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The German Wife
“Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London
The New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.
Berlin, 1930 —When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.
Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.
“ An unforgettable novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today.” — Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance
Don’t miss Kelly Rimmer’s next historical suspense, The Paris Agent, coming July 2023!
For more by Kelly Rimmer, look
The New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.
Berlin, 1930 —When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.
Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.
“ An unforgettable novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today.” — Christine Wells, author of Sisters of the Resistance
Don’t miss Kelly Rimmer’s next historical suspense, The Paris Agent, coming July 2023!
For more by Kelly Rimmer, look
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
3003 people are currently reading
64653 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Rimmer
24 books8,309 followersKelly Rimmer is the author of historical and contemporary fiction, including The Warsaw Orphan, The Things We Cannot Say and The Secret Daughter, with 3 million books sold. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
Since 2022, Kelly has owned and operated Collins Booksellers Orange, the last remaining bookstore in the small regional city she calls home. Her next novel, The Midnight Estate, will be released in Australia, New Zealand and the UK in July 2025.
Since 2022, Kelly has owned and operated Collins Booksellers Orange, the last remaining bookstore in the small regional city she calls home. Her next novel, The Midnight Estate, will be released in Australia, New Zealand and the UK in July 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,146 reviews
June 28, 2022
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The German Wife is an odd name for a novel that is equally about a German wife and an American wife. Kelly Rimmer’s novel follows the two very different lives of Sofie, who is married to a German rocket scientist during World War II, and Lizzie, who lived in the Texas panhandle during the dust bowl of the 1930s and eventually marries an American rocket scientist. The two women unpleasantly collide in Huntsville, Alabama in the 1950s when their husbands work together for NASA.
Sofie’s story centers on how her genius husband, Jurgen, is physically and financially forced to work for the Nazi party and eventually join the SS. As much as they despise the Nazis, they know they must toe the line to protect their children and save their own lives. This is especially painful since Sofie’s best friend, Mayim, is Jewish. After the war, Jurgen is kidnapped by the United States under Operation Paperclip. He is initially held prisoner at Fort Bliss, then allowed his freedom and the right to bring his family to America.
Lizzie’s story focuses on her love for her brother, Henry, who suffers from depression and eventually PTSD after serving in Germany during the War. Lizzie and Henry hate that the German scientists who were members of the Nazi party are allowed to work freely in the United States. While Sofie is trying to rebuild a life in America, Lizzie is determined to make it difficult for her. Lizzie’s mentally unstable brother adds even more tension to the situation since he believes Jurgen is out to get him.
The constant back and forth of timelines seemed disjointed at times. I didn’t like Lizzie’s character, especially her relationship with her husband. Sofie was a much more interesting and thought-provoking character. Both women are survivors who will do whatever is necessary to protect the ones they love, including turning a blind eye.
3-5 stars, rounded down. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be published on June 28, 2022.
The German Wife is an odd name for a novel that is equally about a German wife and an American wife. Kelly Rimmer’s novel follows the two very different lives of Sofie, who is married to a German rocket scientist during World War II, and Lizzie, who lived in the Texas panhandle during the dust bowl of the 1930s and eventually marries an American rocket scientist. The two women unpleasantly collide in Huntsville, Alabama in the 1950s when their husbands work together for NASA.
Sofie’s story centers on how her genius husband, Jurgen, is physically and financially forced to work for the Nazi party and eventually join the SS. As much as they despise the Nazis, they know they must toe the line to protect their children and save their own lives. This is especially painful since Sofie’s best friend, Mayim, is Jewish. After the war, Jurgen is kidnapped by the United States under Operation Paperclip. He is initially held prisoner at Fort Bliss, then allowed his freedom and the right to bring his family to America.
Lizzie’s story focuses on her love for her brother, Henry, who suffers from depression and eventually PTSD after serving in Germany during the War. Lizzie and Henry hate that the German scientists who were members of the Nazi party are allowed to work freely in the United States. While Sofie is trying to rebuild a life in America, Lizzie is determined to make it difficult for her. Lizzie’s mentally unstable brother adds even more tension to the situation since he believes Jurgen is out to get him.
The constant back and forth of timelines seemed disjointed at times. I didn’t like Lizzie’s character, especially her relationship with her husband. Sofie was a much more interesting and thought-provoking character. Both women are survivors who will do whatever is necessary to protect the ones they love, including turning a blind eye.
3-5 stars, rounded down. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be published on June 28, 2022.
April 19, 2022
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer was heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time. It was one of the best historical fiction novels I have read so far this year. The characters were vividly portrayed and so real that they found a way to creep into my heart and under my skin. Kelly Rimmer’s research on this book was extensive and thorough. It was so well written that the plot drew me in right from the beginning and held my attention until the very satisfying and well done ending. There were three distinct settings…Nazi Germany in the 1930’s, a small farm in Oakden, Oklahoma during The Great Depression and the devastating dust storms and in Huntsville, Alabama in the 1950’s. The story was told through alternating points of view from the two women protagonists and switched between the latter time periods and the present one in 1950. I have read several of Kelly Rimmer’s books and after reading each one I wonder how she will write one that is better the the last. Somehow she always manages to do it.
In 1930, in Berlin, Germany, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes and her husband Jurgen are happily married and very much in love but hardly making ends meet. Jurgen always had a passion for building rockets and envisioned that he would help land one on the moon someday. When the Nazi party came into power in Germany, Jurgen’s superior knowledge and talent in building rockets and understanding their unique mechanisms came to the Nazis’ attention. Jurgen was offered a high-level position in the rocket program. Although, Jurgen and Sofie vehemently opposed everything that the Nazis stood for, Jurgen was forced to accept the position. If he turned it down he and his family would surely experience dire and unimaginable consequences.
During The Great Depression, in a little town called Oakden, Lizzie and her parents and her older brother Henry lived on a farm. The farm was loosing money but the family was desperately trying to keep it in their possession. Then great dust storms appeared and seeped into every nook and cranny it could find. The streams and ponds dried up. One particularly bad dust storm caused tragedy to find its way onto Lizzie’s family farm. Lizzie and Henry were forced to leave the farm and reinvent themselves in El Paso, Texas.
In 1950, in Huntsville, Alabama, Jurgen was one of several German scientists that were pardoned for their involvement in the war and with the Nazis and was offered a high level positions in the American space program stationed right in Huntsville. Jurgen was brought over by the United States government after the war. His record was wiped clean by the government. He arrived in Huntsville a few years before Sofie could join him. When Sofie finally arrived with two of their four children, Jurgen was exuberant. He was finally a happy man being reunited with his family. The house Jurgen had purchased was on a street with other German families. Not everyone in Huntsville welcomed the German families. There were still lingering bad feelings that surrounded the horrific acts of Hitler and the Nazis. Then rumors started spreading about the Rhodes family’s involvement in the Nazi party during the war. Even their German neighbors turned their backs on Sofie and Jurgen. The American wives were just as vicious if not more so with their remarks and they wanted nothing to do with the newly arrived German wives but Sofie even more so. Sofie was outraged and disappointed to noice all the whites only signs on restaurants and other buildings in the town when she first arrived. She had left the anti-Semitic sentiment back in Germany. Now she was faced with prejudice all over again. The worst was yet to come. Someone threatened the Rhodes family with an act of violence. Could Sofie and Jurgen and their children find the safe and happy life they so desired in America?
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer was poignant, gripping, emotional and riveting. I must admit that cried openly at parts and smiled at other parts. It was the kind of story that made me want to keep reading. The German Wife was about love, family, choosing, recognizing good and evil, right and wrong and having faith in others. It was an unforgettable historical fiction novel that explored prejudice and relevant questions that pertained to choices people chose to make and follow. The German Wife took a close look at what it was like for the women and their husbands living under the tyranny of the Nazis. I really enjoyed The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer and recommend it very highly.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for allowing me to read this digital version of the advanced reader’s copy of The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Publication is set for June 28, 2022.
In 1930, in Berlin, Germany, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes and her husband Jurgen are happily married and very much in love but hardly making ends meet. Jurgen always had a passion for building rockets and envisioned that he would help land one on the moon someday. When the Nazi party came into power in Germany, Jurgen’s superior knowledge and talent in building rockets and understanding their unique mechanisms came to the Nazis’ attention. Jurgen was offered a high-level position in the rocket program. Although, Jurgen and Sofie vehemently opposed everything that the Nazis stood for, Jurgen was forced to accept the position. If he turned it down he and his family would surely experience dire and unimaginable consequences.
During The Great Depression, in a little town called Oakden, Lizzie and her parents and her older brother Henry lived on a farm. The farm was loosing money but the family was desperately trying to keep it in their possession. Then great dust storms appeared and seeped into every nook and cranny it could find. The streams and ponds dried up. One particularly bad dust storm caused tragedy to find its way onto Lizzie’s family farm. Lizzie and Henry were forced to leave the farm and reinvent themselves in El Paso, Texas.
In 1950, in Huntsville, Alabama, Jurgen was one of several German scientists that were pardoned for their involvement in the war and with the Nazis and was offered a high level positions in the American space program stationed right in Huntsville. Jurgen was brought over by the United States government after the war. His record was wiped clean by the government. He arrived in Huntsville a few years before Sofie could join him. When Sofie finally arrived with two of their four children, Jurgen was exuberant. He was finally a happy man being reunited with his family. The house Jurgen had purchased was on a street with other German families. Not everyone in Huntsville welcomed the German families. There were still lingering bad feelings that surrounded the horrific acts of Hitler and the Nazis. Then rumors started spreading about the Rhodes family’s involvement in the Nazi party during the war. Even their German neighbors turned their backs on Sofie and Jurgen. The American wives were just as vicious if not more so with their remarks and they wanted nothing to do with the newly arrived German wives but Sofie even more so. Sofie was outraged and disappointed to noice all the whites only signs on restaurants and other buildings in the town when she first arrived. She had left the anti-Semitic sentiment back in Germany. Now she was faced with prejudice all over again. The worst was yet to come. Someone threatened the Rhodes family with an act of violence. Could Sofie and Jurgen and their children find the safe and happy life they so desired in America?
