The Forgotten

by Mary Chamberlain

How do you rebuild a life from the ashes of despair?

London 1958. Twenty-six-year-old Betty Fisher is one of the first to join the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and attend its inaugural meeting, where she meets John Harris. Posted to Berlin towards the end of the war, John has been left traumatised by his experiences in Germany. And, as his initial admiration for Betty shifts into an overwhelming need to protect her, he is plagued by flashbacks and fantasies. John's increasing fragility brings to the surface Betty's own memories. And soon her past, too, begins to unravel…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

Hardcover

First published September 2, 2021

About the author

Mary Chamberlain is a novelist and historian. Her book Fenwomen: a portrait of women in an English village was the first book to be published by Virago Press in 1975. Since then, she has published six other works of history, and edited a further five. Her first novel, The Mighty Jester was published by Dr. Cicero Books in the US. Her British debut novel, The Dressmaker of Dachau was published by HarperCollins in the UK and, under the title The Dressmaker's War, by Random House in the USA. In all, it sold to 19 countries and was an international best-seller. Her novel, The Hidden, was published by Oneworld Publications in February 2019. The Sunday Times listed it as their MUST READ choice of the best recent books in February 2019. This was followed by, The Forgotten, 2021 and The Lie, 2023 both published by Oneworld. A special 50th anniversary edition of Fenowmen will be published by Virago in September 2025 as part of their Virago Modern Classics, with a new introduction by Alexandra Harris and a cover design by Eleanor Rose.

Reviews

[Donna McEachran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Historical fiction set in Berlin and post war England. Difficult to follow in parts; it was unclear if events were actually happening or delusions.

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgotten is possibly the best historical fiction I have read this year. Set in both Berlin at the end of WW2 and London in 1958 we learn of the trauma experienced by Betty, a German schoolgirl, and John, a young British man who works as a translator in the army.

Essentially this is part spy, part love story, with gripping descriptions of the life experienced by Berliners who lived in the east sector and are subject to roaming Russian soldiers known as 'Ivans'; and also the grim life in post-war London where Betty and John meet at meetings of CND.

It is a slow burner but by halfway through the narrative is gripping and the ending excellent. Who can Betty trust as she tries to make a new life for herself in Britain? Highly recommended for anyone who likes stories about the impact of WW2 on everyday people. This one is different and well worth the read.

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fine novel opened my eyes to the horrors that befell the people on the Channel Islands during WW2
I actually watched a documentary about the Nazi invasion of these places after I finished the novel. Wonderful characters & their individual stories were well written & skilfully combined. My favourite was Dora who suffered so much & kept all her agonies hidden until a surprise visitor brought the truth into the light. Loved Joe, the young Irish priest too.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forgotten by Mary Chamberlain is a fascinating, unique, and addictive historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Chamberlain and I have to say I am now a fan. This book is so complex and beautifully written. It interweaves between the years of WWII and post-war to unravel a story and reveal mysteries, secrets, and the true nature of the characters involved.

This book shows, amongst many things, what extraordinary, and sometimes mundane, things and situations people had to do and were placed in during wartime. The espionage, the lies, the secrets, the sacrifices, the emotional and physical trauma…they were all experienced by what had been “ordinary” citizens before the war.

That is all well and good, but what happens to these individuals afterwards, the citizens that are still alive? What happens to fractured families? The survivors of tragedies, losses, and injuries? How do they pick up the pieces and try to find a life afterwards? A life that cannot go back to how it was before knowing what they know now? How can they, should they, move on?

That is what I feel this book covers with the narrative of these main characters. Nothing is what it seemed. This is a darker, more introspective look at the years after the war and happened at least to this particular character cast with these challenges.

I really enjoyed it.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and OneWorld Publications for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 6/23/21 no BB listing has been created ) and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly loved the premise of this book. With so many World War Two novels focusing on the conflict itself, it was refreshing to see a book looking at the aftermath of the War. This book was excellent at doing so. Britain and Germany in the aftermath of World War Two were handled brilliantly by the author.

The author never shied away from what happened to German women and the Cold War conflict which seemed to start up almost immediately after the war. The inclusion of the Soviets is something that I haven’t seen done as well as it was here. However, the Soviets are put in an extremely bad light. While yes, there was things the Soviets did which were not right, there were some good Soviet people as well. Yet this is never mentioned. But I do applaud the author for dealing with these difficult topics with such integrity.

Another issue I had with this book was that I didn’t feel emotionally attached to any of the characters. There seemed to be a disconnect between the reader and the characters. However, I would highly recommend this book, especially to gain an insight into the life of those who survived one of the worst conflicts humanity has ever seen.

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an incredibly interesting premise with an equally as exciting plot. I enjoyed jumping back and forth between the war and the post-war, slowly learning more about our main characters and how their lives intertwined. I thought it was very well written and well paced. The only thing I struggled with was the characters themselves, while they were interesting, I felt no emotional connection to them. I wanted to feel something for them, but I finished the novel feeling almost underwhelmed in terms of my emotions for them. However, it was still a solid historical fiction that had me interested throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheForgotten#NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Norma Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping story, harrowing at times but beautifully told. It moves between Berlin and London in the last months and then the aftermath of the Second World War, bringing together an unusual set of characters to tell a 'forgotten' story. It's impeccably researched, as anyone who knows Mary Chamberlain's novels will expect. I found it deeply believable, very moving, shocking, compelling. On a lighter note, I enjoyed the evocation of the 1950s Partisan Coffee House in London and the early meetings of CND. Highly recommended.

[Steph Cowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - An enjoyable historical fiction focusing on Berlin at the end of WWII which is something I have not considered much before. As well as the establishment of nuclear arms post war.

I found John as a character frustrating and was not always sympathetic towards him. A gripping story which intrigued me.

[Elisabeth Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The varied historical settings of 1945 Berlin and 1958 London inform the domestic politics of 'The Unforgotten' to create a real page-turner. A rare combination of the storyteller's art and the historian's fidelity to carefully-observed material detail.

[Lucy Bland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific book: beautifully written and unputdownable. It is gripping from start to finish with many twists and turns. A brilliant portrayal of the 2 periods and places covered: 1945 Berlin and 1958 London.

[Richard Fursland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third superb novel by Ms Chamberlain. Rich in historical
Insights, atmosphere and chacterization; and both an engaging, addictive read and an illumination of the situations of people displaced (in different ways) by war. I look forward to her next with keen anticipation.

[Judy Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gripping story, told well, with dramatic twists deftly handled, and the atmosphere of 1945 Berlin, and of postwar London in 1958, created through vivid detail.
Judy

[Rosie Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing storyline but I struggled to follow the thread midway through.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed The Forgotten. Historical fiction is my favourite genre and I couldn’t put it down. Although I was ever so slightly disappointed that the romance aspect was short lived.

[Rhiannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Struggled to enjoy the audio book.. slow

[Susan Farr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mmmm. Amazing coincidence that he met both sisters in different decades in different circumstances and fell in love with both. Mmmm. And pretty flimsy reason for blackmail. So unbelievable.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous - read in a day and everything else stopped!

[Merryll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable but I enjoyed it before going to sleep. Sometimes it put me to sleep….

[SmarkDent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Chamberlain and although it looks like a book your gran would read it's harrowing stuff!

[Pip Snort · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a different view of war, another aspect of its ugly reality. I found it difficult to read, the characters were distant and inspired sympathy, but not warmth.

[Leonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual, well written, emotionally engaging.