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The Angel of Vienna
Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.
“Nobody wants to die, Hannah. But these children… they haven’t even lived yet. And you have a chance to save them. The question is just: are you brave enough?”
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…
The most unmissable historical fiction of the year, guaranteed to leave readers in tears. Perfect for fans of My Name is Eva, All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
“Nobody wants to die, Hannah. But these children… they haven’t even lived yet. And you have a chance to save them. The question is just: are you brave enough?”
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…
The most unmissable historical fiction of the year, guaranteed to leave readers in tears. Perfect for fans of My Name is Eva, All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2022
1141 people are currently reading
928 people want to read
About the author
Kate Hewitt
875 books1,692 followersKate is the USA Today-bsetselling author of many books of both historical and contemporary fiction. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.
She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.
She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 16, 2022
Another outstanding and heartbreaking work of historical fiction by Kate Hewitt. I read a great deal of historical fiction and WW2 is a period that is especially interesting to me. The disturbing details of the children’s psychiatric facility during the time of Nazi Germany and the real-life characters that were used to craft the novel were well done. Hannah is a nurse who at first works at a Lebensborn, but when her half-brother Georg contacts her and asks her to accompany her disabled nephew, Willi to a facility in Austria that he hopes will provide specialized treatment, she agrees. She quickly bonds with Willi, and soon comes to learn that the facility has no interest in helping the children at all but is quietly killing children with disabilities to rid society of those with imperfections. Hannah is not a perfect character. Even after she learns the truth, it takes her some time to act. But she is a character whose weaknesses the reader can understand and relate to, and as she grows into the best version of herself, and fights for the children there, you cheer for her in her best moments. I especially liked Margarethe. This was a heartbreaking story to read, and was very well written, covering an important time in history.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley for review purposes.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley for review purposes.
June 15, 2022
Hannah Stern had found her half brother when he was in his forties and she her twenties. Georg was a Major in the Abwehr who funded Hannah’s training to become a nurse. When Georg summoned her to return to Berlin, she wasn’t sure what he would want. But he introduced Hannah to his nine-year-old son, Willi, who had cerebral palsy and he wanted Hannah to accompany Willi to the psychiatric hospital in Vienna, Am Steinhof, where he would receive treatment. But the shock Hannah received on their arrival would worsen as the dark secrets of vanishing children flowed through the hospital, with cruel nurses and evil doctors on their daily rounds.
Hannah visited Willi daily as she worked in pavilion three and Willi was in five. The children were hungry, scared and not cared for, and when Hannah learned from her friend and fellow nurse, Margarethe, that some of them were rescuing children before they were killed, Hannah wanted to help. The danger was heightened by the constant vigilance of the nurses, matron and doctor, but Hannah did her best. The war years were harsh, the regime brutal – they prayed the war would be over soon…
The Angel of Vienna by Kate Hewitt is a heartbreaking story, based on truth, of tragedy and devastation, but also of courage and friendship. I cannot fathom that the Germans were doing this evil thing. Yet I shouldn’t be shocked, knowing what they did to the Jews and gypsies. The poor, innocent children and how they suffered. Unconscionable! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Hannah visited Willi daily as she worked in pavilion three and Willi was in five. The children were hungry, scared and not cared for, and when Hannah learned from her friend and fellow nurse, Margarethe, that some of them were rescuing children before they were killed, Hannah wanted to help. The danger was heightened by the constant vigilance of the nurses, matron and doctor, but Hannah did her best. The war years were harsh, the regime brutal – they prayed the war would be over soon…
The Angel of Vienna by Kate Hewitt is a heartbreaking story, based on truth, of tragedy and devastation, but also of courage and friendship. I cannot fathom that the Germans were doing this evil thing. Yet I shouldn’t be shocked, knowing what they did to the Jews and gypsies. The poor, innocent children and how they suffered. Unconscionable! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2022
“Are you going to be like all the others, Hannah? Margarethe asked with a quiet, pulsing intensity. “Are you going to turn a blind eye because it’s easier?”
I knew right away that there was major character development on the horizon and Hewitt certainly did not disappoint.
Stories of triumph, faith and heroism appeal to me…especially historical fiction stories set during the adversity of WW2. Set in Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1940, this story is the perfect mix of historical research, interesting characters, intriguing conflict and a little romance. It explores the familiar themes of forgiveness, hope, redemption, sacrifice and love and is told through fresh individualism in true Kate Hewitt style.
Have you heard about:
- the Am Steinhof Trials?
- Dr. Erwin Jekelius?
- Luminal?
- Am Speigelgrund, the ‘Special Children’s Ward’?
- the gypsy round-up prior to the Berlin Olympics in 1936?
- “The gentleman with the syringe” or “The Urn Handler”?
- Aktion T4?
- Hartheim Castle in connection to ‘further treatments’?
If you answered ‘no,’ and you love historical fiction, then this needs to be on your reading list.
Hewitt is known for writing about the unsung heroism of ordinary people and highlighting the extraordinary risk they took in helping their fellow man. At the core of this story is a terrible and tragic part of our history, the human wickedness is stomach-churning, yet Hewitt writes to make sure we learn from our past. You might want to grab tissues.
The two main characters, Margarethe and Hannah, are strong women with a clear vision of what’s right and what’s wrong. Although there’s initial tension between them, they learn to work together and influence each other to become better people. The result is that lives are saved. Children’s lives. Hewitt writes to make their core of humanity available for us all and show us that indeed, the power of one single person CAN and DOES make a difference. We all have a part to play in a tragedy. What part will we play?
Hewitt shared a poem by Martin Hiemoller, a German pastor, earlier this year and it has stayed with me. I kept thinking about it as I read this book.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
If this resonates with you, please read this spectacular book and discover what Hannah Stern and the Angel of Vienna did when they dug deep into their souls -
“Still, we need to remind ourselves there is something beautiful in this world, don’t we? Because it can be so difficult to find it in this place. We must work together, to remind ourselves. There is always beauty, even here.”
I think this is a necessary thought to tuck into our hearts as our world gets a bit darker every day. Let’s look for the beauty. It’s there. Always.
I was gifted this advance copy by Kate Hewitt, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I knew right away that there was major character development on the horizon and Hewitt certainly did not disappoint.
Stories of triumph, faith and heroism appeal to me…especially historical fiction stories set during the adversity of WW2. Set in Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1940, this story is the perfect mix of historical research, interesting characters, intriguing conflict and a little romance. It explores the familiar themes of forgiveness, hope, redemption, sacrifice and love and is told through fresh individualism in true Kate Hewitt style.
Have you heard about:
- the Am Steinhof Trials?
- Dr. Erwin Jekelius?
- Luminal?
- Am Speigelgrund, the ‘Special Children’s Ward’?
- the gypsy round-up prior to the Berlin Olympics in 1936?
- “The gentleman with the syringe” or “The Urn Handler”?
- Aktion T4?
- Hartheim Castle in connection to ‘further treatments’?
If you answered ‘no,’ and you love historical fiction, then this needs to be on your reading list.
Hewitt is known for writing about the unsung heroism of ordinary people and highlighting the extraordinary risk they took in helping their fellow man. At the core of this story is a terrible and tragic part of our history, the human wickedness is stomach-churning, yet Hewitt writes to make sure we learn from our past. You might want to grab tissues.
The two main characters, Margarethe and Hannah, are strong women with a clear vision of what’s right and what’s wrong. Although there’s initial tension between them, they learn to work together and influence each other to become better people. The result is that lives are saved. Children’s lives. Hewitt writes to make their core of humanity available for us all and show us that indeed, the power of one single person CAN and DOES make a difference. We all have a part to play in a tragedy. What part will we play?
Hewitt shared a poem by Martin Hiemoller, a German pastor, earlier this year and it has stayed with me. I kept thinking about it as I read this book.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
If this resonates with you, please read this spectacular book and discover what Hannah Stern and the Angel of Vienna did when they dug deep into their souls -
“Still, we need to remind ourselves there is something beautiful in this world, don’t we? Because it can be so difficult to find it in this place. We must work together, to remind ourselves. There is always beauty, even here.”
I think this is a necessary thought to tuck into our hearts as our world gets a bit darker every day. Let’s look for the beauty. It’s there. Always.
I was gifted this advance copy by Kate Hewitt, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
July 3, 2022
For the Life of a Child
A story of the unfortunate and cruel existence of the handicapped children kept in asylums by the Nazi's just because they were not what they considered perfect humans. They did not consider them worthy of life.
This is the story of a nurse named Hannah and her fellow nurse Margarethe who risked their lives to save a few of these children from the Austrian asylum known as Am Steinhof.
Hannah came to Am Steinhoff to care for her nephew Willi at the urging of her half brother. She felt compelled to do so since he is the one that paid for her nurse's training. She fell in love with Willi and did everything she could to visit him and watch over him.
She would risk her life for many children at the time she was at the Asylum and became close friends with fellow nurse Margarethe. Such good friends that she protected Margarethe with an extreme act of bravery as they were saving one of the children.
This story brings to light one more atrocity committed by the Nazi regime under the leadership of the dictator Adolf Hitler. Such cruelty to children so vulnerable is purely evil.
This was a sad story to read, but a story that needed to be told. We must never forget what happened, lest it ever happen again.
Thanks to Kate Hewitt for writing a great historical story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.
A story of the unfortunate and cruel existence of the handicapped children kept in asylums by the Nazi's just because they were not what they considered perfect humans. They did not consider them worthy of life.
This is the story of a nurse named Hannah and her fellow nurse Margarethe who risked their lives to save a few of these children from the Austrian asylum known as Am Steinhof.
Hannah came to Am Steinhoff to care for her nephew Willi at the urging of her half brother. She felt compelled to do so since he is the one that paid for her nurse's training. She fell in love with Willi and did everything she could to visit him and watch over him.
She would risk her life for many children at the time she was at the Asylum and became close friends with fellow nurse Margarethe. Such good friends that she protected Margarethe with an extreme act of bravery as they were saving one of the children.