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer was poignant, gripping, emotional and riveting. I must admit that cried openly at parts and smiled at other parts. It was the kind of story that made me want to keep reading. The German Wife was about love, family, choosing, recognizing good and evil, right and wrong and having faith in others. It was an unforgettable historical fiction novel that explored prejudice and relevant questions that pertained to choices people chose to make and follow. The German Wife took a close look at what it was like for the women and their husbands living under the tyranny of the Nazis. I really enjoyed The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer and recommend it very highly.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for allowing me to read this digital version of the advanced reader’s copy of The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Publication is set for June 28, 2022.
August 12, 2022
Inviting German scientist over to the United States sounded incredibly dangerous.
It ‘was’ risky!!
Yet …. we learned from them. Thanks
“Operation Paperclip” was a secret United States intelligent program in which more than 1,600 Nazi German scientists, engineers, and technicians were taken —from former Nazi Germany to the United States for government employment after the end of World War Two in Europe between 1945 and 1959. Many of these members were leaders of the Nazi Party.
The German Wife - in its duo time line was a well explore historical fiction novel.
Some of the ‘fiction’ parts -with the various drama — was a little overripe… emotional’ storytelling exaggeration —- but mostly the ‘sensationalized’ crafting reaches into our tender hearts. It’s what many of us readers are suckers for! Lol
Overall — it was the history’ that was fascinating to me —
‘The paperclip operation’ created moral quandaries.
We learned from them…. to find ways and preserve German biological and chemical agents.
Although another war appeared to be inevitable, the build up of nuclear weapons both in the United States and Soviet Union helped to keep the Cold War from turning hot…the knowledge that each superpower held stockpile of nuclear weapons created a military doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD)
sooo ‘both’ parties — American and Russian officials began scheming—and the German scientists were put to work by our government…
the whole thing was scary — controversial…
but in the end … we benefited
and the German scientists who came were not found guilty of any crimes …
Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s problems. Over the years the Nazis targeted the Jews with increasingly evil treatments …..
Many in the German society managed to be oblivious to the atrocities.
First the concentration camps
contained people who did not conform — then they became forced labor camps— until eventually the death camps were built: the gas chambers.
We know this history…
But as we journey along with new perspectives from Kelly Rimmer …
we understand the fears —
a wife whose husbands worked for our government…who felt on the opposite divide of him — devastating personal fears — devastating history…
Anti-Semitism, racial issues,
poverty, family struggles, friendships, loss of friendships … worries, separations, mental sickness, grief, love, hope.
We engage ourselves with personal intimacies of great struggles…with the heartfelt cast Kelly Rimmer brought to life —
The social and political sacrifices…told through her cast …allowed for important compelling questions to be examined.
A happy-bow-tie ending is questionable in itself….
Many readers will love the emotional storytelling…
I question parts of it — yet am glad I explored the controversies.
It ‘was’ risky!!
Yet …. we learned from them. Thanks
“Operation Paperclip” was a secret United States intelligent program in which more than 1,600 Nazi German scientists, engineers, and technicians were taken —from former Nazi Germany to the United States for government employment after the end of World War Two in Europe between 1945 and 1959. Many of these members were leaders of the Nazi Party.
The German Wife - in its duo time line was a well explore historical fiction novel.
Some of the ‘fiction’ parts -with the various drama — was a little overripe… emotional’ storytelling exaggeration —- but mostly the ‘sensationalized’ crafting reaches into our tender hearts. It’s what many of us readers are suckers for! Lol
Overall — it was the history’ that was fascinating to me —
‘The paperclip operation’ created moral quandaries.
We learned from them…. to find ways and preserve German biological and chemical agents.
Although another war appeared to be inevitable, the build up of nuclear weapons both in the United States and Soviet Union helped to keep the Cold War from turning hot…the knowledge that each superpower held stockpile of nuclear weapons created a military doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD)
sooo ‘both’ parties — American and Russian officials began scheming—and the German scientists were put to work by our government…
the whole thing was scary — controversial…
but in the end … we benefited
and the German scientists who came were not found guilty of any crimes …
Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany’s problems. Over the years the Nazis targeted the Jews with increasingly evil treatments …..
Many in the German society managed to be oblivious to the atrocities.
First the concentration camps
contained people who did not conform — then they became forced labor camps— until eventually the death camps were built: the gas chambers.
We know this history…
But as we journey along with new perspectives from Kelly Rimmer …
we understand the fears —
a wife whose husbands worked for our government…who felt on the opposite divide of him — devastating personal fears — devastating history…
Anti-Semitism, racial issues,
poverty, family struggles, friendships, loss of friendships … worries, separations, mental sickness, grief, love, hope.
We engage ourselves with personal intimacies of great struggles…with the heartfelt cast Kelly Rimmer brought to life —
The social and political sacrifices…told through her cast …allowed for important compelling questions to be examined.
A happy-bow-tie ending is questionable in itself….
Many readers will love the emotional storytelling…
I question parts of it — yet am glad I explored the controversies.
September 30, 2022
About the book: “The New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.”
Kelly Rimmer cemented herself as a favorite author of mine with her powerful and deeply emotional novel, Before I Let You Go, released in 2018. Since that time, I have eagerly anticipated each new book, and time and again, she delivers another deeply powerful emotional novel. The German Wife recently published this summer, and it is the story of Operation Paperclip, of which I was vaguely familiar.
After World War II, the United States brings over German scientists, pardoning them for their war crimes in exchange for their help with the space program. Their families eventually join them, as is the case for Jurgen and his wife Sofie and their children. The book also travels back to Germany during the war, and addresses Jurgen’s role, as well as Sofie’s many feelings, as she discovers what he is doing.
The story also involves Lizzie, an American, and her scientist husband. I especially enjoyed her parts of the story, and what I learned about the Dust Bowl. I also appreciated the complexities explored in the dynamics of the local community where both veterans of the war and these scientists were living side-by-side.
Kelly Rimmer has this way of immediately enveloping you in a story, making you feel like you are right in Huntsville living alongside Sofie. I thoroughly enjoy the intimacy and emotional intelligence of her stories, and I am already eager for what’s next. Highly recommended for all hist fic fans.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Kelly Rimmer cemented herself as a favorite author of mine with her powerful and deeply emotional novel, Before I Let You Go, released in 2018. Since that time, I have eagerly anticipated each new book, and time and again, she delivers another deeply powerful emotional novel. The German Wife recently published this summer, and it is the story of Operation Paperclip, of which I was vaguely familiar.
After World War II, the United States brings over German scientists, pardoning them for their war crimes in exchange for their help with the space program. Their families eventually join them, as is the case for Jurgen and his wife Sofie and their children. The book also travels back to Germany during the war, and addresses Jurgen’s role, as well as Sofie’s many feelings, as she discovers what he is doing.
The story also involves Lizzie, an American, and her scientist husband. I especially enjoyed her parts of the story, and what I learned about the Dust Bowl. I also appreciated the complexities explored in the dynamics of the local community where both veterans of the war and these scientists were living side-by-side.
Kelly Rimmer has this way of immediately enveloping you in a story, making you feel like you are right in Huntsville living alongside Sofie. I thoroughly enjoy the intimacy and emotional intelligence of her stories, and I am already eager for what’s next. Highly recommended for all hist fic fans.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
November 19, 2022
4.5 stars!
A wartime novel about family, love, loss and loyalty.
I knew from the first page I was going to love this book. Kelly Rimmer is a powerful writer - she has proven this to me time and time again with her highly impactful and thought-provoking novels. She creates such deep, relatable, vulnerable characters that have me rooting for them and contemplating their personal situations. Her books make me ‘think’ and ‘feel’ which is what I love most about them.
Historical fiction is my most favourite genre but I had taken a break from it over the last year as I found a lot was becoming repetitive and similar. This was the perfect historical fiction book to get me back into my groove. Although I’ve read plenty of WWII books, this provided multiple fresh perspectives and had me connected to each and every character.
This multi-layered story involves the 1930’s drought in Texas. That piece of the storyline reminded me of Kristin Hannah’s Four Winds which I loved. It was an intense, atmospheric and intimate look at that devastating time in our history.
This was a fantastic book in every way. My one tiny critique is that I felt the ending wrapped up a little too quick and neat, but nothing that took away from my immense enjoyment of the overall story. I highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for my physical review copy!
A wartime novel about family, love, loss and loyalty.
I knew from the first page I was going to love this book. Kelly Rimmer is a powerful writer - she has proven this to me time and time again with her highly impactful and thought-provoking novels. She creates such deep, relatable, vulnerable characters that have me rooting for them and contemplating their personal situations. Her books make me ‘think’ and ‘feel’ which is what I love most about them.
Historical fiction is my most favourite genre but I had taken a break from it over the last year as I found a lot was becoming repetitive and similar. This was the perfect historical fiction book to get me back into my groove. Although I’ve read plenty of WWII books, this provided multiple fresh perspectives and had me connected to each and every character.
This multi-layered story involves the 1930’s drought in Texas. That piece of the storyline reminded me of Kristin Hannah’s Four Winds which I loved. It was an intense, atmospheric and intimate look at that devastating time in our history.
This was a fantastic book in every way. My one tiny critique is that I felt the ending wrapped up a little too quick and neat, but nothing that took away from my immense enjoyment of the overall story. I highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for my physical review copy!
July 29, 2022
“When the story of the war is written, the pages will be full of men saying 'I was only following orders' and the world will know that is fiction. Every single time I opted not to take a stand, I was taking a stand—for the wrong side.”The German Wife has a fascinating and unique premise, but unfortunately it lacked focus and felt a bit muddled. There was a lot of unnecessary filter that could have easily been eliminated.
“Isn’t an adult just a child, shaped by experience? How does a person learn not to hate, when that hate has been imprinted upon them from such a young age?”The German Wife is essentially the story of two women: Sofie von Meyer Rhodes and Lizzie Miller. Sofie is the wife of a pardoned SS official who has moved to America after the war for a fresh start. Lizzie is one of Sofie's new neighbors; she is actively against any Germans moving into her neighborhood.
The story is told through four distinct time periods: past and present for both Sofie and Lizzie. It is interesting hearing about Sofie's time in Germany during World War Two; that was by far the most compelling timeframe presented. Unfortunately, Lizzie's chapters felt unnecessary. They didn't really add much to the story at all. The story could have been stronger and much less cluttered without her point of view.
The primary problem with the book is that there is no real plot. It is essentially just the life stories of two different women; there is no conflict, no action, no problem to be solved. While these two women led fascinating lives, and it was interesting to see how their pasts influenced them, it felt like there was no purpose or direction to the book.
