Dove finisce la notte

by Daniela Tully

Monaco, 1990. Il vento del Nord è arrivato, e con lui quella lettera. Una lettera inaspettata, datata 1944, e destinata a cambiare la vita di Martha Wiesberg per sempre. Martha è una sopravvissuta, ha conosciuto l'odio e la violenza, ma, per la prima volta, ha paura. Paura di quelle parole scritte, del segreto che custodiscono e che la riporta agli anni dell'ascesa di Hitler e del Terzo Reich. Scoprire la verità è pericoloso, ma Martha non ha deve partire per un luogo che solo lei conosce, anche a costo di abbandonare la nipote, la giovane Maya, che ha allevato e accudito sin dalla nascita. Stati Uniti, 2016. Morbide colline si stendono a perdita d'occhio fino a incontrare una foresta densa e è qui, nel folto degli alberi, che sorge un antico e lussuoso residence. È qui che Maya cerca di far luce sulla morte della nonna Martha. Era scomparsa nel nulla, molti anni prima. E adesso la scoperta del corpo. Anche se non è riuscita a perdonarla per averla lasciata all'improvviso, Martha sa di doverle è lei ad averle insegnato tutto quello che sa attraverso le sue storie. Favole che narravano di tempi in cui amarsi era proibito, in cui una carezza poteva fare male, in cui la notte pareva senza fine. Ora Maya vede tutto con la nonna ha sempre voluto che lei arrivasse lì, disseminando tanti piccoli indizi nelle sue storie. E adesso ha intenzione di ritrovarli tutti per riportare a galla la verità. Perché c'è un'ultima storia che aspetta di essere svelata. Quella di un amore profondo e contrastato che la guerra ha reso impossibile, ma non ha distrutto. Di una promessa che attende di essere mantenuta. Di un odio che non bisogna dimenticare, perché è capace di uccidere ancora.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Romance, World War II, Contemporary, Historical

Hardcover

First published February 1, 2018

Reviews

[Melisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up stars because I definitely shed a tear!

This one had a slow start but really picked up pace at about the halfway point, and once it did, I was all in. A sad, touching love story in the midst of the atrocities of World War II and a mystery to discover what really happened all those years ago.

In the Acknowledgements, the author mentioned that she drew from a true family story pulled from letters and diaries passed along the years. And if this isn’t any historical fiction fan’s dream, I don’t know what is - oh how I would love to discover an old diary of my ancestors to learn about what life was really like back then!

This one will definitely pull at your heartstrings; it even has a Kate Morton feel in its structure - there is love and mystery and several timelines and fairy tales. Recommend to readers of historical fiction.

Thank you to Will at Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy of this book!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hotel on Shadow Lake by Daniela Tully is a 2018 Thomas Dunne/ St. Martin’s Press publication.

What an incredible story!

Maya’s grandmother, Martha, was the most influential and important person in her life. But, when she was sixteen years old, Maya’s grandmother disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again…

Twenty-seven years later, Martha’s remains are found in upstate New York, a place she had no connection to. Needing to come to terms with the way her grandmother died, and why she died, Maya leaves Germany and heads to America determined to unravel the events that led to her grandmother’s death.

This story fluctuates between three timelines- the 1930’s and Martha’s experiences during World War Two, and 1910 New York, which relays the family saga of the Montgomery family, while in present day, Maya allows people to believe she is someone she isn’t as she searches for the truth about her grandmother’s past.

Each individual segment of this story is extremely absorbing! The Montgomery family saga lends a slight Gothic tone to the novel, while Martha’s story is tense, tragic, and fraught with danger.

But, what did one family in New York have to do with Martha’s situation in Germany? Maya will have to connect the dots, but finally getting to the truth she so desperately hopes to find, could come at a high personal cost.

This story has almost everything in it that appeals to me in a book. I love historical fiction, family sagas. Gothic elements, mysteries, suspense and romance. This book represents every single one of those elements and categories, while drawing readers into an incredibly absorbing, bittersweet and poignant tale.

Once I started reading this book I was torn between wanting to turn the pages as fast as possible and wanting to slow down and savor the story.

The family secrets, the tensions in Germany, and the mess Maya creates for herself eventually converges to give the reader a good old -fashioned tear jerking conclusion. I admit it- I cried big old fat tears.

