Am Ende dunkler Tage

Margarete's Journey #2

by Marion Kummerow

“Please, let me help. I won’t tell anyone.” It was madness to help an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany, but how could she not? If it weren’t for a lucky strike of fate, she might be the woman on the ground shivering with fear. A light of hope entered the prisoner’s eyes and she knew what she had to do…

1942, Germany: When a young woman calling herself Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune, including a house and factory just outside Berlin, her first thought is to try to see out the war quietly, avoiding the Gestapo and SS as best she can.

No one needs to know her dark secret. She must focus on staying hidden. Because she can’t risk being exposed for who she truly is. Not really Annegret. But a girl living a secret life. A girl who was once called Margarete.

But then an encounter with an escaped prisoner changes everything, as Margarete discovers what is happening at the factory and its attached labor camp. Witnessing first-hand the suffering of prisoners—shivering, with faces gaunt from hunger, as they work in brutal and cruel conditions—she realises she must act.

If she can save just one life, she knows she has to. Because the truth is that Margarete resembles the prisoners in the camp in ways she daren’t admit. And on the other side of the fence, she has seen a face that is achingly familiar…

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

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2021

About the author

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime.

It's a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.

Reviews

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book read in this series in as many days. I'll just warn you ahead of time, if you start this series, you may as well just buy all four books in it now. There's no way you're going to be to read just one, or two........ Each book will leave you fully engaged in the author's writing and needing to get right to the next book in the series. Each book starts at exactly where it left off in the previous book so an in order read is a must.
In this one, former Jewish maid Margarete has really moved up in the world. After the death of her former employers, an important senior Nazi officer, his wife and daughter she assumes the identity of the dead daughter. Upon taking her papers she must now assume her identity and her self-confidence rises as she goes on the run. Found by one of the son's she is forced to live with him, and this SS man falls in love with a Jew. She is devastated by the death of him and his brother in a bombing as he died protecting her. As the "daughter" of a rich Nazi officer she is the only one left in the family and is shocked to see she has inherited a huge fortune, including a house and factory.
Fooling the staff at the house is easy as they haven't "seen her" in ten years. When an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany turns up, she knows she must help. Through her actions the woman realizes Margarete is also a Jew. Can she trust a few of the staff to keep her secret? Seemingly with Gestapo and SS everywhere it is getting harder and harder to pretend to be a strong German woman. The tension rolling off the pages kept me glued to them. The working conditions of the war prisoners was hard to read. These people were basically worked to death, very little food, filthy, beaten, no breaks. My heart breaks for the injustices. How can people treat others like this and live with themselves? Even though it's her people being treated so poorly Margarete can't risk doing too much so as not to give her identity away. I read this in one day, I was riveted and simply couldn't put it down.

Pub Date 17 Nov 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and compelling.

How long can a person survive posing as someone else before the truth is revealed?
Set during World War II in Germany, this very emotional and compelling story of deception, lies and deceit is hard to put down. I admit to holding my breath on several occasions. This book is highly recommended, and I'm looking forward to the next in this well written series.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although there is a plethora of historical fiction tales rising from the plight of Jews in the atrocity known as the Holocaust, Margarete's journey is one that that stands out in particular for me. Marion Kummerow's sequel to "A Light in the Window" picks up a short time after where the previous book left off and is as engaging and as well-written as the first one. While FROM THE DARK WE RISE can be read sufficiently as a standalone, I highly recommend reading "A Light in the Window" first to get a proper insight into Margarete's history and that of Annegret. It will make the sequel far more powerful.

Beginning a short time after the first one ends, this story follows Margarete's journey from Paris - in the wake of the death of her "brothers" Wilhelm and Reiner - to the Huber family estate in rural Germany. Wilhelm's wish was that she use the Huber fortune she inherited as Annegret for good and Margarete intended on doing just that. And so she left Paris with Gestapo officer Horst Richter, a close family friend of Annegret's father Herr Huber, who enabled her fresh start in the German countryside.

Margarete Rosenbaum was a young and rather naive Jewish woman who worked as a maid in the Huber household, the father being an SS officer of the Nazi High Command. Whilst in their employ she was subjected to the usual types of cruelty and abuse inflicted on the Jewish. The eldest son, Reiner, had raped her and the daughter Annegret took great pleasure in dishing out cruelty as the spoilt young woman that she was. But then tragedy struck when the house was struck in a air raid, killing everyone but Margarete. And in a moment of madness, she swapped her clothing, with its prominent yellow star assigned to all Jews, and papers with the dead girl...thus identifying her as Annegret Huber, the lone survivor of her family home. She flees to Leipzig where she has an aunt whilst trying to evade her "brothers" Wilhelm and Reiner and anyone who knew the Huber family.

When she came into contact with Horst Richter whom she knew to be a close friend of her former employer, she feared her masquerade was up. But Richter has only fleeting glimpses of Annegret and paid her no attention and so she was able to continue her subterfuge. But then Wilhelm tracked her down and recognised her immediately...and he became her protector as she fled to Paris to live as his sister.

But now Wilhelm was dead, along with his self-satisfied elder brother Reiner, in an explosion orchestrated by the Frnech Resistance of which Margarete had played a part. Now Richter has taken her under his wing and, without knowing her secret, eases the path to her inheritance as Annegret. This includes a sprawling estate in the German countryside where she decides would be the perfect place for her to continue her masquerade without fear of detection.

But Margarete doesn't realise that many people there have strong memories of the spoilt little rich girl who thought nothing of throwing a tantrum to get her own way or playing cruel pranks and setting others up to take the blame. To all intents and purposes, Annegret was a spiteful and selfish child and locals there assumed nothing had changed now that she had become a young woman, now sole heir to the Huber estate and its fortune. This makes her task more difficult and even challenging as she portrays a very different Annegret to the one everyone remembers. However, Margarete hopes she is able to convince them that Annegret is a changed woman in light of her recent bereavements thus enabling her to continue her charade.

