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Margarete's Journey #3
The Girl in the Shadows
1943, Germany: Two years ago, fate gave a beautiful young Jewish woman named Margarete Rosenbaum the chance to survive the Nazis, by pretending to be one of them, hiding in plain sight. Now she must make a terrifying decision…
Margarete lives as Annegret Huber would have, in a beautiful rural mansion by a forest in northern Germany. She is the heiress to the entire Huber fortune—one which she has devastatingly discovered includes a factory and Nazi prison camp. Margarete has done everything she can to help improve conditions there, and to reduce suffering for the prisoners who remind her so much of her own lost family and friends.
However, as the war rages on and the Nazis become more brutal in their treatment of Jews, she realizes she must do more. She has to help the prisoners escape to real safety, because they will never survive in Hitler’s Germany.
She’s heard of a route to freedom through Sweden. Although that means secretly reaching out to the resistance. With the risk of betrayal at every turn, her enquiries lead her to a man named Stefan, who she instantly feels a powerful connection to. But she fears he will never trust her… unless she reveals the secret that keeps her safe.
At the same time, a Nazi officer begins to show romantic interest in her, making it harder to keep her identity a secret. His loyalty to the party is beyond question, so if he finds her out, not only will her plan be at risk, but also her life and those of everyone she cares for.
But can she let that fear stop her from saving others? Because she knows she herself could so easily be one of the faces on the other side of the fence. And that, in the darkest times, sometimes the only person who can rise up is the girl in the shadows…
Margarete lives as Annegret Huber would have, in a beautiful rural mansion by a forest in northern Germany. She is the heiress to the entire Huber fortune—one which she has devastatingly discovered includes a factory and Nazi prison camp. Margarete has done everything she can to help improve conditions there, and to reduce suffering for the prisoners who remind her so much of her own lost family and friends.
However, as the war rages on and the Nazis become more brutal in their treatment of Jews, she realizes she must do more. She has to help the prisoners escape to real safety, because they will never survive in Hitler’s Germany.
She’s heard of a route to freedom through Sweden. Although that means secretly reaching out to the resistance. With the risk of betrayal at every turn, her enquiries lead her to a man named Stefan, who she instantly feels a powerful connection to. But she fears he will never trust her… unless she reveals the secret that keeps her safe.
At the same time, a Nazi officer begins to show romantic interest in her, making it harder to keep her identity a secret. His loyalty to the party is beyond question, so if he finds her out, not only will her plan be at risk, but also her life and those of everyone she cares for.
But can she let that fear stop her from saving others? Because she knows she herself could so easily be one of the faces on the other side of the fence. And that, in the darkest times, sometimes the only person who can rise up is the girl in the shadows…
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 23, 2022
2113 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Marion Kummerow
116 books420 followersMarion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.
After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime.
It's a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.
After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime.
It's a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
February 15, 2022
“Living a lie has become second nature for me.” -Annegret Huber
Another 5-star book in the Margarete’s Journey series!
When fate allowed Margarete Rosenbaum, a Jew, to live as Annegret Huber, an heiress to the Huber fortune, she eagerly took the opportunity. For two years she’s been hiding in plain sight in a beautiful rural mansion, Gut Plaun, and overseeing her ammunitions factory on Nazi prison camp land. She’s worked hard to improve the living conditions for the 1000 Jews who live and work there.
When a new SS officer, Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to the district he thwarts Annegret’s plans to relieve suffering at the factory. Kummerow has crafted this official with all the qualities that you’d expect from a paramilitary ranking Nazi. He’s despicable and his ulterior motives will make readers cringe. Eager to move up in the ranks and command a regiment of his own, he woos Annegret for her surname, her money and her social status. His views about women filling small places at home so that men can be free to fill the big places in society will disgust readers. He’s the perfect villain.
When the Wehrmacht logistics division confirmed that they couldn’t supply the steel ball bearings needed for the production lines in the factory and plans are put in place to get rid of the Jewish workers, Annegret’s fisherman friend comes to the rescue and soon Annegret finds herself in possession of documents that will aid in their escape. Kummerow uses this opportunity to make readers aware of the Schutz-Pass, the Swedish protective passport, and the ‘German glance’, the act of checking over one’s shoulder to make sure nobody was within earshot. I had previously watched the movie with Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat in Hungary who used the passes to save Hungarian Jews, so it was interesting to learn that they’d been used in Germany, too.
The cast of characters surrounding Annegret is superbly crafted and represent the many factions within Germany; the anti-Semitic industrialists who used the ideology to their profit, the Nazi corrupt bureaucrats who used their authority to arrange extermination, and those hiding in plain sight who appeared to withhold the Nazi ideals but who were busy helping the Jews escape.
I can still imagine the SS officer’s sly and haunting question “We never really know the people close to us, now do we?” and the aftermath around Plau Am See even several days after finishing the book.
Kummerow deftly explores whether a sleazy greedy thug and corrupt Nazi may actually be the better choice over an honest one with convictions who believes in what he does and supports every order from Hitler. You’ll have to read to find out! The twists crept up on me and left me gasping as I frantically turned pages.
I was excited to hear that there’s a book 4 in the works and an updated prologue, Turning Point, available to download on all retail sites.
I was gifted this advance copy by Marion Kummerow, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Another 5-star book in the Margarete’s Journey series!
When fate allowed Margarete Rosenbaum, a Jew, to live as Annegret Huber, an heiress to the Huber fortune, she eagerly took the opportunity. For two years she’s been hiding in plain sight in a beautiful rural mansion, Gut Plaun, and overseeing her ammunitions factory on Nazi prison camp land. She’s worked hard to improve the living conditions for the 1000 Jews who live and work there.
When a new SS officer, Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to the district he thwarts Annegret’s plans to relieve suffering at the factory. Kummerow has crafted this official with all the qualities that you’d expect from a paramilitary ranking Nazi. He’s despicable and his ulterior motives will make readers cringe. Eager to move up in the ranks and command a regiment of his own, he woos Annegret for her surname, her money and her social status. His views about women filling small places at home so that men can be free to fill the big places in society will disgust readers. He’s the perfect villain.
When the Wehrmacht logistics division confirmed that they couldn’t supply the steel ball bearings needed for the production lines in the factory and plans are put in place to get rid of the Jewish workers, Annegret’s fisherman friend comes to the rescue and soon Annegret finds herself in possession of documents that will aid in their escape. Kummerow uses this opportunity to make readers aware of the Schutz-Pass, the Swedish protective passport, and the ‘German glance’, the act of checking over one’s shoulder to make sure nobody was within earshot. I had previously watched the movie with Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat in Hungary who used the passes to save Hungarian Jews, so it was interesting to learn that they’d been used in Germany, too.
The cast of characters surrounding Annegret is superbly crafted and represent the many factions within Germany; the anti-Semitic industrialists who used the ideology to their profit, the Nazi corrupt bureaucrats who used their authority to arrange extermination, and those hiding in plain sight who appeared to withhold the Nazi ideals but who were busy helping the Jews escape.
I can still imagine the SS officer’s sly and haunting question “We never really know the people close to us, now do we?” and the aftermath around Plau Am See even several days after finishing the book.
Kummerow deftly explores whether a sleazy greedy thug and corrupt Nazi may actually be the better choice over an honest one with convictions who believes in what he does and supports every order from Hitler. You’ll have to read to find out! The twists crept up on me and left me gasping as I frantically turned pages.
I was excited to hear that there’s a book 4 in the works and an updated prologue, Turning Point, available to download on all retail sites.
I was gifted this advance copy by Marion Kummerow, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
March 15, 2022
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Marion Kummerow's emotional tale THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS.
“Living a lie has become second nature for me.” -Annegret Huber
When the German family of a high ranking SS officer were killed in a bombing raid, their Jewish maid Margarete Rosenbaum assumed the identity of their daughter Annegret, thereby ridding herself of the yellow star sewn into her clothes branding her as a Jew. Following the subsequent deaths of Annegret's brothers, she then became the sole heiress to the Huber family fortune. As was Wilhelm's wish...that she utilise that fortune for good.
For two years now she has been hiding in plain sight in the rural Huber family estate Gut Plaun where she overseers an ammunitions factory that utilises the slave labour of five hundred Jewish prisoners. In the time she has lived on the estate Margarete has worked hard to improve the conditions for all those that live and work there. Only two other people know her true identity but for safety's sake, and each other's, they continue to refer to her as Fraulein Annegret both in public and private. For who knows who may be listening.
