχρονης Άστα, η ζωή της οποίας άλλαξε μια μέρα, μέσα από τη μια στιγμή στην άλλη, με την ίδια να χάνει τους γονείς της, αλλά και να χωρίζεται βίαια από τον δίδυμο αδερφό της, σε μια εποχή όπου το να καταφέρεις να επιβιώσεις ήταν θαύμα, πόσο μάλλον το να καταφέρεις να σμίξεις ξανά με τους αγαπημένους σου, χωρίς να χάσεις την ελπίδα και την πίστη σου στην πορεία σου μέχρι την επίτευξη -ή μη- του στόχου σου.

Αν αναλογιστούμε το περιεχόμενο προηγούμενων βιβλίων της συγγραφέως και τον τρόπο με τον οποίο έχει χειριστεί τα ιστορικά γεγονότα και τις περιόδους που πραγματεύεται κάθε φορά, νομίζω πως είναι κάτι παραπάνω από προφανές το ότι διαθέτει ευρεία γνώση των γεγονότων που αφορούν τον Β' Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο και πως έχει προβεί σε σχολαστική έρευνα όσον αφορά τις λεπτομέρειες αυτού, έτσι ώστε κάθε φορά να μας προσφέρει το κάτι παραπάνω. Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο επιλέγει να εστιάσει στη σύγκρουση ανάμεσα στη Γερμανία και στη Σκανδιναβία, για την οποία οφείλω να ομολογήσω πως δεν γνώριζα πολλά πράγματα, μόνο αόριστες πληροφορίες, και την οποία "γνώρισα" μέσα από την περιπέτεια της Άστα, η οποία διακρίνεται για την ιστορική της αυθεντικότητα, τον ωμό πολλές φορές ρεαλισμό της και τις αλήθειες της, γεγονός που μας επιτρέπει όχι μόνο να την παρακολουθήσουμε με μεγαλύτερο ενδιαφέρον, αλλά και με βαθύτερο συναίσθημα.

Η ιστορία αναφέρεται σε αληθινά γεγονότα, η δράση της τοποθετείται σε τρεις διαφορετικές χώρες κι εξελίσσεται σε δύο διαφορετικά χρονοδιαγράμματα, στοιχεία που κορυφώνουν την δραματουργία και την τραγικότητα που εμπεριέχεται στη συγκεκριμένη αφήγηση, εστιάζοντας στον ρεαλισμό και στην αποτύπωση μιας πραγματικότητας που δεν είναι εύκολη, αλλά και που οφείλουμε να μην ξεχνάμε πως υπήρξε. Μέσα από την ιστορία της Άστα ξετυλίγεται το ιστορικό, κοινωνικό, πολιτικό κουβάρι μιας ολόκληρης εποχής, που έγραψε τις δικές του σελίδες στα βιβλία της σύγχρονης Ιστορίας με αίμα και δάκρυα. Η Graham καταφέρνει ν' αποτυπώσει όλη τη βαναυσότητα που εμπεριέχεται σε αυτές τις σελίδες, σε εκείνες της δικιάς της αφήγησης, αφήνοντας την εξιστόρηση σε παιδιά, κάτι που εντείνει την αγριότητα της πραγματικότητας και που κάνει το στομάχι μας να σφίγγεται πολλές φορές, αλλά που τελικά πετυχαίνει στον στόχο της, που δεν είναι άλλος απ' το να μας κάνει ν' ανοίξουμε τα μάτια μας.