She is thrilled the maid who is assigned to her, Dora, is new to the estate after escaping the Ukraine and therefore has no knowledge of Annegret. Her boyfriend stud master Oliver, on the other hand, has. He remembers Annegret's cruelty all too well and the times he was left to take the punishment that should have been hers when she lay the blame at his feet. Oliver doesn't believe she has changed at all despite a few glimpses he catches of her that don't marry up to the memories he has of the spoilt child. But no matter how Dora sings her praises, Oliver knows different. And it is he who proves to be Margarete's biggest threat...for his memories of Annegret are so vivid she doubts she can pull of her charade in front of him.

But then things become further challenging when she discovers a beaten, abused and emaciated young woman in the forest and is shocked to learn that she has escaped from a secret munitions factory which apparently belongs to her! Her estate manager, Gustav Fischer, looks after the books and machinations of the factory whilst foreman Heinz Strobler overseers the workers and production. But Margarete soon discovers conditions there are poor and workers are pushed to the brink of death. When she brings up her concerns with Gustav, whom she trusts implicitly, he informs her that they are merely Jews and are the lowest of the low. Despite his initial misgivings, Margarete convinces him to instill new work practices which see in the fair treatment of the workers as well as sufficient food and bedding. But upon an impromptu visit to the factory she discovers none of her instructions she sanctioned have been imposed and when she confronts Gustav he pleads ignorance, claiming he handed over her instructions to a third party to be delivered.

Then when she discovers there have been thefts from the rations intended for the workers, Margarete makes it her mission to uncover the culprit with the welcome help of Gustav who does some undercover digging. Who on the estate is helping themselves to the rations meant for the prisoners/workers? Can Margarete uncover the guilty party before it's too late? And is she able to help Lena, the Jewish prisoner who escaped the munitions factory, without putting herself at risk? Determined to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety and well-being of the prisoners and uncover the thief without compromising her own identity, will Margarete succeed? Or is she doomed to fail?

A story about resilience, sacrifice, courage, hope and love, FROM THE DARK WE RISE is as powerful in its prose as it is heartbreaking in its reality. I read it in one sitting late into the night and did not stop until I turned the last page. Having followed Margarete's journey from the start, I am eager to see where life takes her next and quietly cheering her on to survive the war living as Annegret Huber so she can shed that facade once and for all and become Margarete Rosenbaum once again...before she loses her identity completely. Living your life as someone else takes a tremendous toll, keeping up a charade of deception and lies in an act of desperation and will to survive.

In "A Light in the Window" , Margarete was a naive young woman living under the protection of her "brother" Wilhelm who knew her true identity and shielded her from discovery. In FROM THE DARK WE RISE, she really comes into herself taking on the responsibilities of the heir to the Huber fortune and friend of the Reich whilst secretly doing what she can to help her own kind from the harsh treatment as prisoners under her care. She no longer had Wilhelm to hide behind and, although she had Horst Richter to ease her smooth transition from Paris to the family estate in Gut Paun, his having been urgently called away to Leipzig was the best thing that could have happened to her because it enabled her to become her own version of Annegret as a much stronger and resilient young woman who has lost her entire family. Without his watchful eye, she had greater freedom and she flourished.

Each of the characters were perfectly drawn and played their roles to perfection. Kummerow has cleverly crafted a plot to resonate with readers both in plight and reason. She also highlighted just how easily people could be lead. The sheer fact that one man, Hitler, could manipulate an entire nation into believing that Jews were an abomination to the human race and should be eradicated is shocking! How easily they believed his ideology and propoganda. And how easily others were swayed to follow the orders of those above them. All in the name of power. That's all it was. And that is so completely shocking. People march and protest today about the atrocities dealt out to others for whatever reason centuries ago, but what they don't realise is that pulling down statues of those who represented that ideology doesn't change history. The past is the past and history can never be rewritten...but it can be learned from. And that is the purpose of history.

I thoroughly enjoyed FROM THE DARK WE RISE and eagerly await the continuation of Margarete's journey in "The Girl in the Shadows" in March 2022.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction, particularly wartime fiction with a specific focus - albeit a different one - on the Holocaust and the plight of the Jews.

I would like to thank #MarionKummerow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #FromTheDarkWeRise in exchange for an honest review.

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

[Bev Walkling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marion Kummerow is a powerhouse of an author and her well researched books set in WW2 just keep getting stronger and stronger. When I started reading From The Dark We Rise, I had no idea that I was reading book 2 in a series. I didn’t discover that until reading the authors note at the end of the book so this one clearly can be read as a stand-alone. I now have added the first book in the series A Light At The Window to my to be read pile and eagerly await book 3 in the series to find out what happens next in the life of Margarete Rosenbaum alias Annegret Huber.

This book is purely one of fiction, but Kummerow has done her research and makes it feel as if the story actually took place. There is enough truth to the background details of a munition factory that abused its slave workers to really capture the reader’s attention. I devoured this book within about a 24 hour period.