This story brings to light one more atrocity committed by the Nazi regime under the leadership of the dictator Adolf Hitler. Such cruelty to children so vulnerable is purely evil.
This was a sad story to read, but a story that needed to be told. We must never forget what happened, lest it ever happen again.
Thanks to Kate Hewitt for writing a great historical story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.
June 19, 2022
I've always had a strange fascination with World War II historical fiction. While it's a disturbing time in history, the courage ordinary citizens displayed to save others fascinates me. In "The Angel of Vienna," Kate Hewitt pens an emotional account of nurses that sacrificed their lives to save children.
The children sent to Am Steinhof, we're deemed unworthy and subject to experimentation. When Hannah first joined the staff as a caregiver to her half-brother's child, she didn't realize the house of horrors it employed. When a nurse recruits Hannah's help to rescue the children, she discovers the truth behind Pavilion 15. Can she go back to being blissfully unaware or will she join the fight?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheAngelofVienna. It wasn't an easy story to read but an important chapter in history to never forget. The novel is filled with frightening scenes especially the experiments. That being said, the bravery displayed made it one of the most powerful books I've read this year.
Merged review:
I've always had a strange fascination with World War II historical fiction. While it's a disturbing time in history, the courage ordinary citizens displayed to save others fascinates me. In "The Angel of Vienna," Kate Hewitt pens an emotional account of nurses that sacrificed their lives to save children.
The children sent to Am Steinhof, we're deemed unworthy and subject to experimentation. When Hannah first joined the staff as a caregiver to her half-brother's child, she didn't realize the house of horrors it employed. When a nurse recruits Hannah's help to rescue the children, she discovers the truth behind Pavilion 15. Can she go back to being blissfully unaware or will she join the fight?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheAngelofVienna. It wasn't an easy story to read but an important chapter in history to never forget. The novel is filled with frightening scenes especially the experiments. That being said, the bravery displayed made it one of the most powerful books I've read this year.
The children sent to Am Steinhof, we're deemed unworthy and subject to experimentation. When Hannah first joined the staff as a caregiver to her half-brother's child, she didn't realize the house of horrors it employed. When a nurse recruits Hannah's help to rescue the children, she discovers the truth behind Pavilion 15. Can she go back to being blissfully unaware or will she join the fight?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheAngelofVienna. It wasn't an easy story to read but an important chapter in history to never forget. The novel is filled with frightening scenes especially the experiments. That being said, the bravery displayed made it one of the most powerful books I've read this year.
Merged review:
I've always had a strange fascination with World War II historical fiction. While it's a disturbing time in history, the courage ordinary citizens displayed to save others fascinates me. In "The Angel of Vienna," Kate Hewitt pens an emotional account of nurses that sacrificed their lives to save children.
The children sent to Am Steinhof, we're deemed unworthy and subject to experimentation. When Hannah first joined the staff as a caregiver to her half-brother's child, she didn't realize the house of horrors it employed. When a nurse recruits Hannah's help to rescue the children, she discovers the truth behind Pavilion 15. Can she go back to being blissfully unaware or will she join the fight?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheAngelofVienna. It wasn't an easy story to read but an important chapter in history to never forget. The novel is filled with frightening scenes especially the experiments. That being said, the bravery displayed made it one of the most powerful books I've read this year.
July 22, 2022
First and foremost, I must thank NetGalley, Bookouture and Kate Hewitt for allowing me to read this extraordinary novel. As a fan of Kate’s I jump on the chance to request her books because I always learn something from them that I had not previously been aware of and as always…as a reader of historical fiction, I encourage you to read the authors notes at the end of the book for further insight.
Hannah Stern owes her hurting career to her half brother whom she barely knows. He paid for her schooling and then secured a job for her in one of the Lebensborn homes as Germany rose to power in WWII. She is extremely surprised when he summons her from the home to Berlin with a new job for her, a nurse to his disabled son at a “clinic” in Vienna. She doesn’t quite understand the assignment when they arrive at the clinic but quickly learns to the truth about the place…they are systematically yet quietly murdering children who are deemed not worthy of living. Hannah can’t bare the atrocities that occur under the very roofs in which she works so she teams up with another nurse, Margarethe and the two do everything they can to save as many children as they can.
While I was aware of Hitlers order to dispose of those with mental and physical disabilities, I hadn’t come across a story that sheds light on the horror. While this story is fiction, many of the doctors and nurses mentioned in the story were in fact real people who were about as evil as they come. What I love about this story though is that it reminds us that there were good people embedded in the Nazi regime. They were masters of deception when it comes to those in charge and yet put their lives on the line to save someone else’s. It’s those stories that stay with you, that turn history into something more than just words on a page. I highly recommend this book, it will tug at your heart!
Hannah Stern owes her hurting career to her half brother whom she barely knows. He paid for her schooling and then secured a job for her in one of the Lebensborn homes as Germany rose to power in WWII. She is extremely surprised when he summons her from the home to Berlin with a new job for her, a nurse to his disabled son at a “clinic” in Vienna. She doesn’t quite understand the assignment when they arrive at the clinic but quickly learns to the truth about the place…they are systematically yet quietly murdering children who are deemed not worthy of living. Hannah can’t bare the atrocities that occur under the very roofs in which she works so she teams up with another nurse, Margarethe and the two do everything they can to save as many children as they can.
While I was aware of Hitlers order to dispose of those with mental and physical disabilities, I hadn’t come across a story that sheds light on the horror. While this story is fiction, many of the doctors and nurses mentioned in the story were in fact real people who were about as evil as they come. What I love about this story though is that it reminds us that there were good people embedded in the Nazi regime. They were masters of deception when it comes to those in charge and yet put their lives on the line to save someone else’s. It’s those stories that stay with you, that turn history into something more than just words on a page. I highly recommend this book, it will tug at your heart!
July 11, 2022
CW: Anti-Semitism and other prejudices, ableism, medical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse (not graphic or detailed, just mentioned in passing) and murder. None of the CW are graphic, but it can be uncomfortable.
This story follows nurses Hannah Stern and her coworker Margarethe as they discover the horrible secrets of Am Steinhof. Determined to protect those society has deemed unworthy, they risk their lives multiple times to save the children under their care. We see both women bond together and rely on their friendship to keep each other motivated. Their relationship really warmed my heart and inspired me to encourage my friends, too.
While their friendship and the children in the novel are heartwarming, this is also a tough book to read. The children in this hospital experienced abuse and neglect. Anti-Semitism, ableism, and prejudices caused these children to endure what no child should. For every person willing to help, they were vastly outnumbered by those who wished harm or were indifferent. My pro-life views resonated deeply with this story, especially with this quote below:
"What does it matter, Hannah?... Either a human being is worthy of life, or they aren't. You cannot make a list of conditions, tick them off one by one, because then who gets to decide?"
In conclusion, this is an heartbreaking yet inspirational book. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it to all. May we never forget this dark period of time and use history to prevent things like this from happening, or continuing.
This story follows nurses Hannah Stern and her coworker Margarethe as they discover the horrible secrets of Am Steinhof. Determined to protect those society has deemed unworthy, they risk their lives multiple times to save the children under their care. We see both women bond together and rely on their friendship to keep each other motivated. Their relationship really warmed my heart and inspired me to encourage my friends, too.
While their friendship and the children in the novel are heartwarming, this is also a tough book to read. The children in this hospital experienced abuse and neglect. Anti-Semitism, ableism, and prejudices caused these children to endure what no child should. For every person willing to help, they were vastly outnumbered by those who wished harm or were indifferent. My pro-life views resonated deeply with this story, especially with this quote below:
"What does it matter, Hannah?... Either a human being is worthy of life, or they aren't. You cannot make a list of conditions, tick them off one by one, because then who gets to decide?"
In conclusion, this is an heartbreaking yet inspirational book. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it to all. May we never forget this dark period of time and use history to prevent things like this from happening, or continuing.
June 15, 2022
3.5 stars. So, I didn’t love this story. I’ll caveat that by pointing out that because I read a lot of historical fiction set in WWII, I expect a lot from new titles in this category.
The book is well written. The details are interesting, and I learned things about child asylums and “treatments” that I didn’t know already. My favorite moment of the story is when Hannah questions what she thinks she knows about Willi and his abilities once she sees him as a patient for the first time. And she never really “finds out” what his true capabilities are. I think that was a brilliantly done little nuance, giving the reader a glimpse into what those working with atypical children may anguish over. Of course, the point is that it doesn’t really matter, especially in this context of life or death.
Where this story fell short for me was character development. It’s a relatively short book, and I think with more time to delve into relationships, this could have been remedied for me. I just didn’t feel very connected to Hannah or Margarethe, and I think the stark change in the manner of Hannah’s half brother Georg is a little odd. The end was a touch abrupt, but there was a mini twist/revelation that I really liked.
Overall a nice, short read detailing an aspect of WWII that is relatively obscure! Thank you to Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
The book is well written. The details are interesting, and I learned things about child asylums and “treatments” that I didn’t know already. My favorite moment of the story is when Hannah questions what she thinks she knows about Willi and his abilities once she sees him as a patient for the first time. And she never really “finds out” what his true capabilities are. I think that was a brilliantly done little nuance, giving the reader a glimpse into what those working with atypical children may anguish over. Of course, the point is that it doesn’t really matter, especially in this context of life or death.
Where this story fell short for me was character development. It’s a relatively short book, and I think with more time to delve into relationships, this could have been remedied for me. I just didn’t feel very connected to Hannah or Margarethe, and I think the stark change in the manner of Hannah’s half brother Georg is a little odd. The end was a touch abrupt, but there was a mini twist/revelation that I really liked.
Overall a nice, short read detailing an aspect of WWII that is relatively obscure! Thank you to Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Read
December 16, 2022This was not easy to read but then nothing involving the Nazis is. I struggled
through sections maybe the reason I am so late in reviewing this one.
