I am thrilled to be part of the Harper-Collins blog tour for Kelly Rimmer’s latest novel: The German Wife. This was a truly captivating read, focusing on two women: a German mother and wife who has had to make huge sacrifices to protect her family, and a young woman who will do anything to protect her brother after her parents die. Based in historical fact, the story focuses on how the US brought German nuclear scientists over to work for our government after WWII. Sofie is the wife of one of the most respected rocket scientists, and she is trying to settle her young family into their new home and country, while Lizzie has left the family farm with her brother Henry, and is trying to make a new life in the city.
Here’s the scoop:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis in the US after WWII.
Berlin, Germany, 1930—When the Nazis rise to power, Jürgen Rhodes is offered a high-level position in their burgeoning rocket program. Jürgen and his wife Sofie fiercely oppose Hitler’s radical views, and joining his ranks is unthinkable. Yet it soon becomes clear that if Jürgen does not accept the job, their income would be put on the line, and so would their lives.
Huntsville, Alabama, 1950—Jürgen is one of many German scientists pardoned and granted a position in America’s space program. For Sofie, this is a chance to leave the horrors of her past behind. But when rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with the Nazi party spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results tears apart a family and leaves the community wondering if it’s an act of vengeance, or justice.
I have to be honest. I’ve never really had a lot of sympathy for those who supported Nazi Germany. (I do have sympathy for the women and young girls left on their own in Berlin when the Russians arrived and systematically terrorized everyone). But I have pondered how anyone could support the atrocities that happened during WWII, especially in the camps. This novel does such an incredible job in letting you take that point of view – a person who has no choices left if they are to survive or if they are to protect their family and thus must do things they don’t want to do.
Henry’s story in this novel is particularly touching as well, as he suffers significant mental duress and PTSD from his time as a soldier. It’s heart-breaking.
This book is well-written and I couldn’t put it down. Once again Kelly Rimmer has written a novel that I will not forget.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour.
Here’s a bit on the author:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Before I Let You Go, The Things We Cannot Say, and Truths I Never Told You. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages. Please visit her at https://www.kellyrimmer.com/
SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: https://www.kellyrimmer.com/
Facebook: @Kellymrimmer
Twitter: @KelRimmerWrites
Instagram: @kelrimmerwrites
BUY LINKS: Not affiliated with BBNB
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/the-german-wife-9781525899904/9781525899904
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781525811432
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-german-wife-kelly-rimmer/1139609914?ean=9781525811432
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FGT2V4F/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i4
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