Σε ό,τι αφορά το κομμάτι της αφήγησης που γίνεται από τον βασανισμένο ηλικιωμένο, που για δεκαετίες κατάφερε να κρατήσει κρυμμένες τις πιο βαθιές του αλήθειες από ολόκληρη την οικογένειά του, επωμιζόμενος το βάρος της ευθύνης και της ενοχής και βιώνοντας απέραντη θλίψη και μοναξιά, τώρα, στη δύση της ζωής του, με το μυαλό του να θολώνει, να ξεχνάει, να χάνεται στις σκιές, είναι τόσο βαθιά ανθρώπινο και δραματικό, που είναι αδύνατον να μην αγγίξει την ψυχή κάθε αναγνώστη και να μην τον συγκινήσει. Θα ήθελα να πω πολλά περισσότερα σχετικά με αυτό, αλλά ειλικρινά, δεν μπορώ να το κάνω, γιατί το "ταξίδι" αυτό πίσω στον χρόνο, που διαρκεί για έξι ολόκληρες δεκαετίες, είναι κάτι που πρέπει να κάνετε εσείς μαζί του, γιατί μόνο έτσι θα μπορέσετε να κατανοήσετε το βάρος των ενοχών αυτού του άντρα, την προσωπική του αλήθεια, το τι σημαίνει οικογένεια και τι είσαι ικανός να κάνεις για να την προστατέψεις, με όποιον τρόπο θαρρείς εσύ πως θα είναι καλύτερα.

Μια ιστορία όπως αυτή είναι δεδομένο πως δεν μπορεί να τελειώσει οδηγώντας όλους της τους ήρωες στην απόλυτη ευτυχία. Ίσως γιατί αυτή δεν υπάρχει και η ζωή επιλέγει κάποιες φορές να μας το θυμίσει δείχνοντάς μας το πιο σκληρό της πρόσωπο, όχι για να μας τιμωρήσει, αλλά για να μας αποδείξει πως μπορούμε να βγούμε ζωντανοί μέσα κι απ' τις πιο επίπονες καταστάσεις, να βρούμε κάτι για το οποίο αξίζει να παλέψουμε, να συνεχίσουμε να ζούμε, μα πάνω απ' όλα, να συνεχίσουμε να ελπίζουμε και να πιστεύουμε. Γιατί η ζωή μας μόνο τότε σταματά, όταν χάνουμε την ελπίδα μας, την πίστη μας. Κι αν στην πορεία αυτή νιώσουμε ότι χάνουμε τις μνήμες μας, δεν έχουμε παρά να τις μοιραστούμε, ακόμα κι αν μας πληγώνουν, γιατί τότε μόνο μοιραζόμαστε πραγματικά το βάρος που φέρουν αυτές, αλλά πάνω απ' όλα γιατί δεν τις αφήνουμε να σβήσουν. Σπαραχτικό, δυνατό, σκληρό, παραστατικό και περιγραφικό, γεμάτο εικόνες και συναισθήματα, το "Η Γερμανίδα" είναι ένα βιβλίο που θα σας "ταξιδέψει" και αν μη τι άλλο θα "μιλήσει" στην καρδιά σας.

[Helena Rodrigues (Aromas de Cor ~ Livrólicos de Cá e de Lá) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uma comovente história que tem como cenário o desenrolar dos acontecimentos que levaram à morte de milhões de pessoas, que por terem esperança de um futuro melhor não fugiram da Alemanha nazi e de todas as atrocidades que mais tarde iriam sofrer.

Esta história é a narrativa de dois irmãos gémeos desde a sua infância até à idade adulta, da sua fase inocente até ao momento em que vivem situações aterradoras, como a perda dos seus pais, a fuga do seu país sem nada, o medo e o terror vividos às mãos dos soldados alemães até à fuga para um país até então neutro, a Dinamarca, mas mais tarde invadido pela Alemanha, obrigando a uma nova fuga e uma uma série de eventos que mudariam a vida das personagens para sempre. A história dos gémeos Asta e Jürgen, cedo corajoso Kalle que salva os irmãos, do horrendo soldado Schmidt que obcecado os persegue e acaba por alterar o curso da fuga dos irmãos para a Suécia.

O livro aborda, ainda que de forma breve, as “ações extraordinárias do Clube de Costura de Elsinore, o nome de código de um grupo de pessoas que salvaram a vida de 700 a 1400 (os relatos variam) judeus dinamarqueses, ajudando-os a fugir da Dinamarca ocupada e da morte certa ou do envio para os campos de concentração nazis, criando uma rede que os transportava em segurança através do estreito do Øresund para a Suécia.” Ainda assim sob ameaça, a resistência conseguiu ajudar milhares de pessoas a fugirem para a Suécia.