Hannah after her nurses training ends up in the hospital where Hitlers dream ofa
pure Aryan race was propagated. Children born to pure German mothers blonde, blue eyed
birthed adopted by families approved by the Reich. When the summons came for her to visit
her half brother who was a Senior in German Intelligence, Hannah knew it did not bode
well for her.
Her orders to accompany her disabled nephew to Vienna to a hospital for surgery and
treatments, a euphemism for certain and premeditated death. A way to rid society of disabled, both physical and mental and anyone the regime considered undesirable.
Hannah teams up with Margrethe to spirit out children one at a time to safety from certain
death. Hannah sadly could not save her nephew but she played a role in helping many.
I read about callousness and cruelty all the time but the Nazis honed it into an art form.
Brutal, but factual this was a tough one.
through sections maybe the reason I am so late in reviewing this one.
Hannah after her nurses training ends up in the hospital where Hitlers dream ofa
pure Aryan race was propagated. Children born to pure German mothers blonde, blue eyed
birthed adopted by families approved by the Reich. When the summons came for her to visit
her half brother who was a Senior in German Intelligence, Hannah knew it did not bode
well for her.
Her orders to accompany her disabled nephew to Vienna to a hospital for surgery and
treatments, a euphemism for certain and premeditated death. A way to rid society of disabled, both physical and mental and anyone the regime considered undesirable.
Hannah teams up with Margrethe to spirit out children one at a time to safety from certain
death. Hannah sadly could not save her nephew but she played a role in helping many.
I read about callousness and cruelty all the time but the Nazis honed it into an art form.
Brutal, but factual this was a tough one.
July 7, 2022
The Angel of Vienna
By Kate Hewitt
Series: None
Publisher: Bookouture
Rated: 5
Obtain: Borrow it
Back of the Book: “Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.
“Nobody wants to die, Hannah. But these children… they haven’t even lived yet. And you have a chance to save them. The question is just: are you brave enough?”
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…
Impressions: What a fantastic book. I was wholly expecting something historical and dramatic but I was not expecting to be crying while sunbathing at the pool. This book went deep into the heartbreaking cruelty of the children “hospitals” in Nazi control during WW2. I could not put this book down and when I did my heart was heavy for this world. This book engaged the reader through an emotional journey of fear, love, and sacrifice. While faith was mentioned in this book, it was not preachy and I would not consider this a “Christian” novel. I think it is great for the secular and Christian readers out there who are looking for a historical novel. This book would be rated R in the theaters for the trauma and abuse described but also sexual abuse. I would recommend this for adults for these reasons.
Quotes: “‘I meant to make my vow to God, a sacred and solitary thing, but it felt as if I were making flimsy promises to mere humans- to the mother superiors, to the other nuns, to the idea of the convent, perhaps, but not the idea I had in my head. In the end, I realized I could serve God better out of a convent than in it.’”
“Either a human being is worthy of life, or they aren’t. you cannot make a list of conditions, tick them off one by one, because then who gets to decide?” – With the big news of Roe vs. Wade being overturned recently I think this quote means more. The reasons for abortion have flimsy rational.
“‘If this life is the only hope you have, then naturally you cling to it. But what a poor hope it is.’”
“‘How do you do it? Hannah asked.’… ‘Because I’m no use to anyone if I let myself be mired down in grief and sorrow,’ she stated. ‘Those who let themselves be overwhelmed by the horror never actually act. They just wring their hands and cluck their tongues. I won’t be like that. Neither will you.’”
“‘If it is only for this life we have hope, we are to be pitied,’ Margarethe told her quietly. ‘It is what St Paul wrote, and as I have said before, it is what I have always believed. It can be a comfort, when you consider the way the world is.’”
“‘Our motto must be: Death rather than sin. By pious prayer and penance we can bring down upon us all, our city and our beloved German land, His grace and forgiveness.’”
I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com
By Kate Hewitt
Series: None
Publisher: Bookouture
Rated: 5
Obtain: Borrow it
Back of the Book: “Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.
“Nobody wants to die, Hannah. But these children… they haven’t even lived yet. And you have a chance to save them. The question is just: are you brave enough?”
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…
Impressions: What a fantastic book. I was wholly expecting something historical and dramatic but I was not expecting to be crying while sunbathing at the pool. This book went deep into the heartbreaking cruelty of the children “hospitals” in Nazi control during WW2. I could not put this book down and when I did my heart was heavy for this world. This book engaged the reader through an emotional journey of fear, love, and sacrifice. While faith was mentioned in this book, it was not preachy and I would not consider this a “Christian” novel. I think it is great for the secular and Christian readers out there who are looking for a historical novel. This book would be rated R in the theaters for the trauma and abuse described but also sexual abuse. I would recommend this for adults for these reasons.
Quotes: “‘I meant to make my vow to God, a sacred and solitary thing, but it felt as if I were making flimsy promises to mere humans- to the mother superiors, to the other nuns, to the idea of the convent, perhaps, but not the idea I had in my head. In the end, I realized I could serve God better out of a convent than in it.’”
“Either a human being is worthy of life, or they aren’t. you cannot make a list of conditions, tick them off one by one, because then who gets to decide?” – With the big news of Roe vs. Wade being overturned recently I think this quote means more. The reasons for abortion have flimsy rational.
“‘If this life is the only hope you have, then naturally you cling to it. But what a poor hope it is.’”
“‘How do you do it? Hannah asked.’… ‘Because I’m no use to anyone if I let myself be mired down in grief and sorrow,’ she stated. ‘Those who let themselves be overwhelmed by the horror never actually act. They just wring their hands and cluck their tongues. I won’t be like that. Neither will you.’”
“‘If it is only for this life we have hope, we are to be pitied,’ Margarethe told her quietly. ‘It is what St Paul wrote, and as I have said before, it is what I have always believed. It can be a comfort, when you consider the way the world is.’”
“‘Our motto must be: Death rather than sin. By pious prayer and penance we can bring down upon us all, our city and our beloved German land, His grace and forgiveness.’”
I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com
June 19, 2022
I just finished the Angel of Vienna by Kate Hewitt and here are my thoughts.
Hannah is a nurse working during the most horrific time of war. Out of nowhere her half brother, an important man to the third reich, requests she come to see him at his home. Having had little to do with her brother, she is mystified as to what he could possibly want.
She finds out he wants her to take his son, Willi, to a psychiatric hospital for children who aren’t perfect by Hitlers standards. While working there she understands the true nature of the hospital and the horrifying things that happen there. After Willi “dies”, Hannah joins her friend in rescuing the children who are sentenced to die every month. Putting her own life at risk to save a few children that can’t save themselves, puts Hannah in a most dangerous position. One even her brother's rank can’t save her from.
This book tugged on every heart string I have. The tale was woven with such gentle and delicate care that I could smell death coming from the page.
I really felt the hopelessness coming from Georg, Hannah’s brother, he was really between a rock and a hard place. He loved his son no matter what but to protect him, he had to send him to a place not fit for rats. I couldn’t imagine the anguish. I also really enjoyed watching his and Hannah’s relationship unfold and the complexities they had to endure because of their Father’s indiscretion with Hannah’s mother.
Hannah was a saint. She literally took on an impossible task and rose to the occasion. I hope that I would have been as courageous as Hannah during those kinds of trials. I couldn’t imagine the horrors. The character development was top notch and the setting of the book was written so well I could feel myself in the walls of that hospital.
This was a refreshing twist on a world war II novel. I loved every single minute and held my kindle close when it was over.
5 stars! If historical fiction is your jam and you love a good WW2 novel then add this one to your list. You won’t be sorry! Just make sure you grab some kleenex
Thank you netgalley and bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review
Hannah is a nurse working during the most horrific time of war. Out of nowhere her half brother, an important man to the third reich, requests she come to see him at his home. Having had little to do with her brother, she is mystified as to what he could possibly want.
She finds out he wants her to take his son, Willi, to a psychiatric hospital for children who aren’t perfect by Hitlers standards. While working there she understands the true nature of the hospital and the horrifying things that happen there. After Willi “dies”, Hannah joins her friend in rescuing the children who are sentenced to die every month. Putting her own life at risk to save a few children that can’t save themselves, puts Hannah in a most dangerous position. One even her brother's rank can’t save her from.
This book tugged on every heart string I have. The tale was woven with such gentle and delicate care that I could smell death coming from the page.
I really felt the hopelessness coming from Georg, Hannah’s brother, he was really between a rock and a hard place. He loved his son no matter what but to protect him, he had to send him to a place not fit for rats. I couldn’t imagine the anguish. I also really enjoyed watching his and Hannah’s relationship unfold and the complexities they had to endure because of their Father’s indiscretion with Hannah’s mother.
Hannah was a saint. She literally took on an impossible task and rose to the occasion. I hope that I would have been as courageous as Hannah during those kinds of trials. I couldn’t imagine the horrors. The character development was top notch and the setting of the book was written so well I could feel myself in the walls of that hospital.
This was a refreshing twist on a world war II novel. I loved every single minute and held my kindle close when it was over.
5 stars! If historical fiction is your jam and you love a good WW2 novel then add this one to your list. You won’t be sorry! Just make sure you grab some kleenex
Thank you netgalley and bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review
June 19, 2022
The Angel of Vienna is the new book from Kate Hewitt which takes the reader on a dark and horrifying journey to Vienna where a psychiatric hospital is not all it seems. This story was a slow burner for me and although it never fully developed into something with a rip-roaring pace and it didn’t have that edge of your seat feeling of rushing towards a dramatic climax it was a satisfying and certainly eye-opening read. The author focuses on an aspect of World War Two that I had never read about before and to be honest I was reading this book and couldn’t quite fathom at the untold horrors inflicted on such young and innocent children. I’ve read lots of stories about the horrors of the prison camps but shining a light on what such vile and evil people did all under the guise of helping children was a cruelty I had never known of before. After reading this book, I feel well educated on the topic and Kate Hewitt has certainly given a voice to those who were unnecessarily and brutally silenced during the war years and all because they were just that little bit different and had no way of defending themselves. But the Angel of Vienna, as named in the title, does her best to save whom she can but it is a dangerous and dark road that she is venturing down.