Ultimately, this was rather underwhelming. The writing is beautiful, and it does make some great points about some important issues – guilt, prejudice, and discrimination in particular – but nothing much really happened.
“I am old enough to know that history is not an archive—it is a crystal ball. People don’t change, and political parties change even less than that.”
June 30, 2022
It was Berlin in 1934 and Sofie and her husband, Jurgen Rhodes, were shocked at the direction the war was going. Mayim, Sofie's best friend since school days, was living with them as her family's home was small, and Mayim living with Sofie and Jurgen helped. But with the Nazis' hatred of the Jews and what was happening to them, they knew Mayim's days were numbered. Jurgen's Aunt Adele lived in the same apartment complex and adored the children, doing all she could to help Mayim. But when Jurgen's work took him away from home for long stretches at a time, Sofie did her best to keep everyone's spirits up. She and Jurgen both knew they completely disagreed with what was happening but had no choice but to capitulate.
El Paso was where Lizzie and her brother Henry went when their parents died, and the farm was lost to drought. Lizzie worked herself to the bone to support them both, until Henry enlisted, leaving Lizzie with her new husband Calvin. Years later, in 1949, when they moved to Huntsville, Alabama, Henry was suffering terribly from the war. His emotions were all over the place and treatments didn't seem to help. When he was home, he lived with Lizzie and Calvin, but it was when scientists from Germany arrived in their town, to work with the CIA's new space program, that Henry changed again. Jurgen had arrived first, with Sofie and the children following, but they struck trouble almost immediately with the US citizens hatred of Nazis causing trouble.
As tempers boiled, and Lizzie's anger and frustration at the situation grew, Sofie was frightened and Jurgen infinitely cautious. But with anger and violence threatening, would the small town of Huntsville be torn apart and would families be shattered?
The German Wife is another exceptional read by Aussie author Kellie Rimmer which I thoroughly enjoyed. Heartbreaking with tensions high, the days of darkness were long and bitter. Rimmer's rendition of one German family and the years of torment they suffered is well done; her writing of an American family just the same. There is a lot in this book which a mere review can't give justice to - I admire this author more each time I read one of her books. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
El Paso was where Lizzie and her brother Henry went when their parents died, and the farm was lost to drought. Lizzie worked herself to the bone to support them both, until Henry enlisted, leaving Lizzie with her new husband Calvin. Years later, in 1949, when they moved to Huntsville, Alabama, Henry was suffering terribly from the war. His emotions were all over the place and treatments didn't seem to help. When he was home, he lived with Lizzie and Calvin, but it was when scientists from Germany arrived in their town, to work with the CIA's new space program, that Henry changed again. Jurgen had arrived first, with Sofie and the children following, but they struck trouble almost immediately with the US citizens hatred of Nazis causing trouble.
As tempers boiled, and Lizzie's anger and frustration at the situation grew, Sofie was frightened and Jurgen infinitely cautious. But with anger and violence threatening, would the small town of Huntsville be torn apart and would families be shattered?
The German Wife is another exceptional read by Aussie author Kellie Rimmer which I thoroughly enjoyed. Heartbreaking with tensions high, the days of darkness were long and bitter. Rimmer's rendition of one German family and the years of torment they suffered is well done; her writing of an American family just the same. There is a lot in this book which a mere review can't give justice to - I admire this author more each time I read one of her books. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2022
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
THE GERMAN WIFE by Kelly Rimmer is a thought-provoking and emotional historical fiction story featuring two women, one American and one German, and the choices they made leading up to and during World War II. While the focus is on the German wife and her family, the American woman’s story is entwined throughout the two timelines twenty years apart.
The story begins in Berlin in the 1930’s as the Nazis rise to power following Sofie von Myer Rhodes, her husband Jurgen and their children. Jurgen is offered a position in the fledgling rocket program of the new regime. Although both oppose the radical views of the Reich, he must accept or lose his income and even the lives of his family. As each new atrocity occurs, they must pretend and bend or die as their two attempts at escape have been exposed.
At the same time in a small Texas town, Lizzie, her brother, and parents are losing their farm to the dust bowl years during the Depression. When their parents die, Lizzie and henry move to El Paso to scrape by until Lizzie meets a widower who is a scientist and marries her. Lizzie assumes the role of housewife and Henry goes off to war.
Then in the 1950’s timeline the United States government wants the German rocket technology and moves many scientists and chemists to the United States. The people of Huntsville, Alabama are wary and even hostile to the influx of German speaking families who they still consider to be Nazis. Sophie and Lizzie’s families are on a collision course of violence with the community wondering if it was an act of vengeance or justice.
I read this book all in one sitting even as some portions were emotionally difficult to read. It is an extremely well researched look into these families lives and circumstances. I have read many history books, factual and fictional on this time-period and this story, I felt was as unbiased as it could be for the subject matter. I knew about the government bringing over German scientists, but I never really considered the ramifications of their mixing into American communities where veterans and surviving families may live. When you are younger, you believe you would never do anything against your moral code, but as you get older you have family, friendships and ties that make you hope you will never be put in that type of situation to choose. This is an emotionally complex tale that shows how hate can grow, spread and destroy whether by choice, obligation or force.
I highly recommend this historical fiction book!
THE GERMAN WIFE by Kelly Rimmer is a thought-provoking and emotional historical fiction story featuring two women, one American and one German, and the choices they made leading up to and during World War II. While the focus is on the German wife and her family, the American woman’s story is entwined throughout the two timelines twenty years apart.
The story begins in Berlin in the 1930’s as the Nazis rise to power following Sofie von Myer Rhodes, her husband Jurgen and their children. Jurgen is offered a position in the fledgling rocket program of the new regime. Although both oppose the radical views of the Reich, he must accept or lose his income and even the lives of his family. As each new atrocity occurs, they must pretend and bend or die as their two attempts at escape have been exposed.
At the same time in a small Texas town, Lizzie, her brother, and parents are losing their farm to the dust bowl years during the Depression. When their parents die, Lizzie and henry move to El Paso to scrape by until Lizzie meets a widower who is a scientist and marries her. Lizzie assumes the role of housewife and Henry goes off to war.
Then in the 1950’s timeline the United States government wants the German rocket technology and moves many scientists and chemists to the United States. The people of Huntsville, Alabama are wary and even hostile to the influx of German speaking families who they still consider to be Nazis. Sophie and Lizzie’s families are on a collision course of violence with the community wondering if it was an act of vengeance or justice.
I read this book all in one sitting even as some portions were emotionally difficult to read. It is an extremely well researched look into these families lives and circumstances. I have read many history books, factual and fictional on this time-period and this story, I felt was as unbiased as it could be for the subject matter. I knew about the government bringing over German scientists, but I never really considered the ramifications of their mixing into American communities where veterans and surviving families may live. When you are younger, you believe you would never do anything against your moral code, but as you get older you have family, friendships and ties that make you hope you will never be put in that type of situation to choose. This is an emotionally complex tale that shows how hate can grow, spread and destroy whether by choice, obligation or force.
I highly recommend this historical fiction book!
May 5, 2022
This is another brilliant story from a master story teller, I fell into this one from page one and I was pulled into a story that is heartbreaking, moving and poignant, Kelly Rimmer has researched so well into the past and created a story that will make the reader really feel the emotions that were so strong with so many people during Hitler’s reign in Germany from the 1930’s, a must read for any reader who loves a visit back in time.
Berlin 1934 Sofi is married to rocket scientist Jürgen they are comfortable and living in a big house, things are changing in Germany and Sofi and Jürgen are not keen on what is happening they have different views to many of their friends and Jürgen is now made to work on Hitler’s rocket program and there will be decisions to be made that neither will be happy with.
Texas 1934 Lizzie is living on the family farm with her parents and older brother Henry, times are very hard at the moment with the depression and the terrible drought they are going through, Lizzie only ever wants to be a farmer that is her one goal in life but life turns the tables on her and she finds herself living in the city. She marries Calvin and he works with the space program and becomes a housewife but is she happy?
Huntsville Alabama 1949, the war is over and Jürgen is taken from his homeland and bought to America along with other German scientists to help America start their space program here he has his past in Germany wiped and although he is missing Sofi and the children he does again what is needed to live a life. Finally he can bring his beloved Sofi and their children to be with him but life again doesn’t run smoothly, it seems that the Germans are not always welcome here in Huntsville.
This is a fabulously written story it really will pull at your heartstrings and have you thinking about how you would have coped during these terrible times, I really felt for Sofi and Jürgen and what they went through and I wonder what more could they have done and I know that there will always be questions about the atrocities that happened, but my heart went out to them. Lizzie for me was a very different character a little harder for me to like but she really did have a hard time as well, will what happens in Huntsville change people’s thinking and in what way.
I loved this story so much and highly recommend it, there are lots of issues raised in this book and I am sure that book clubs will have many a late night talking about it, thank you for another keeper.
My thanks to Hachette AU for my copy to read and review
Berlin 1934 Sofi is married to rocket scientist Jürgen they are comfortable and living in a big house, things are changing in Germany and Sofi and Jürgen are not keen on what is happening they have different views to many of their friends and Jürgen is now made to work on Hitler’s rocket program and there will be decisions to be made that neither will be happy with.
Texas 1934 Lizzie is living on the family farm with her parents and older brother Henry, times are very hard at the moment with the depression and the terrible drought they are going through, Lizzie only ever wants to be a farmer that is her one goal in life but life turns the tables on her and she finds herself living in the city. She marries Calvin and he works with the space program and becomes a housewife but is she happy?
Huntsville Alabama 1949, the war is over and Jürgen is taken from his homeland and bought to America along with other German scientists to help America start their space program here he has his past in Germany wiped and although he is missing Sofi and the children he does again what is needed to live a life. Finally he can bring his beloved Sofi and their children to be with him but life again doesn’t run smoothly, it seems that the Germans are not always welcome here in Huntsville.
This is a fabulously written story it really will pull at your heartstrings and have you thinking about how you would have coped during these terrible times, I really felt for Sofi and Jürgen and what they went through and I wonder what more could they have done and I know that there will always be questions about the atrocities that happened, but my heart went out to them. Lizzie for me was a very different character a little harder for me to like but she really did have a hard time as well, will what happens in Huntsville change people’s thinking and in what way.