Um relato emocionante contado alternadamente entre o passado dos gémeos e o presente de um velho e cansado Jürgen que sente que chegou a hora de revelar todos os seus segredos.


Excerto de
A Fuga da Rapariga Alemã
Lily Graham
É possível que este material esteja protegido por copyright.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good WWII story involving teenage twins fleeing Nazi Germany. Their escapes veer off separately but they both eventually end up in Denmark. (This fits with our watching two Danish television series, Borgen and Rita, so that was a good coincidence.) Of course there are elements of tragedy, secrets, and wartime privations.

[Debbie Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beaitiful story

Could not put this one down, it is a suberb story, that alot of research has gone into. Wish they all could have lived.

[Nicole Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter gave me this book for Christmas & I finally got to read it! It was sooo good!!! I literally cried at the end. I will admit there were some spelling errors & maybe the editing wasn’t great but the heart of the story was phenomenal. So heartbreaking but the reality of the times. I love the relationship portrayed of the granddaughter and grandpa. This is a book I will treasure & definitely recommend.

[Karen P · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Célia Gil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opinião no meu blogue: https://wwwescrevinhados-cantarinha.b...

[Adelaide Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história ficcional com uma visão diferente sobre a II Guerra

[Margarida · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5*

[Molly Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Jacinta - so sad but couldn’t put it down🥺

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book; it was beautifully written being heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal parts. Told from two time perspectives, we start the story in 1995 in Northern Sweden. Jurgen is an old man suffering from worsening dementia, and his granddaughter Ingrid visits him daily. When one day he calls her Asta, Ingrid realises that there are things about her grandfather’s past that he’s never spoken about. The story then moves on to Hamburg, Germany in 1933 where we meet Jurgen as a young boy, and his twin sister, Asta. The author then takes us on a heart-breaking and frightening story of what it was like to be a Jew living in Germany under Hitler’s power.

Whilst it seems strange to say I loved this book, it’s the only thing I can say! I didn’t love what happened, how people were treated or the sadness that came from the pages. However, I did love how beautifully the story was told, the sense of loyalty and love between many of the characters and how it keeps in our memory something which should never be allowed to happen again. We all know the history of the Holocaust, but the author has done an astounding job in researching what it was like to be a German Jew at this time. I’ve read many fiction books on this subject, but this book has definitely taught me many things as the story has moved on.

Old man Jurgen has obviously kept his past hidden from his family. We don’t get to find out what happens to him until the story moves back to his childhood, and we only return to the later years when his story has been told. I loved his character, both old and young. As a young boy and then man, the love for his twin sister, Asta was obvious and so understanding. It was really interesting to see how, for the majority, Jurgen had to be the ‘grown up’ of the two twins, with Asta behaving more like the child she really was. The stories of Jewish people being referred to as inferior, not allowed to hold positions of power and being taken away to camps is nothing new, but I had no idea all this started to happen before the War began. The book was so realistically written, that at times I wondered whether I was actually reading a true story.

I did initially wonder where the storyline was heading, with the start of the book beginning in Sweden. The pace of these first few chapters was slower, building up the mystery as to what Jurgen’s story was. By the time the storyline had moved back to pre-war Germany, I was completely hooked. The author has done a fabulous job in capturing what it must have been like at the time, and as I read, I could feel the tension and how frightening it must have been. The suspense which filled the pages kept me on the edge of my seat and had my heart beating so fast with the anticipation of it all. The chapter endings were written perfectly with so many cliff-hangers that it was impossible to put down!!

It was an absolutely amazing book, one which I was completely captivated by. Full of emotions and sadness, but also with lots of love, family and friendships. This book will stay with you for such a long time after you’ve finished reading it. For people of the Jewish community who paid such a big price, this book is a fitting tribute to them. Would highly recommend!!