The book has a tense opening as an angry and apprehensive crowd stand outside a courthouse in August of 1946 as the accused in the Am Steinhof trials are about to hear their verdict. A woman stands gripping a child’s hand keen to hear what will happen. Deep in her heart she will never let those helpless children be forgotten. Then the first chapter takes us back to 1940 to Steinhoing in Germany where Hannah Stern works in a heim hochland or maternity home. Her official duty is as a paediatric nurse but she often steps in as a midwife. Many maternity homes were set up at this time under the Lebensborn programme where women gave birth to blond, blue eyed babies to help the Fatherland. Many in turn were then given up for adoption to SS families. Physical perfection is the ideal and those that don’t meet that criteria. Well it doesn’t bare thinking about what happens to them but you can hazard a guess as to the outcome. Hannah seems uneasy and unhappy in her job. You can sense that she is not comfortable with the programme and she feels isolated and lonely at the home.
Hannah was a complex character duty bound by her half brother. He secured her training and a job when she needed it most but she doesn’t agree with what she is involved in with regard to the maternity home. She doesn’t come straight out and outline her beliefs in regard to Hitler, the war and the persecution of so many people for to do so would mean instant death. Yet you can read between the lines and tell that she detests everything that Hitler stands for and the unnecessary and barbaric cruelty inflicted on so many. When a request for her arrives to leave the home and travel to Berlin to meet with her half brother Georg, who is involved with military intelligence, Hannah’s life changes dramatically. She knows she can never really say no to Georg considering if he hadn’t helped her she would more or less have been on the streets the reasons for which she gives us brief glimpses into the further the book progresses.
Hannah is wary of Georg and his family situation and is surprised when he requests that she travel to a children’s hospital where his son Willi is to be treated for his cerebral palsy. Georg has arranged for Hannah to have a position as a paediatric nurse where she can also keep an eye on Willi. His time there is to be indefinite. Willi as a character was so beautifully crafted. Yes, he was not perfect but beneath his vulnerability and his disability was a charming young boy who loved his father dearly. Hannah believes him to be very clever as he can read a book but she soon learns this is not the case. Hannah is not involved in the decision making that affects her life and you would love to see her break free from the shackles that bind her but this seemed next to impossible. I felt she had no other option only to go where she was sent and try and make the best of the situation, she found herself in.
Am Spielgrund is the children’s clinic in Vienna that Hannah soon realises is not all that Georg had made it out to be. Did Georg willingly send Willi there knowing what went on or did he have faith in Dr. Jekelius, the medical director, that he could transform Willi and make him into the young German his father so desperately wanted? I felt the book took on a real dark and sinister tone when Hannah arrived at the asylum and was separated from Willi and sent to work in a different section. A certain façade was presented to the outside world about all the good done at the hospital. How they took in children into the reform school and treated those with disabilities and helped better their lives but this was far from the case. Here Kate Hewitt spared no detail in her descriptions of the wards and the children who were existing in desperately sad circumstances all because of a disability they had no control over. It was a sad and harrowing read and you really feel Hannah’s anguish as the wool was very very slowly pulled from her eyes. She was brought to Vienna thinking she would assist Willi but what transpired couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The children in Hannah’s care through no fault of her own are starved, neglected, abused and treated with such indifference by staff who were nothing more than cruel sadists and as for Dr. Jekelius, doctor is not the word that would spring to mind to describe him. He was the complete opposite to a healer and carer. Hannah does her best to visit Willi and a beautiful connection is established between the pair even though Willi is a vastly different boy from the one who first entered the hospital and for all the wrong reasons. Hannah had always yearned for a deep connection that lets you open to hurt and heartbreak and she had never expected Willi to be the one to crack open that part of her heart.
The book as I have mentioned moves along at a very slow pace but on reflection I suppose it only serves to heighten the tension and unease that oozes from every page. There is an air of innocence from Hannah when she first arrives and it takes her quite some time to really sit up and take notice of what is really going on even though Margarethe, a former nun and now nurse tries in her own subtle way to be alert and aware and you will learn lots. It’s a traumatic incident that has Hannah daring to be more vocal and trying to do her best to save some children from an inevitable fate but in doing so she is putting her own life on the line. It’s another example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the most desperate of circumstances. I applaud Kate Hewitt for writing about a such a terrible and tragic subject that I am sure not many readers of historical fiction know about. What impressed me even more is that the book could have panned out in a certain way but instead I thought the author took two daring risks that paid off and elevated the book to a higher level. The safe route would have been very easy to take but instead being that little bit more daring paid off. The Angel of Vienna, is an interesting, thought provoking and haunting read and I would certainly recommend it.
The book has a tense opening as an angry and apprehensive crowd stand outside a courthouse in August of 1946 as the accused in the Am Steinhof trials are about to hear their verdict. A woman stands gripping a child’s hand keen to hear what will happen. Deep in her heart she will never let those helpless children be forgotten. Then the first chapter takes us back to 1940 to Steinhoing in Germany where Hannah Stern works in a heim hochland or maternity home. Her official duty is as a paediatric nurse but she often steps in as a midwife. Many maternity homes were set up at this time under the Lebensborn programme where women gave birth to blond, blue eyed babies to help the Fatherland. Many in turn were then given up for adoption to SS families. Physical perfection is the ideal and those that don’t meet that criteria. Well it doesn’t bare thinking about what happens to them but you can hazard a guess as to the outcome. Hannah seems uneasy and unhappy in her job. You can sense that she is not comfortable with the programme and she feels isolated and lonely at the home.
Hannah was a complex character duty bound by her half brother. He secured her training and a job when she needed it most but she doesn’t agree with what she is involved in with regard to the maternity home. She doesn’t come straight out and outline her beliefs in regard to Hitler, the war and the persecution of so many people for to do so would mean instant death. Yet you can read between the lines and tell that she detests everything that Hitler stands for and the unnecessary and barbaric cruelty inflicted on so many. When a request for her arrives to leave the home and travel to Berlin to meet with her half brother Georg, who is involved with military intelligence, Hannah’s life changes dramatically. She knows she can never really say no to Georg considering if he hadn’t helped her she would more or less have been on the streets the reasons for which she gives us brief glimpses into the further the book progresses.
Hannah is wary of Georg and his family situation and is surprised when he requests that she travel to a children’s hospital where his son Willi is to be treated for his cerebral palsy. Georg has arranged for Hannah to have a position as a paediatric nurse where she can also keep an eye on Willi. His time there is to be indefinite. Willi as a character was so beautifully crafted. Yes, he was not perfect but beneath his vulnerability and his disability was a charming young boy who loved his father dearly. Hannah believes him to be very clever as he can read a book but she soon learns this is not the case. Hannah is not involved in the decision making that affects her life and you would love to see her break free from the shackles that bind her but this seemed next to impossible. I felt she had no other option only to go where she was sent and try and make the best of the situation, she found herself in.
Am Spielgrund is the children’s clinic in Vienna that Hannah soon realises is not all that Georg had made it out to be. Did Georg willingly send Willi there knowing what went on or did he have faith in Dr. Jekelius, the medical director, that he could transform Willi and make him into the young German his father so desperately wanted? I felt the book took on a real dark and sinister tone when Hannah arrived at the asylum and was separated from Willi and sent to work in a different section. A certain façade was presented to the outside world about all the good done at the hospital. How they took in children into the reform school and treated those with disabilities and helped better their lives but this was far from the case. Here Kate Hewitt spared no detail in her descriptions of the wards and the children who were existing in desperately sad circumstances all because of a disability they had no control over. It was a sad and harrowing read and you really feel Hannah’s anguish as the wool was very very slowly pulled from her eyes. She was brought to Vienna thinking she would assist Willi but what transpired couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The children in Hannah’s care through no fault of her own are starved, neglected, abused and treated with such indifference by staff who were nothing more than cruel sadists and as for Dr. Jekelius, doctor is not the word that would spring to mind to describe him. He was the complete opposite to a healer and carer. Hannah does her best to visit Willi and a beautiful connection is established between the pair even though Willi is a vastly different boy from the one who first entered the hospital and for all the wrong reasons. Hannah had always yearned for a deep connection that lets you open to hurt and heartbreak and she had never expected Willi to be the one to crack open that part of her heart.
The book as I have mentioned moves along at a very slow pace but on reflection I suppose it only serves to heighten the tension and unease that oozes from every page. There is an air of innocence from Hannah when she first arrives and it takes her quite some time to really sit up and take notice of what is really going on even though Margarethe, a former nun and now nurse tries in her own subtle way to be alert and aware and you will learn lots. It’s a traumatic incident that has Hannah daring to be more vocal and trying to do her best to save some children from an inevitable fate but in doing so she is putting her own life on the line. It’s another example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the most desperate of circumstances. I applaud Kate Hewitt for writing about a such a terrible and tragic subject that I am sure not many readers of historical fiction know about. What impressed me even more is that the book could have panned out in a certain way but instead I thought the author took two daring risks that paid off and elevated the book to a higher level. The safe route would have been very easy to take but instead being that little bit more daring paid off. The Angel of Vienna, is an interesting, thought provoking and haunting read and I would certainly recommend it.
June 16, 2022
I have loved this novel! Hannah is a nurse who will be sent to Vienna to work in a psychiatric hospital for children during WWII. We all know what happened to disabled/sick children during those days. How will Hannah react to information?
The Angel of Vienna, by Kate Hewitt.
This book is however definitely not only about courage and heroism. Before Hannah decides on helping (or not), she will go through a psychological development which I found very cleverly conveyed by the author. Hannah will go through several stages, a bit like grief: denial about the horrible killings, anger, self-protection and acceptance which will push her in her decision to help. Her friend Margarethe, a fellow nurse and friend will play the role of Hannah's conscience as she tries to influence Hannah' s reactions. I found this very cleverly done. I can well imagine that Hannah's psychological development (also constantly driven by fear), reflects that of most Germans in these tragic days. This novel is a page-turner, cleverly and well-written which will definitely stay with me.