When a new SS officer, Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to take over as district leader he is determined to make a name for himself, garner a promotion and hopefully marry the lovely Annegret Huber in the process who would surely pave his way into the elite. He woos her for her name, money and status all the while making your skin crawl. Unlike his predecessor, Thomas is shrewd and sharp and nothing gets by him, so when news reaches him that exemptions have been granted for some of the Jews marked for deportation, Thomas takes it upon himself to ensure that they will indeed be eradicated from his district by the Fuhrer's birthday.
The news reaches Annegret/Margarete of his plans and she seeks help from a fisherman friend she made by chance at the harbour, Stefan, who she soon learns is not only sympathetic to the cause but is at the heart of it. A chance trip to neutral Sweden brings documents into her possession that will aid the escape of at least fifty Jews in her care. Not enough, but it's a start. But this chance comes with great risk in which Margarete does not hesitate. She continues to be resourceful with but a few on her side. But is it enough? This is the most dangerous and difficult mission Margarete has has to undertake since becoming Annegret. After two years living a lie, is Margarete's luck about to run out?
I have to say, I thought Reiner was a despicable character in the first book but he has nothing on Thomas! He is truly vile and reprehensible. And I perished the thought of he and Margarete together. Kummerow has drawn him perfectly as readers will loathe him instantly. His belittling manner towards Jews and women in general to his condescending presence in general just made me cringe. I had this deep sense of foreboding whenever he appeared.
The remaining cast of characters are a delight. From Oliver and Dora to the housekeeper and quiet manager...and then to Stefan, who was a pure delight. I loved him! I loved Wilhelm and was devastated when he perished at the end of the first book but in meeting Stefan I just know there is story and a future there. And I can't wait to find out what!
And then there was that ending! I did not expect that to happen. Wow! It was a definite surprise and superbly played. I cannot wait to see what awaits Margarete and her friends in the next book.
A truly heartwrenching tale of survival against all odds, THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS is the emotional continuation of Magarete's journey that you don't want to miss.
I would like to thank #MarionKummerow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlInTheShadows in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
“Living a lie has become second nature for me.” -Annegret Huber
When the German family of a high ranking SS officer were killed in a bombing raid, their Jewish maid Margarete Rosenbaum assumed the identity of their daughter Annegret, thereby ridding herself of the yellow star sewn into her clothes branding her as a Jew. Following the subsequent deaths of Annegret's brothers, she then became the sole heiress to the Huber family fortune. As was Wilhelm's wish...that she utilise that fortune for good.
For two years now she has been hiding in plain sight in the rural Huber family estate Gut Plaun where she overseers an ammunitions factory that utilises the slave labour of five hundred Jewish prisoners. In the time she has lived on the estate Margarete has worked hard to improve the conditions for all those that live and work there. Only two other people know her true identity but for safety's sake, and each other's, they continue to refer to her as Fraulein Annegret both in public and private. For who knows who may be listening.
When a new SS officer, Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to take over as district leader he is determined to make a name for himself, garner a promotion and hopefully marry the lovely Annegret Huber in the process who would surely pave his way into the elite. He woos her for her name, money and status all the while making your skin crawl. Unlike his predecessor, Thomas is shrewd and sharp and nothing gets by him, so when news reaches him that exemptions have been granted for some of the Jews marked for deportation, Thomas takes it upon himself to ensure that they will indeed be eradicated from his district by the Fuhrer's birthday.
The news reaches Annegret/Margarete of his plans and she seeks help from a fisherman friend she made by chance at the harbour, Stefan, who she soon learns is not only sympathetic to the cause but is at the heart of it. A chance trip to neutral Sweden brings documents into her possession that will aid the escape of at least fifty Jews in her care. Not enough, but it's a start. But this chance comes with great risk in which Margarete does not hesitate. She continues to be resourceful with but a few on her side. But is it enough? This is the most dangerous and difficult mission Margarete has has to undertake since becoming Annegret. After two years living a lie, is Margarete's luck about to run out?
I have to say, I thought Reiner was a despicable character in the first book but he has nothing on Thomas! He is truly vile and reprehensible. And I perished the thought of he and Margarete together. Kummerow has drawn him perfectly as readers will loathe him instantly. His belittling manner towards Jews and women in general to his condescending presence in general just made me cringe. I had this deep sense of foreboding whenever he appeared.
The remaining cast of characters are a delight. From Oliver and Dora to the housekeeper and quiet manager...and then to Stefan, who was a pure delight. I loved him! I loved Wilhelm and was devastated when he perished at the end of the first book but in meeting Stefan I just know there is story and a future there. And I can't wait to find out what!
And then there was that ending! I did not expect that to happen. Wow! It was a definite surprise and superbly played. I cannot wait to see what awaits Margarete and her friends in the next book.
A truly heartwrenching tale of survival against all odds, THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS is the emotional continuation of Magarete's journey that you don't want to miss.
I would like to thank #MarionKummerow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlInTheShadows in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
March 24, 2022
In the third book in the Margarete's Journey series we once again meet up with Margarete Rosenbaum, a Jew, who has been living as Annegret Huber, an heiress to the Huber fortune. Two year earlier she eagerly took the opportunity to impersonate Annegret when she and her parents were killed in a bombing and has been hiding in plain sight at the Huber's rural mansion, Gut Plaun. She has been overseeing the Huber's ammunitions factory that is part of a Nazi prison camp. She has worked hard with her estate manager and her maid to improve the living conditions for the 1000 workers, 500 of which are Jewish. When a new SS officer, Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to the district he plans to make the area Juden free and transport all the remaining Jewish workers within months. He also has designs on Annegret, which turns her stomach. Can she save the Jewish workers as well as keep Thomas at a distance?
Marion Kummerow has developed new characters in this series that are either hero or villain. Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass is a thoroughly despicable, cruel, misogynistic and narcissistic individual. He is eager to move up in the ranks and command a regiment of his own, so he woos Annegret for her surname, her money and her social status. He makes a perfect villain. We also meet Stefan, a local fisherman who is Thomas' opposite. He hates the Nazis and what they stand for. He works with the resistance getting people out of Germany and helps Annegret several times. He is her love interest in the story, but it is just in the beginnings of a relationship. All the previous workers at Gut Plaun are also back in this story, from Oliver and Dora to the housekeeper, Nils the quiet handyman, and the factory manager. Of course, Margarete constantly shows courage and adaptability while posing as Annegret and doing everything she can to save her workers. The compassion she feels for others is palpable. This book moved quickly and had me reading every spare moment to find out what was going to happen and if the Jewish workers would be saved, especially Uncle Ernst. I have to say the ending was totally unexpected, but so fitting. All I can say is "Wow!" This was an emotional, heartbreaking story, but there is always hope as shown by those helping to hide others, or those who are in hiding. If you enjoy WW2 Historical Fiction, I recommend you pick this book up. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to find out what is next in Margaret's journey.
One thing I love about historical fiction is that I usually learn something new. In this book, I learned about the role Sweden played. They were neutral, but provided most of the steel for the war effort. They also provided many Schutz-Pass, the Swedish protective passport, that was used by Jews who pretended to be Swedes waiting to be repatriated. These wert the same passes used by Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat in Hungary who used the passes to save Hungarian Jews. I learned even more reading Marion Kummerow's notes at the end of the book.
Marion Kummerow has developed new characters in this series that are either hero or villain. Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass is a thoroughly despicable, cruel, misogynistic and narcissistic individual. He is eager to move up in the ranks and command a regiment of his own, so he woos Annegret for her surname, her money and her social status. He makes a perfect villain. We also meet Stefan, a local fisherman who is Thomas' opposite. He hates the Nazis and what they stand for. He works with the resistance getting people out of Germany and helps Annegret several times. He is her love interest in the story, but it is just in the beginnings of a relationship. All the previous workers at Gut Plaun are also back in this story, from Oliver and Dora to the housekeeper, Nils the quiet handyman, and the factory manager. Of course, Margarete constantly shows courage and adaptability while posing as Annegret and doing everything she can to save her workers. The compassion she feels for others is palpable. This book moved quickly and had me reading every spare moment to find out what was going to happen and if the Jewish workers would be saved, especially Uncle Ernst. I have to say the ending was totally unexpected, but so fitting. All I can say is "Wow!" This was an emotional, heartbreaking story, but there is always hope as shown by those helping to hide others, or those who are in hiding. If you enjoy WW2 Historical Fiction, I recommend you pick this book up. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to find out what is next in Margaret's journey.