[Melanie McGrade Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely captivated by The German Girl and lost so much sleep because I couldn’t stop reading at night! This historical fiction novel was told in such a unique way and I especially loved reading from the children’s point of view. I tend to find some novels in this genre to be a tad bit dry or cumbersome at times, but not this one! It was informative, but told in an easy yet intriguing way. The author’s note at the end of the novel really struck an emotional chord with me and made me love the book even more. The author’s knowledge, research, and talent all combined together create a heart-wrenching yet powerful novel on WWII and the Holocaust. I feel like this review doesn’t express my emotion or reaction accurately enough, but know that this novel is HIGHLY recommended with five solid stars.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The German Girl by Lily Graham is a dual timeline story that is heartbreaking and emotional. This was a different look at that horrendous period in time, 1938 to 1945. It begins in Hamburg in 1938 when fifteen year old twins, Asta and Jurgen find out that their parents have been taken to Dachau for refusing to change their paperwork to identify themselves as Jewish. They can't go home or to anyone they know, so with the help of a friend they head to Denmark to their Aunt Trine. It is not an easy trip and it ends with Asta making it to their aunt, and Jurgen left on the ground in a forest shot twice. The second timeline is 1990s with Jurgen and elderly man with Alzheimer's. His granddaughter is finally able to get him to talk about his life before he comes to live with his aunt. A past that no one, not even his own daughter, knows about. This is where we learn the story of what Asta and Jurgen endured.

This is a well written and researched book. I did not know how the war effected Denmark and the Danish people. This story once again highlighted the plight of the Jewish people and how even their requests to leave the country were blocked and denied. It showed that there were good people willing to help, but there were also those who only wanted to help if it lined their pockets. This is an emotional story, especially as the characters are realistic and relatable. A well-written story that I recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction, WWII stories and dual timelines. I was gifted with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

There has been a bit of a wait between Lily Graham’s last book The Child of Auschwitz published in 2019 and this new book The German Girl but the wait was worth it. I have to say I much prefer the author’s books in the historical fiction genre compared to her earlier vastly different books. I feel she has really found her niche and it comes across in the writing, plot and character development. The German Girl is a dual timeline book. The story set between Sweden in 1995 and Germany and beyond in the war years. Both aspects of the story are very well told and held my attention throughout as we follow the story and repercussions of Germany coming under the control of a madman who decided Jews are not worthy of attention. They do not have any definition or place in German society. What follows is a tale of heartbreak, loss, separation and grief and it is one that will have you engrossed from the beginning to the end.

On a daily basis Ingrid navigates the cold, barren and frozen landscape of Northern Sweden to reach her grandfather Jurgen’s cabin. If she did not visit to care for him she can’t not bare thinking about what would happen to him. For many years he has lived alone surrounded by the wilderness and for that time he was very capable but now he is suffering from dementia. He often forgets the basics of life which he needs to do every day in order to survive. His personality can rapidly change from one where he is happy enough and open to one where he reverts back to the past and he can be argumentative, confrontational and refuse all help. But Ingrid persists, she needs to do this for herself. She has returned from the city of Malmo as there is nothing there for her and she views this task of carrying for Jurgen as something to keep her going. But she struggles as each day she does not know what frame or state of mind she will find him in.

When he unexpectedly starts speaking in German one day Ingrid is surprised. When she was younger and started to learn German in order to help a friend Jurgen went mad and denied her the opportunity to learn it but she forged ahead. Why now has he suddenly started speaking German? Did something specific happen to him during the war to make him react so violently when German is spoken? So sets in motion a story of revelation, separation, loss and guilt. Ingrid could never imagine the story that Jurgen will tell but it’s an important one which tells so much about their family history that was kept hidden and now is the time for it to come out into the open after so many years buried under a mountain of emotions.