Margarete is a rather naïve Jewish woman who worked as a maid in the home of rich Nazi Germans. When the family is killed by a bomb explosion, she uses the identification papers of the daughter Annegret Huber so she can take over her life and hopefully survive the war. Imagine what it would be like to suddenly be masquerading as someone that you really didn’t know well and not just for a short period of time. This masquerade had to work until either the war was over or until Margarete could escape to somewhere she would be safe. With each day that went by she learned more and more about what a miserable person Annegret had been. She had to act in direct opposition to her innate character and her life depended on how well she did.
When Margarete is taken under the wing of a German SS Officer Richter he (not knowing her secret) smooths the way for her to receive her “inheritance” including a home in the countryside. Margarete hopes it will be easier to carry on her charade there, but little does she realize that some people there have strong memories of cruel actions from Annegret’s childhood which will make her job more difficult. All is much more challenging than she expected, and she soon discovers that she is the owner of a munitions factory where Jewish slave labourers and inmates from Ravensbruck are being dreadfully abused. When she finds a young woman on the brink of death hidden in the forest, she brings her home and hides her while she doers her best to feed her and keep her safely hidden.

Who can Margarete trust? Is her foreman the principled businessman he appears to be? Is Oliver, who manages the horses on the estate, really as hateful as he seems or is that just their supposed past relationship getting in the way of the truth? There are some gut-wrenching scenes in this book and Margarete loses her naiveté and begins to use her newfound identity as if she was born to the role she is playing. I felt really tense as I was reading and just waiting for any slight little mistake she might make. There is heartache and hope and at times I felt as if I could hardly take a breath. When the story ends there is clearly more to come.

I loved the cover artwork and really look forward to hearing more of Margarete’s story. I would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction set in WW2. Reader’s won’t be disappointed!

Many thanks to #NetGalley & #Bookouture for allowing me to read an advance readers copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely mine.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misguided Trust

Exciting, full of suspense and sadness, this story continues in the series about a Jewish girl posing as the daughter of a high ranking Nazi officer. Will she be able to continue her charade, or will she place her trust in the wrong person.

Margarite is still posing as Annegret Huber and is surrounded by Nazi's. She has now claimed the family fortune and moved to Germany in the country where the family's large estate is located. She is haunted by the lie she is living and afraid she will misstep at any moment and give away her secret. If she is found out to be a Jewish girl posing as an Aryan Nazi it would be a death sentence for her.

She is navigating as the heir to the Huber fortune with the help of the head of the Gestapo Horst who believes her to be Annegret Huber. She also must trust her estate manager Gustav, but is he trustworthy?

She must also deal with running the household and the servants. Once being the Huber's housemaid she has been a servant but never in charge. Somehow she now must be the lady of the estate. She must deal with a housekeeper that thinks she runs the place, a stable master Oliver that has a past with Annegret and does not like nor trust her, and a lovely maid Dora who she both grows to trust and befriend.

She has promised that she would use the Huber fortune for good and she looks for ways to do so. She, however, must do so without incurring the wrath of the Nazi's and giving away her disguise. Can she help the persecuted somehow while surrounded by Nazi's and pretending to be one of them?

When she discovers an escaped prisoner she must find who she can trust and who she cannot trust. This is harder than she thought, especially when she finds out secrets about some of the staff. Will she be able to accomplish what she wishes or will she be found out and ousted as an imposter.

Another thrilling book by Marion Kummerow. I always think each one is the best then they just keep coming and each book is as good as the one before. I can't wait to read book three in the series.

I loved the characters, especially Dora and was saddened by some of the story. I think the setting was perfect for the story and it is very well written.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Marion Kummerow, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

From The Dark We Rise, the second book in Marion Kummerow’s trilogy, is, without a doubt, her best work to date!

I loved Margarete’s character in A Light in the Window (book 1) and was invested in the story about how she came to be Annegret Huber. When Kummerow announced that she hadn’t finished with Margarete’s story and a sequel was in the works, I couldn’t wait to see how Margarete evolved and what she did with the legacy that was left to her.

Told through Annegret’s eyes, book two focuses on Annegret’s life in Plau am See, a quaint little village in the Mecklenburg Lake District about a 2h drive from Berlin. Having unexpectedly inherited a vast fortune, including the estate, Annegret wishes to wait out the war here and avoid the Gestapo and SS….that is, until she meets someone who gives her a reason to fight. Just as she begins to weave another web of deception, Annegret stumbles upon one operating under her very own nose. Enraged, she attempts to restore justice - a very big undertaking, considering the circumstances.

Kummerow always manages to transport me to a place I know nothing or very little about and sweeps me along with masterfully crafted characters while totally immersing me in a time period. She produces engaging reads that offer pure escapism while also giving readers a glimpse into a life they couldn’t otherwise imagine. I love historical fiction because the characters’ triumph over adversity really appeals to me; a great wartime story with strong characters, preferably female, who battle their way through oppression and come out triumphant. Kummerow delivers. Her characters always bring to light little known wartime facts and their actions capture the nuance and danger of the time period. Kummerow is also able to satisfy my voracious appetite to learn. She knows how to dovetail her narrative with just the perfect amount of facts and integrate them so that readers don’t feel they are being lectured or reading a huge info dump.

What set this story apart was (1) the amazing sense of place and (2) the additional elements of mystery and romance that were at play and (3) the superb ability to sustain tension throughout the narrative. Kummerow’s blog post featuring photos and maps from her research helped me to visualize the setting. Decades later and the majority of the foundations gone, yet the photos still give off eerie, anguished vibes. The suspense and tension created by readers knowing more than the characters and the incredible risks taken to deceive the Nazis, propelled the narrative. A protagonist who has a lot to lose if the level of deception is discovered, keeps readers interested and invested in the story.

Congratulations to the graphic designer for the phenomenal cover art. It caught my attention before I even recognized the author's name.

I’ll be eagerly watching for book 3 which promises to further Margarete’s adventures hiding with a false identity.