The story centers around the mystery of what happened to Martha, how she came to be in New York and why anyone would want to see her dead and kept me pondering all the angles and possible motives, as I worked to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. But, the epic love story is the very heart and soul of the novel, and is what has lingered in my mind in the days since I finished reading this book.

This book was marketed as being ‘for fans of Kate Morton’, which made me immediately skeptical, but also gave me a twinge of excitement. I think for once, the publishers got it right. This is just a fantastic, ‘good to the last drop’ kind of story- one that everyone can enjoy and appreciate, no matter what genre you normally prefer.

Highly recommend!

4.5 stars

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we first start reading we are in Germany, Hitler is in power, and soon Jews will be rounded up, their businesses destroyed. To Martha a young woman in Munich, this is something she finds appalling, her politics and thoughts aligned with her now dead father, who saw this coming. During this time she will see many things, become fearful of her twin brother Wolfgang, who fully supports Hitler. She will fall in love with a man who is not who he appears.

A dual story line, in the present day, Martha's granddaughter will get news of her grandmother's death. But not in Munich, but in upstate New York. Why was her grandmother in New York, and why was she killed? Maya will travel to New York, to the hotel her grandmother was staying at, looking for answers.

This is actually based on true events, from the authors grandmother's, notes and journals. It is a beautiful love story begun in terrible times. A rare occurrence for me, I enjoyed both stories, present and past. The future story meaningful in a different way. Secrets, always secrets, in the past out of necessity and at the hotel where some of the family of the hotel owners will do anything to keep them. A touching story of a granddaughters search for the grandmother who disappeared from her life. The events of the past will come full circle n unexpected ways.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Beautifully Poignant read. That is steeped in History!

Hotel on Shadow Lake is a story set in Munich. It's a Poignant read filled with secrets, heartbreak, war time history and mystery.

The first part tells the story of Martha and growing up as a young women in the time when Hitler ruled Germany in the 1930s
Martha has a twin brother Wolfgang and we get to experience how he becomes a man and treats Martha appallingly.
He dies. But Martha receives a letter from him 46years later.

I adored all the facts and history surrounding Martha's story.
The burning of the books is something I remember reading about. Which cut Martha like a knife as her passion was literature and reading.

The second part to the story was told in present day by Martha's Granddaughter Maya.
You see Martha goes missing and suddenly the remains of a body is found.
It appears to be Martha.
Maya sets out on a journey to discover just exactly what happened to Martha.

I love reading about war time as there is so much rich history to uncover.
For me by far the best part of the story was reliving Martha's life in Germany.
The passion that Daniela puts into Martha's story oozes off the page.
She creates the perfect atmospheric scenes. The fear women faced under Hitler's reign.
Not being able to have an opinion, conforming to his way of thinking, the women were to become housewives whilst the men were able to gain an education. All the brainwashing and sexism and fear.

At times the story became a little disjointed and the passion became lost.
The first part of the story is the strongest. It takes a while to get going so stick with it as it does get better the more you read.

I enjoyed reading Hotel on Shadow Lake, its steeped in rich history, adventure, passion, secrets, Tragedy and mystery.
It's a slower paced book that gets better the more you delve in.
Overall a good first Debut Novel that is based on Daniela Family History.
Would recommend this book if you are looking for a historical read with a mystery twist.

Thank you to Legend Press for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. It started very well but halfway through it lost its sparkle a little and it ended in a romance that was way over the top.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

“Well, in the name of the German Federal Postal Services, we would like to apologize very much for the delay.”… She brought the envelope closer to her eyes. The postmark read December 27, 1944… “This letter was held up, and,” he started to explain, “now that the wall has come down, it finally found its way to you.”

She had always known that the secrets were only sleeping. Now they had finally woken up and come back to haunt her.

“Individuality”— a word that was as misplaced in Fascism as Martha was misplaced in this world. Martha had perfected the skill of letting her mind wander in unpleasant situations. During the incessant chatter about the duties of the German woman, she traveled to the faraway places she had read about in her novels.

She must have been pretty once upon a time, but she looked like a woman who had been branded by too many blows of fate. The bags under her eyes harbored her grief for all eternity; the deep wrinkles were not laugh lines but had furrowed the face in those places where sorrow had constantly contorted it. The way she watched him made him feel like an intruder, the eyebrows deeply furrowed, a glint of suspicion in her eyes.