I loved the initial chapters set in Sweden describing the set up as to where Jurgen lived and what his relationship with Ingrid was like. I got the sense that at times she felt useless that she couldn’t help enough or reach out to him to get past the aggressive front he often put up. The discovery of a drawing by Ingrid forces Jurgen to open up and we are taken back to his past. A slip of the tongue when he calls Ingrid by the name of Asta reveals he had a twin sister whom the family never knew about. Jurgen takes Ingrid on a journey back to the past and a remarkable and heart-breaking story is revealed. I did want a little bit more from the present day in Sweden but I understand the more the book moved on the focus had to be on Jurgen and Asta’s past but things did tie together nicely in the present day towards the end. Jurgen is releasing the burdens which he has held so tight for so many years and by doing this he may allow others and Ingrid to care for and help him in the present day.

Sweden was neutral during World War Two whilst the world went made with starvation, mass persecutions and concentration camps where unspeakable things happened. Jurgen lived in Hamburg with Asta and his family and he confesses to Ingrid that they were Jews. The Nazi’s took away their citizenship like they did to so many other people be they gay, disabled , gypsies or simply for holding the wrong political beliefs. Asta and Jurgen go from an innocent childhood where they played tricks on the operator of a local water taxi to having their family torn apart as their parents are taken from their home and transported to a camp for refusing to change their documentation. Fortunately enough the twins were away from the house when the raid occurred and now they are left alone, homeless, frightened and scared and unsure of their next move. One can’t imagine having your world turned upside down in the blink of an eye to go from security, love and comfort to a life on the run. They are aware of an aunt in Denmark, Trine, but as to how they will get there they cannot comprehend. Through kindness and good luck they escape Hamburg and embark on a journey that will change their lives even further than they have already experienced.

Lily Graham details what happened to Jews and how their lives were changed with the introduction of the Nuremburg Laws. It’s clear she undertook extensive research to convey just what people experienced and suffered through at the time. At no point did this story read like a history book instead historical fact was blended with fiction to perfection throughout. The journey the twins undertake and the people they subsequently meet was riveting and packed full of unease and tension. They do their best to reach the Danish boarder. Their own goal was to get to Aunt Trine where safety awaits even if Trine did not know what had happened to the family. It really was edge of your seat stuff as you did not know with each turn of the page would bring. Horror and bloodshed or a successful escape to a safehold?

The scenes set deep in the forest were tense and anxiety inducing, and it was almost as if the climax of the novel was reached halfway through with the worst occurring and separation ensuing. But still Lily Graham had a lot more up her sleeve and for a good section of the latter half of the book we follow Asta as she navigates trying to find her twin. To say anymore would give away far too much but suffice to say there were lots of twists and turns and we get to see a whole new side to Asta as she has to grow up fast. The story could have easily gone one way but I loved how the author really developed Asta as a character and showed how she was forced to change and then how she subsequently dealt with the changes that were thrown in her direction. You definitely want a positive outcome but as a reader viewing the overall picture you really aren’t sure if that is at all possible. The bravery, strength, courage, grit and determination of the characters are all so well highlighted. Your heart breaks for what happens to them because of the actions of one insane man but the story that is told here gives you hope and a belief that good things too can happen. Yes, The German Girl is a heart-breaking story and too often that word is used on the front cover of historical fiction and it doesn’t ring true but here it does as Lily Graham packs this story full of interlinking events and secrets alongside agony, anguish and distress. It’s a great read and a good addition to the genre.

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.dominicamat.gr/2022/06/bl...

https://vivliovamon.blogspot.com/2022...