If you enjoyed Schindler’s List and love a fast-paced 5-star historical fiction featuring a strong female protagonist, this book needs to be on your radar come Nov. 17, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Marion Kummerow, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Carolyn Scarcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I’m reading From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow. This is also second book by Marion and won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. She continues to write an amazing series of Margarete’s journey, a Jewish young girl who has risked her life to improve the condition for her fellow people under her care by pretending to be the only surviving heir to a rich German family estate. Margarete has to find the right balance of adult Annegret who once was a spoiled brat that the servants who knew the real her. She must focus on staying hidden because she can’t risk to being exposed for who she truly is. As a result, did her maid Dora, the enemy Oliver found her true identity? You can decide.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Margarete's Journey and I definitely recommend you read A Light in the Window first. This book begins where the first one ends, with Margarete back in Germany after both her "brothers" are killed in an explosion in France. Margarete Rosenbaum is continuing to impersonate Annagret Huber, a young woman killed in a bombing of Berlin. She was killed along with her parents, and Margarete was their cook and maid. Her two brothers survived the bombing as Wilhelm was with the SS in France and Reiner a high ranking Nazi lived elsewhere with his wife and children. This story finds Margarete/Annagret living at the Huber county home. She is now the mistress of the estate. What she doesn't expect to find is an escaped prisoner from the factory, the factory that is on her property and owned my her. She wants to help the prisoners, many of them Jewish like her, but she has to work around the corrupt Estate Manager and Manager of the munitions factory.

From the Dark We Rise is full of suspense and sadness. Margarete is playing a dangerous game, and their is always the worry that someone will recognize her, or realize that she is an imposter and not Annegret. With Nazis visiting the estate, workers who were there when Annegret was young and now trying to hide a Jewish prisoner, there is danger all around. Margarete is a strong, smart, and caring character. She has to be on high alert all the time. I liked seeing her change in this story and grow more of a backbone. Most of the major workers on the estate were also good characters. They were afraid to do anything wrong, so did nothing to help the prisoners, but they did not condone the actions. I loved the character of Dora, Annegret's maid. She was sweet and wanted to please so much. She was a Ukrainian worker, always afraid to be sent somewhere else. The two characters we were supposed to dislike, were definitely unlikable. They were corrupt, cruel, racist, greedy and did terrible things to the female prisoners. (It was not described, but alluded to). It was interesting to learn about the munition plant hidden in the forest in the country to escape ally bombs and well as the plight of the Ukrainian workers, two things that I learned from this story. Overall, this is a story of hope, but also of sadness, hatred and racism all in the name of power. I recommend this book and series to those who like Historical Fiction and I can't wait for the next book in Margarete's Journey. The publisher generously provide me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

[Robyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Trojan Horse

I enjoyed this second book about a woman who assumes another's identity and uses it to not only protect herself, but help others. Excellent characters. A great read.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow continues on Margarete’s story which began in A Light in the Window. This second book in a planned trilogy is easily read as a standalone as there are several paragraphs at the beginning of the book which recap on what happened in the previous story. This was a handy refresher for me but also allows new readers to feel as if they haven’t missed out on too much. I loved that we were straight back into the action more or less picking up where book one left off. There was no messing about and anything we needed to recap on as I have said was explained in a few necessary sentences. Margarete having assumed the identity of Annegret, her former employer’s daughter, has now inherited the vast Huber fortune due to the dramatic climax that concluded book one. For the purposes of this review I will stick to calling the main character Margarete but to all intents and purposes she is now a totally different person and must remember to always stay in character and assume the qualities and personality traits of Annegret.

Even in book one I always felt Margarete was threading a very thin line and was in constant danger of discovery. The reprisals if the truth did become known did not bare thinking about because of the subterfuge she was undertaking but also because she was a Jew. This sense of needing to keep things under wraps and living as another person really added to the drama and danger throughout the story. With every turn of the page you think is this it? Is Margarete’s time up and the truth will out? Will she say something that will give the game away? I think she was in so deep and embroiled so much with the higher ranks within the Nazi regime as Horst, a leader within the Gestapo, became a good ‘friend’ and mentor to her that there was no way at all that she could back out of the circumstances she finds herself in. To do so would only lead to certain death and at this stage she had done so much and come through the firing line so to speak unscathed that really she had no choice but to push on and hope that come the wars eventually end that she would emerge stronger, resilient and unharmed out the other side.

Margarete was cunning but not in a sly way. She wanted to do good with the money she had inherited and the way she went about it in this book especially considering the dangers she faced made her an admirable character. A change of setting from the city of Berlin added an entirely different tone and feel to the book. Margarete moves to the Huber family estate deep in the German countryside, she is now the mistress of the Manor Gut Plain. I loved the descriptions of the estate, it seemed an entirely different world far away from all the bombings in Berlin. It was like the war wasn’t even occurring but soon Margarete realises that the war is very much on her doorstep when she discovers she owns a munitions factory hidden in the woods. She is even more horrified to learn said factory is staffed by slaves from concentration camps.

Jews and the undesirables as viewed by Hitler are those that make the munitions and face danger on a daily basis. Not to mention the appalling living and working conditions they are forced to endure. But Margarete is determined to do something about this especially when she thinks she spies a familiar face. I loved this element of the story as it brought something that she thought gone forever from her life back into her heart and mind yet she could do nothing about it. This strand of the story was developed well. The author could have gone gung ho about it instead it was carefully considered and there is a strong sense of Margarete biding her time and using her power when the time is right.I’m very eager to see how this will work out in the next book, if at all.