It was December 1941 and I was standing in front of the building that housed the Office of the Coordination of Information, a name that brought to mind only bureaucracy and moldy folders.

My Review:

After the fall of the wall in 1990, a letter was delivered, forty-six years late, and it meant everything and changed nothing. This book gutted me, but in the best way. I didn’t fall in all at once as I initially struggled a bit with the foreign words used for food, towns, and landmarks; but I was sinking bit by bit and didn't even realize I had become fully immersed in the story until I was startled by my husband tapping my shoulder, causing me to look up while expecting to see the trees of the Bavarian forest I had just left behind on my Kindle. Gasp, it was brilliant! The writing was superb, I was sucked into a vortex that held me right there with them, in both timelines. I was enthralled and totally invested. The storylines were well-crafted, extensively researched, and maddeningly paced. I was taut with tension and consumed by the intrigue, I couldn’t have stopped reading if my hair was on fire. I love when that happens!

The character of Martha wasn’t fooled by the hysteria that consumed her addled mother and increasingly brittle twin brother during the late 1930s. Martha escaped the disheartening chaos and atrocities within her home and community by surreptitiously reading her stash of banned books, which is something that we fellow readers can totally relate to. The wickedness of the public book burnings felt like murder to Martha, who had passed on her love of stories to her granddaughter Maya who was featured in the present-day timeline of the story.

I have always had a quick trigger revulsion for bigotry and discrimination, and in particular – Nazis. I distinctly remember being a pre-adolescent learning history in elementary school and fervently questioning my uptight parents about my ancestry and demanding to know if I had even a drop of German heritage and melodramatically stating with ardent conviction I would need a bloodletting and transfusion to rid myself of it. If it were only that simple… Nazis were and continued to be – vile. Evil has always walked the earth but there seems to have been an over-concentration of it during that dark and demented period of Third Reich madness. I’m not naive enough to believe the horrifying era in human history leading up to and during WWII was unique. I see far too many frightening corollaries within our current regrettably imbecilic political climate to what occurred in the 1930s and 40s with the systematic loss of liberties, control of the media, messages of hate, and moronic leaders grabbing power. History appears doomed to repeat itself. I can only hope we do a bit better in this century than the last.

[Marialyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 sometimes intriguing stars

War has separated so many people, so many stories, so many lives, and lovers.

In this book we meet Maya and her grandmother, Martha Weisberg. They both have lived in Germany although Maya had spent some time in upstate New York during college. Grandmother, with a twin brother, had lived under the beginnings of the Nazi regime and through the war. She meets and eventually falls in love with a young man, Hans. However, there are deep secrets and frightening things going on in Germany and the three, sister, brother, and lover succumb to them.

Years later, Maya, who had lost her grandmother when she had come to the states twenty-two years ago, misses her grandmother, her care giver, the woman she knew who loved her. Maya decides to try and find out what happened to Martha.

A dead body is discovered and a wealthy family living in upstate New York holds its own secrets. The body is found to be Martha's. It is determined to be a homicide. Maya tries to unravel the many secrets and stories amidst the powerful family, the Montgomerys who own the hotel that Maya stays in. Are they connected? Is her grandmother's death tied to this family and how is it connected?

This was at times, quit an interesting story, although at times it did tend to meander and get lost in its words. It is sometimes difficult when telling a story in two time frames to connect all the points and this story seemed to have that difficulty.

Thank you to the author, Legend Press, and Netgalley for making this ARC available to me.

[Dean Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 2017 and Maya has returned to her childhood home in Munich, Germany. After such a long absence, she finds herself back in her childhood bedroom, the same bedroom her beloved grandmother slept in two generations before. Maya has come home after learning that her grandmother, missing since 1990, apparently died in a landslide in the USA of all places…also, the accident probably happened the same year she herself visited the United States. Considering that Maya’s grandmother was not a world traveler, much less a hiker, her death in a landslide on a heavily wooded foreign national preserve would, in itself, be quite unbelievable, but the truth is even more fantastic…Maya finds out that the accident happened not only in the USA in general, but almost the exact county in New York State that she’d visited that year.