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily a review.
The Angel of Vienna, by Kate Hewitt.
This book is however definitely not only about courage and heroism. Before Hannah decides on helping (or not), she will go through a psychological development which I found very cleverly conveyed by the author. Hannah will go through several stages, a bit like grief: denial about the horrible killings, anger, self-protection and acceptance which will push her in her decision to help. Her friend Margarethe, a fellow nurse and friend will play the role of Hannah's conscience as she tries to influence Hannah' s reactions. I found this very cleverly done. I can well imagine that Hannah's psychological development (also constantly driven by fear), reflects that of most Germans in these tragic days. This novel is a page-turner, cleverly and well-written which will definitely stay with me.
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily a review.
June 21, 2022
The Angel of Vienna is an extremely emotional story set against the backdrop of WWII. Hannah is a nurse that takes a position at the Am Steinhof psychiatric hospital. She believes the hospital is a safe place for children with disabilities but soon figures out that things may not be what they seem. The Nazi’s were all about the pure race with no imperfections. What do you do with something that’s not perfect? Why you get rid of it.
Kate Hewitt will have you invested in the characters and the story from the very start. A fantastic, but I warn you, an emotional, story of another person’s heroics during the war.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Kate Hewitt will have you invested in the characters and the story from the very start. A fantastic, but I warn you, an emotional, story of another person’s heroics during the war.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
June 20, 2022
When the story opens, Hannah Stern is a paediatric nurse at a Lebensborn facility, a place where unmarried mothers who are a part of the Reich's programme to raise the birth rate of Aryan children, go to give birth. Only the perfect babies are put up for adoption, usually by SS officers and their wives. Those babies born with abnormalities are sent to orphanages. Hannah is heart broken when this happens, but is mindful of her position and accepts that this is the system under which she works.
Hannah's estranged half-brother, Georg Strasser, a major in army intelligence, summons her to his home in Berlin. Surprised and curious, Hannah cannot refuse as she is under an obligation to him, for Georg was instrumental in her becoming a nurse and escaping a life of poverty.
He has never introduced her to his family before but at his home she meets his disabled 11 year old son, Willi, a son she did not know existed. Georg's request is that Hannah accompany Willi to Am Steinhof, a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. Here, Willi will receive treatment for his disability and Hannah will continue to work as a nurse. She finds Willi intelligent and friendly, and comes to love the boy.
First impressions of the hospital and its director, Dr Jekelius, convince Hannah that this is the right place for Willi, but when she visits the ward he is in, she realises that she has been deceived. When children are marked for special treatment, removed to another ward and never return, she begins to question what is happening and embarks on a dangerous course of action.
What I liked most about this novel was how Hannah's character developed across the story. As soon as Hannah is introduced, we see that she is different from the other nurses. Despite a sense of hopelessness at what is happening around her and a need to feel safe and secure, she remains a compassionate and caring person, observant but tries to keep her thoughts to herself. She appears naive, believing or wants to believe that the children once gone from her care are treated humanely. However, once at Am Steinhof, she sees a different side to the treatment of disabled children. She still wants to believe that they are cared for decently, but cannot disregard what she sees and hears. Overcoming her fears and aware that Georg's position is not a guarantee of Willi's safety or hers, she joins a small, clandestine group to save as many children as possible from the horrendous fate that awaits them.
I always enjoy a Kate Hewitt novel and this one was no exception, although it is more heartbreaking than the previous novels I've read of hers; those featuring children usually are. I already knew of the experiments and other practices carried out at Am Steinhof. Nevertheless, Hewitt's novel left me feeling disturbed and greatly saddened by the cruelty and monstrousness of it all, which was slightly assuaged by the epilogue that saw justice handed out to some and the promise of a better future for others.
The Angel of Vienna is another great read from Kate Hewitt.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a participant in a blog tour.
*https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au
Hannah's estranged half-brother, Georg Strasser, a major in army intelligence, summons her to his home in Berlin. Surprised and curious, Hannah cannot refuse as she is under an obligation to him, for Georg was instrumental in her becoming a nurse and escaping a life of poverty.
He has never introduced her to his family before but at his home she meets his disabled 11 year old son, Willi, a son she did not know existed. Georg's request is that Hannah accompany Willi to Am Steinhof, a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. Here, Willi will receive treatment for his disability and Hannah will continue to work as a nurse. She finds Willi intelligent and friendly, and comes to love the boy.
First impressions of the hospital and its director, Dr Jekelius, convince Hannah that this is the right place for Willi, but when she visits the ward he is in, she realises that she has been deceived. When children are marked for special treatment, removed to another ward and never return, she begins to question what is happening and embarks on a dangerous course of action.
What I liked most about this novel was how Hannah's character developed across the story. As soon as Hannah is introduced, we see that she is different from the other nurses. Despite a sense of hopelessness at what is happening around her and a need to feel safe and secure, she remains a compassionate and caring person, observant but tries to keep her thoughts to herself. She appears naive, believing or wants to believe that the children once gone from her care are treated humanely. However, once at Am Steinhof, she sees a different side to the treatment of disabled children. She still wants to believe that they are cared for decently, but cannot disregard what she sees and hears. Overcoming her fears and aware that Georg's position is not a guarantee of Willi's safety or hers, she joins a small, clandestine group to save as many children as possible from the horrendous fate that awaits them.
I always enjoy a Kate Hewitt novel and this one was no exception, although it is more heartbreaking than the previous novels I've read of hers; those featuring children usually are. I already knew of the experiments and other practices carried out at Am Steinhof. Nevertheless, Hewitt's novel left me feeling disturbed and greatly saddened by the cruelty and monstrousness of it all, which was slightly assuaged by the epilogue that saw justice handed out to some and the promise of a better future for others.
The Angel of Vienna is another great read from Kate Hewitt.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a participant in a blog tour.
*https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com.au
June 16, 2022
Firstly, if you are disabled, tread lightly with this book. There is the requisite mass murder of disabled people (it’s a story about Aktion T4, after all) but there are lots of little things that build up too, like the liberal use of casual pejoratives (especially regarding intellectually/developmentally disabled people) and a general air of discomfort from the characters about those “with disabilities.” I appreciate there is a level of historical accuracy the author may have been going for, but was still difficult to read. So just be aware that, even before you get to the whole eugenics deal, the protagonist’s character development is “uncomfortable about the existence of disabled people” to “sees other characters are also disgusted by disabled people and recognises that might be a bit shitty” to “turns out disabled kids are *people* huh?” And then there’s a lot of stuff motivated by pity. Again, nothing unexpected given the circumstances of this story, but it’s still A LOT.
(in the context of all that, the title gives me pause. Even today, those who work with or care for disabled people are often positioned as ‘angels’ - because they do the *unthinkably herculean task* of dealing with the *burden* of disabled people. The explanation given in the text for ‘angel’ is the image of shielding innocents under her wings, guarding their lives, which is lovely in isolation but ignores the particular historical and modern associations for the disability community. While the people who risked their lives to subvert the Nazi regime were unquestionably heroes, that particular language has an ongoing implication for the way society views disability as burdensome and disposable, and views those who care for them as saintly. The act of resisting fascists on pain of death is ‘above and beyond’; the act of caring about disabled people people is not.)
Other than all that, I think it’s a good book, and potentially a good primer for people who haven’t engaged much with the Nazi’s attempts to eradicate disabled people - much of the story is about the complicity and tacit agreement of so many people, and the fact that even those who helped were often still disgusted by disability or thought it shouldn’t rank highly on their priorities.
The prose is pacey without losing depth, and the story unfolds with gripping inevitability - I finished the book in three days. I didn’t find many of the characters relatable (see above, I struggled with everyone’s pity and disgust) but I also don’t think I need to relate to appreciate a book. It’s difficult for me to give an overall impression, because - as you can probably tell - I’ve got conflicting feelings. But I read it quickly, and I would recommend it based on the quality of the writing and the importance of the story.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review
(in the context of all that, the title gives me pause. Even today, those who work with or care for disabled people are often positioned as ‘angels’ - because they do the *unthinkably herculean task* of dealing with the *burden* of disabled people. The explanation given in the text for ‘angel’ is the image of shielding innocents under her wings, guarding their lives, which is lovely in isolation but ignores the particular historical and modern associations for the disability community. While the people who risked their lives to subvert the Nazi regime were unquestionably heroes, that particular language has an ongoing implication for the way society views disability as burdensome and disposable, and views those who care for them as saintly. The act of resisting fascists on pain of death is ‘above and beyond’; the act of caring about disabled people people is not.)
Other than all that, I think it’s a good book, and potentially a good primer for people who haven’t engaged much with the Nazi’s attempts to eradicate disabled people - much of the story is about the complicity and tacit agreement of so many people, and the fact that even those who helped were often still disgusted by disability or thought it shouldn’t rank highly on their priorities.
The prose is pacey without losing depth, and the story unfolds with gripping inevitability - I finished the book in three days. I didn’t find many of the characters relatable (see above, I struggled with everyone’s pity and disgust) but I also don’t think I need to relate to appreciate a book. It’s difficult for me to give an overall impression, because - as you can probably tell - I’ve got conflicting feelings. But I read it quickly, and I would recommend it based on the quality of the writing and the importance of the story.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review
August 27, 2022
Outstanding storyteller Kate Hewitt dazzles yet again with her latest stunning historical novel The Angel of Vienna.
In Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1940, the war showed absolutely no sign of slowing down. With terror, danger and foreboding round every corner, twenty-seven year old nurse Hannah Stern is just trying to survive as best she can. When she gets a job working at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, Hannah thinks she will be safe from danger. However, little does she realize that reality is going to prove very different as she soon realizes that all isn’t quite what it seems at the hospital…
Hannah had secured this job thanks to her estranged half-brother who had fixed this position up for her with the condition that she would take his son, Willi with her. Hannah quickly agrees and soon forms a close bond with the sweet and fragile boy thrust in her care. Hannah had thought that she and Willi would be safe at Am Steinhof until she makes a shocking discovery: children like Willi are disappearing. They are not taken elsewhere to get better, but somewhere far more sinister and dangerous.
When Willi’s life is put in danger, Hannah knows that she must do something. She cannot continue to be afraid anymore and she must fight not just for her nephew, but for the many children who have nobody in their corner. When she discovers that there is another nurse at the hospital who helps patients escape this prison they are trapped in, Hannah vows to do whatever she can to help – even if means putting herself in the line of fire.
Hannah needs to tread carefully and watch her step because the Nazis are watching and if they find out what she is up to, the consequences simply do not bear thinking about…
Kate Hewitt never disappoints and in The Angel of Vienna she writes so brilliantly and with such confidence, compassion and heart that she hooks her readers by the end of the first page and keeps them engrossed until the very last word. The Angel of Vienna is an exceptional example of her storytelling skills. Inspired by true events, this is a gripping, harrowing, inspirational, devastating and heart-wrenching story about courage, resilience and love readers will certainly not forget in a hurry.
Superbly written, wonderfully evocative and sure to get under every single reader’s skin, Kate Hewitt’s The Angel of Vienna is mesmerizing historical fiction at its finest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1940, the war showed absolutely no sign of slowing down. With terror, danger and foreboding round every corner, twenty-seven year old nurse Hannah Stern is just trying to survive as best she can. When she gets a job working at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, Hannah thinks she will be safe from danger. However, little does she realize that reality is going to prove very different as she soon realizes that all isn’t quite what it seems at the hospital…
Hannah had secured this job thanks to her estranged half-brother who had fixed this position up for her with the condition that she would take his son, Willi with her. Hannah quickly agrees and soon forms a close bond with the sweet and fragile boy thrust in her care. Hannah had thought that she and Willi would be safe at Am Steinhof until she makes a shocking discovery: children like Willi are disappearing. They are not taken elsewhere to get better, but somewhere far more sinister and dangerous.
When Willi’s life is put in danger, Hannah knows that she must do something. She cannot continue to be afraid anymore and she must fight not just for her nephew, but for the many children who have nobody in their corner. When she discovers that there is another nurse at the hospital who helps patients escape this prison they are trapped in, Hannah vows to do whatever she can to help – even if means putting herself in the line of fire.
Hannah needs to tread carefully and watch her step because the Nazis are watching and if they find out what she is up to, the consequences simply do not bear thinking about…
Kate Hewitt never disappoints and in The Angel of Vienna she writes so brilliantly and with such confidence, compassion and heart that she hooks her readers by the end of the first page and keeps them engrossed until the very last word. The Angel of Vienna is an exceptional example of her storytelling skills. Inspired by true events, this is a gripping, harrowing, inspirational, devastating and heart-wrenching story about courage, resilience and love readers will certainly not forget in a hurry.
Superbly written, wonderfully evocative and sure to get under every single reader’s skin, Kate Hewitt’s The Angel of Vienna is mesmerizing historical fiction at its finest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 22, 2022
The Angel of Vienna by Kate Hewitt is an excellent example of World War II drama with all its atrocities and yet keeping the reader out of a concentration camp. It was a unique story, told from an interesting perspective, with surprises throughout. Hannah was a nurse. Her education had been paid for by her half-brother, Georg, as had her posting in a maternity hospital. Hannah was naive and believed in the good of people and in their innate honesty. She loved her job and she loved these babies, ignoring the realities of what their lives would be. All of a sudden she was called to Berlin by her brother where she was introduced to his son, Willi, and informed that Georg had terminated her employment and wanted her to accompany Willi to a hospital where they were using more modern techniques and therapies. Willi had cerebral palsy. Hannah was resentful of the fact that Georg was making these decisions for her but really could see no way out. Georg had arranged for a car to take the two of them to their new situation where they met Willi at the door and accompanied Hannah to the head nurse’s office. She was not allowed to go with Willi but was shown to her new quarters and instructed to report for duty the next day. What she discovered about the hospital shocked and saddened her, but she worked and found some satisfaction until she found a way to see Willi. What she saw infuriated her. They had made a drugged-out zombie out of an energetic and interesting little boy. What would happen next came as a surprise, the first of many.
I gave up reading Holocaust books a while ago. I have read many and it was just too much. I selected this book because Kate Hewitt always writes a good historical fiction. I was not wrong. This book focuses on a facet of Naziism normally not seen in popular literature, yet another glaring example of everything that was wrong with this regime. Hewitt wrote well-rounded and interesting characters, typical for her to let us get to know them intimately. The story told was beyond sad, again typical of the regime. I cannot recommend this book more highly. It will make you sad, and angry, and thankful, and remorseful.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Angel of Vienna by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #bookoutre #katehewitt #theangelofvienna
I gave up reading Holocaust books a while ago. I have read many and it was just too much. I selected this book because Kate Hewitt always writes a good historical fiction. I was not wrong. This book focuses on a facet of Naziism normally not seen in popular literature, yet another glaring example of everything that was wrong with this regime. Hewitt wrote well-rounded and interesting characters, typical for her to let us get to know them intimately. The story told was beyond sad, again typical of the regime. I cannot recommend this book more highly. It will make you sad, and angry, and thankful, and remorseful.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Angel of Vienna by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #bookoutre #katehewitt #theangelofvienna
May 17, 2022
This is truly an emotional and heartbreaking story based on true events that happened during the Nazi rule.
The Nazis did not just persecute Jews--they persecuted Gypsies as well as disabled children and people. This story talks about how a brave woman sacrificed her own life to save disabled children from getting murdered.
Hannah became a nurse at a prestigious psychiatric hospital in Vienna, Austria, thanks to her half-brother's connection. She agreed to become a nurse there on one condition--that she had to look after her nephew Willi who is disabled. At first, the hospital is just like a normal ordinary hospital. But soon, Hannah comes to realize that the hospital is not what it seems. Children starts going into a special treatment but never return back to their beds. This was a part of the plan to remove all the disabled children--a part of Nazi's eradication plan.
As a person who had done German history, this book was truly emotional and heartbreaking. I may have said this same thing in Holocaust books but killing innocent disabled children was somewhat disturbing and emotional to me. Worst case is that these murders and experiments happened in real life, which made it more heartbreaking. The author has done a good job of captivating the reader into the story and must have done tremendous research to this story. The heroine, Hannah Stern has become a favorable character and is portrayed as a courageous woman who would do anything to save those innocent children. All in all, this is a page turner and emotional rollercoaster ride, that will not allow you to put the book down.
If you are someone who is interested in WWII history, I recommend you to read this book. Guaranteed, this book will keep you up all night and will make you cry till the end. Worth fill five stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
The Nazis did not just persecute Jews--they persecuted Gypsies as well as disabled children and people. This story talks about how a brave woman sacrificed her own life to save disabled children from getting murdered.
Hannah became a nurse at a prestigious psychiatric hospital in Vienna, Austria, thanks to her half-brother's connection. She agreed to become a nurse there on one condition--that she had to look after her nephew Willi who is disabled. At first, the hospital is just like a normal ordinary hospital. But soon, Hannah comes to realize that the hospital is not what it seems. Children starts going into a special treatment but never return back to their beds. This was a part of the plan to remove all the disabled children--a part of Nazi's eradication plan.
As a person who had done German history, this book was truly emotional and heartbreaking. I may have said this same thing in Holocaust books but killing innocent disabled children was somewhat disturbing and emotional to me. Worst case is that these murders and experiments happened in real life, which made it more heartbreaking. The author has done a good job of captivating the reader into the story and must have done tremendous research to this story. The heroine, Hannah Stern has become a favorable character and is portrayed as a courageous woman who would do anything to save those innocent children. All in all, this is a page turner and emotional rollercoaster ride, that will not allow you to put the book down.
If you are someone who is interested in WWII history, I recommend you to read this book. Guaranteed, this book will keep you up all night and will make you cry till the end. Worth fill five stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
May 19, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⚠️TW’s ⚠️
-Anti-Semitism
-Medical abuse
-Negligence of children
-Sexual abuse (not graphic or explicit, just mentioned)
-Murder
Based on true events:
In 1939, at the start of the war, Hitler gave an order for all disabled and mentally ill adults in sanatoriums or hospitals to be systematically removed and murdered, gassed in killing centers such as Hartheim castle. A year later; the order was extended to disabled children; this secret program of supposed “mercy” killing was known as ‘Aktion T4”
📖
Hannah, a nurse working at a Lebensborn, is unexpectedly contacted by her half-brother Georg, whom she hasn't heard from in a decade. He asks her to accompany his disabled nephew, Willi, to a psychiatric treatment facility in Austria that he believes can offer specialized care. Hannah agrees and quickly forms a strong bond with Willi. However, she soon uncovers the dark truth about the facility: rather than providing help, it is secretly eliminating children with disabilities, aiming to rid society of those deemed "imperfect."
My thoughts:
The Angel of Vienna by Kate Hewitt is a deeply moving and sorrowful tale, grounded in real events, that unveils the harrowing tragedy experienced by innocent children during Hitler’s reign. This powerful story delves into themes of forgiveness, hope, redemption, sacrifice, and love, portraying a gut-wrenching period of history. It brings to light the unimaginable suffering endured by these children, reminding us of the cruelty they faced in an inhumane time. This poignant narrative is a necessary one, ensuring that we never forget the innocent lives lost. As the Bible says in Matthew 19:14: "But Yeshua said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" At last, the children found true paradise and suffered no more.
Kate Hewitt truly delivered a fantastic historical read.