Margarete has to be alert at all times. I find her to be constantly on edge and always thinking of her next move. The real Annegret was spoiled, disdainful, selfish, obnoxious and manipulative and this is simply not in Margarete’s nature. Several times I thought the game was up and all that she had been through would have been for nothing but she surprised me with her determination and pulled things back from the edge when the consequences could have been disastrous. At the centre of it all, Margarete really is on a mission to do good and to help those who really can’t help themselves. She finds it so difficult to ignore the travesties happening round her and despite being in a precarious situation herself she really pushes herself to the limit and reads between the lines as to what is really going at the manor and how this is connected to the factory. She could have turned a blind eye to everything and just concentrated on getting herself through the war unharmed but instead she constantly shows her integrity and the fact that she is a force to be reckoned with. She is selfless as highlighted with how she deals with a chance discovery as she walks in the forest and she uses this to further her knowledge about the factory and in turn using this information to do something to help those incarcerated simply because of their religion or sexuality. Margarete is really shaping up to be an incredible character and I am very eager to see how her story will continue on.

Initially, I felt there was a danger that the book could have become repetitive more or less just describing the daily routine in the big house and what Margarete as a rich person would do. But thankfully the author had lots of little subplots ongoing throughout that all connected together brilliantly as the book neared its conclusion. Gustav, the estate manager, seemed as nice as pie when we first encounter him and you would take everything he says at face value but we soon learn as we read chapters from his perspective that he is far more complex and he relishes the power he believes his has and thinks he can pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. He believes the Jews working in the factory are getting their chance at redemption and are helping to rebuild the country they destroyed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I desperately hoped he would get his comeuppance and that Margarete would see through him. Oliver was the stud manager and ensured the Germans were receiving a supply of horses needed on the front. He didn’t like what was going on but he had no choice but to do as he was ordered. He had a crucial role to play in the book and he was a great addition overall. I did think on the romantic side things just seemed too obvious when he was first introduced. I thought he would connect to a certain character but I am glad things turned out differently.

From the Dark We Rise is a quick read and I thought hmm is this over really before it began? But on reflection the author did manage to pack an awful lot in. There was a peaceful resolute ending but still it’s left wide open for much more to happen in the next book. I’m really enjoying Margarete’s story and will definitely be there until the bitter end to see how things work out for her.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Dark We Rise is the second book in the Margarete’s Journey series. Much like the first book, A Light in the Window, we follow our heroine Margarete on a new chapter in her life in Gut Plaun in the village of Plau Am See. Unlike Paris, where she was mostly anonymous, Gut Plaun holds many childhood memories for the real Annegret Huber. Can Margarete pull off being Annagret for much longer before she is found out?

Margarete thought she would be able to hide out in Gut Paun, but it is not easy when she finds out she owns an ammunitions factory. A factory that uses concentration camp prisoners for their labor. Conditions are harsh much like the concentration camps and when Margarete helps an escaped prisoner she comes to realize how dire their situation really is.

For as smart as Margarete was she made a lot of silly mistakes and had her head in the clouds for much of this story. It was a major point in this story which often landed Margarete in the TSTL category for me. At times, I wanted to bang my head on my desk over Nargarete’s actions and naivety. Yet, at the same time you can also see her bravery with all that she has been through from the start of this series.

The plot moved along quite nicely and never seemed to lul or drag for me. It held my attention all the way through and at times gave me anxiety thinking Margarete was going to get caught numerous times throughout. This is a simple story and very character driven and it really pulls you in even with there not being a lot of “action” scenes. All in all it was a great story and I cannot wait for book three to come out. I need to see Margarete’s journey all the way to the finish line.

[Frieda Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From The Dark We Rise

Book 2 of 3 telling Margarete/Annegrete's unique story. In this book, she learns some very important lessons & does some growing up. Very good continuation of this storyline!

[Rowan Creech · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUPERB Book

I enjoyed reading this book, and you could palpable feel the danger lurking just a hand breadtgs away for this main character. I am so looking for2ard to reading the next book in the series

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent WWII, well written, well researched story about a young woman who finds herself the owner of a factory that has been taken over by the Nazi's. What can she do to help the Jews who are now working and dying in her factory? How is she going to help while protecting her own identity?

This is book #2 in a series, however, I did not realize this until the very end while reading the author's notes. This can be read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy. This book released on November 17, 2021.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow
is a great WWII-era historical fiction that is the second book in a highly addictive and intriguing trilogy.

This is the second book, and follow up to A Light in the Window, but can still be read as a stand-alone. Here we continue to follow Margarete and her transformation to becoming Annegret Huber, her cover, during this volatile and dangerous time in Germany.

Trying to right wrongs, and do what she can in the face of danger and adversity despite her initial plans, there is plenty of suspense, drama, mystery, intrigue, and surprises to keep even the seasoned historical fiction reader on their toes. Annegret is such a strong and complex lead character that I devoured her story and look forward to the last book in the trilogy to see how it all lays out.

5/5 stars

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

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

From the Publisher:

Book Description:

“Please, let me help. I won’t tell anyone.” It was madness to help an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany, but how could she not? If it weren’t for a lucky strike of fate, she might be the woman on the ground shivering with fear. A light of hope entered the prisoner’s eyes and she knew what she had to do…

1942, Germany: When a young woman calling herself Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune, including a house and factory just outside Berlin, her first thought is to try to see out the war quietly, avoiding the Gestapo and SS as best she can.

No one needs to know her dark secret. She must focus on staying hidden. Because she can’t risk being exposed for who she truly is. Not really Annegret. But a girl living a secret life. A girl who was once called Margarete.

But then an encounter with an escaped prisoner changes everything, as Margarete discovers what is happening at the factory and its attached labor camp. Witnessing first-hand the suffering of prisoners—shivering, with faces gaunt from hunger, as they work in brutal and cruel conditions—she realises she must act.

If she can save just one life, she knows she has to. Because the truth is that Margarete resembles the prisoners in the camp in ways she daren’t admit. And on the other side of the fence, she has seen a face that is achingly familiar…

An absolutely gripping and devastating story, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, All the Light We Cannot See, and My Name is Eva.