In 1990, Maya spent a year in upstate New York. At the time there was absolutely no indication that her seventy year old grandmother was interested in visiting New York State specifically, or anywhere else outside of Germany for that matter…but somehow it appears that she must have! What brought her grandmother to New York State all those years ago? Was she actually following Maya to this foreign destination? If so, why would she do this?

Maya decides to travel alone to America to try to piece together the answers to this riddle about her grandmother…what might be in her past that would lead her to this place, thousands of miles from her home?

In the other timeline, we see Maya’s grandmother as a seventeen year old, living in 1938 Munich Germany. Everything around her is changing as Germany is transforming according to the vision of Adolf Hitler. Daniela Tully does a very good job of helping us to see the visual manifestations of the things that were happening in young Martha’s Munich: the book burnings, the declaration of “un-German” literature, the “disappearance” of anyone who disagrees with the regime, the forced participation in work programs, she wrote it so well, I could easily imagine what these communities might have looked like. Over and above this, I think Tully did a fantastic job of helping me understand how a person would feel during this period of time, this was achieved through her descriptions of how now people scrutinized each other, how conversations changed from just months before, how people who formerly demonstrated bully tendencies now became much more pronounced, vicious versions of themselves. I felt the foreboding increasing as I read the ways in which some of the people were transforming into monsters. The overall sense of the alteration of the mood of people, from openness and freedom to oppression and mistrust were expertly captured by Tully.

Her descriptions of 1938 Munich had me thinking about the quote by William Allen White: “Reason has never failed men. Only force and repression have made the wrecks in the world.” I felt as though I was actually part of this turmoil myself. This is only possible when a story is written very well.

Another strength of this novel was the way I found myself thinking in “two streams” as I read the various timelines. I was reading the story of 1938 Munich, while at the same time wondering how a given fact from way back then somehow tied to the accident in 1990 USA.

In 1938, Martha, Maya’s grandmother is entering womanhood, living in a repressive home, surrounded by a city on edge. She’s an avid reader and loves cycling…both because of the freedom and adventure they provide. On the theme of freedom, she is not in agreement with what is happening under Hitler, and even voices her views out loud. Was this what lead to her demise forty two years later? Also, slightly disappointing, but understandable is her mother’s desire to quash her daughter’s attempted expression of herself, it’s mostly fear that motivates her mother, and since she lost both her daughter and husband in the previous six years, that fact alone would change a person, even more so when your country is turning to anger, torture and mayhem. I couldn’t help wondering how Martha’s mom might have played into the mystery.

There aren’t too many story’s that have the power to cause me to continuously think on two different levels, but this story did so with ease.

I was also intrigued as I read how Martha and her late father shared such a close bond. It was ultimately a bond of “mild rebellion” because of their shared belief in free thinking and free artistic expression. I loved how Tully even gives us a glimpse into their long lost relationship, both from the feeling of comradery and mutual appreciation that it fostered, and in a more concrete, physical way, when he constructs a secret chamber behind a bookshelf for Martha to keep her “un-German” books such as Erich Kastner’s “The Flying Classroom.” Martha’s mother tries to force her to forget the memory of her supportive late father, but the memory is too powerful...too heartwarming…to inspiring.

Another major strength of this novel was in the 2017 timeline, when Maya, Martha’s granddaughter travels to upstate New York to try to find out about what happened to her grandmother back in 1990. I don’t want to say too much about it, but there are two things that stand out for me, one is the ways in which Tully shows us what Maya is seeing…both through the eyes of the grandchild and the “imaginings” of how her grandmother might have seen or experienced these things, “Had grandmother driven up this same road?” or “Had grandmother also beheld this breathtaking view? This aspect of the story held me in its grip as I read…it was wonderfully done. I also really liked how Tully inserted the librarian Paula in this part of the story, it helped to give an additional “layer” to this section, further arousing my curiosity, while not encumbering the story at all.

My constructive feedback for this novel isn’t so much about what could be changed, as it was the things that were very well done, but there could have been more of it. For example, the book is obviously aimed at attracting fans of Kate Morton, yet I think it missed one of the aspects of Morton’s storytelling that we Morton fans truly love, that is that ways in which Morton allows her readers to “luxuriate” in her exquisitely written scenes of lush imagery and daydreams to name a couple. Don’t get me wrong, Daniela Tully clearly possesses many of these same wonderful skills, but in “Hotel on Shadow Lake” they were presented in beautifully written, but economical, compact way. Very different from the way Morton achieves this. Of course I had this clue right away when I noticed that this novel was only 245 pages long, where Morton’s generally exceed the 500 page mark.