One thing I love about historical fiction is that I usually learn something new. In this book, I learned about the role Sweden played. They were neutral, but provided most of the steel for the war effort. They also provided many Schutz-Pass, the Swedish protective passport, that was used by Jews who pretended to be Swedes waiting to be repatriated. These wert the same passes used by Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat in Hungary who used the passes to save Hungarian Jews. I learned even more reading Marion Kummerow's notes at the end of the book.
April 1, 2022
Marion Kummerow masterfully navigates her character, Margerete, through a life of deception. She shows with great sensitivity just how vulnerable a person with a borrowed identity can be and how much courage it takes to carry it out, as well as how dangerous it is. It brings to mind the agents parachuted into occupied countries and who lived a life not their own.
Impersonating Annegret is a burden that Margarete carries out brilliantly in order to save her Jewish workers, always making sure she does not betray herself, that is until family love lets her throw caution to the wind with disastrous results.
The well-developed characters come alive on the page, from the unscrupulous Unterschharführer who will do anything for money, to the delusional SS officer, as well as the overprotecting mother.
When Margarete finds love, she is torn between wanting to tell him the truth about herself and the vital necessity to keep up the deceit, not just to protect herself but all the Jewish workers in her factory.
The plot twist at the end takes the reader by surprise and leads into to the next book. Perhaps it will answer the question of whether Margarete will ever become herself again.
Impersonating Annegret is a burden that Margarete carries out brilliantly in order to save her Jewish workers, always making sure she does not betray herself, that is until family love lets her throw caution to the wind with disastrous results.
The well-developed characters come alive on the page, from the unscrupulous Unterschharführer who will do anything for money, to the delusional SS officer, as well as the overprotecting mother.
When Margarete finds love, she is torn between wanting to tell him the truth about herself and the vital necessity to keep up the deceit, not just to protect herself but all the Jewish workers in her factory.
The plot twist at the end takes the reader by surprise and leads into to the next book. Perhaps it will answer the question of whether Margarete will ever become herself again.
March 19, 2022
The Girl in the Shadows is book #3 of Margarete’s Journey. The book can be read as a standalone but reading the prior two books would be helpful in understanding Margarete.
Margarete who is Jewish is now using the assumed identity of Annegret Huber, a German heiress. By assuming Annegret’s identity, Margarete is now the owner of a munitions factory that supplies the German army, using Jewish slaves to make the armaments. Margarete has done all she can to keep the slaves safe, but there’s a new German in charge of the Parchim district and has vowed to rid the entire area of Jews for the Furher’s birthday. He also has designs on marrying the beautiful Annegret.
Margarete is in the unenviable position of trying to save her people while appearing to be the perfect Arayan. A difficult and dangerous task this is.
This story is beautifully written and I truly was drawn in from the beginning. I wish I had read books one and two but I did love book 3.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Margarete who is Jewish is now using the assumed identity of Annegret Huber, a German heiress. By assuming Annegret’s identity, Margarete is now the owner of a munitions factory that supplies the German army, using Jewish slaves to make the armaments. Margarete has done all she can to keep the slaves safe, but there’s a new German in charge of the Parchim district and has vowed to rid the entire area of Jews for the Furher’s birthday. He also has designs on marrying the beautiful Annegret.
Margarete is in the unenviable position of trying to save her people while appearing to be the perfect Arayan. A difficult and dangerous task this is.
This story is beautifully written and I truly was drawn in from the beginning. I wish I had read books one and two but I did love book 3.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
March 4, 2022
The Fisherman's Secret
Margarete continues to masquerade as Annegrete Huber the daughter of a dead Nazi officer in this third book of the series. She is secretly working to help the Jewish workers at the ammunitions plant she owns to disappear. She must find a better way to help them as the new Nazi officer in command , Thomas, is expediting the order to deport all the Jewish from the plant to camps.
Thomas is taken with Annegrete and has hopes of a future for them together. Margarete cannot trust Thomas but she goes along with him on engagements to keep suspicion away from her home and herself.
Margarete meets a young fisherman named Stephan. She finds out he hates the Nazi's as much as she does. She has heard about an escape route for the Jewish through Sweden. She goes to Stephen to ask if he can help.
It is a tough time, and Margarete knows if the truth of her identity is found out by Thomas than all will be lost and it will cost not only her life, but the lives of those she is trying so hard to save.
This is a great series, and I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next with Margarete and Stephan.
I am enjoying this series and the courage and adaptability of Margarete posing as Annegrete. The compassion she feels for others and the almost romance between her and Stephan.
Thanks to Marion Kummerow for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
Margarete continues to masquerade as Annegrete Huber the daughter of a dead Nazi officer in this third book of the series. She is secretly working to help the Jewish workers at the ammunitions plant she owns to disappear. She must find a better way to help them as the new Nazi officer in command , Thomas, is expediting the order to deport all the Jewish from the plant to camps.
Thomas is taken with Annegrete and has hopes of a future for them together. Margarete cannot trust Thomas but she goes along with him on engagements to keep suspicion away from her home and herself.
Margarete meets a young fisherman named Stephan. She finds out he hates the Nazi's as much as she does. She has heard about an escape route for the Jewish through Sweden. She goes to Stephen to ask if he can help.
It is a tough time, and Margarete knows if the truth of her identity is found out by Thomas than all will be lost and it will cost not only her life, but the lives of those she is trying so hard to save.
This is a great series, and I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next with Margarete and Stephan.
I am enjoying this series and the courage and adaptability of Margarete posing as Annegrete. The compassion she feels for others and the almost romance between her and Stephan.
Thanks to Marion Kummerow for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
March 26, 2022
The Girl in the Shadows is the third book in the Margarete’s Journey series by Marion Kummerow. We begin where we last left off in the previous book with Margarete disguised as Annegret Huber and heir to the Huber fortune. For almost two years her ruse has held strong affording her the opportunity to help as many Jews as she could by improving their working conditions in the factory she reluctantly now is in charge of.
Once Again, Kummerow draws you into a wonderfully written story that is both heartbreaking and uplifting at times. Margarete seems to find herself at a crossroad with being Jewish, but living her life as a German dedicated to the Nazis. If she is caught, she may very well find herself either killed or sent to a concentration camp. But through all of this, you can feel the passion and determination Margarete has in trying to save as many Jews as she possibly can.
With the introduction of Nazi officer, Thomas Kallfass, he brongs a new level of depravity and evil of which we have not seen in the previous two books. Oftentimes these scenes will make you uncomfortable and they should. Kummerow does not hold anything back and these scenes are meant to hit you hard.
While the book can be read as a standalone, I would highly suggest reading the previous two books as well.
Once Again, Kummerow draws you into a wonderfully written story that is both heartbreaking and uplifting at times. Margarete seems to find herself at a crossroad with being Jewish, but living her life as a German dedicated to the Nazis. If she is caught, she may very well find herself either killed or sent to a concentration camp. But through all of this, you can feel the passion and determination Margarete has in trying to save as many Jews as she possibly can.
With the introduction of Nazi officer, Thomas Kallfass, he brongs a new level of depravity and evil of which we have not seen in the previous two books. Oftentimes these scenes will make you uncomfortable and they should. Kummerow does not hold anything back and these scenes are meant to hit you hard.
While the book can be read as a standalone, I would highly suggest reading the previous two books as well.
March 27, 2022
The Girl in the Shadows is book three in the Margarete’s Journey series by Marion Kummerow and I am still as deeply enthralled as I was by book one. Margarete, masquerading as Annegret Huber, has come a long way since she took on the identity of her former employer’s daughter yet her life is still lived on a precipice with the fear of being exposed ever present daily. The author is developing this series nicely, just when you think perhaps is she running out of steam or in what direction she could next take the plot in there are more unexpected turns thrown in that really do you leave you on the edge of your seat. The climax to this story was fantastic and nerve wracking and at one point I was almost screaming out loud - no this can’t be happening. So much drama was spilling forth and it was like all the hard work was coming undone. This book can be read as a standalone but I do feel to truly appreciate the journey that Margarete has undertaken in the most dangerous of times you should begin with book one to bring you bang up to date. Although there is plenty of background information provided in the first few chapters for those that are joining Margarete at this point.