Author Bio:


Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.


Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.


https://kummerow.info/

https://www.facebook.com/AutorinKumme...

https://www.instagram.com/marionkumme...

https://twitter.com/MarionKummerow

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3qxcVNE
Apple: https://apple.co/3BFLwfE
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3zBnMYl
Google: https://bit.ly/3x4FFgG

Audio Links:
UK: zpr.io/yqwQGLPUBS7L
US: zpr.io/YffwSDT3ujfa

Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/fro...

[Heidi Gorecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and an easy read. The story was delightfully not super predictable, and it often had you guessing what was next, while rooting for the characters.

The main reason for my reduction in rating is that I thought Margarete was a little unbelievable in how transparent her anxiety seemed. For Nazis who jumped at any little vulnerability and were good at sniffing out resistance, I found it difficult to believe she would have stayed under cover that long and not blown it. For someone in her position just knowledge of her identity wouldn’t be enough to fool people or break in the process.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marion Kummerow’s From the Dark We Rise is a heart-breaking, haunting and gut-wrenching historical novel readers will be completely captivated by.

In 1942 Germany, a stroke of luck had changed Annegret Huber’s life. Unexpectedly inheriting a huge fortune comprising of a house and a factory outside of Berlin, for Annegret this unexpected legacy has come at the most opportune time. With the Second World War still raging on, Annegret plans to see out the war in this remote and quiet part of Germany where she intends to lie low and avoid the SS and Gestapo as much as she can. Annegret has dark secrets in her past. Secrets which she will go to great lengths to keep hidden. She daren’t risk anyone finding out who she really is because if someone discovers the truth, then her entire life could be in danger…

Annegret is a girl living a secret life whose real name is Margrete. Annegret isn’t prepared to put her new life in jeopardy – until she discovers what really happens at the factory and its attached labour camp. She is shocked to her core when she sees the atrocities the prisoners have to face, the hardships they have to endure and the brutal and cruel conditions they are expected to work in. Annegret cannot sit idly by and do nothing. She needs to act and she needs to act now – especially because she has far more in common with the prisoners on the other side of the fence than she is prepared to admit.

Annegret has seen a prisoner on the other side of the fence who is very familiar. Determined to whatever it takes to save the prisoners, will Annegret’s quest be successful? Or is she doomed to fail?

A brilliantly written novel about sacrifice, courage, resilience and love, From the Dark We Rise is historical fiction at its best. Marion Kummerow writes about war and the people living through this horrible time with authority, sensitivity and heart and so brilliantly evoked is the time period she is writing about, readers will feel the danger, terror and tension alongside her characters.

From the Dark We Rise is a book readers will struggle to put down and it is one they will wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who enjoys high quality historical fiction.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marion Kummerow is a historical fiction novel set in World War 2. The second book in a trilogy, Margarete's Journey, which I can say can be read as a standalone. I shall be catching up with the trilogy pretty soon as this was a great and enthralling read.


1942, Germany: When a young woman calling herself Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune, including a house and factory just outside Berlin, her first thought is to try to see out the war quietly, avoiding the Gestapo and SS as best she can.

No one needs to know her dark secret. She must focus on staying hidden. Because she can’t risk being exposed for who she truly is. Not really Annegret. But a girl living a secret life. A girl who was once called Margarete.

But then an encounter with an escaped prisoner changes everything, as Margarete discovers what is happening at the factory and its attached labor camp. Witnessing first-hand the suffering of prisoners—shivering, with faces gaunt from hunger, as they work in brutal and cruel conditions—she realises she must act.

If she can save just one life, she knows she has to. Because the truth is that Margarete resembles the prisoners in the camp in ways she daren’t admit. And on the other side of the fence, she has seen a face that is achingly familiar…

From The Dark We Rise is a book full of suspense and also sadness. Margarete is a woman who is playing a very dangerous game that would end her life if discovered. She is masquerading as Annegret, risking her life everyday. A strong and brave woman who discovers the house she has inherited (as Annegret) has a labour campattached to the factory. She finds it disgusting enough and then she sees a face she knows behind the fence. From that moment she is determined to do what she can.
What a captivating read, a fiction story that could so easily be non fiction. Marion Kummerow has researched and created so much authenticity that you feel like you are with the characters and can't be sure whether this actually happened or not!
The characters are realistically portrayed and my heart went out to Margerete and the people she wanted to save. A very emotional and unforgettable read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

[loopyloulaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Germany, 1942 and Annegret Huber arrives at her country home to recover from the grief at the deaths of her parents and brothers. Except Annegret really died in a bombing and her identity was taken by their Jewish servant Margarete...
From The Dark We Rise is the sequel to A Light In The Window which I have reviewed previously. The plot follows on directly from the last book but there is enough information to catch up if you haven't read it.
There is a huge tension in the book as Margarete struggles to maintain the pretence that she is not a Jew but a wealthy woman with Nazi sympathies. This is heightened when she discovers a munitions factory that she owns is using and mistreating workers from concentration camps. She is determined to save as many people as possible but is she risking too much?
Margarete needs to work relentlessly to keep her true identity secret and hide the truth from those the real Annegret mistreated in the past. This contrasts with a softness towards her maid Dora and concentration camp escapee Lena. However a young Annegret made an enemy of Oliver who works on the estate and he is detemined to get revenge for being treated unkindly in the past and this is threatening to Margarete's safety.
I like the way that the author conveys the brutality of the Nazi regime with a degree of separation. However, the spectre of death and fear is ever-present for Margarete. This creates a dark tone within the novel yet the light of Margarete's choice to survive and save others twinkles with hope. Some of the information such as Lena's experiences are told unflinchingly in contrast with the Nazis' dismissal of their treatment of the persecuted.
From The Dark We Rise is an often tense but hugely gripping historical novel. I eagerly await the next book in the series.