I loved this story so much and highly recommend it, there are lots of issues raised in this book and I am sure that book clubs will have many a late night talking about it, thank you for another keeper.
My thanks to Hachette AU for my copy to read and review
Read
June 28, 2022finished this on audio and leaving off a rating due to the subject matter. while it’s based on a true story, at the end of the day it is fiction and i can 100% understand any criticism this book receives. i found the ending to be quite distasteful and almost dangerous in its meaning (keeping this spoiler free though!).
this book is leaving me with a LOT of feelings. the fact that it’s based on a true story makes me even more emotional… no doubt in my mind that this was a challenging story for Kelly Rimmer to write and research 💔
the subject matter is honestly really hard. it really tugs at your moral compass… what the main character (the German wife) and her family did during the years leading up to WW2 as well as throughout the war are at times unforgivable… but flash forward to 1950 and the American wife did some unforgivable things, too. but both were to protect their own families… at the expense of someone else.
what i loved—and will forever love—about historical fiction, specifically around WW2, is how much i learn. this is a story i NEVER knew about and couldn’t even imagine happening and being true history.
if you’re new to historical fiction, or enjoy WW2 HF without the really heaviness of the concentration camps and war content, this will be a good one for you. it focused much more on the aftermath of the war as well as the years leading up to WW2 and how Hitler slowly took over Germany. i appreciated that history… it seemed so fast but it was YEARS of subtle changes and slowly coming to power that ultimately when people realized what the Nazi’s were doing, it was really difficult to stop it.
ugh… both MC’s were so hard to root for because they were so flawed. i enjoyed the German wife’s story so much more and the title is misleading because it’s honestly just as much about the American wife, too. also if you hated THE FOUR WINDS, buckle up bc you’ll get dust bowl content yet again 😂
some of the scenes truly made my jaw drop as i was listening… especially how the German children acted and what they were taught in school and how they changed. it’s just so sad.
thank you to LibroFM for the gifted ALC and Graydonhouse for the gifted ARC 🖤
this book is leaving me with a LOT of feelings. the fact that it’s based on a true story makes me even more emotional… no doubt in my mind that this was a challenging story for Kelly Rimmer to write and research 💔
the subject matter is honestly really hard. it really tugs at your moral compass… what the main character (the German wife) and her family did during the years leading up to WW2 as well as throughout the war are at times unforgivable… but flash forward to 1950 and the American wife did some unforgivable things, too. but both were to protect their own families… at the expense of someone else.
what i loved—and will forever love—about historical fiction, specifically around WW2, is how much i learn. this is a story i NEVER knew about and couldn’t even imagine happening and being true history.
if you’re new to historical fiction, or enjoy WW2 HF without the really heaviness of the concentration camps and war content, this will be a good one for you. it focused much more on the aftermath of the war as well as the years leading up to WW2 and how Hitler slowly took over Germany. i appreciated that history… it seemed so fast but it was YEARS of subtle changes and slowly coming to power that ultimately when people realized what the Nazi’s were doing, it was really difficult to stop it.
ugh… both MC’s were so hard to root for because they were so flawed. i enjoyed the German wife’s story so much more and the title is misleading because it’s honestly just as much about the American wife, too. also if you hated THE FOUR WINDS, buckle up bc you’ll get dust bowl content yet again 😂
some of the scenes truly made my jaw drop as i was listening… especially how the German children acted and what they were taught in school and how they changed. it’s just so sad.
thank you to LibroFM for the gifted ALC and Graydonhouse for the gifted ARC 🖤
November 30, 2025
The author explores two families who come together in the 1950’s. Both husbands are on the forefront of building America’s space program, but otherwise the families are very different.
We meet Sofie and her husband Jurgen, who live in Berlin in 1930. Sofie’s family had wealth, and Jurgen is an academic, interested in rockets and getting one to the moon. As Hitler comes into power, there are small changes at first, but their city and country quickly transform. Even though they detest the new policies and regulations, they get drawn into hiding their views in order to survive. They feel unsafe expressing their opinions, even in their own home. Sofie knows that Jurgen is getting pulled in deeper, but they feel helpless. When the war ends, Jurgen is encouraged by the US government to go to the US and help with their emerging space program.
Lizzie grew up on a farm, and her family suffered through the drought and dust storms of those years. She has always clung to and protected her brother; however, he has changed since he returned from the war. Lizzie’s husband Cal is Jurgen’s boss. Many scientists from Germany have been recruited, but they are not welcomed by many of the people in town, who consider all Germans to be Nazis.
The new life that Sofie imagined is a struggle, and though she has been through hard times, she doesn’t want her children to suffer. As they try to find their way in their new town, tensions rise into a collision.
The book at face value is excellent. The characters come to life and are complex. The pull between following your beliefs and protecting loved ones is written so well. At any time this would be a thoughtful book, but during these times it hit me hard. It’s easy to go along as you see dangerous changes begin, because surely courts won’t allow or our leadership will step in. But what happens when they don’t. When a president clearly states he does not intend to follow the Constitution,when he threatens news reporters and political opponents. When he begins to use martial law. There have been many comparisons of how Trump is using strategies that Hitler used… from creating a common enemy, marginalizing women, and hateful rhetoric.
I think the characters in this book, especially Sofie and Jurgen, will stay with me a long time.
We meet Sofie and her husband Jurgen, who live in Berlin in 1930. Sofie’s family had wealth, and Jurgen is an academic, interested in rockets and getting one to the moon. As Hitler comes into power, there are small changes at first, but their city and country quickly transform. Even though they detest the new policies and regulations, they get drawn into hiding their views in order to survive. They feel unsafe expressing their opinions, even in their own home. Sofie knows that Jurgen is getting pulled in deeper, but they feel helpless. When the war ends, Jurgen is encouraged by the US government to go to the US and help with their emerging space program.
Lizzie grew up on a farm, and her family suffered through the drought and dust storms of those years. She has always clung to and protected her brother; however, he has changed since he returned from the war. Lizzie’s husband Cal is Jurgen’s boss. Many scientists from Germany have been recruited, but they are not welcomed by many of the people in town, who consider all Germans to be Nazis.
The new life that Sofie imagined is a struggle, and though she has been through hard times, she doesn’t want her children to suffer. As they try to find their way in their new town, tensions rise into a collision.
The book at face value is excellent. The characters come to life and are complex. The pull between following your beliefs and protecting loved ones is written so well. At any time this would be a thoughtful book, but during these times it hit me hard. It’s easy to go along as you see dangerous changes begin, because surely courts won’t allow or our leadership will step in. But what happens when they don’t. When a president clearly states he does not intend to follow the Constitution,when he threatens news reporters and political opponents. When he begins to use martial law. There have been many comparisons of how Trump is using strategies that Hitler used… from creating a common enemy, marginalizing women, and hateful rhetoric.
I think the characters in this book, especially Sofie and Jurgen, will stay with me a long time.
November 17, 2022
1933 - we meet Lizzie and Henry in the United States and Sofie and Jurgen in Germany.
Lizzie and Henry are children and work on their family’s almost bankrupt farm. Their farm failed, Lizzie married, and Henry was sent to fight in the war. Lizzie really didn’t want to get married, and Henry ended up with PTSD from the war.
Jugren and Sofie are well off until Jurgen is forced out of his job at the university because he wouldn’t comply with the German thinking and as a result had to work for the Germans on the rocket program or be without work and/or in jail.
Jurgen didn’t want to be part of it because he knew the rocket program wasn’t really going to be for rockets but for explosives, but Jurgen had no choice.
1950 - we meet the characters again in the United States.
Lizzie and her husband’s home is in Huntsville, Alabama, and Henry lives with them. Both are not fond of the Germans who are here. The entire town has a difficult time accepting the Germans and their families.
Jurgen has been here for five years working on Operation Paperclip without his family. When his family arrives, the town is to welcome his family and the other German families, but it is a difficult get together - especially for Lizzie and Sofia.
Sofie tried to explain what they really went through and that they didn’t agree but had to. Lizzie and others didn’t want to hear it.
Ms. Rimmer did an amazing job of research. I had never heard of Operation Paperclip/Rocket Program.
THE GERMAN WIFE is simply marvelous...well researched and has a terrific story line.
You will feel all the emotions each character is feeling in both time periods through Ms. Rimmer’s marvelous writing style and learn the difficult times for those who lived in Germany and resisted or spoke out and learn about the Americans who lived here during the depression and through the dust bowl.
Historical fiction fans will not want to miss THE GERMAN WIFE, but be aware readers will also learn of more horrors during WWII and the lingering effects it had on American servicemen. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Lizzie and Henry are children and work on their family’s almost bankrupt farm. Their farm failed, Lizzie married, and Henry was sent to fight in the war. Lizzie really didn’t want to get married, and Henry ended up with PTSD from the war.
Jugren and Sofie are well off until Jurgen is forced out of his job at the university because he wouldn’t comply with the German thinking and as a result had to work for the Germans on the rocket program or be without work and/or in jail.
Jurgen didn’t want to be part of it because he knew the rocket program wasn’t really going to be for rockets but for explosives, but Jurgen had no choice.
1950 - we meet the characters again in the United States.
Lizzie and her husband’s home is in Huntsville, Alabama, and Henry lives with them. Both are not fond of the Germans who are here. The entire town has a difficult time accepting the Germans and their families.
Jurgen has been here for five years working on Operation Paperclip without his family. When his family arrives, the town is to welcome his family and the other German families, but it is a difficult get together - especially for Lizzie and Sofia.
Sofie tried to explain what they really went through and that they didn’t agree but had to. Lizzie and others didn’t want to hear it.
Ms. Rimmer did an amazing job of research. I had never heard of Operation Paperclip/Rocket Program.
THE GERMAN WIFE is simply marvelous...well researched and has a terrific story line.
You will feel all the emotions each character is feeling in both time periods through Ms. Rimmer’s marvelous writing style and learn the difficult times for those who lived in Germany and resisted or spoke out and learn about the Americans who lived here during the depression and through the dust bowl.
Historical fiction fans will not want to miss THE GERMAN WIFE, but be aware readers will also learn of more horrors during WWII and the lingering effects it had on American servicemen. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
August 4, 2022
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The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer. (2022).