God Bless everyone 🙏
⚠️TW’s ⚠️
-Anti-Semitism
-Medical abuse
-Negligence of children
-Sexual abuse (not graphic or explicit, just mentioned)
-Murder
Based on true events:
In 1939, at the start of the war, Hitler gave an order for all disabled and mentally ill adults in sanatoriums or hospitals to be systematically removed and murdered, gassed in killing centers such as Hartheim castle. A year later; the order was extended to disabled children; this secret program of supposed “mercy” killing was known as ‘Aktion T4”
📖
Hannah, a nurse working at a Lebensborn, is unexpectedly contacted by her half-brother Georg, whom she hasn't heard from in a decade. He asks her to accompany his disabled nephew, Willi, to a psychiatric treatment facility in Austria that he believes can offer specialized care. Hannah agrees and quickly forms a strong bond with Willi. However, she soon uncovers the dark truth about the facility: rather than providing help, it is secretly eliminating children with disabilities, aiming to rid society of those deemed "imperfect."
My thoughts:
The Angel of Vienna by Kate Hewitt is a deeply moving and sorrowful tale, grounded in real events, that unveils the harrowing tragedy experienced by innocent children during Hitler’s reign. This powerful story delves into themes of forgiveness, hope, redemption, sacrifice, and love, portraying a gut-wrenching period of history. It brings to light the unimaginable suffering endured by these children, reminding us of the cruelty they faced in an inhumane time. This poignant narrative is a necessary one, ensuring that we never forget the innocent lives lost. As the Bible says in Matthew 19:14: "But Yeshua said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" At last, the children found true paradise and suffered no more.
Kate Hewitt truly delivered a fantastic historical read.
God Bless everyone 🙏
October 30, 2024
The choices that we make hold us in their grip- for the good or the bad.
This book has two main characters, Hannah and Margarethe, who are nurses at Am Steinhof during WWII. It has enough action to keep it easily readable.
Hannah’s conversation with Georg when she returns to Berlin was very moving. Their despair and love for Willi was palpable.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
After the death of her father, Hannah‘s stepbrother, Georg, makes arrangements for her to receive nurse’s training and an appointment at Lebensborn. Several years later, he summons her to come to Berlin. When she arrives, he asks her to accompany his disabled son, nine year-old Willi, to Am Steinhof, a hospital in Vienna. Georg has also arranged for Hannah to become a nurse there so she can watch after Willi. Feeling indebted to Georg, she agrees. On the journey there she becomes closer to Willi.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Hannah and Willi are immediately separated, with Willi placed in pavilion five. When Hannah is able to visit Willi a week later she is appalled at his condition and the care he is receiving. He is not the same child that accompanied her on the trip there.
Margarethe, a fellow nurse, determines that Hannah can be of assistance to those who are trying to rescue the children of Am Steinhof from death. Hannah resists knowing exactly what is happening until one night, challenged by Margarethe, she looks into a covered wheelbarrow and sees- what she wishes she had never seen. Instead of receiving medical treatment, the children sent to pavilion fifteen are given a fatal dose of Luminol, to drink and quietly killed. As a major in the Abweft, is Georg aware of what is happening to the children? Can she protect Willi from this fate?
“Now that you know, Hannah” Margarethe asks, “what will you do about it?”Hannah risks her life to work with Margarethe to rescue the children marked for pavilion fifteen. But she must be very careful because others within the hospital are constantly watching…
This book has two main characters, Hannah and Margarethe, who are nurses at Am Steinhof during WWII. It has enough action to keep it easily readable.
Hannah’s conversation with Georg when she returns to Berlin was very moving. Their despair and love for Willi was palpable.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
After the death of her father, Hannah‘s stepbrother, Georg, makes arrangements for her to receive nurse’s training and an appointment at Lebensborn. Several years later, he summons her to come to Berlin. When she arrives, he asks her to accompany his disabled son, nine year-old Willi, to Am Steinhof, a hospital in Vienna. Georg has also arranged for Hannah to become a nurse there so she can watch after Willi. Feeling indebted to Georg, she agrees. On the journey there she becomes closer to Willi.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Hannah and Willi are immediately separated, with Willi placed in pavilion five. When Hannah is able to visit Willi a week later she is appalled at his condition and the care he is receiving. He is not the same child that accompanied her on the trip there.
Margarethe, a fellow nurse, determines that Hannah can be of assistance to those who are trying to rescue the children of Am Steinhof from death. Hannah resists knowing exactly what is happening until one night, challenged by Margarethe, she looks into a covered wheelbarrow and sees- what she wishes she had never seen. Instead of receiving medical treatment, the children sent to pavilion fifteen are given a fatal dose of Luminol, to drink and quietly killed. As a major in the Abweft, is Georg aware of what is happening to the children? Can she protect Willi from this fate?
“Now that you know, Hannah” Margarethe asks, “what will you do about it?”Hannah risks her life to work with Margarethe to rescue the children marked for pavilion fifteen. But she must be very careful because others within the hospital are constantly watching…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2022
Note: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.
Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…
From the very beginning, this book did not turn out like how I thought it would. I loved getting to know Hannah's personality and her conflict about what was really right and how little she thought she could really do. This book really brings to the forefront regarding how many people suspected something was going on but couldn't bring themselves to fully embrace the idea of the exact horrors.
Nazi-occupied Vienna, 1940: An absolutely heartbreaking story—based on devastating real events—about tragedy, friendship and courage in the face of impossible odds.
Hannah Stern is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse, who takes a position at Vienna’s esteemed psychiatric hospital Am Steinhof, accompanying her estranged half-brother’s son, Willi, with whom she soon forms a close bond. At first the hospital seems like a safe haven—a beautiful, airy, spacious place of healing and recovery.
But the hospital has secrets. And they are darker than Hannah could ever have imagined. Children are disappearing—not to be healed as promised, but taken somewhere else. Somewhere terrible.
And when Willi’s own life comes under threat, Hannah knows she must act, despite her own fears. When she discovers one of the other nurses is also trying to help patients escape, Hannah becomes determined to help in any way she can.
But she is only one person, fighting against a horrific, overwhelming regime. And to save even just one life, she must risk her own…
From the very beginning, this book did not turn out like how I thought it would. I loved getting to know Hannah's personality and her conflict about what was really right and how little she thought she could really do. This book really brings to the forefront regarding how many people suspected something was going on but couldn't bring themselves to fully embrace the idea of the exact horrors.
April 30, 2022
It's wartime in Germany and Hannah is working at a maternity home. Many are having children “ for the fuhrer '' and there are even medals to be won for four or more children. Sadly any births with even slight defects will be shipped off to the orphanage, only the perfect children will be adopted by the SS. Hannah has a half brother and is surprised to receive a telegram from him asking her to come to him asap as they have only fairly recently met. It turns out he has arranged a position for her at a children's hospital in Vienna and she is to take his disabled son with her for him to receive treatment for his cerebral palsy. On arrival it appears that it is far more than just a children's hospital.
Oh my. Through modern eyes this is an eye opening read. We all know of some of the horrors of the second world war and this is part of them that I feel many won't necessarily know about. I quickly took to Hannah and her more modern outlook (for the era) and nursing, caring ethic to try and do the right thing despite putting herself and possibly others in danger at a time when you could be reported and then sent to a camp for a mere slip of the tongue. Of her tenacity to try and get others to see what was happening when most were frightened for their own lives let alone trying to save others. An inspiring memorable read.
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July 20, 2022
Vienna 1940: The war rages on across Europe and has taken its toll on so many people. Hannah Stern is a nurse at a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. She believes working there will keep her safe and out of danger. Her estranged brother had helped her get the job in exchange that she will take his son Willi with her to keep him safe. Hannah believes that the hospital is a safe place for people to get some much needed rest and healing. But Hannah soon discovers that the hospital is not what it appears to be. Many children are being taken away and moved somewhere else. Hannah must risk everything to help those that need her the most.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the courageous people that would risk everything to survive and help everyone they possibly can in the process. Though this was a tough story to read, it was well worth it. World Wars are always a dark time in history but there are so many stories that need to be told and remembered. Stories of bravery, courage and compassion. Author Kate Hewitt does an amazing job of telling those stories. This heartbreaking story is one that grabs you emotionally and connects you with the characters in a way you never expected. This heart wrenching and thought provoking story is one that is a must read for every historical fiction fan. I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend it.
Thank you Kate Hewitt for such a wonderfully written story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the courageous people that would risk everything to survive and help everyone they possibly can in the process. Though this was a tough story to read, it was well worth it. World Wars are always a dark time in history but there are so many stories that need to be told and remembered. Stories of bravery, courage and compassion. Author Kate Hewitt does an amazing job of telling those stories. This heartbreaking story is one that grabs you emotionally and connects you with the characters in a way you never expected. This heart wrenching and thought provoking story is one that is a must read for every historical fiction fan. I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend it.
Thank you Kate Hewitt for such a wonderfully written story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
August 6, 2022
TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi ideology concerning health and disability
1940: Hannah Stern is a nurse in Germany when her half brother finds her a new position in a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. He sends her along with his disabled son who he hopes can be treated by eminent Nazi doctors. But the treatments offered are not a cure, they are euthanasia...
The Angel of Vienna is a haunting historical novel about the Nazi ideal of Aryanism and their quest for perfection.
To begin with, Hannah is working as a nurse and midwife, delivering healthy Aryan children for the Reich. A child is born with a cleft palate and is rejected, making Hannah begin to question the Nazi ideology. Then she travels to Vienna with her nephew Willi who has cerebral palsy. She fears for his safety once she sees the institute he has been taken to and the attitude of the staff.
This book is heartbreaking. The children are treated with derision and cruelty which is very upsetting to read about. Hannah has to choose between her ethics and risking her own safety by challenging the rules. This creates tension as we begin to fear for Hannah and Willi in this uncaring and dangerous environment.
The Angel of Vienna is sometimes difficult to read due to the power of emotion that the words evoke. It is beautifully written and raises awareness of another angle of Nazi brutality.