Overall, a very well told story, an intriguing plot and well developed characters. I enjoyed all aspects of “Hotel on Shadow Lake” and look forward to Daniela Tully’s future novels!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#stmartinspress

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sad historical fiction.

The positive side to this book for me is, it’s been inspired by the authors family history (I believe??) which makes it hit Home more.

It’s written well but for the placement of trying to follow this story had me going back and forth, back and forth in a sometimes confusing manner.

The first part was about her growing up.
That’s a positive. Easier to read and not confusing.

Then halfway through it all started to make sense.

When Maya was given a book and the person who gave her it was Paula. But Paula didn’t write it. The person who wrote it died 10 years ago.

With her Grandmother missing and Maya in search you get the Erie feeling now and again that the finding of her Grandmother is not going to end at all well.

Her Grandmothers last words were “ do for me what I couldn’t”.

The meaning of those words become abundantly clear at the tearful end.

I honestly thought at the beginning of this book until halfway I was not going to enjoy this book.
But my persistence paid off and can happily give this a 4 star rating.

It took some time to get under my skin and work it’s magic on me.

My thanks to Legend Press for sending me an early copy for my personal use.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own:).
----

Shouldn't have started this when I was sick haha... I don't read very well when I don't feel good usually (Audiobooks are the exception oddly enough) but getting off topic here. Don't mind me.

Got some Kate Morton vibes while reading this one (not complaining)... beautiful story that I will come back to once my brain isn't foggy.

Looking for a proper review? Sorry for now *sheepish* but I would recommend.

Gonna go lay down now.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you imagine answering a knock at the door to find the postman with a letter for you that has been stuck in time for over 40 years, the contents of which will not come to light again for a further 27 years, after a grim discovery.

This is some story which was more a case of the book absorbing me rather than me absorbing the book. I just simply disappeared into it and didn’t resurface until it was read. The story spans almost a hundred years as it darts back and forth over four generations of Maya’s family and that of the unraveling hidden family secrets, deceptions and a love story that could melt any heart.

Martha is only a young girl in 1930’s Germany when the Hitler Youth movement is gathering a following of impressionable young men, including her twin brother, Wolfgang and his new-found friend Hans. The story centres round the three of them and the relationships they have and how these prewar years change and manipulate them.

Maya, Martha’s granddaughter is the main character in present day that is just as gutsy as her missing grandmother. She is a strong charter that is determined to finally solve the mystery of why she disappeared all those years ago. The task takes her from Germany to America where a hornets nest awaits her. One that doesn’t want disturbing at any costs.

This is the debut novel by Daniela Tully and as I believe it has some of her family history mixed into the story. It could be this that just made me love this book because she brought every single character to life and every fear felt real both from the past and present day. An intriguing and fascinating love story that has a wealth of mystery and courage. Brilliant!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotel on Shadow Lake was a both a beautiful and a sad story. It involves the lives of two women in different years, 1938 and 2017. It's an excellent family saga.

1938 showed the horrors of living in Nazi Germany. 2017 we follow the granddaughter of the main character from 1938. I found that to be quite interesting seeing the differences between the years in the two women

There was a little bit of everything in this story besides historical fiction. Romance, suspense, secrets hidden for years, and mystery. I look forward to reading more of this authors work since this was her debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

*I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, what a read!

First of all, I feel very proud to have received the book from the hands of Daniela herself at the launch of 'Hotel on Shadow Lake'. It smelled so good being freshly printed... but I am getting off-topic here.

In her book Daniela Tully unveils a family story taking its start in Nazi Germany and, through a set of mysterious and elaborate events, leading us to a puzzling death case in the modern days United States. There are two (+) lines of narration presenting the modern days events versus the Second World War story shown though author's eyes on different members of the same family.

Absolutely love the fact that is the book is written based on the real-life stories and characters. How Daniela feels about the literature world is easily read through Maya's and her Grandmother's affection to the subject.

My favourite part of the book was the 1930s. It was really gripping and the story had amazing details that made it feel very real. Since I studied German as my second foreign language in University, I have read many novels/stories and have seen plenty of movies on the same subject, and Daniela's representation felt accurate and fitting.