Berlin, 1934. Sofie is the aristocratic wife of scientist Jürgen who is recruited for a Hitler's new rocket project. But too late they realise that the Nazis plan to use Jürgen's technology for war. Alabama, 1950. Jürgen is one of hundreds of Nazi scientists offered pardons and taken to the US for the fledgling space program. Sofie is struggling to fit in with the other NASA wives. When news about their family's affiliation with the Nazi party spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart a community and a family before the truth is finally revealed - but is it murder, revenge or justice?
There's a reason why this author is not only one of my favourites, but also extremely popular in the reading community. Every book of hers I've read I have been fully immersed in the story and end up having an emotional crisis along the way. This one alternates between the perspectives of Sofie and Lizzie. Sofie is a German woman whose scientist husband ends up involved with the Nazis before being taken to the US to work on the space program. American Lizzie's husband Cal works with Jürgen, with Lizzie being disgusted that there are Germans in the community. Lizzie's brother who lives with her was in the war and he is particularly concerned about Jürgen. I think this book delves into some deep concepts with a focus on just how far people will go and what choices they would make to protect their loved ones. It's a heartbreaking narrative, and it's hard to know which characters are in the right and which are wrong - it all depends on which perspective you are coming from.
Overall: another fascinating story from this author that is in my top reads of the year, I highly recommend.
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The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer. (2022).
Berlin, 1934. Sofie is the aristocratic wife of scientist Jürgen who is recruited for a Hitler's new rocket project. But too late they realise that the Nazis plan to use Jürgen's technology for war. Alabama, 1950. Jürgen is one of hundreds of Nazi scientists offered pardons and taken to the US for the fledgling space program. Sofie is struggling to fit in with the other NASA wives. When news about their family's affiliation with the Nazi party spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart a community and a family before the truth is finally revealed - but is it murder, revenge or justice?
There's a reason why this author is not only one of my favourites, but also extremely popular in the reading community. Every book of hers I've read I have been fully immersed in the story and end up having an emotional crisis along the way. This one alternates between the perspectives of Sofie and Lizzie. Sofie is a German woman whose scientist husband ends up involved with the Nazis before being taken to the US to work on the space program. American Lizzie's husband Cal works with Jürgen, with Lizzie being disgusted that there are Germans in the community. Lizzie's brother who lives with her was in the war and he is particularly concerned about Jürgen. I think this book delves into some deep concepts with a focus on just how far people will go and what choices they would make to protect their loved ones. It's a heartbreaking narrative, and it's hard to know which characters are in the right and which are wrong - it all depends on which perspective you are coming from.
Overall: another fascinating story from this author that is in my top reads of the year, I highly recommend.
November 5, 2022
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer is a wonderfully written and researched book about the German perspective of WW2. These aren’t just German’s. They are anti-Hitler German’s. The book goes into how they made personal choices to fake it in order to survive. Eventually they made it to America. Where they decided to live was amongst an anti-German area. The harassment they faced. Being ostracized from others including prejudices by the police. Lies and half truths spread. Ultimately almost killing an innocent man. An American trying to save her PTSD brother from the effects of war. A German family losing two children and a best friend.
Kelly Rimmer did a great job as always pulling the reader in. A 4🌟 because there were areas jumping back and forth between time lines and families that were confusing and I got lost.
Kelly Rimmer did a great job as always pulling the reader in. A 4🌟 because there were areas jumping back and forth between time lines and families that were confusing and I got lost.
May 31, 2022
Author Kelly Rimmer has explored a slice of history that I had never heard about before - the covert affair known as Operation Paperclip featuring the revolutionary V2 rocket program.
Meticulously researched and carefully plotted, Rimmer explores three different timelines (America in the 1930s, America in the 1950s, and Germany in the 1930s) through two different and equally strong women, Sofie Rhodes and Lizzie Miller.
Rimmer introduces readers to each family in the 1950s and then backtracks to give readers a glimpse into their past from the 1930s forward, before sewing the timelines together. What I loved about this seamless transition was that I was able to see how Sofie and Lizzie’s families were influenced and shaped by their past. The character development is stellar and beautifully unveiled by implementing flashbacks. Rimmer’s book showcases her talent as a historical fiction author; it’s like a smorgasbord of exquisitely prepared literary goodness. It truly is magnificent.
Although all three storylines are well-executed and stuffed with detail, I identified more with the experiences of Sofie von Meyer Rhodes and her husband Jurgen. Like them, I emigrated to a new country and faced the cultural differences and the agonizing struggle to assimilate. I understood the fierce animosity they experienced.
How refreshing to have a woman’s point of view; not only from Sofie’s experiences as a mother during the Nazi succession and single-handedly raising the family but also in emigrating to a new country and desperately trying to fit in. Knowing that she was there with a secret and under no fault of her own, made her experience so emotionally rich for readers. I felt her angst at reuniting the family and ensuring that everyone felt happy at a fresh start in a new country. It would have been easier for Rimmer to write from Jurgen’s point of view, a scientist (Wernher von Braun) in the fledgling space program, but I’m so glad she didn’t. The result is a much deeper and more memorable experience for readers.
This magnificent, heartbreaking and thought-provoking book highlights legendary women who show us that there’s no limit to how far a mother’s love can go and how deep it can be. It’s written by an author who consistently delivers powerful stories showcasing little known slices of our history. It needs to be at the top of every historical fiction reader's list.
I was gifted this advance copy by Kelly Rimmer, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Meticulously researched and carefully plotted, Rimmer explores three different timelines (America in the 1930s, America in the 1950s, and Germany in the 1930s) through two different and equally strong women, Sofie Rhodes and Lizzie Miller.
Rimmer introduces readers to each family in the 1950s and then backtracks to give readers a glimpse into their past from the 1930s forward, before sewing the timelines together. What I loved about this seamless transition was that I was able to see how Sofie and Lizzie’s families were influenced and shaped by their past. The character development is stellar and beautifully unveiled by implementing flashbacks. Rimmer’s book showcases her talent as a historical fiction author; it’s like a smorgasbord of exquisitely prepared literary goodness. It truly is magnificent.
Although all three storylines are well-executed and stuffed with detail, I identified more with the experiences of Sofie von Meyer Rhodes and her husband Jurgen. Like them, I emigrated to a new country and faced the cultural differences and the agonizing struggle to assimilate. I understood the fierce animosity they experienced.
How refreshing to have a woman’s point of view; not only from Sofie’s experiences as a mother during the Nazi succession and single-handedly raising the family but also in emigrating to a new country and desperately trying to fit in. Knowing that she was there with a secret and under no fault of her own, made her experience so emotionally rich for readers. I felt her angst at reuniting the family and ensuring that everyone felt happy at a fresh start in a new country. It would have been easier for Rimmer to write from Jurgen’s point of view, a scientist (Wernher von Braun) in the fledgling space program, but I’m so glad she didn’t. The result is a much deeper and more memorable experience for readers.
This magnificent, heartbreaking and thought-provoking book highlights legendary women who show us that there’s no limit to how far a mother’s love can go and how deep it can be. It’s written by an author who consistently delivers powerful stories showcasing little known slices of our history. It needs to be at the top of every historical fiction reader's list.
I was gifted this advance copy by Kelly Rimmer, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
August 29, 2022
This is one of best historical fiction that I ever read.
The writing is excellent, I also very impressed by the author who do a great research even though some facts have been changed for the sake of greater storytelling, one of her key characters is based on Werner von Braun's life.
Another unexpected that I found in the book, I thought it will be just journey about a wife from Germany but we also got a story a wife from America so we get to see two difference perspective during the time.
What I learn from the book is both women have incredible courage and survival skills. both to do that for the sake of the family and we could see how important is the role of a mother and wife during wartime even though they fought in different ways.
For those who love historical fiction, I highly suggest this.
The writing is excellent, I also very impressed by the author who do a great research even though some facts have been changed for the sake of greater storytelling, one of her key characters is based on Werner von Braun's life.
Another unexpected that I found in the book, I thought it will be just journey about a wife from Germany but we also got a story a wife from America so we get to see two difference perspective during the time.
What I learn from the book is both women have incredible courage and survival skills. both to do that for the sake of the family and we could see how important is the role of a mother and wife during wartime even though they fought in different ways.
For those who love historical fiction, I highly suggest this.
May 5, 2022
The German Wife is the eleventh novel by best-selling Australian author, Kelly Rimmer. In 1950, after five years apart, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes and two of her three surviving children have departed Berlin to be reunited with her husband, rocket scientist Jurgen Rhodes, in Huntsville, Alabama.
There’s a mixed welcome: her husband is ecstatic about their arrival, but she notices that not all the German wives are friendly, and wonders what they know about Jurgen’s role during the war. And while the manager of the program for which Jurgen works encourages the American wives to make their German counterparts welcome, many can’t reconcile themselves to being friendly with a race of people who may have been responsible for the atrocities they have all heard about.
One of those American wives is Lizzie Miller, from a hardscrabble farming family which lost everything in a debt spiral during the prolonged drought of the 1930s. Her brother, Henry has seen first-hand what the Nazis did, resulting in mental distress termed combat fatigue. To the dismay of the hosts of the welcome party, Lizzie takes a stand and harsh words fly between her and Sofie.
Lizzie’s husband, Calvin is the General Manager of the fledgling space program, dubbed Operation Paperclip, and he has been assured that none of his talented German scientists were Party members. He’s not entirely convinced, but the chance to have these brilliant men working for America overrides his personal misgivings.
The depth of the two wives’ animosity, and the impetus for the harassment that follows, with potentially tragic consequences, is a feeling can be better understood from the events in their lives that led up to their current situation.
In this dual-timeline narrative, Rimmer even-handedly presents events from two very diverse perspectives. Parallels between Sofie’s and Lizzie’s lives, while not necessarily obvious to them, become more apparent as the story progresses.
As the details of Sofie and Jurgen’s lives in the build up to the war are revealed, Rimmer powerfully demonstrates just how effective fear for the safety of loved ones can be in forcing people to set aside their core values and act out of character.
Subject to persecution both subtle and overt, their children brainwashed, indoctrinated, even parents in prestigious positions are powerless to prevent it happening. Friendship with Jews gradually becomes something that will attract punishment, being made an example of. “We had so long been afraid of the consequences of dissent that even as the nation descended into madness, any moral call to rise up against the chaos went unheeded.”