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margrette is now living as the privileged Annegret and is in her country home. Annegret fortunately hasn't been there since a child however Margrette being raised in a jewish family and Annegret very much an aryan, she has some steep learning to do if she is to keep her real identity secret- her life will depend on it as this is Germany 1942. When she takes a walk and finds an escaped Jewish prisoner she only has one thing on her mind. The manor soon has guests of the SS variety and the hidden ammunition factory has prisoners working there. When things don't quite add up Annegret doesn't quite know whom to trust and believe.
This is the follow on book from “ A Light In The Window” part of a trilogy and whilst this would probably stand alone things would make more sense having read the first one- why miss out on another fantastic read? A book that made me think about my own life and how we should appreciate perhaps the simple things that we so easily take for granted. A story of bravery and determination where to put a step wrong could mean certain death. A brave and interesting read that left me wanting the last book and hoping that Margrette finds peace at last.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
‐---------------------------

[Mandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having absolutely loved the first book in the series I couldn’t wait to get my hands on From the Dark we Rise so that I could find out what was next for Margarete and if she would still be able to pass herself off as Annegret Huber.
It still doesn’t sit well with Margarete that she has to pretend to be Annegret, but she knows that she must as it’s the only way she will survive. After the events in the first book, she is now the sole survivor of the Huber family and has inherited everything. Keen to get away from any possibility that her deception will be discovered she goes to stay in the family home in the countryside. As Annegret had not been there since she was a child she thinks that she will be safe. Unfortunately for her the head groom remembers the child that she was so he is very distrustful of her. As she spends more time at the house she finds that all is not as it seems there, and she is confronted by her own true past in more ways than one. Can she work out who she can trust before her secret is exposed?
This is truly a test of Margarete’s determination to stay alive as more and more she comes to see just how bad Annegret was and just how badly her fellow Jews are treated. Now more than ever she is risking exposure and her life as she is determined not to be the quiet little woman that people expect her to be. The more she learns about what the Huber’s were involved in the more she is determined to change things as best she can. She is constantly disgusted by the things she has to do and the people she has to cosy up to but knows it is a necessary evil. She does manage to find a couple of friends in the form of her maid Dora and escaped Jewish munitions worker Lena. She knows she is risking everything, but she also knows she has to do whatever she can to help.
These books may be fiction but the attention to detail that Marion Kummerow provides is what makes them grab your attention and keep it. Highlighting the treatment of Jews during the war it also shows that not every German was cruel but did what they needed to in order to survive themselves, after all disobeying orders or showing sympathy in anyway could get you punished or worse. This is truly a dark time in history, but I am really loving following Margarete’s journey and I can’t wait to see what happens as the war nears its end and if she will ever be able to embrace the person she really is ever again

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC version of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

“From the Dark We Rise,” by Marion Kummerow, is the second in a trilogy following a young woman, Margarete, as she portrays Annegret during Germany in WWII. I didn’t realize this was part of a series until after I’d finished it - so each book is a complete stand-alone.

I found this book a rather quick read. The book had a quick pace with interesting characters. I did find some of the characters a bit too quickly binned into “good” vs “bad,” but that’s a really minor quibble. Although parts of this book weren’t easy to read, Ms. Kummerow did a good job giving enough detail to describe the abuse the prisoners had, while not being overly gratuitous in her description. I also liked how Ms. Kummerow walked the fine line of explaining the passivity of some of the minor characters toward the prisoners; no matter how difficult it is to think about people believing or thinking that way. I did think at times that Margarete was a bit too naive, but I also liked it when she showed a bit of spunk and backbone, especially toward the end. I look forward to reading the first book in this trilogy to fill in some of the background information and look forward to reading the final book when it comes out.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the heart of War World 2, so many were looking for an escape. Margarete was given an opportunity when the Nazi family's home she worked for was bombed and she was left as the only survivor. Quick thinking gave her the chance to take on the identity of the family's only daughter, Annegret. As a Jewish girl, this could be her way to safety. She only planned to follow the charade for a few months, but many months later she found herself having fully inherited the family's estate, which included a home and ammunition factory outside of Berlin.

As the new mistress, everything would fall under her realm, but as a woman, she should only worry herself with the manor and leave everything else to the estate manager, Gustav. Things seemed to be going well until she found an escaped prisoner from the ammunition factory. Annegret was now determined to plant herself into all of the estate's business. Margarete once thought she would be able to fight this war with the French Resistance, but as she marks her place in the world as Annegret and realizes that she can make a difference against the war in other ways.

It wasn't until I finished that I realized this was actually the 2nd book in the Margarete/Annegret story (doh!). The author did a great job giving enough back story that I wasn't phased at all and didn't feel I lost anything. I couldn't help but be captured by the characters. So many WW2 historical fiction books focus on the French Resistance as one of the biggest fights against Nazi Germany, but this gave such a different perspective. I will absolutely be going back to find the first book and can't wait to see what might happen next in the story.

Thank you Net Galley, Bookouture and Marion Kummerow for the e-arc in exchange for my unbiased review.

On the Cat Scale:
😸😸😸😸😸

[Caroline|Page~Turners · Rating 5 out of 5]

Germany 1942, Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune that includes, a house and a factory outside Berlin. She holds inside a secret of who she really is and the only thing she can do to survive is to stay hidden and never reveal the truth about her. Her real name is Margarete. But then a prisoner escapes, and Margarete discovers that her factory is attached to a labor camp and when she sees what is going on at the labor camp, and how horrible the conditions are, so she realizes she must do whatever she can to make a difference. One day while looking at those on the other side of the fence, she see’s a face that is extremely familiar to her. But, can it be someone she recognizes, someone she knows? Wow, this book, was so amazingly captivating. I devoured this book in one sitting, unable to stop turning the pages once I began. I had to read through, non-stop to the end. I loved it, I found it exciting, breathtaking and intense. This in one unforgettable read. I wish I could give ten stars. Definitely a must read for all historical fiction fans….wow, just wow, I’m totally speechless.