Margarete or Annegret as she is now known resides on an estate near Gut Plaun near to Berlin. Her life has been transformed since she was caught in a bomb which killed her employer, his wife and his daughter and subsequently his two sons met their fate. Margarete is an incredible character who has displayed such strength, courage, bravery and fortitude since we first met her. She has been through the mill and is playing a very clever game and if the cat is let out of the bag than the repercussions do not bear thinking about. All she wants to do is make it safely through the war without her Jewish heritage and true identity being discovered. Along the way she hopes to help as many Jewish people as possible who are forced to work in the ammunition’s factory hidden deep in the forest on her land.
Her life is one of subterfuge and only a select few are privy to the real Margarete. She plays the game to perfection and has fooled many people that she is in fact the spoilt and selfish Annegret Huber but the game could be up at any time and she is conscious of trying to achieve some good for the people in such desperate need while she holds some power in her hands. Suspicion and intrigue and the fear of being uncovered emanate from every page and you never know what each new chapter will bring and that’s what keeps you turning the pages as rapidly as possible as you are so eager to see will things come crashing down and the inevitable happen or can she continue this life that she has adopted and hold out for as long as possible ?
Margarete detests the Nazi’s and everything they stand for and their determination to eradicate the Jews through starvation, exhaustion and disease only intensifies the further the story develops. She maintains the façade that she too hates all Jews and that she is firmly on the side of the Nazi’s because she knows she must do this in order for her to survive. Outwards appearances have her mixing with the local Gestapo and obeying all their rules and regulations but deep down she knows she can’t go against the regime but any way that she can work within its constraints for the better then she will do this.
I loved the introduction of Thomas who has been promoted and is newly arrived in the district. He is determined to upset the apple cart although he does not know the true extent of Margaret’s story for if he did it would mean instant death for her. Thomas is a model Nazi and he wants to rise further through the ranks. He believes by sending more Jews to camps and riding the district of them completely than he will earn the praise and admiration of Hitler and his position will be increased and solidified. He believes himself to be dashing, intelligent, strong, valiant and virile and he wants Margarete by his side as the model of the perfect Nazi wife. He has visions for their future and marriage and a family feature in this. It’s like they will make the ultimate Nazi power couple. Needless to say Margarete is horrified when she discovers his true intentions and a game of cat and mouse ensues. She knows she needs him onside to continue her work but at the same time she is repulsed by his beliefs and what he stands for.
Every time Thomas appeared in the book I was fearful for what he would say and do. Given how clever he was I wasn’t sure how he would react if he found the true extent of what was going on right underneath his eyes. He could have flipped either way given his love for Annegret. The consequences of discovery didn’t bare thinking about and only added a tense and fraught atmosphere to what was a dangerous and awful situation in the first place. Margarete’s actions only served to increase my admiration for her as a character. I desperately hoped that she could continue to pull the wool over his eyes. His obsession with her was dangerous and frightening and when she has to try and stop Jews being taken away she becomes involved in what would appear to the Nazi’s as being traitorous actions. In fact, I was wary that she could keep the entire pretence up but she is a woman not to be underestimated once she puts her mind to something. Engaging and interacting with the Gestapo is not what she wishes to do but for the sake of her fellow men and women and her Uncle Horst whom she has found in the factory she will doe everything in her power to play the Nazi’s in their game and hopefully emerge triumphant.
Margarete can’t fully confide in anyone. If she is to survive the war she must try and keep herself to herself whilst at the same time running the estate of which she has no experience of. She must rise above her own insecurities and doubts and fight strongly in the battle of good against evil. She does have Oliver the estate manager and his partner Dora, who is her maid by her side, but the exact truth can never be fully revealed. She knows one slip of information or one false move and the whole game will be up and so many lives will be in such danger. I loved the strand of the story which further developed Dora and Oliver’s relationship. Dora, originally from Ukraine, has received her Germanisation papers and is free to marry Oliver but still her life too is lived on a knife edge. I couldn’t help but think as I was reading this here, we are again not even close to 100 years since the end of World War Two and the continent of Europe is once again experiencing war as the result of a mad man. It seems no lessons have been learned and given Dora was from Ukraine I felt such an affinity with her given the dreadful situation unfolding there. The events and the torture I was reading about in this book were even more heart-breaking given I was reading more or less the same scenarios unfolding in the present day on the news. I felt like have we learned nothing at all? Did all those people fight in vain?
This series is going from strength to strength and I really can’t get enough of it. The author provides plenty of new details and subplots which blended brilliantly with the overall arc of the story so carefully developed since book one. Margarete is on a roller coaster of a journey and I am with her every step of the way through the ups and downs in the battle to rid themselves of oppression and suppression in the hopes that love and hope can triumph. As previously mentioned, that edge of your seat climax was excellent. Days after finishing this book, I am still thinking about it. There is a fourth book in the works and I don’t think this series is in danger of becoming stale because of some elements that have been added in, most notably Stefan. I’m interested to see how that angle will develop but the over riding plot of Margarete’s ‘mission’ will always be the dominant force and I can’t wait for the next instalment to see will she succeed or have other forces evil pans in mind? I hope the wait for book four is not too long.
Margarete or Annegret as she is now known resides on an estate near Gut Plaun near to Berlin. Her life has been transformed since she was caught in a bomb which killed her employer, his wife and his daughter and subsequently his two sons met their fate. Margarete is an incredible character who has displayed such strength, courage, bravery and fortitude since we first met her. She has been through the mill and is playing a very clever game and if the cat is let out of the bag than the repercussions do not bear thinking about. All she wants to do is make it safely through the war without her Jewish heritage and true identity being discovered. Along the way she hopes to help as many Jewish people as possible who are forced to work in the ammunition’s factory hidden deep in the forest on her land.
Her life is one of subterfuge and only a select few are privy to the real Margarete. She plays the game to perfection and has fooled many people that she is in fact the spoilt and selfish Annegret Huber but the game could be up at any time and she is conscious of trying to achieve some good for the people in such desperate need while she holds some power in her hands. Suspicion and intrigue and the fear of being uncovered emanate from every page and you never know what each new chapter will bring and that’s what keeps you turning the pages as rapidly as possible as you are so eager to see will things come crashing down and the inevitable happen or can she continue this life that she has adopted and hold out for as long as possible ?
Margarete detests the Nazi’s and everything they stand for and their determination to eradicate the Jews through starvation, exhaustion and disease only intensifies the further the story develops. She maintains the façade that she too hates all Jews and that she is firmly on the side of the Nazi’s because she knows she must do this in order for her to survive. Outwards appearances have her mixing with the local Gestapo and obeying all their rules and regulations but deep down she knows she can’t go against the regime but any way that she can work within its constraints for the better then she will do this.
I loved the introduction of Thomas who has been promoted and is newly arrived in the district. He is determined to upset the apple cart although he does not know the true extent of Margaret’s story for if he did it would mean instant death for her. Thomas is a model Nazi and he wants to rise further through the ranks. He believes by sending more Jews to camps and riding the district of them completely than he will earn the praise and admiration of Hitler and his position will be increased and solidified. He believes himself to be dashing, intelligent, strong, valiant and virile and he wants Margarete by his side as the model of the perfect Nazi wife. He has visions for their future and marriage and a family feature in this. It’s like they will make the ultimate Nazi power couple. Needless to say Margarete is horrified when she discovers his true intentions and a game of cat and mouse ensues. She knows she needs him onside to continue her work but at the same time she is repulsed by his beliefs and what he stands for.
Every time Thomas appeared in the book I was fearful for what he would say and do. Given how clever he was I wasn’t sure how he would react if he found the true extent of what was going on right underneath his eyes. He could have flipped either way given his love for Annegret. The consequences of discovery didn’t bare thinking about and only added a tense and fraught atmosphere to what was a dangerous and awful situation in the first place. Margarete’s actions only served to increase my admiration for her as a character. I desperately hoped that she could continue to pull the wool over his eyes. His obsession with her was dangerous and frightening and when she has to try and stop Jews being taken away she becomes involved in what would appear to the Nazi’s as being traitorous actions. In fact, I was wary that she could keep the entire pretence up but she is a woman not to be underestimated once she puts her mind to something. Engaging and interacting with the Gestapo is not what she wishes to do but for the sake of her fellow men and women and her Uncle Horst whom she has found in the factory she will doe everything in her power to play the Nazi’s in their game and hopefully emerge triumphant.