Eventually, Jurgen faces an unenviable dilemma “I’m trapped on this path where my work is building to something heinous.” Their family under threat, they conclude: “The cost of anything but perfect compliance would simply be too high.”
Once they become aware of the atrocities to which they are party, do Sofie and Jurgen become two of those good people who allow evil to triumph by doing nothing? This story shows that perhaps it’s not always so simple. Should loyalty to country outweigh loyalty to family and friends?
Ultimately, Sofie hopes the American community might accept that: “we were more than just the mistakes of our past.”
Rimmer’s extensive research is apparent on every page, and she also demonstrates that misinformation, fake news, is really nothing new. Readers familiar with Rimmer’s work know to expect moving and thought-provoking, but this time she adds in controversial: this one is likely to prompt plenty of lively book-club discussion. Outstanding historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Hachette Australia.
There’s a mixed welcome: her husband is ecstatic about their arrival, but she notices that not all the German wives are friendly, and wonders what they know about Jurgen’s role during the war. And while the manager of the program for which Jurgen works encourages the American wives to make their German counterparts welcome, many can’t reconcile themselves to being friendly with a race of people who may have been responsible for the atrocities they have all heard about.
One of those American wives is Lizzie Miller, from a hardscrabble farming family which lost everything in a debt spiral during the prolonged drought of the 1930s. Her brother, Henry has seen first-hand what the Nazis did, resulting in mental distress termed combat fatigue. To the dismay of the hosts of the welcome party, Lizzie takes a stand and harsh words fly between her and Sofie.
Lizzie’s husband, Calvin is the General Manager of the fledgling space program, dubbed Operation Paperclip, and he has been assured that none of his talented German scientists were Party members. He’s not entirely convinced, but the chance to have these brilliant men working for America overrides his personal misgivings.
The depth of the two wives’ animosity, and the impetus for the harassment that follows, with potentially tragic consequences, is a feeling can be better understood from the events in their lives that led up to their current situation.
In this dual-timeline narrative, Rimmer even-handedly presents events from two very diverse perspectives. Parallels between Sofie’s and Lizzie’s lives, while not necessarily obvious to them, become more apparent as the story progresses.
As the details of Sofie and Jurgen’s lives in the build up to the war are revealed, Rimmer powerfully demonstrates just how effective fear for the safety of loved ones can be in forcing people to set aside their core values and act out of character.
Subject to persecution both subtle and overt, their children brainwashed, indoctrinated, even parents in prestigious positions are powerless to prevent it happening. Friendship with Jews gradually becomes something that will attract punishment, being made an example of. “We had so long been afraid of the consequences of dissent that even as the nation descended into madness, any moral call to rise up against the chaos went unheeded.”
Eventually, Jurgen faces an unenviable dilemma “I’m trapped on this path where my work is building to something heinous.” Their family under threat, they conclude: “The cost of anything but perfect compliance would simply be too high.”
Once they become aware of the atrocities to which they are party, do Sofie and Jurgen become two of those good people who allow evil to triumph by doing nothing? This story shows that perhaps it’s not always so simple. Should loyalty to country outweigh loyalty to family and friends?
Ultimately, Sofie hopes the American community might accept that: “we were more than just the mistakes of our past.”
Rimmer’s extensive research is apparent on every page, and she also demonstrates that misinformation, fake news, is really nothing new. Readers familiar with Rimmer’s work know to expect moving and thought-provoking, but this time she adds in controversial: this one is likely to prompt plenty of lively book-club discussion. Outstanding historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Hachette Australia.
August 20, 2022
4.5*
As much as I have read about the Holocaust, including survivor accounts, this book is one of the most disturbing reads I have experienced, and it isn’t even about the Holocaust.
Germany 1934 – Sofie, her brilliant scientist husband Jürgen Rhodes and their children are leading a decent life until Hitler and his Nazi party recruit Jürgen into Hitler’s ‘space’ program. While they do not agree with Hitler they know it is inviting death to refuse.
As the roundup of Jews begins Sofie hides her best friend Mayim (Jewish) for as long as they are able.
It doesn’t take long for Jürgen to realize Hitler’s real intentions and Sofie and Jürgen decide to flee but they are discovered before they even set one foot out of Berlin.
Things only go from bad to worse for this family as the war drags on. Their two eldest children are drawn into the Hitler youth and are properly indoctrinated.
1930’s - Lizzie and her brother Henry leave Texas when their farm goes bust and their parents die. After years of drifting Lizzie marries a nice man even though she does not love him. Henry appears to have bi-polar which would not have had a name at the time but he is able to join the army and is shipped overseas. He is obviously increasingly erratic when he comes home from the war.
1950 - These two families end up neighbors in Huntsville, Alabama where the Rhodes have been settled thanks to the US Operation Paperclip whereby the US arranged to get the best of German scientists out of Germany, regardless of their affiliation with the Nazis and put them to work in the US space program.
The American families are naturally suspicious of the German families and even some of the German families are not welcoming to their German neighbors.
But it is Henry who brings things to a head simply because Lizzie does nothing to help him, instead she makes excuses for his behavior leading to a tragic event.
This is a story that begs the question “What would you do?” Sofie and Jürgen were in an impossible situation – should they have resisted and faced certain torture and death? I have no answer having never faced such a situation.
However, the justification that has been used all too often “I’m just following orders” is frail at best.
As for Lizzie, I have zero sympathy for her, I’m pretty sure I would have tried to get Henry some help as coddling him did him no favors.
Jürgen Rhodes is loosely based on Wernher von Braun who came to the US as part of Operation Paperclip and became a hero of the US space program.
Interested in the subject? Recommended further reading: “V2: A novel of World War II” by Robert Harris
As much as I have read about the Holocaust, including survivor accounts, this book is one of the most disturbing reads I have experienced, and it isn’t even about the Holocaust.
Germany 1934 – Sofie, her brilliant scientist husband Jürgen Rhodes and their children are leading a decent life until Hitler and his Nazi party recruit Jürgen into Hitler’s ‘space’ program. While they do not agree with Hitler they know it is inviting death to refuse.
As the roundup of Jews begins Sofie hides her best friend Mayim (Jewish) for as long as they are able.
It doesn’t take long for Jürgen to realize Hitler’s real intentions and Sofie and Jürgen decide to flee but they are discovered before they even set one foot out of Berlin.
Things only go from bad to worse for this family as the war drags on. Their two eldest children are drawn into the Hitler youth and are properly indoctrinated.
1930’s - Lizzie and her brother Henry leave Texas when their farm goes bust and their parents die. After years of drifting Lizzie marries a nice man even though she does not love him. Henry appears to have bi-polar which would not have had a name at the time but he is able to join the army and is shipped overseas. He is obviously increasingly erratic when he comes home from the war.
1950 - These two families end up neighbors in Huntsville, Alabama where the Rhodes have been settled thanks to the US Operation Paperclip whereby the US arranged to get the best of German scientists out of Germany, regardless of their affiliation with the Nazis and put them to work in the US space program.
The American families are naturally suspicious of the German families and even some of the German families are not welcoming to their German neighbors.
But it is Henry who brings things to a head simply because Lizzie does nothing to help him, instead she makes excuses for his behavior leading to a tragic event.
This is a story that begs the question “What would you do?” Sofie and Jürgen were in an impossible situation – should they have resisted and faced certain torture and death? I have no answer having never faced such a situation.
However, the justification that has been used all too often “I’m just following orders” is frail at best.
As for Lizzie, I have zero sympathy for her, I’m pretty sure I would have tried to get Henry some help as coddling him did him no favors.
Jürgen Rhodes is loosely based on Wernher von Braun who came to the US as part of Operation Paperclip and became a hero of the US space program.
Interested in the subject? Recommended further reading: “V2: A novel of World War II” by Robert Harris
August 10, 2022
This book would have been so much better without the entire Lizzie storyline! It was boring, far-fetched and added nothing of importance. The back and forth timeline combined with the back and forth characters detracted from the momentum and overall story. A linear timeline with just Sofie would have been ideal and a much better book.
March 8, 2022
I absolutely loved this book and read through it in one weekend!
Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page and stay with you forever. Set in the frightening reality of Nazi-controlled Germany, amid the dusty fields of a failed farm during the depression and after the war in a community facing prejudice and segregation, this is a story of what happens when choices are stripped away and the painful sacrifices made for loved ones exact a high price. Kelly Rimmer always delivers a poignant story with real characters who lodge themselves in your heart – this book is no exception.
Skillfully researched and powerfully written, The German Wife will capture you from the first page and stay with you forever. Set in the frightening reality of Nazi-controlled Germany, amid the dusty fields of a failed farm during the depression and after the war in a community facing prejudice and segregation, this is a story of what happens when choices are stripped away and the painful sacrifices made for loved ones exact a high price. Kelly Rimmer always delivers a poignant story with real characters who lodge themselves in your heart – this book is no exception.
May 24, 2022
‘What kind of a person should try to undermine a family’s new life without even trying to understand their old one?’
Kelly has outdone herself with her latest, The German Wife, producing a powerfully written story that will grab you from page one and linger long after the cover is finally closed. I was just floored not only by this complex and well researched tale but Kelly’s delivery being so breathtaking and confronting.
The German Wife has timelines from Nazi Germany, the debilitating drought and Dust Bowl of Texas in the 1930s and life in post war Alabama.Whether it be the living the terror in the rise of Nazism, the literal and figurative suffocating Depression in Texas of the 1930s or the segregation of Southern life in 1950s USA, Kelly takes you there. What comes out clearly in each locale is that no journey is easy. When freedoms and choices are stripped away, sacrifices will have to be made … but at what cost?
‘This is how polite society gives way to chaos. The collapse that comes at the end of the process is a consequence of the slow erosion over time.’
I was totally enthralled by how cleverly Kelly presented both points of view from the lead characters and how the women carefully considered and played the cards life had dealt them. Whether it be the ensuing terror of living in Nazi Germany or dealing with life on the land during a drought, it provided the necessary backstory of how these experiences helped shape and impact the characters lives at the time and, consequently, for the future.
“And tell me, madam, what do you do when you go to a restaurant and there is a sign in the window that says Whites Only?” the woman demanded, jabbing her finger toward me aggressively. “Do you ‘do something’? Perhaps you should look into your own backyard before you make sweeping judgments about things you do not understand.”