΄Ενα απ΄τα πιο αγαπημένα μου βιβλία,που έχει αφήσει ανεξίτηλο το σημάδι του πάνω μου,είναι το ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα της συγγραφέως Λίλι Γκράχαμ,με τίτλο ''Το παιδί του Άουσβιτς''. Ένα βιβλίο ύμνος στην ανθρώπινη θέληση για επιβίωση καί εναντίωση σε κάθε μορφή παράλογης βίας καί ρατσισμού. Ένα βιβλίο βαθειά αντιπολεμικό που έριξε φως σε μία πολύ σκοτεινή περ��οδο της νεότερης ιστορίας της ανθρωπότητας. Με δεδομένο το τι αντίκτυπο είχε πάνω μου η επαφή μου με την γραφή της συγγραφέως,μπορείτε να αντιληφθείτε την χαρά που ένιωσα μαθαίνοντας τα νέα της κυκλοφορίας καί του νέου της βιβλίου,με τίτλο ''Η Γερμανίδα" καί στην χώρα μας από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας. Άραγε,τί νέο θα μας πρόσφερε;

Ξεκινώντας,λοιπόν,την ανάγνωση του βιβλίου,-έχοντας πάντα κατά νου πως πρόκειται για ένα νέο κι ανεξάρτητο έργο από το προηγούμενο της συγγραφέως-,δεν άφησα να με επηρεάσει η προγενέστερη πολύ καλή μου εμπειρία,ούτε να μπω σε μία άτυπη σύγκριση των δύο,καθώς το θεωρώ άδικο προς αυτά. Κι αυτό σας προτρέπω να κάνετε κι εσείς. Να αντιμετωπίζετε τα έργα των αγαπημένων σας συγγραφέων σαν να είναι η πρώτη ''συνάντηση'' με την πένα τους. Πιστέψτε με! Η ευφορία της απόλαυσης,με αυτόν τον τρόπο,πολλαπλασιάζεται,ενώ ταυτόχρονα ανανεώνεται καί το ενδιαφέρον μας. Με αυτήν την σκέψη βυθίστηκα στις σελίδες του βιβλίου καί παράλληλα,πολλά ερωτήματα ήρθαν να με συντροφεύσουν,ζητώντας διακαώς απαντήσεις...

Ποια ήταν αυτή η γερμανίδα που έγινε η έμπνευση για τον τίτλο του βιβλίου;

Είναι η βασική πρωταγωνίστρια του βιβλίου,ή,στο πρόσωπό της θα μπορούσαν να απεικονίζονται οι μορφές χιλιάδων γερμανίδων γυναικών,καθώς καί οι προσωπικές τους ιστορίες;

Άραγε,τί είναι αυτό που καθιστά την ιστορία της τόσο ξεχωριστή,ώστε να πρέπει να ειπωθεί;

"Αμβούργο 1938. Η δεκαπεντάχρονη Άστα επιστρέφει σπίτι από το σχολείο μαζί με τον δίδυμο αδελφό της Γιούργκεν. Μια συνάδελφος από την κλινική όπου εργάζεται η μητέρα τους τους προειδοποιεί ότι οι Γερμανοί στρατιώτες πήραν με τη βία τους γονείς τους και τους συμβουλεύει να κρυφτούν. Καταρρακωμένη από την απώλεια των γονιών της, η Άστα ξέρει ότι πρέπει να δραπετεύσουν. Τα δύο αδέλφια αναγκάζονται να κάνουν το επικίνδυνο ταξίδι από τη Γερμανία στη Δανία, για να φτάσουν στον μοναδικό εν ζωή συγγενή τους, τη θεία Τρίνε, μια γυναίκα που γνωρίζουν ελάχιστα. Στριμωγμένη μέσα σε ένα φορτηγό με άλλους πρόσφυγες, η Άστα προσεύχεται για ένα θαύμα. Η διέλευση των συνόρων είναι ένα έγκλημα που τιμωρείται με θάνατο. Όταν οπλισμένοι φρουροί με άγρια σκυλιά πιάνουν τον Γιούργκεν και η Άστα ξεφεύγει, το μόνο που της μένει είναι να γαντζωθεί από την ελπίδα. Κάποτε θα ξαναβρεί τον δίδυμο αδερφό της, το άλλο της μισό. Όποιο κι αν είναι το τίμημα που πρέπει να πληρώσει…" (Περίληψη οπισθοφύλλου)