Margarete can’t fully confide in anyone. If she is to survive the war she must try and keep herself to herself whilst at the same time running the estate of which she has no experience of. She must rise above her own insecurities and doubts and fight strongly in the battle of good against evil. She does have Oliver the estate manager and his partner Dora, who is her maid by her side, but the exact truth can never be fully revealed. She knows one slip of information or one false move and the whole game will be up and so many lives will be in such danger. I loved the strand of the story which further developed Dora and Oliver’s relationship. Dora, originally from Ukraine, has received her Germanisation papers and is free to marry Oliver but still her life too is lived on a knife edge. I couldn’t help but think as I was reading this here, we are again not even close to 100 years since the end of World War Two and the continent of Europe is once again experiencing war as the result of a mad man. It seems no lessons have been learned and given Dora was from Ukraine I felt such an affinity with her given the dreadful situation unfolding there. The events and the torture I was reading about in this book were even more heart-breaking given I was reading more or less the same scenarios unfolding in the present day on the news. I felt like have we learned nothing at all? Did all those people fight in vain?
This series is going from strength to strength and I really can’t get enough of it. The author provides plenty of new details and subplots which blended brilliantly with the overall arc of the story so carefully developed since book one. Margarete is on a roller coaster of a journey and I am with her every step of the way through the ups and downs in the battle to rid themselves of oppression and suppression in the hopes that love and hope can triumph. As previously mentioned, that edge of your seat climax was excellent. Days after finishing this book, I am still thinking about it. There is a fourth book in the works and I don’t think this series is in danger of becoming stale because of some elements that have been added in, most notably Stefan. I’m interested to see how that angle will develop but the over riding plot of Margarete’s ‘mission’ will always be the dominant force and I can’t wait for the next instalment to see will she succeed or have other forces evil pans in mind? I hope the wait for book four is not too long.
November 1, 2024
The book I’m reading is called “The Girl in the Shadows” by Marion Kummerow. This is third series saga. I must say her her writing is brilliant and researched, because the characters are very believable, invested, emotionally and thrill with full of twist plot will keep you turning pages to the end. Remember in the first book, Margarete works for the Huber, parents as a maid, then in the second book, she had to flee to Paris to live with a relative but she runs into former employer’s son Wilhelm, who tracks her down and she has to live on his own condition. The third book, she goes back to Germany to live in a rural mansion by a forest in northern Germany. She is the heiress of the entire Huber fortune, not to discover she owns a factory and prison camp. She is willing to improve the conditions for her fellow prisoners as the war continues and becomes more intense and brutal. She has to help her fellow prisoners to escape. She is willing to risk her lives with the help with Stefan who she feels a powerful connection. As a result, If he finds her out, only will her plan be at risk, but also her life and those of everyone she cares for. But can she let that fear stop her from saving others? You can decide?
May 15, 2023
The Girl In The Shadows
Book 3 of 4. This story just gets deeper, & more dangerous as it goes along! Margarete/Annegret walks a knife's edge trying to save "her" Jews without exposing her own "crimes"! In this book she finds a link to the local resistance, & finds herself quite attracted! While the regional head of the SS is quite attracted to her & means to acquire her as his own! Yes, acquire IS the word I intended to use. Before Iose my head & give any spoilers, I'll just say that this book has some very unexpected twists, turns, ups, & downs!
Book 3 of 4. This story just gets deeper, & more dangerous as it goes along! Margarete/Annegret walks a knife's edge trying to save "her" Jews without exposing her own "crimes"! In this book she finds a link to the local resistance, & finds herself quite attracted! While the regional head of the SS is quite attracted to her & means to acquire her as his own! Yes, acquire IS the word I intended to use. Before Iose my head & give any spoilers, I'll just say that this book has some very unexpected twists, turns, ups, & downs!
March 23, 2022
A thrilling continuation of Margarete's story. The story keeps captivating and drowning the reader into not being able to stop turning to the next page. The complications that the new characters bring into the plot are perfect. A really good recommendation to anyone interested in fiction related to the Germany of the war, or the holocaust. I look forward to being able to read how this adventure might continue.
March 20, 2022
The Girl in The Shadows will have you holding your breath for Margarete as she continues her subterfuge as Annegrete Huber the daughter of a dead Nazi .
Margarete's secret is know by a very few and every day she lives a lie and does what she can to help the Jewish.
This series gets better and better and I am so excited to hear that the trilogy will now have a fourth book.
I can't wait and will be first in line again to read the next in the series.
Marion Kummerow is a great story teller that has you mesmerized from the first page to the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a great read that is hard to put down.
Margarete's secret is know by a very few and every day she lives a lie and does what she can to help the Jewish.
This series gets better and better and I am so excited to hear that the trilogy will now have a fourth book.
I can't wait and will be first in line again to read the next in the series.
Marion Kummerow is a great story teller that has you mesmerized from the first page to the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a great read that is hard to put down.
April 4, 2022
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Marion Kummerow continues her breath-taking series about brave Jewish woman Margarete Rosenbaum with the third heart-wrenching, poignant and emotional installment: The Girl in the Shadows.
Two years ago, as the Second World War raged on relentlessly, fate gave Margarete Rosenbaum a chance to survive, help her community and defeat the Nazis – by hiding in plain sight and pretending to be one of them. As Annegret Huber, Margarete is a rich heiress living in a beautiful mansion in the forests of Northern Germany. Adopting this identity has allowed her the possibility to improve conditions in concertation camps and reduce the prisoners’ suffering. However, regardless of how hard she tries, she is fully aware of the fact that it is never enough and that she needs to do more.
The best way she can help the prisoners is by helping them escape Hitler’s Germany and secure them a passage to safety. Having heard of a route through Sweden, Margarete vows to do everything she can to get as many of the prisoners on their way to freedom as she possibly can – even if it means risking exposure and reaching out to the resistance. Margarete needs to tread carefully and to trust nobody – even if her enquires lead her to a man called Stefan whom she feels an instant connection to. However, Stefan is a man who views her with suspicion. Will she find the strength and courage to reveal who she truly is? Or will exposing her secret jeopardise her mission and her very life?
With a Nazi officer beginning to take an unwelcome interest in her, Margarete must keep her wits about her because one false move and everything she has worked so hard for could go up in smoke. With everything to lose and the stakes having never been higher, she needs to trust herself and not surrender to the fear that threatens to consume her – and listen to the voice of girl in the shadows within,..
Marion Kummerow’s The Girl in the Shadows is a wonderfully rich and vivid historical novel written with compassion and heart that tells the story of a courageous, fearless and defiant woman who is an inspiration to us all. A book that unflinchingly brings to life the depravations and terror of Nazi Germany, The Girl in the Shadows is a story of hope, bravery and love that held me in its grip the entire time I was reading it.
Powerful, engrossing and unforgettable, Marion Kummerow’s The Girl in the Shadows is everything readers could possibly want from a historical novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Marion Kummerow continues her breath-taking series about brave Jewish woman Margarete Rosenbaum with the third heart-wrenching, poignant and emotional installment: The Girl in the Shadows.
Two years ago, as the Second World War raged on relentlessly, fate gave Margarete Rosenbaum a chance to survive, help her community and defeat the Nazis – by hiding in plain sight and pretending to be one of them. As Annegret Huber, Margarete is a rich heiress living in a beautiful mansion in the forests of Northern Germany. Adopting this identity has allowed her the possibility to improve conditions in concertation camps and reduce the prisoners’ suffering. However, regardless of how hard she tries, she is fully aware of the fact that it is never enough and that she needs to do more.
The best way she can help the prisoners is by helping them escape Hitler’s Germany and secure them a passage to safety. Having heard of a route through Sweden, Margarete vows to do everything she can to get as many of the prisoners on their way to freedom as she possibly can – even if it means risking exposure and reaching out to the resistance. Margarete needs to tread carefully and to trust nobody – even if her enquires lead her to a man called Stefan whom she feels an instant connection to. However, Stefan is a man who views her with suspicion. Will she find the strength and courage to reveal who she truly is? Or will exposing her secret jeopardise her mission and her very life?
With a Nazi officer beginning to take an unwelcome interest in her, Margarete must keep her wits about her because one false move and everything she has worked so hard for could go up in smoke. With everything to lose and the stakes having never been higher, she needs to trust herself and not surrender to the fear that threatens to consume her – and listen to the voice of girl in the shadows within,..