The story set in Alabama in the 1950s was such an eye opener. I had never heard of the rocket program either in Nazi Germany as a form of weaponisation or post war where the USA brought these same German rocket scientists over to the States to work on the space program. What kind of can of worms was that sure to open! The research Kelly has undertaken was obvious but to weave a story around it so convincingly without information dumps was impressive. Not only did I learn so much (with is always an added bonus) but I found on this occasion Kelly has gone to the next level with not only delivering her usual high standard exceptional storytelling, but added into the mix, controversy. Her final comments in her Author Notes provide testimony to both the fascination and frustration regarding the whole situation. Politics and ethics collide with a fallout demanding either accountability or absolution. Kelly lets you be the judge.
This is historical fiction at its finest. I found The German Wife to be absolutely phenomenal and cementing Kelly as one of Australia’s finest authors. When a book allows the reader to not assume but assess, to consider then conclude which side you would uphold and support, that is mastery. This is a book that all historical fiction lovers must definitely read.
‘When the story of the war is written, the pages will be full of men saying I was only following orders and the world will know that is fiction. Every single time I opted not to take a stand, I was taking a stand - for the wrong side.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
Kelly has outdone herself with her latest, The German Wife, producing a powerfully written story that will grab you from page one and linger long after the cover is finally closed. I was just floored not only by this complex and well researched tale but Kelly’s delivery being so breathtaking and confronting.
The German Wife has timelines from Nazi Germany, the debilitating drought and Dust Bowl of Texas in the 1930s and life in post war Alabama.Whether it be the living the terror in the rise of Nazism, the literal and figurative suffocating Depression in Texas of the 1930s or the segregation of Southern life in 1950s USA, Kelly takes you there. What comes out clearly in each locale is that no journey is easy. When freedoms and choices are stripped away, sacrifices will have to be made … but at what cost?
‘This is how polite society gives way to chaos. The collapse that comes at the end of the process is a consequence of the slow erosion over time.’
I was totally enthralled by how cleverly Kelly presented both points of view from the lead characters and how the women carefully considered and played the cards life had dealt them. Whether it be the ensuing terror of living in Nazi Germany or dealing with life on the land during a drought, it provided the necessary backstory of how these experiences helped shape and impact the characters lives at the time and, consequently, for the future.
“And tell me, madam, what do you do when you go to a restaurant and there is a sign in the window that says Whites Only?” the woman demanded, jabbing her finger toward me aggressively. “Do you ‘do something’? Perhaps you should look into your own backyard before you make sweeping judgments about things you do not understand.”
The story set in Alabama in the 1950s was such an eye opener. I had never heard of the rocket program either in Nazi Germany as a form of weaponisation or post war where the USA brought these same German rocket scientists over to the States to work on the space program. What kind of can of worms was that sure to open! The research Kelly has undertaken was obvious but to weave a story around it so convincingly without information dumps was impressive. Not only did I learn so much (with is always an added bonus) but I found on this occasion Kelly has gone to the next level with not only delivering her usual high standard exceptional storytelling, but added into the mix, controversy. Her final comments in her Author Notes provide testimony to both the fascination and frustration regarding the whole situation. Politics and ethics collide with a fallout demanding either accountability or absolution. Kelly lets you be the judge.
This is historical fiction at its finest. I found The German Wife to be absolutely phenomenal and cementing Kelly as one of Australia’s finest authors. When a book allows the reader to not assume but assess, to consider then conclude which side you would uphold and support, that is mastery. This is a book that all historical fiction lovers must definitely read.
‘When the story of the war is written, the pages will be full of men saying I was only following orders and the world will know that is fiction. Every single time I opted not to take a stand, I was taking a stand - for the wrong side.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
June 26, 2022
It is the early 1930s in Berlin. Once wealthy, Sofie Rhodes and her husband Jürgen are in financial ruin after the impact of the Depression. Jürgen is a scientist, and his expertise becomes of interest to the Nazi Party as they develop a program to build rockets to travel into space. While the couple abhors everything the new regime stands for, Jürgen is given no choice when recruited to join the top-secret project. Sofie is forced to distance herself from Mayim, her best friend, who is Jewish. During the years leading up to WWII, the family observes how the Nazi Party employed a well-constructed campaign to control and manipulate the German citizens. They exploited underlying antisemitism and rallied people to a near frenzy with hopes of a better country. It was essentially a massive brainwashing.
In 1950, Sofie and two of her children travel to Huntsville, Alabama to be reunited with Jürgen, who has been living in the United States for several years. He had been selected to work for Operation Paperclip, a post-WWII intelligence program where skilled German scientists, including some former leaders of the Nazi Party, were brought over to the U.S. to provide help in Cold War initiatives including developing rockets, biological and chemical weapons. But life in the U.S. was hard as the Americans were outraged that they were now neighbors to an enclave of former Nazis. The government sought to help their German employees and their families meet and socialize with the Americans but there was too much hate and distrust. At a community gathering, Sofie found herself in a tense argument with the wife of Jürgen’s boss Calvin. Lizzie Miller was not going to give Sofie a chance at friendship given the Rhodes’ Nazi affiliation and Sofie lashed out noting the contradiction of the town’s policy of segregation and prejudice against Blacks.
Lizzie’s story is also told. Her family’s Texas farm was ruined during the tragic years of the Dust Bowl and the Depression. She and her brother Henry did what they had to do to survive. Once Lizzie married Calvin, a wealthy and widowed older man, she moved to Alabama and after the war, Henry moved there too. Lizzie dealt with tremendous trauma from all her losses.
Kelly Rimmer is a wonderful author who meticulously researches her books. The Things We Cannot Say, and The Warsaw Orphan are terrific. In The German Wife, Rimmer has created a very emotional, complex story. She shows how some good people were swept into the Nazi ideology – even if they didn’t truly believe in it. The Rhodes family were faced with a moral dilemma and did what they felt they had to do to protect their family. They were under surveillance and threatened. Did they have a choice? Rimmer doesn’t condone and absolve them of their behavior. Instead, she has created a thoughtful, cautionary tale showing how madness and evil can quickly spread.
There are few heroes in this book. Jürgen’s Aunt Adele is perhaps the only purely likable person as she was willing to act against the Nazis. This book shows how fragile the world was and still is as hate can rise up and spread at any time. This book is going to stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to Graydon House | Harlequin Trade Publishing | HarperCollins for the opportunity to read The German Wife in advance of its June 28, 2022 publication.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
In 1950, Sofie and two of her children travel to Huntsville, Alabama to be reunited with Jürgen, who has been living in the United States for several years. He had been selected to work for Operation Paperclip, a post-WWII intelligence program where skilled German scientists, including some former leaders of the Nazi Party, were brought over to the U.S. to provide help in Cold War initiatives including developing rockets, biological and chemical weapons. But life in the U.S. was hard as the Americans were outraged that they were now neighbors to an enclave of former Nazis. The government sought to help their German employees and their families meet and socialize with the Americans but there was too much hate and distrust. At a community gathering, Sofie found herself in a tense argument with the wife of Jürgen’s boss Calvin. Lizzie Miller was not going to give Sofie a chance at friendship given the Rhodes’ Nazi affiliation and Sofie lashed out noting the contradiction of the town’s policy of segregation and prejudice against Blacks.
Lizzie’s story is also told. Her family’s Texas farm was ruined during the tragic years of the Dust Bowl and the Depression. She and her brother Henry did what they had to do to survive. Once Lizzie married Calvin, a wealthy and widowed older man, she moved to Alabama and after the war, Henry moved there too. Lizzie dealt with tremendous trauma from all her losses.
Kelly Rimmer is a wonderful author who meticulously researches her books. The Things We Cannot Say, and The Warsaw Orphan are terrific. In The German Wife, Rimmer has created a very emotional, complex story. She shows how some good people were swept into the Nazi ideology – even if they didn’t truly believe in it. The Rhodes family were faced with a moral dilemma and did what they felt they had to do to protect their family. They were under surveillance and threatened. Did they have a choice? Rimmer doesn’t condone and absolve them of their behavior. Instead, she has created a thoughtful, cautionary tale showing how madness and evil can quickly spread.
There are few heroes in this book. Jürgen’s Aunt Adele is perhaps the only purely likable person as she was willing to act against the Nazis. This book shows how fragile the world was and still is as hate can rise up and spread at any time. This book is going to stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to Graydon House | Harlequin Trade Publishing | HarperCollins for the opportunity to read The German Wife in advance of its June 28, 2022 publication.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
January 28, 2023
4.5. Another historical fiction book about WWII and again I learned so much bc this is really about a group of really intelligent German scientists that became forced to lead a “rocket” program ostensibly to become the first to send a rocket to the moon. Instead it became another weapon of war. These scientists were forced to work for the Nazis in order to save their families. Such an interesting point of view in this novel and one I hadn’t really ever thought of before. A great novel with a different perspective from those I normally read about.
July 2, 2023
بین میلههای دروازه ورودی اردوگاه بوخنوالد نوشته شده: هرکس به چیزی میرسه که سزاوارشه. اما آیا واقعا اینطوریه؟
آیا مردم هیروشیما و ناکازاکی به چیزی که سزاوارشون بود، رسیدن؟ آیا زنان آلمانی که مورد تجاوز قوای شوروی قرار گرفتن، به چیزی که سزاوارشون بود، رسیدن؟ آیا بچههایی که توسط نازیها خونشون کشیده میشد تا سربازهای آلمانی درمان بشن، به چیزی که استحقاقش رو داشتن، رسیدن؟
در چنین دنیایی حق با کیه؟ میشه با جنایتکاران همکاری کرد و گفت چارهای نداشتم؟ میشه ضدیهودبودن نازیها رو شماتت کرد ولی با سیاهان مثل حیوون رفتار کرد؟
کتاب خوب و ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
آیا مردم هیروشیما و ناکازاکی به چیزی که سزاوارشون بود، رسیدن؟ آیا زنان آلمانی که مورد تجاوز قوای شوروی قرار گرفتن، به چیزی که سزاوارشون بود، رسیدن؟ آیا بچههایی که توسط نازیها خونشون کشیده میشد تا سربازهای آلمانی درمان بشن، به چیزی که استحقاقش رو داشتن، رسیدن؟
در چنین دنیایی حق با کیه؟ میشه با جنایتکاران همکاری کرد و گفت چارهای نداشتم؟ میشه ضدیهودبودن نازیها رو شماتت کرد ولی با سیاهان مثل حیوون رفتار کرد؟
کتاب خوب و ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 28, 2022
I just finished reading The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer and here is my review!