However, being myself more of a Martha, I didn't click so much with her grand-daughter Maya, who nevertheless, represents the modern generation quite correctly being scared of commitment, planes and emotional pain. She tries to battle though all of that though. I was not charmed by Ben either, but he rather fits in the description of the modern "good looking and he knows it" type of man.

I loved the first page of the 'war fairy' so much, and overall it was a good connection link for the generations, but the way it was written past the first page took a bit of concentrating to read through.

Daniela mentioned that she is a big fan of magical realism and while I am not, I still enjoyed reading her interpretation of the magical forest (which I am sure hugely influenced by the Schwarzwald and the beautiful Bavarian countryside).

It's a beautiful story of love and devotion, and I highly recommend it to all the fans of historical fiction.

[Up All Night With Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC received in exchange for an honest review***

A story that is told over the test of time, when people try and move on, live a life that they are expected to live, during times that are not so good to have it all come to a boiling point decades later. Daniela Tully gives us this brilliantly done story, Hotel on Shadow Lake. This story touches so many genres, that it has something for every book reader: romance, mystery, historical, cultural-Germany, and some contemporary. Besides all that it also has a lot to do with family.

Mya is a teenager living in Germany. Her Grandmother whom she adores has gone missing. No one has any answers for where her grandmother has gone to, if she ran away, if she is hurt somewhere all dead ends until her grandmother body is found at a resort in upstate New York. Thus taking Mya on a journey of her own and discovering secrets of the past.

One of the things that I love about this books is the journey itself. First you step back in time to Mya's grandmother, Martha. Life in Germany during the uprising of the Nazis. Seeing the eyes during a time of such darkness, when all you see is light. The parts of history that we all read about in our text books being intertwined into this story based on true events and facts.

Then when the story leaps to Mya and takes you on her journey to find peace within herself. And her adventure on finding what really happened to her grandmother. Just seeing how such a horrible time in our history can have affects decades later.

I have to admit, the first part of the story is a bit long BUT stick with it. I put it down several times, but once I got to that half way point, it took off and I couldn't put it down.

4 Brilliant stars

**Review by Lisa, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night With Books**

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]


Even though Hotel on Shadow Lake wasn’t quite like I expected it to be, I enjoyed it a lot. Set in Germany in the late 1930s and USA across the decades it demonstrates the devastation caused by the horror of WW2 and also how greed can destroy lives.
In 1930’s Munich, Martha has differing views to her mother and twin brother about the country’s political situation. She is constantly being warned that she needs to keep her thoughts to herself.
In 2017, Maya is desperate to find out why the remains of her Grandmother (Martha) have been discovered in a remote area in New York. Despite warnings to be careful, she is determined to carry on with her investigation.
I liked both narrators and time frames but the strongest part of the novel for me was in the 1930s. I have read a bit of fiction that is based on events leading up to the start of WW2 but never from a female point of view. Much of it is intimidating, and a lot of it is upsetting. The levels of violence shown by the Gestapo and those who followed them because they believed it was the right thing to do. The fear from the Jewish communities, the belief of the students that they could make a difference had me reading with a lump in my throat.
So to go from this scenario to the one in America felt like quite a leap. There was still intimidation but it was completely different. I did work out the connection fairly early, but I wanted to see how it all came together in modern-day. And what had happened to Martha, who was my favourite character by a long way.
I don’t always read author notes at the back of a book but if you are the same, I would advice that you do. They made me want to read certain parts of it again.
Recommended.

[Bridget Vollmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an overall enjoyable historical fiction/mystery read, although I do wish the characters would have been fleshed out more. I definitely got a Kate Morton/Gothic vibe while reading it which I liked.

I really enjoyed the setting of this novel and how Daniela Tully addresses the persecution of LBQT under the Nazis regime. I also enjoyed her writing style and alternating POV from present day to late 1930's - the addition of the fairy tale was different and interesting.

I really wasn't keen on the relationship between Maya and Ben. It just felt rushed and a little unbelievable. Again, maybe if the book was a bit longer with more character development it would have flowed better, but it just didn't.

Overall a nice read for people who enjoy HF with a bit of family mystery.


**Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an early galley copy**

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

GNab Daniela Tully brings us an excellent historical novel, taking place in upstate New York and Munich, Germany with a back-and-forth timeline during WWII, in 1990, and in 2017. Ms. Tully keeps us well informed of who is where and when so there is no confusion, and the story is sweet, the mystery well hidden and the people empathetic. This was a fast read - and I sure hope it will not be a long wait for Daniela Tully's second novel.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Daniela Tully, and Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date April 10, 2018
Thomas Dunne Books

[Annie Meikle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently had the pleasure of reading Hotel on Shadow Lakeby Daniela Tully thanks to a pre-release copy. The novel begins by following a young woman named Maya. Maya's grandmother disappeared years earlier and Maya has new clues as to her whereabouts near the end of her life. As the young woman delves further into her grandmother's past, the novel shifts and begins to flesh out the details of the grandmother's life, moving the reader into Germany on the cusp of the second world war where Maya's grandmother is forced to hide many aspects of herself to survive in the increasingly fascist state around her.

I loved that the author moves the reader between the past and the present so seamlessly, and includes details from the past that bring life to the story. The emotional pull of Maya's grandmother's near escapes from the Nazi regime and a burgeoning romance speed the story along. Meanwhile, back in the future, Maya undergoes her own adventures, which are suspenseful and heartbreaking as she learns more about her grandmother's past and begins to unravel long held secrets.

The historical fiction aspects of the novel were well researched and I enjoyed the insight into a young woman's life during World War II in Germany. The parts of the novel set in the US, further along in the novel, were beautifully imagined and described, illustrating the author's ease with both settings.

It was unique to read a novel that is at once a mystery, a glance back at history and a memoir of three lives, intertwined together through family ties, shared secrets and historical events that swept the globe and had long lasting impacts on the lives it touched.

[Kelly Love Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received my ARC copy it was quite daunting as it only had a bright white cover with a bold black font. It gave me no hint of what I might expect. I have to be honest I was not over enthused to dive in. I was a fool and the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ couldn’t have been truer in this case. I have to say I do love the finished cover, it is beautiful with the shades of green and the hint of photographs in the background. I can’t wait to see one in person.
The book flip-flops between Grandmother and Grandaughter. I loved Martha’s heartbreaking story. Her harrowing journey of life is at times upsetting to read. But you do so through tears. I felt an incredible connection to her. Fast forward to Maya, I had the opposite connection with her. I found her to be somewhat spoiled and naive. So having the two varying opinions or feelings for these characters added even more depth to the story for me. Was it how I was meant to feel or just a coincidence?
I often find books featuring a lot of history can sometimes be fact heavy and I get overwhelmed. This was most definitely not the case. The history is a backdrop against the life of Martha and Maya. I was eager to read so much more about Martha, I didn’t want it to end.
This book has raced to my top reads of 2018 and it’s only February! I’m sorry I couldn’t do a nice Bookstagram photo but my wee ARC copy isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye. But it’s content is priceless and I will cherish it dearly.
So order your copy today and put aside a few hours to dive into the lives of Martha and Maya and learn the lesson that every action always has a reaction.
A five star read, a book with an emotional punch and real heart.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Martha, Maya and Hans and how their lives become intertwined through the years, starting before the second war and ending in the present. Neither of them had an easy life but you will feel their emotions like it's your own skin.
Ready to enter to the Shadow Lake Hotel?

This is a bitter sweet love story told between the years and in moments where life was more precious than even love.
In the beginning I wasn't sure what to expect of this book, a murder commited 20 years ago? I wasn't sure Maya would have the answers she was searching but instead more questions. But let me say that this is a book with a lot of stories inside, most of them sad, but at the same time too real.
Martha who will discover a lost letter, Maya who lost her grandmother and Hans who never felt happiness. They will all tell us their dreams and hopes, and teach us too that destiny has always their own mind no matter what our dreams are.
Be prepared to a walk through the past where love, treason and jealousy will be mixed in this beautiful story.
Do you believe in true love?

[Olivia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the book last night and started to read it again, I have never done that before but i'm sure I will gain even more from the book now i know the twists and turns .

I was hooked by Martha's life and cared about her in the beginning, the author has some very poignant phrases such as " it is better to not be liked by them then be liked for something you are not " .