Marion Kummerow’s The Girl in the Shadows is a wonderfully rich and vivid historical novel written with compassion and heart that tells the story of a courageous, fearless and defiant woman who is an inspiration to us all. A book that unflinchingly brings to life the depravations and terror of Nazi Germany, The Girl in the Shadows is a story of hope, bravery and love that held me in its grip the entire time I was reading it.
Powerful, engrossing and unforgettable, Marion Kummerow’s The Girl in the Shadows is everything readers could possibly want from a historical novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 2, 2022
When the German family Margarete worked as a maid for was killed in a bombing, Margarete assumes the identity of her employers daughter, ths ridding herself of the star sewn on her clothes branding her as a Jew and sentencing her to a fate worse than death.
As Annagret, Margarete is privy to the family's vast fortune, including a armaments factory that utilizes Jewish prisoners. Margarete tries to ease the prisoners daily anguish by giving them better food and living conditions but always being careful not to give too much and reveal herself as the imposter she is.
When SS officer Thomas Kallfass takes over as district leader he is determined to make a name for himself among Hitler's elite. And to do this he sets out to eliminate all the Jews in his district at te same time setting his sights on the beautiful German heiress, Annegret/Margarete, whom he feels will make the perfect German wife for an SS officer. With her social standing to help propel his career upwards he will be unstoppable. Naturally his unwanted interest and attention only make Margarete's mission to help save her Jewish workers all that more dangerous and difficult, bringing new hurdles for her to overcome.
This book is exceptionally well developed, the third in a series, it can be read as a standalone but much better if you have read the previous novels for Margarete's background and the full story of how she came to be where she is.
The characters are perfect, Thomas, the SS officer out to make a name for himself is down-right despicable, you will instantly loathe him. His manner of speaking, belittling Jews, and putting women in their place in their "little world" of home and child bearing, while men go out and handle real things in their " big world" that holds no place for women just makes me want to gag! The character's personalities and actions, mannerisms fit perfectly to their assigned roles, bringing animated life to Margarete's story. Don't miss it, grab the whole series and look forward to #4 coming soon. I know I am!
Thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.
As Annagret, Margarete is privy to the family's vast fortune, including a armaments factory that utilizes Jewish prisoners. Margarete tries to ease the prisoners daily anguish by giving them better food and living conditions but always being careful not to give too much and reveal herself as the imposter she is.
When SS officer Thomas Kallfass takes over as district leader he is determined to make a name for himself among Hitler's elite. And to do this he sets out to eliminate all the Jews in his district at te same time setting his sights on the beautiful German heiress, Annegret/Margarete, whom he feels will make the perfect German wife for an SS officer. With her social standing to help propel his career upwards he will be unstoppable. Naturally his unwanted interest and attention only make Margarete's mission to help save her Jewish workers all that more dangerous and difficult, bringing new hurdles for her to overcome.
This book is exceptionally well developed, the third in a series, it can be read as a standalone but much better if you have read the previous novels for Margarete's background and the full story of how she came to be where she is.
The characters are perfect, Thomas, the SS officer out to make a name for himself is down-right despicable, you will instantly loathe him. His manner of speaking, belittling Jews, and putting women in their place in their "little world" of home and child bearing, while men go out and handle real things in their " big world" that holds no place for women just makes me want to gag! The character's personalities and actions, mannerisms fit perfectly to their assigned roles, bringing animated life to Margarete's story. Don't miss it, grab the whole series and look forward to #4 coming soon. I know I am!
Thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.
January 3, 2023
The Girl in the Shadows by Marion Kummerow is the third installment in the Margarete’s Journey series, an historical WWII fiction series following a young Jewish woman Margarete Rosenbaum, who assumed the identity of a wealthy German woman.
Margarete Rosenbaum is a young Jewish woman who worked as a housemaid for a high ranking Nazi officer and his family. A bombing raid results in the death of the officer, his wife and daughter, presenting Margarete with an opportunity for survival by assuming the identify of the young daughter, Annegret Huber. Trying to navigate her life built on lies, Margarete lives in constant fear that her past will catch up to her.
This is a story of courage, bravery, compassion, strength and survival. Margarete’s constant fear of being found out is palpable yet she continues to put herself in danger to help as many Jewish people survive the horrors surrounding them.
It’s refreshing to learn something new from a topic that is set in a much written about time period, and in this installment I enjoyed learning more about the role Sweden played, particularly with issuing Schutz-passes (protective passports).
While this is book three in the series, all can be read as stand alone. The author does a good job feeding important information needed to better understand Margarete, her vulnerabilities and bravery, as she navigates around the dangerous circumstances as well as the challenges and moral dilemmas she faced living her lie. I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series if you can. Kummerow’s story telling is amazing. This is a heart wrenching and compelling series about compassion and survival and I could not put it down. Looking forward to the final installment which will publish fall 2022.
Thank you Marion Kimmerow, Bookouture and NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC that will publish 23Mar2022. It’s one that will stay with me for a while.
Margarete Rosenbaum is a young Jewish woman who worked as a housemaid for a high ranking Nazi officer and his family. A bombing raid results in the death of the officer, his wife and daughter, presenting Margarete with an opportunity for survival by assuming the identify of the young daughter, Annegret Huber. Trying to navigate her life built on lies, Margarete lives in constant fear that her past will catch up to her.
This is a story of courage, bravery, compassion, strength and survival. Margarete’s constant fear of being found out is palpable yet she continues to put herself in danger to help as many Jewish people survive the horrors surrounding them.
It’s refreshing to learn something new from a topic that is set in a much written about time period, and in this installment I enjoyed learning more about the role Sweden played, particularly with issuing Schutz-passes (protective passports).
While this is book three in the series, all can be read as stand alone. The author does a good job feeding important information needed to better understand Margarete, her vulnerabilities and bravery, as she navigates around the dangerous circumstances as well as the challenges and moral dilemmas she faced living her lie. I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series if you can. Kummerow’s story telling is amazing. This is a heart wrenching and compelling series about compassion and survival and I could not put it down. Looking forward to the final installment which will publish fall 2022.
Thank you Marion Kimmerow, Bookouture and NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC that will publish 23Mar2022. It’s one that will stay with me for a while.
January 8, 2023
Jewish Margarete is still living as Annegret Huber, running her estate and factory within the rules of the Reich. However, she continues to attempt to protect her Jewish workers and family. Orders arrive to deport all Jewish people in the area and an SS officer begins to show a romantic interest in Margarete. Can she save herself and others?
The Girl in the Shadows is the third book to feature Margarete and I have previouly reviewed A Light in the Window and From the Dark We Rise. I think this would work as a stand alone novel but believe that Margarete's journey and character development is so gripping and tense that the books should be read as a series.
Margarete has now been impersonating Annegret for two years but is still not confident in her role and fears discovery. She outwardly conforms to the Nazi regime and her factory makes weapons for the war effort, yet she provides extra food and supplies for the Jewish prisoners. New orders threaten the security of her Jewish workers and she decides a more dangerous resistance is needed to save as many as possible from the extermination camps.
Meanwhile SS officer Thomas Kallfass returns to the area, intent on furthering his career and marrying Annegret. I found the chapters showing his perspective quite chilling as he revels in Nazi doctrine. Danger and cruelty are never far away and Margarete does not get a moment's peace as she is constantly in fear for her life.
I was completely immersed in the plot from the very first page. The fear and brutality caused by the Nazi regime was so realistically described that it can be upsetting to read. However, this tone is lightened through the bravery and humanity of many of the characters.
The Girl in the Shadows is a gripping historical novel.
The Girl in the Shadows is the third book to feature Margarete and I have previouly reviewed A Light in the Window and From the Dark We Rise. I think this would work as a stand alone novel but believe that Margarete's journey and character development is so gripping and tense that the books should be read as a series.
Margarete has now been impersonating Annegret for two years but is still not confident in her role and fears discovery. She outwardly conforms to the Nazi regime and her factory makes weapons for the war effort, yet she provides extra food and supplies for the Jewish prisoners. New orders threaten the security of her Jewish workers and she decides a more dangerous resistance is needed to save as many as possible from the extermination camps.
Meanwhile SS officer Thomas Kallfass returns to the area, intent on furthering his career and marrying Annegret. I found the chapters showing his perspective quite chilling as he revels in Nazi doctrine. Danger and cruelty are never far away and Margarete does not get a moment's peace as she is constantly in fear for her life.