Thank you Marion Kummerow for such a wonderful and beautifully written story. I enjoyed this brilliant and gripping story so much. I highly recommend this phenomenal book.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in a series of books details the further adventures of Magarete Rosenbaum, who assumed the identity of the dead Annagret Huber. After a bomb hit the Huber mansion where she had been the maid, and the rape victim of the man of the house and his eldest son, as the only survivor, she took the opportunity she saw. She resembled the daughter enough to take over her identity, and did so.
She worked with the French resistance until they were caught in a trap that killed Wilhelm - whom she had convinced of the wrongness of Jew hatred and the Nazi philosophy - and his cruel Nazi-to-the-core older brother.
Now she has inherited all the wealth of the Hubers, and is discovering things she doesn't like. At all. She misreads people, and causes grief when she didn't mean to, duped herself by the estate manager.
She has finally made the factory a safe place to work and production is at an all time high when she gets a letter from the SS that all Jews are to be taken to camps for extermination, including workers outsourced to private companies like her munitions factory. The next book in the series will deal with this new wrinkle and how she handles it.
Suspenseful pageturner of a book that will keep you glued to the book from the title page to the end.

[Genevieve Montcombroux · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Dark We Rise, book two of Margarete’s Journey.
Guilt, defiance, fear and boldness are what shapes the tone of this novel
I thought the last book I read from Marion Kummerow, Light in the Window, was her best book ever, but From the Dark We Rise has surpassed it.
As the novel unfolds, the reader’s heart beats fast from the well-crafted suspense. How will Margarete be able to sustain the persona of Annagrete, when at every step of the way, something or someone is about to trip her up or her true self threatens to take over, with deadly consequences.
The feeling of solitude in her borrowed identity weighs heavily on her, so skillfully rendered by Ms. Kummerow. When Margarete finally tells Oliver the truth, the burden is lifted at least for a brief time.
What remains to plague her is how gullible she had been in not seeing she was being manipulated. We immediately want to comfort her, She couldn’t have known these things
The war isn’t finished and Magarete will remain Annagrete for a while longer, taking risks to help those for whom she cares.
Margarete hide in plain sight in The Girl in the Shadows (book three)

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

WWII Series,Just Gets Better and Better

Margarete,the young woman who traded places with her imposing German employer,after a horrific bombing,has finally revcv'ed the windfall of a inheritance and settled in the country in a home,that could only have happened with her assuming another's identity.
She has discovered much corruption do the running of the farm & a munitions plant in the forest on her property being run by a very harsh man who treats the Jews shipped to him from several camps like animals.
She sets out to right some of the wrong,by getting the beatings stopped,blankets & straw for their beds & most of all,more & better food.
She does this at great risk to being called a Jew herself,but she says no
it is to increase production at the plant and make things better for the War Machine.
Margarete,is walking a very tight rope,which could be her downfall any day.
"Marion Kummerow'' is one I have followed for yrs. & is the one author who writes Historical fiction that aims at your sensibilities.
You immerses yourself in the book & it's hard to let go.The characters become like friends.
So onto the next in the series. Enjoy !,

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

From The Dark We Rise: An Utterly Gripping WWII historical novel about a devastating secret: Margarete’s Journey Book 2 is by Marion Kummerow. Like Book 1, this book is absolutely intriguing. It is simply too compelling to put down.
Margarete took Annegret Huber’s identity and place in life after her parents were deported and Anne’s parents were killed in a bombing. When Anne’s brother Wilhelm found out her secret, he had her keep her false identity as his sister. Finally due to activity due to from the Resistance, Anne and her “brother” had decided it was too dangerous for her here or in Berlin. Wilhelm made arrangements for her which included marriage. However, the Resistance set off a bomb and killed both of her “brothers” leaving Anne to have the entire fortune left by their “parents”. She set off for their home in the country where unknown to her, the Huber family had a munions factory and a small concentration camp for the workers. But would she be safe here when the SS and Gestapo began visiting?

[Rachel Bustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first book and this one is just as good! Annegret Huber once Margarete has inherited the Huber family’s fortune. She still doesn’t like pretending to be Annegret, but she must to survive. Now she “owns” the family countryside residence she heads back there to stay out the way. She hasn’t been back since she was a servant child. However, a member of staff at the house remembers the true Annegret and has his suspicions. She learns the secrets of the Huber family and she is disgusted by them. Her aim is to change them while keeping her own secret.

Like A Light in the Window, the author thoroughly details this time in history with precision. It’s wonderfully written and absolutely gripping. I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy out next year!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy.

Full Review here - https://rachelbustin.com/books/from-t...

[Carmen Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As expected

Book 2 is for me always going to be wow or meh. This was more meh than wow. The problem is that often the author spends too much time repeating book 1 info. It quickly bores me. However! Yes, however, I still enjoyed this book because it was not in Berlin or Paris, but a new location with an interesting of new supporting characters. So that made up for a lot of the repetitive narrative.

Spoiler alert: Dear Author, why is it you felt that on a day with so many SS officers about the place you thought Margarete would have time to tell her whole background about how she became Annagret? Be realistic a quick glance, a hello, a message to meet later but a whole conversation??? Yet she runs off to another city driven by a handyman and finds Oliver and doesn't have time to fully explain to him those same facts. Also, she brings Oliver back to the house and the handyman and house maid tell no one???