Two very different women from two very different worlds find themselves both having to live in a post WWII world in small town Alabama. Sofie the wife of a Scientist who wasn’t given the choice not to join the nazi’s and Lizzie, the sister of a war vet who came back not right after the war.
Sofie and her family have been giving the chance at a fresh start after the nazi’s fell, something they wanted so badly. Her best friend is a Jew and she wholeheartedly does not believe in the Reich but Germany isn’t the place it was before. Even expressing a view is punishable by death and Sofie and her husband have to tread carefully or else end up like the Jews themselves.
Lizzie’s brother henry comes back from that war a different person and she cannot help feeling that the people of Germany were all nazi murderers.
Two very different women but have one thing in common, they would go to the ends of the earth for their families.
What I loved most about this book was the different perspectives we got and how the war affected people differently. It was nice to see all the different points of view on this one to really get a feel for how people felt on different sides and in different countries. I wished that Lizzie had learned about Sofie and what they had to endure. You can see that Sofie lived in an impossible situation and Lizzie can be as self righteous as she likes not having been there, she was prejudiced to people with no idea what they went through. Everyone was tarnished with the same brush.
Operation Paperclip was a massive risk for the government and I do see Lizzies perspective that criminals got away with atrocities because the USA had a need for their skills. What a horrific time in history but Lizzies view that all Germans must have been nazis is very naive and rather cold. She makes huge assumptions and there is no room for anyone to tell her differently. After the loss of her parents and her brother not coming back the same, you can tell she isn’t the woman she should be.
I felt the whole book was really well written and the author must have worked for months doing the research. It kept a pretty good pace and I don’t usually enjoy multiple POV over 2 time frames but this worked very well for this book. I felt it gave the whole book a well rounded finish.
I thought the end was very well done and tied up all the loose ends for me.
A really solid 4.5 stars for me. If you are a historical fiction fan with a real passion for WW2 books then this needs to be on your list!
Due out June 28th 2022
Thank you netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Two very different women from two very different worlds find themselves both having to live in a post WWII world in small town Alabama. Sofie the wife of a Scientist who wasn’t given the choice not to join the nazi’s and Lizzie, the sister of a war vet who came back not right after the war.
Sofie and her family have been giving the chance at a fresh start after the nazi’s fell, something they wanted so badly. Her best friend is a Jew and she wholeheartedly does not believe in the Reich but Germany isn’t the place it was before. Even expressing a view is punishable by death and Sofie and her husband have to tread carefully or else end up like the Jews themselves.
Lizzie’s brother henry comes back from that war a different person and she cannot help feeling that the people of Germany were all nazi murderers.
Two very different women but have one thing in common, they would go to the ends of the earth for their families.
What I loved most about this book was the different perspectives we got and how the war affected people differently. It was nice to see all the different points of view on this one to really get a feel for how people felt on different sides and in different countries. I wished that Lizzie had learned about Sofie and what they had to endure. You can see that Sofie lived in an impossible situation and Lizzie can be as self righteous as she likes not having been there, she was prejudiced to people with no idea what they went through. Everyone was tarnished with the same brush.
Operation Paperclip was a massive risk for the government and I do see Lizzies perspective that criminals got away with atrocities because the USA had a need for their skills. What a horrific time in history but Lizzies view that all Germans must have been nazis is very naive and rather cold. She makes huge assumptions and there is no room for anyone to tell her differently. After the loss of her parents and her brother not coming back the same, you can tell she isn’t the woman she should be.
I felt the whole book was really well written and the author must have worked for months doing the research. It kept a pretty good pace and I don’t usually enjoy multiple POV over 2 time frames but this worked very well for this book. I felt it gave the whole book a well rounded finish.
I thought the end was very well done and tied up all the loose ends for me.
A really solid 4.5 stars for me. If you are a historical fiction fan with a real passion for WW2 books then this needs to be on your list!
Due out June 28th 2022
Thank you netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
dnf
March 15, 2023DNFd at 23% …
…because it just isn’t my type of book: it's not really a plot, it's more of reading about life experiences (revolving around the Nazi war) which isn't my jam 🤷🏼♀️
Language up to 23%: 3 h, 5 d, 4 abuses of God, 1 ba
…because it just isn’t my type of book: it's not really a plot, it's more of reading about life experiences (revolving around the Nazi war) which isn't my jam 🤷🏼♀️
Language up to 23%: 3 h, 5 d, 4 abuses of God, 1 ba
June 29, 2023
The German Wife is a moving, poignant, thought provoking, at times suspenseful, and often heart-wrenching historical fiction novel. I read this with Jenna and Sarah, and the story kept us turning the pages as fast as we could, and I’m pretty sure Jenna finished in less than 24 hours!
What appealed to you the most in this story?
When historical fiction is done right, you should feel like you are transported back to that era - and I did. I truly felt like I was on a journey with these characters, a marker of excellent historical fiction. But what really made this book one I will never forget was the emotional connection I felt with the characters and story itself. Kelly Rimmer really is a master, and she held my emotions in the palm of her hand right up till the very last page…And yes, tears were shed.
How was the research?
Rimmer is a phenomenal author who meticulously researches her books, and it is evident on every page of this emotional and complex story. So many historical facts were woven into this story. I read about misinformation, fake news, secret CIA operations (Operation Paperclip), and so much more. Facts combined with complex characters and a part of history we cannot forget are brought together brilliantly and will leave you questioning what you would do during this time period.
How was the pace?
Fast! For a 400+ page story I flew through the pages!
Do you recommend this book?
I cannot recommend this book enough! This truly is an exquisite story with complex characters and a lot of emotion. It is filled to the brim with everything from the brutality of war to friendships, to tragedy, to heartbreak and finally hope - this is such a compelling read that it will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
Thank you, Gallery, and HTP Books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
What appealed to you the most in this story?
When historical fiction is done right, you should feel like you are transported back to that era - and I did. I truly felt like I was on a journey with these characters, a marker of excellent historical fiction. But what really made this book one I will never forget was the emotional connection I felt with the characters and story itself. Kelly Rimmer really is a master, and she held my emotions in the palm of her hand right up till the very last page…And yes, tears were shed.
How was the research?
Rimmer is a phenomenal author who meticulously researches her books, and it is evident on every page of this emotional and complex story. So many historical facts were woven into this story. I read about misinformation, fake news, secret CIA operations (Operation Paperclip), and so much more. Facts combined with complex characters and a part of history we cannot forget are brought together brilliantly and will leave you questioning what you would do during this time period.
How was the pace?
Fast! For a 400+ page story I flew through the pages!
Do you recommend this book?
I cannot recommend this book enough! This truly is an exquisite story with complex characters and a lot of emotion. It is filled to the brim with everything from the brutality of war to friendships, to tragedy, to heartbreak and finally hope - this is such a compelling read that it will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
Thank you, Gallery, and HTP Books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 16, 2022
Moving, thought-provoking, and tragic!
The German Wife is a vivid, tender tale set in Berlin, Germany, as well as Huntsville, Alabama, between 1930 and 1950 that takes you into the lives of the Rhodes family. A family whose individual actions, decisions, choices and secrets made during the war will have long-lasting effects and irrevocably change lives forever.
The writing is emotional and tense. The characters are intelligent, torn, and distrustful. And the plot is an evocative tale of life, loss, heartbreak, prejudices, hope, tragedy, survival, friendship, love, community, and wartime politics.
Overall, The German Wife is an absorbing, heart-wrenching, beautifully written tale by Rimmer inspired by real-life events, Operation Paperclip, that does an exceptional job of highlighting her impressive research into this intelligence program that brought Nazis chemists, physicists and rocket specialists to America after WWII, without being tried for their previous crimes, in order for them to use their acquired knowledge to benefit NASA and other US government agencies.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The German Wife is a vivid, tender tale set in Berlin, Germany, as well as Huntsville, Alabama, between 1930 and 1950 that takes you into the lives of the Rhodes family. A family whose individual actions, decisions, choices and secrets made during the war will have long-lasting effects and irrevocably change lives forever.
The writing is emotional and tense. The characters are intelligent, torn, and distrustful. And the plot is an evocative tale of life, loss, heartbreak, prejudices, hope, tragedy, survival, friendship, love, community, and wartime politics.
Overall, The German Wife is an absorbing, heart-wrenching, beautifully written tale by Rimmer inspired by real-life events, Operation Paperclip, that does an exceptional job of highlighting her impressive research into this intelligence program that brought Nazis chemists, physicists and rocket specialists to America after WWII, without being tried for their previous crimes, in order for them to use their acquired knowledge to benefit NASA and other US government agencies.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction/WWII
Kelly Rimmer is a hit or miss with me. I either really like her books or I don't. Thankfully I really liked this one.
This one had 2 different POVs and a few different time lines. I liked the different POVs: one was that of a married German woman and one was that of an American girl who grew up and also married. They were very different women and yet I liked how the author drew parallels between the two....linking them together. I also liked the way Rimmer slowly peeled back the layers of the German wife and that of her family.
The ending also felt satisfying...a little sweet but satisfying all the same. So 4 stars.
Kelly Rimmer is a hit or miss with me. I either really like her books or I don't. Thankfully I really liked this one.
This one had 2 different POVs and a few different time lines. I liked the different POVs: one was that of a married German woman and one was that of an American girl who grew up and also married. They were very different women and yet I liked how the author drew parallels between the two....linking them together. I also liked the way Rimmer slowly peeled back the layers of the German wife and that of her family.
The ending also felt satisfying...a little sweet but satisfying all the same. So 4 stars.
March 3, 2022
The German Wife is a heart-wrenching, uplifting story about love and family and the choices people make in impossible situations. Kelly Rimmer writes with deep compassion for human flaws and frailty, bringing us insight into the rise of Nazism through the eyes of her protagonist, Sofie, the wife of a German rocket scientist who is forced to make a new life after the war in an American community that is hostile to her presence. An unforgettable historical novel that explores important questions highly relevant to the world today.
With many thanks to William Morrow for my free copy.
With many thanks to William Morrow for my free copy.
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