I was completely immersed in the plot from the very first page. The fear and brutality caused by the Nazi regime was so realistically described that it can be upsetting to read. However, this tone is lightened through the bravery and humanity of many of the characters.
The Girl in the Shadows is a gripping historical novel.
February 12, 2022
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.
“The Girl in the Shadows” by Marion Kummerow is book three in what was to be a trilogy, now a four-book series (per the Author’s note). I was glad to read that because this book didn’t quite feel finished at the end.
This book, like the previous two, are fully stand-alone books. You might miss some details, but Ms. Kummerow does a fine job explaining (briefly) things that happened in the past so one is quickly caught up on past references. In this story, Margarete / Annegret continues to try to make life for the POWs and Jews working in her factory better - to the extent that she can. However, the Nazis decide to further tighten their grip of the Jews and further want to rid the race from existing. Along with this, an old enemy (well, maybe more a person Margarete really doesn’t like) comes to call - wanting to recommence his wooing of Annegret for his own gains. Additionally, the factory where the POWs and Jews are working is running out of material - possibly forcing the closure of the factory, which means that the workers will most likely be put into “working camps” - which Margarete knows is probable death. Not giving too much of the plot away, let’s just say that Margarete is her usual resourceful self, but there were some moments there where I was wondering how Ms. Kummerow was going to get this all worked out. I do like Ms. Kummerow’s Author’s Notes at the end, where she explains what parts were based upon true locations/events and which were a bit imagined. Another gripping book in this series - and I cannot wait for the fourth book.
“The Girl in the Shadows” by Marion Kummerow is book three in what was to be a trilogy, now a four-book series (per the Author’s note). I was glad to read that because this book didn’t quite feel finished at the end.
This book, like the previous two, are fully stand-alone books. You might miss some details, but Ms. Kummerow does a fine job explaining (briefly) things that happened in the past so one is quickly caught up on past references. In this story, Margarete / Annegret continues to try to make life for the POWs and Jews working in her factory better - to the extent that she can. However, the Nazis decide to further tighten their grip of the Jews and further want to rid the race from existing. Along with this, an old enemy (well, maybe more a person Margarete really doesn’t like) comes to call - wanting to recommence his wooing of Annegret for his own gains. Additionally, the factory where the POWs and Jews are working is running out of material - possibly forcing the closure of the factory, which means that the workers will most likely be put into “working camps” - which Margarete knows is probable death. Not giving too much of the plot away, let’s just say that Margarete is her usual resourceful self, but there were some moments there where I was wondering how Ms. Kummerow was going to get this all worked out. I do like Ms. Kummerow’s Author’s Notes at the end, where she explains what parts were based upon true locations/events and which were a bit imagined. Another gripping book in this series - and I cannot wait for the fourth book.
March 6, 2022
The Girl in the Shadows is the third instalment in the story of Margarete Rosenbaum. Still living a lie as Annegret Huber, she is trying to do the best she can for the Jewish prisoners that are currently working in the ammunitions factory that she owns, whilst trying to remain undetected. With an instruction that all Jewish prisoners must be sent to concentration camps she hopes to obtain an exemption for the people in her care, including her uncle. When a new SS officer is put in charge locally he not only takes a shine to Annegret thinking that their union would enhance his career, but he also puts a stop to any such hopes that she may have of helping her “employees” escape.
Margarete is still constantly having to look over her shoulder, but she does still have two trusted friends she can rely on and who are doing everything they can to assist her in her quest to keep people safe despite what it could mean for them. The arrival of Thomas Kallfass with his designs on Annegret and the status he believes she can provide him add a new danger to her. He is truly a character you can’t help but despise. His attitude to Jewish prisoners is to be expected considering his rank and job, but it is his attitude towards Annegret that just makes your skin crawl. Whilst some of the SS officers that she has encountered in the past have at their heart wanted to ensure that she survived the war even if their attitudes towards women were not the best, Thomas is determined to control her and her money whilst ignoring her wishes or feelings. His constant attention also puts an added strain on what she is trying to do, and he gets a little too close for comfort.
This is not to say that this book is all doom and gloom, the continued relationship between Dora and Oliver and their impending marriage highlights the fact that despite war raging around them all, life still continued on for many people. Margarete’s blossoming relationship with Stefan gives hope that one day she will be able to reclaim her true identity and live a life no longer in fear.
Once again Marion Kummerow has produced a book that is steeped in both fact and fiction, bringing to life characters that you want to see succeed and those that you don’t. She does not shy away from the harsh realities of the war but handles them sensitively whilst weaving a truly compelling story. I can’t wait for book four in the series to see what is in store for Margarete.
Margarete is still constantly having to look over her shoulder, but she does still have two trusted friends she can rely on and who are doing everything they can to assist her in her quest to keep people safe despite what it could mean for them. The arrival of Thomas Kallfass with his designs on Annegret and the status he believes she can provide him add a new danger to her. He is truly a character you can’t help but despise. His attitude to Jewish prisoners is to be expected considering his rank and job, but it is his attitude towards Annegret that just makes your skin crawl. Whilst some of the SS officers that she has encountered in the past have at their heart wanted to ensure that she survived the war even if their attitudes towards women were not the best, Thomas is determined to control her and her money whilst ignoring her wishes or feelings. His constant attention also puts an added strain on what she is trying to do, and he gets a little too close for comfort.
This is not to say that this book is all doom and gloom, the continued relationship between Dora and Oliver and their impending marriage highlights the fact that despite war raging around them all, life still continued on for many people. Margarete’s blossoming relationship with Stefan gives hope that one day she will be able to reclaim her true identity and live a life no longer in fear.
Once again Marion Kummerow has produced a book that is steeped in both fact and fiction, bringing to life characters that you want to see succeed and those that you don’t. She does not shy away from the harsh realities of the war but handles them sensitively whilst weaving a truly compelling story. I can’t wait for book four in the series to see what is in store for Margarete.
March 22, 2022
In The Girl in the Shadows, the author has done a fantastic job of tracing Margarete’s path as she navigates the perilous times of World War II – with a stolen identity. At this point in her journey, Margarete is well-established as Annagret Huber. But even as the identity is a blessing that keeps her alive, it is also a curse as she discovers what she is now responsible for as Annagret. That blessing/curse dichotomy becomes most prevalent in this installment of the story. In fact, it feels like the previous two books were building to this one. While the path so far has been rocky and there have been frightening moments for Margarete, this is the closest she comes to full exposure. The author also goes into great detail about how corrupt the entire German process was at the time, and how nobody really emerged with clean hands. It is all an exploration into the depths of what people will do when their convictions are tested. I look forward to what happens next. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.
January 27, 2024
In this, the third book in the Margarete's Journey series once again Margarete aka Annegret , a former Jewish maid stole the identification papers of the dead daughter of an important SS leader after the family's death. This was her way of survival assuming the identity of this woman. As this woman she has inherited a mansion and factory employing Jews. These are her people, and she is trying to do everything in her power to get working conditions better for them, but people are starting to become suspicious, and rumors are flying when she hasn't been entertaining with parties for the Nazi's like her mother used to do. When an upper ranking Nazi official falls in love with her and wants to marry her, she is sickened but when he becomes suspicious of who she is it becomes even worse. Will she be able to carry on, hiding in plain sight while helping her own or is there a traitor amongst them?
Full of hold your breath moments, I have to know how this ends and will start the last book in this series now.
Recommended series and fast reads.
Pub Date 23 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Full of hold your breath moments, I have to know how this ends and will start the last book in this series now.
Recommended series and fast reads.
Pub Date 23 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
April 16, 2024
Margaret continues her masquerade as Anagrrete Huber, wealthy Nazi heiress, as she gets more involved with both supplying her munitions factory with much needed steel, and stringing along both Thomas Kallfass and Horst Richter, 2 Nazi fanatics most interested in their careers, but she lets the bad fortune of her uncle get to her and is nearly discovered but for Nazi vanity. She has fallen for Stefan, who is up to his eyeballs in smuggling Jews out od Germany under the noses of the Nazis, with help from Margarete and several villagers and estate personnel.
The suspense is such that I ended up putting the book aside more often than not for this installment. I've never been good at protracted life and death suspense, sadly, and this book is more intense than the previous 3
Well written, and shows that God was active even when others thought Him asleep or careless, and had more people followed His leading, perhaps the 3rd Reich wpuld have died much sooner, and with fewer Jews as fodder for death camps. See what I mean towards the end of the book, when a decision by one man to do something different for his living leads him to where he is needed the most.