Άν καί το χρονολογικό πλαίσιο,καθώς καί η πολιτική-κοινωνική κατάσταση που επικρατούσε στην Γερμανία,μα καί σε πολλές χώρες της Ευρώπης,καί στα δύο βιβλία είναι κοινά,η συγγραφέας με έναν ευφυή τρόπο καταφέρνει καί μας δίνει μία αλλιώτικη,μα εξίσου συναρπαστική καί καθηλωτική ιστορία σε σχέση με τα όσα αναγκάστηκαν να βιώσουν οι Εβραίοι εξαιτίας του παραλογισμού καί της απύθμενης τρέλας καί μισαλλοδοξίας κάποιας μερίδας ανθρώπων που δυστυχώς τους δόθηκε βήμα καί η εξουσία στα χέρια τους. Προσέξτε! Στο παρόν βιβλίο,-αν καί θα έχουμε κατά νου το γενικότερο πλαίσιο-,θα δούμε να ξεδιπλώνεται μπροστά στα μάτια μας μια άλλη ιστορία ζωής,από αυτές που απευχόμαστε να ζήσουμε,μα είναι ικανές να μας γεμίσουν με πληθώρα εικόνων καί συναισθημάτων που μοιάζουν τόσο αληθινά,που μας κάνουν να χαιρόμαστε,ή,να πονάμε εκείνη την στιγμή.

Η συγγραφέας αποφεύγει εντέχνως τις επαναλήψεις. Εμπνευσμένη,λοιπόν,από την αληθινή ιστορία όλων αυτών των εθελοντών κατοίκων της Δανίας με σκοπό την προφύλαξη καί παροχή βοήθειας προς τους Εβραίους συνανθρώπους μας καί εντέλει την σωτηρία τους από την μανία των διωκτών τους,θα μας παρουσίασει την ιστορία ζωής δύο έφηβων αδελφών καί όλα τα απάνθρωπα που βίωσαν. Ένα βιβλίο με μία ιστορία που βρίθει νοημάτων καί μηνυμάτων προς πολλούς αποδέκτες. Όπως είναι η ανιδιοτελής προσφορά στον συνάνθρωπο,η παντελής έλλειψη ρατσισμού,η φιλία,η δύναμη του έρωτα,η κακία των ανθρώπων που δεν πρέπει ποτέ να βρίσκει πρόσφορο έδαφος για να ανθίσει,μα πάνω απ'όλα η ανεκτίμητη αξία της αδελφικής αγάπης καί αυτοθυσίας.

Άτιμο πράγμα η μνήμη. Δεν μπορείτε να πείτε. Παίζει μαζί μας σαν την γάτα με το ποντίκι. Καί για να είμαι απόλυτα ειλικρινής,δεν ξέρω αν η μνήμη καί η λήθη είναι οι δύο όψεις του ίδιου νομίσματος. Εάν,δηλαδή,ο ανθρώπινος νους έχει αυτές τις δύο ιδιότητες για να κρατά ζωντανό ό,τι μας γεμίζει με όμορφες σκέψεις,εικόνες καί συναισθήματα καί από την άλλη να σβήνει καί να αποκρύπτει ό,τι μας προκαλεί πόνο. Σαν ένας άλλος μηχανισμός άμυνας. Όμως,πάντα έρχεται το πλήρωμα του χρόνου κι αρκεί μία σπίθα για να έρθουν όλα στην επιφάνεια. Ποιος/α ξέρει; Ίσως με αυτόν τον τρόπο να μειώνεται ο πόνος καί να πολλαπλασιάζεται η χαρά,όταν αυτά μοιράζονται. Μην σας πω πως είναι ένα καλό μάθημα για τις επόμενες γενιές καί την πρόληψη κι αποφυγή ίδιων,ή,παρόμοιων φρικιαστικών λαθών...

Εν ολίγοις,μιλάμε για ένα σπαρακτικό οδοιπορικό μνήμης. Ένα καλογραμμένο καί άκρως συγκινητικό βιβλίο που δεν σου επιτρέπει να το αφήσεις από τα χέρια σου. Ένα βιβλίο που μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ καί είμαι βέβαιη πως θα το διαβάσω πάλι στο μέλλον. Αναζητήστε το!
Καλή ανάγνωση!