The second half of the book had me gripped, its a real page turner and allows the first half of the book to slot into place in your mind .

its a tale of tragedy , LOVE , courage , fear and family skeleton's which you cant wait to be revealed .

The horrors of the Hitler regime were so well researched you felt you were there , but the author cleverly transports you away back to present day, before allowing you back again to the angst which you know already from history is not going to end well.

now i'm off to reread this again to see what gems i missed the first time !

[Miss G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What can I saw. Having received this book from the author herself it took me awhile to find the time to read the book and then once I did I just couldn’t put it down. I felt so sad when I finished the book that I actually shed a few tears. This novel has everything to keep you engaged, its a tale of tragedy , courage , family betrayal , and a powerful love story that never ended despite the distance and the decades! I will miss reading about Hans, Martha and Maya so much that I may have to read it again just to keep their story alive. Very proud of you my friend Daniela. Can’t wait to read your next publication!

[Dorian Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. You will not be able to put it down. A refreshingly new, intimate perspective on the historical period.

[Zumrud Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is absolutely beautiful, I could not put the book down. Thank you Ms. Tully!

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a duel story line, one of Maya traveling to New York from Germany to find out what happened when her grandmother disappeared 27 years ago, and why when she was afraid to travel. It is also the story of Hans Montgomery, the son of a wealthy German immigrant who married a French woman. In 1938 pre-World War II German, being fluent in English, French, and German was essential to being an agent working in Munich. It was through this work that Hans befriended a German working in higher places, was asked to translate codes, and fell in love with Martha, Maya's grandmother. It was how Martha, after a letter from her brother led her to New York in 1990, to find the love of her life, all to have it taken away again.

The story was a little slow in the beginning, once the history of the Montgomery Hotel and Han's letter of his time in Munich came in, I could not put the story down. If you like mystery, World War II historical fiction, forbidden love, then you will like this book. I am giving it 4 stars.

I received this copy from St. Martin's press through NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha is a remarkable woman in a horrific period of modern history that is portrayed in a sickeningly realistic and objective way. The author is at pains to create believable, multi-layered characters, so that even Martha's brother is presented as more than just the caricature of a revolting Nazi thug, with inner turmoil that explains if not justifies his behaviour. The connections with the hotel owner's family seemed somewhat contrived, and I found that the added plotline of the mysterious and seemingly paranormal "faceless" man in the woods detracted slightly from the impact of such a realistic novel, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The final denouement, with all of the different threads being neatly tied together and a poignant but slightly happy ending, was very satisfying and perfectly finished off the emotional roller-coaster ride that the novel takes you on.

Full review on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...

[Michael Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story by an amazing storyteller. Hotel on Shadow Lake is an impressive novel full of history and mystery; love, life and loss, the magical, and ultimately a special kind redemption that brings it all together.

In her debut novel, Tully tells a story that spans continents and generations. It tells the horror of one of humanity's darkest hours and what it did to those stuck in the middle, be it mindless acceptance, magical escapism, sacrifice, or the big and small resistances that prove, if only to yourself, that there is hope. Ultimately, this is a love story with a big heart, bringing together family and the promise of what could have been.

Hotel on Shadow Lake has all the markings of a classic in the making and I can't wait to delve deeper into the world Tully has created in her War Fairies and what their next chapter may hold.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating read!
I read this book in a matter of days and found myself thinking about the characters while I wasn’t reading it. The pace of the writing moved along well and kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. The story weaves in and out of two time periods connecting two generations of women. The story of the grandmother Martha is particularly gripping. I felt her fear along with her and actually held my breath in suspense at times.
I sometimes got lost remembering the characters in the family tree but the story flowed on and I still kept up with the storyline.
I would love to see more from this author.

[samedzade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The way Tully keeps you engaged by moving between different timelines is captivating. I love reading books where you have to figure things out while the book is unfolding (e.g. Dan Brown books for instance) however this book gave me what Dan Brown's books lack. It's not over-simplified with very short chapters where you don't have time to think, in contrast it takes a step back and let's you absorb what you're reading.
It would make for a fantastic movie in fact!Dan Brown

[Ginger Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an emotional, amazing love story which takes place during Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. This is the author's debut and she did a fantastic job! The story goes back and forth between the present day and the 1930s. It's a quick read, but you will want to savor it. This book will appeal to young and old adults. I loved it and highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you so much, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.