The suspense is such that I ended up putting the book aside more often than not for this installment. I've never been good at protracted life and death suspense, sadly, and this book is more intense than the previous 3
Well written, and shows that God was active even when others thought Him asleep or careless, and had more people followed His leading, perhaps the 3rd Reich wpuld have died much sooner, and with fewer Jews as fodder for death camps. See what I mean towards the end of the book, when a decision by one man to do something different for his living leads him to where he is needed the most.
February 18, 2022
We are in Germany in the second world war and Margarete has been living as Annagret for a while now. A new SS officer, Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass starts taking a keen interest in Annagret seeing her as his perfect wife to enhance his status with her position and wealth. Margarete is doing all she can to ease the plight of those working in her armaments factory but Thomas is wanting to eradicate all the jews, little realising the woman of his dreams is also of that faith.
This is a wonderful series in which each could possibly stand alone (perhaps just missing the odd details as some things are briefly explained/commented on so that each book makes sense).. There is a depth of character and lots of plot twists to keep the interest as well as the hard facts and realisation of things that went on during this era. A book to inspire and perhaps one to ponder on. An exciting read and one I really enjoyed. I very much look forward to the next one in the series.
For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
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July 27, 2022
The Girl in the Shadows: Margarete’s Journey Book 3 is by Marion Kammerow. This book is wonderful as are the others in this century. The author, Marion Kammerow, has taken us into the hearts of her characters and made us sympathize with our main characters. The book is beautifully written.
Margarete Rosenbaum had made a difficult decision when a bomb killed Annagerte Huber, Margarete took her identity and inherited her fortune; but also all her problems. Only two of the servants are privy to her secret and they are completely trustworthy. Annagerte owns not only the farm; but an industry which made ammunition for the Reich. In these businesses, she uses the labor of prisoners of the Nazis; however, she does the best she can to provide them with food, shelter, and better clothing. Although their conditions are still not the best, they are better than at the camp. How is she to save these people when a new man comes to town who has aspirations to be stationed in Berlin. Can she outwit him and save her people?
Margarete Rosenbaum had made a difficult decision when a bomb killed Annagerte Huber, Margarete took her identity and inherited her fortune; but also all her problems. Only two of the servants are privy to her secret and they are completely trustworthy. Annagerte owns not only the farm; but an industry which made ammunition for the Reich. In these businesses, she uses the labor of prisoners of the Nazis; however, she does the best she can to provide them with food, shelter, and better clothing. Although their conditions are still not the best, they are better than at the camp. How is she to save these people when a new man comes to town who has aspirations to be stationed in Berlin. Can she outwit him and save her people?
April 3, 2022
Last Wednesday, the third installment of Margarete’s Journey, The Girl in the Shadows was published. I have really come to love this series. Each book has shown such a growth in Margarete and her character. This book certainly did not lack with that development and it even brought in a little bit of romance.
As Margarete continues to live the life of Anngret, she realizes that she must do good as the Nazi’s continue to rage into WW2. As the owner of the ammunition factory, she has Jews and other prisoners of war as her workers. While she has tried to better their treatment, the local Nazi leader pushes hard to eradicate all of the Jewish people in the area. However, she is putting her own life at risk and the lives of others to save as many as she can. While a new local Nazi officer has taken a liking to Maragrete, she continues to play the charade as as Annegret to do the best that she can. In her efforts to work with the restistance party, she stumbles into meeting Stefan, where there might be more than just a common bond of trying to save lives.
Marion Kummerow delivers another winner in this series. The characters continue to grow through each book as the war wages through. As The Girl in the Shadows was wrapping up, it was very apparent that there would be a 4th book in this series, which is just great. I will definitely continue to read this series and hopefully with a bit of romance in the next one, we’ll see an extra spark!
On the Cat Scale:
😸😸😸😸
As Margarete continues to live the life of Anngret, she realizes that she must do good as the Nazi’s continue to rage into WW2. As the owner of the ammunition factory, she has Jews and other prisoners of war as her workers. While she has tried to better their treatment, the local Nazi leader pushes hard to eradicate all of the Jewish people in the area. However, she is putting her own life at risk and the lives of others to save as many as she can. While a new local Nazi officer has taken a liking to Maragrete, she continues to play the charade as as Annegret to do the best that she can. In her efforts to work with the restistance party, she stumbles into meeting Stefan, where there might be more than just a common bond of trying to save lives.
Marion Kummerow delivers another winner in this series. The characters continue to grow through each book as the war wages through. As The Girl in the Shadows was wrapping up, it was very apparent that there would be a 4th book in this series, which is just great. I will definitely continue to read this series and hopefully with a bit of romance in the next one, we’ll see an extra spark!
On the Cat Scale:
😸😸😸😸
March 23, 2023
Another great story in the life of Margarete.
Two new characters have entered the story,one of the men is in love with her,but he is an officer in the German army & she is definitely not intetested.
Another man who was once an engineer, is now a lowly fisherman & he thinks,a rich heiress would never accept him,but actually she would love to spend the rest of her life with him.
The story just keeps getting better every page.
The Germans are more determined than ever to rid every town & city of the Jews,by whatever means necessary,as the Allies are on their way.
But,the little imposter isn't through yet,she is determined to put herself in harm's way,to save all of the men & women working at the munitions factory on the estate.
Two new characters have entered the story,one of the men is in love with her,but he is an officer in the German army & she is definitely not intetested.
Another man who was once an engineer, is now a lowly fisherman & he thinks,a rich heiress would never accept him,but actually she would love to spend the rest of her life with him.
The story just keeps getting better every page.
The Germans are more determined than ever to rid every town & city of the Jews,by whatever means necessary,as the Allies are on their way.
But,the little imposter isn't through yet,she is determined to put herself in harm's way,to save all of the men & women working at the munitions factory on the estate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2022
Notes for next book: Nazis (Thomas) discovered heroine was Jewish. Father of heroine friend saved her when Thomas was going to arrest her but only because he knew he would be in trouble for recognize her as being his friend's daughter. He causes Thomas to be arrested and then attempts to kill heroine bu throwing her over a cliff. She is rescued by the fisherman - whom she is in love with - and tells him that she is Jewish (maid) and took the place of her employer's daughter when the family was killed in a bombing raid. Heroine's uncle was tortured into revealing that she was Jewish - but remains alive according to Thomas,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2023
With the cruelty of war, we wonder how many people had gone thru the same as Margarete Rosenbaum, a jewish girl trying to stay alive. She was shown that with the bombing and being one of the two jewish members of the same house as a servants where she was treated and told that they were not worth the ground they walked on. After surviving the bombing what she had to do in order to stay alive any moment of every day her life could be taken from her but still she helps others trying to keep so many alive. Could you and I do the same if we were in the same situation. This book will open your thoughts of what others have dealt with during war and what other may go through.
January 30, 2025
Wow. What can I say? I am not surprised at the amazingly, cunning, Margarete. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish as did the first two. What a brilliantly written story about a woman, fearing for her life and others that she continues to sacrifice day in and day out, hoping she won’t be caught so that she can save thousands of others. The ending was not what I expected and I felt so many emotions! I love Stephan and how he just knew in his heart that she was a Jew and never questioned her or doubted his love for her. I hope the fourth book gives her here happily ever after. So so so good!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2022
I’ve become quite attached to this series and I’m delighted to know there is one more after this one. I was on the edge of my seat while I declared this book. I could feel the tension increasing as the lies Margrete has spun tighten around her. Once character was absolutely so vile I could barely read those pages.
It’s an exciting read, replete with suspense and fear and the knowledge that time is running out for her and the people she is protecting.
Shine some light on The Girl in the Shadows.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early read.
It’s an exciting read, replete with suspense and fear and the knowledge that time is running out for her and the people she is protecting.
Shine some light on The Girl in the Shadows.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early read.
May 20, 2022
I loved this one but I’m fascinated by the way the Jewish people saved a few of their people during Ww2. A young woman gets the chance to pose as a rich German who feigns like she supports Hitler. All the time, she is helping the Jews in her factory to escape their terrible situation. She even pretends to like a young German man who supports Hitlers agenda. She really loves a local fisherman who is also involved in helping Jews escape. It ended great which I always like. Didn’t have to figure out the ending.
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