[Kathy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asta

Sometimes when we think about the Germans and WW2 we have a tendency of classing all Germans in the same category as 'Hitler and his Nazi's. " Such a sad mistake!! German Jews were treated just as bad as all other Jews!

The German Girl tells a heartbreaking story of two teenagers, who happened to be twins when their "safe, happy" life turned upside down into a "hell they could never have imagined".

Asta and Jurgen were only 15 when Hitler started his campaign against Jews. One day at school, Asta's teacher called her to The front of the room and measured her head and told the class that her head was small because, she is a Jew. "AND Jews brains are small because they are inferior to US.".. When her mother heard about it she and Asta did not go to school the next day! Instead they went to the hospital where her mother had been the head nurse over the whole hospital until she had to quit her job because she was a Jew. Her mother got permission to measure all the girls heads in the ward to prove to Asta that all people have different size heads. Her mother then registered the twins in the Jewish school. Then one day on their way home from school, one.of their mother's friends caught them and told them they could not go home because their parents had been arrested and sent to a concentration camp and that the Nazis were looking for them. The kids have no money, no clothes, except their school uniform. What will they do? How will they eat? How will they get out of Hamburg? How will they get to their aunt in Denmark?

This book has two different time lines: Hamburg 1936 and .Sweden 1990's. When Ingrid and her long time boyfriend break-up , she decided to move back home and take up the job of tending to her grandfather, Jurgen Anderson. Her grandfather is in the beginning.stages of dementia and gets quite confused at times. Ingrid.and her mother, Jonna have always wanted to know something about their father's life but he will not tell them anything. One day when Ingrid goes to check on him, he is talking German (a language he can't stay d to hear anyone speak) and very good German at that. He also is talking about someone named Asta! When Ingrid asks about it he gets angry and tells her to leave. She does. When she goes back she finds her grandfather in his bedroom crying. He finally tells her about his life aesthetics of his twin.

This book is well written and facts well researched . I think anyone who is a history buff and doesn't mind shedding some tears will enjoy The German Girl.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The German Girl is by Lily Graham. The story takes place in North Sweden in 1995 and in Hamburg, Germany in 1930 and Denmark in 1939. The story concerns the twins, Asta and Jurgen who are seventeen and are on the run as Jews. Their parents were taken for not having their records changed and had been taken to Dachau. The twins were on their way to Denmark to their Aunt Trine.
After trying to escape on their own from Hamburg, the twins finally sought help from the ferryman who they used to tease. He got them out of Hamburg and on their way to Denmark. They were in a truck with three older couples, all Jewish. When it became obvious the Nazis were getting suspicious, the trucker took them near a forest and let them out. Goran, one of the men, had worked n the forest and knew some survival things. He had made arrangements for Henry to let them out here if he needed to. It was close to the border. It was obvious the women would not be able to walk fast in the snow. They did make some concessions to their dress to make them look less Jewish. However, they were caught and began running in different directions. Finally, Asta and Jurgen were caught. Jurgen was shot in the altercation but managed to hit Schmidt over the head and knock him out. The man with Schmidt was the park ranger Kalle Blomkvorst. He took Asta over the border and his Father arranged transportation for her to reach her Aunt. However, she spoke no Danish so wasn’t able to communicate with the taxi driver. She thought he was turning her in so ran. She finally made it to her Aunt’s house and surprised her. Asta was very sick and very depressed as her twin was dead. It took her two years to get better.
The Jews in Denmark were watching the Nazis closely and were not surprised when they overran Denmark. The Resistance began to form a plan to save all the Danes by taking them across the sound to safety. Just as the Nazis took over Denmark, Kalle made it to Aunt Trine’s house to give Asta an update on her brother. He had been shot; but not killed like they thought. Kalle had to risk his life to get Jurgen out of the hands of Schmidt. Could they stay out of his reach?