1940: Hannah Stern is a nurse in Germany when her half brother finds her a new position in a psychiatric hospital in Vienna. He sends her along with his disabled son who he hopes can be treated by eminent Nazi doctors. But the treatments offered are not a cure, they are euthanasia...
The Angel of Vienna is a haunting historical novel about the Nazi ideal of Aryanism and their quest for perfection.
To begin with, Hannah is working as a nurse and midwife, delivering healthy Aryan children for the Reich. A child is born with a cleft palate and is rejected, making Hannah begin to question the Nazi ideology. Then she travels to Vienna with her nephew Willi who has cerebral palsy. She fears for his safety once she sees the institute he has been taken to and the attitude of the staff.
This book is heartbreaking. The children are treated with derision and cruelty which is very upsetting to read about. Hannah has to choose between her ethics and risking her own safety by challenging the rules. This creates tension as we begin to fear for Hannah and Willi in this uncaring and dangerous environment.
The Angel of Vienna is sometimes difficult to read due to the power of emotion that the words evoke. It is beautifully written and raises awareness of another angle of Nazi brutality.
April 27, 2022
This book centers on the tale of Hannah, a children’s nurse working in a Lebensborn hospital, who goes to work in a children’s medical facility in Vienna to care for her young nephew, Willi. Hannah believes that her nephew, who has cerebral palsy, is being sent to the facility so he can receive advanced treatment to help him. However, soon after arriving, she learns that the center is not what she had expected.
From the very first pages it is clear that Hannah loves children and cares for them, but is becoming disillusioned with the ideals that she encounters every day. This heightens throughout the book as Hannah learns more about the work that the facility does.
Readers will all be too familiar with the atrocities of world war 2 and understand the significance of some of the events described. As a result, Hannah’s naïveté, can be frustrating from a modern lens but this actually lends itself well to the narrative of showing how this young woman’s eyes are being opened to the atrocities around her.
The novel is harrowing and heart-breaking, exploring important themes of world events. Would recommend for fans of historical fiction and WW2 fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing an eARC with me.
From the very first pages it is clear that Hannah loves children and cares for them, but is becoming disillusioned with the ideals that she encounters every day. This heightens throughout the book as Hannah learns more about the work that the facility does.
Readers will all be too familiar with the atrocities of world war 2 and understand the significance of some of the events described. As a result, Hannah’s naïveté, can be frustrating from a modern lens but this actually lends itself well to the narrative of showing how this young woman’s eyes are being opened to the atrocities around her.
The novel is harrowing and heart-breaking, exploring important themes of world events. Would recommend for fans of historical fiction and WW2 fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing an eARC with me.
June 20, 2022
What a heartbreaking story author Kate Hewitt has written. She took a terrible period of time and weaved in beautiful friendships, love, and hope where it didn’t seem possible. As I’m reading the story I’m thinking of her research and how hard it must have been to learn of all these terrible lives lost. Childrens lives. I had never heard of the childrens psychiatric hospital, Am Steinhof, and was so sadden to read what took place there. Thank you Kate for writing such a beautiful story about such a tragic event.
Hannah enjoys her job as a maternity nurse and helping bring babies into the world. It’s a sad time these miracles are being born into, but there’s nothing that can be done. Hannah is surprised when she’s called to visit her half brother, the very one who put her through nursing school and rarely speaks of her. When she arrives she’s informed that she must take her nephew Willi and leave immediately to Vienna. Hannah must take a job at the psychiatric hospital and watch over Willi. She is told, not asked.
Hannah arrives not to the beautiful trees, impressive grounds, or state of the art facilities, but to an ill run lock down jail for children. The sounds and smells are just a few of the off-putting things Hannah notices on her first day. What her brother told her is untrue, but did he also fall for the lies? Surely he wouldn’t have sent his son to live in these conditions? As the months go by Hannah will learn the truth and form friendships with people who feel as strongly as her about doing the right thing. Even if she puts her own life on the line.
Hannah enjoys her job as a maternity nurse and helping bring babies into the world. It’s a sad time these miracles are being born into, but there’s nothing that can be done. Hannah is surprised when she’s called to visit her half brother, the very one who put her through nursing school and rarely speaks of her. When she arrives she’s informed that she must take her nephew Willi and leave immediately to Vienna. Hannah must take a job at the psychiatric hospital and watch over Willi. She is told, not asked.
Hannah arrives not to the beautiful trees, impressive grounds, or state of the art facilities, but to an ill run lock down jail for children. The sounds and smells are just a few of the off-putting things Hannah notices on her first day. What her brother told her is untrue, but did he also fall for the lies? Surely he wouldn’t have sent his son to live in these conditions? As the months go by Hannah will learn the truth and form friendships with people who feel as strongly as her about doing the right thing. Even if she puts her own life on the line.
May 5, 2022
I received an e-ARC version of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.
“The Angel of Vienna” by Kate Hewitt is a WWII historical fiction novel. In this book, the main character is Hannah, who is a children’s nurse who worked at a Lebensborn, but due to her half-brother’s influence is transferred to a children’s medical facility, Am Steinhof, to care for her nephew.
This was a rough read for me. The subject matter is disturbing - as nearly any WWII story dealing with the horrors of what the Nazis did to try to achieve their “one pure race.” I had never heard of Am Steinhof before reading this book and was pleased to read that it’s now a memorial site. Hannah is a bit innocent, but I found it worked in this book. I found Hannah’s last conversation with her half-brother to be heartbreaking for all involved. I liked the character of Margarethe as she tried to influence Hannah’s actions and thoughts. Per the Author’s Note, some of the characters were real (including Dr. Jekelius, who was a colleague of Dr. Asperger) and others were made up, but sadly there was no organized movement to remove the children from Am Steinhof. Well researched book about a heartbreaking topic.
“The Angel of Vienna” by Kate Hewitt is a WWII historical fiction novel. In this book, the main character is Hannah, who is a children’s nurse who worked at a Lebensborn, but due to her half-brother’s influence is transferred to a children’s medical facility, Am Steinhof, to care for her nephew.
This was a rough read for me. The subject matter is disturbing - as nearly any WWII story dealing with the horrors of what the Nazis did to try to achieve their “one pure race.” I had never heard of Am Steinhof before reading this book and was pleased to read that it’s now a memorial site. Hannah is a bit innocent, but I found it worked in this book. I found Hannah’s last conversation with her half-brother to be heartbreaking for all involved. I liked the character of Margarethe as she tried to influence Hannah’s actions and thoughts. Per the Author’s Note, some of the characters were real (including Dr. Jekelius, who was a colleague of Dr. Asperger) and others were made up, but sadly there was no organized movement to remove the children from Am Steinhof. Well researched book about a heartbreaking topic.
December 21, 2024
Ezt a könyvet ajándékba kaptam, máskülönben valószínűleg soha nem került volna a kezembe, ugyanis az Álomgyár kiadványai egyáltalán nem szoktak érdekelni. Nem mondom, hogy ez a jövőben változni fog, de őszintén szólva Hewit regénye felülmúlta a várakozásaimat.
A Bécs angyala a valóságban is létező Am Steinhof kórházban játszódik, ahol a náci eutanázia program keretében 5 év alatt összesen 789 gyermeket öltek meg. Mindannyiuk a náci ideológia szerint nemkívánatosnak, a társadalom tehertételének számított, egy részük méreginjekciót kapott, másokkal az éhség végzett.
Sajnos a könyvben leírtakkal ellentétben a gyerekek mentése ilyen formában nem történt meg. Szerintem hatásosabb lett volna, ha a szerző ezt az egész témát máshogy közelíti meg más szereplőkön keresztül. Hiszen ő maga ír arról, hogy még ha nem is volt szervezett gyerekmentés, voltak olyan ápolók a klinikán, akik igyekeztek megakadályozni a gyermekek megölését. Szívesen olvastam volna valódi hősök valódi áldozathozataláról és hősiességéről, mint a kitaláltakról.
Ettől függetlenül nem mondom, hogy ez egy rossz könyv, egyáltalán nem az, persze vannak hibái, de végülis nem bánom, hogy elolvastam.
A Bécs angyala a valóságban is létező Am Steinhof kórházban játszódik, ahol a náci eutanázia program keretében 5 év alatt összesen 789 gyermeket öltek meg. Mindannyiuk a náci ideológia szerint nemkívánatosnak, a társadalom tehertételének számított, egy részük méreginjekciót kapott, másokkal az éhség végzett.
Sajnos a könyvben leírtakkal ellentétben a gyerekek mentése ilyen formában nem történt meg. Szerintem hatásosabb lett volna, ha a szerző ezt az egész témát máshogy közelíti meg más szereplőkön keresztül. Hiszen ő maga ír arról, hogy még ha nem is volt szervezett gyerekmentés, voltak olyan ápolók a klinikán, akik igyekeztek megakadályozni a gyermekek megölését. Szívesen olvastam volna valódi hősök valódi áldozathozataláról és hősiességéről, mint a kitaláltakról.
Ettől függetlenül nem mondom, hogy ez egy rossz könyv, egyáltalán nem az, persze vannak hibái, de végülis nem bánom, hogy elolvastam.
July 25, 2022
I chose this book because I was headed to Vienna on vacation and I thought this might put me in the mood. Of course, we all know WWII was no vacation. Nevertheless the author creates a very real, complex tale of a nurse and a Catholic nun who try protect disabled children from being killed in the hospital where they work. I love the details she uses to flesh out the personality of Hannah Stern and her estranged half brother who pays for her training and gets her the job in Vienna, on the condition that she watch over his disabled son, Willi. She and the boy build a bond but hospital rules don't give them much time together. There is Karl, a love interest, but Hannah is hesitant. She discovers that children are being selected for elimination and joins a shady group sneaking them to safety. The action is fast paced, but there are a few pleasant side tracks when the characters are able to forget the war for few pages, go for a swim and let friendships develop. Even the final scene holds a surprise or two.
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