Why a Booktrail?
1944: A woman is chosen to work in Hitler’s inner circle
A Woman of War
What you need to know before your trail
Germany, 1944. Taken from the camps to serve the Führer himself, Anke Hoff is assigned as midwife to one of Hitler’s inner circle. If she refuses, her family will die.
Torn between her duty as a caregiver and her hatred for the Nazi regime, Anke is swept into a life unlike anything she’s ever known – and she discovers that many of those at the Berghof are just as trapped as she is. And soon, she’s falling for a man who will make her world more complicated still…
Before long, the couple is faced with an impossible choice – and the consequences could be deadly. Can their forbidden love survive the horrors of war? And, more importantly, will they?
Travel Guide
BookTrail Travel to Germany – Ravensbrück
Ravensbrück was a German concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945. It’s located some 90 km north of Berlin close to the village of the same name.
The idea for this novel came about as the author asked herself what would happen if a midwife had problems with the mother and baby. If she would find it hard to deal with a child whose genetics would cause ripples for those around it – amongst those who had suffered hugely at the hands of its father: Adolf Hitler.
Real life characters such as Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun are in the novel. The author has used factual research and scenarios putting her take on a snapshot in history. What would happen if Hitler and his eventual bride had had a child.
Anke is of course a fictional creation.
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
A fascinating premise this one. What would have happened if Eva Braun had had Hitler’s baby? I really like novels which mix fact and fiction and this was particularly interesting. It’s such a heartbreaking novel too when you think about the concentration camp set aside for women and children. There’s a lot of talk and description about midwifery too which would have been ten times harder back then without the medicine and drugs we have today. Saying that. if you can’t even watch One Born Every Minute you might find this squeamish at certain parts.
It was a gripping story throughout and lots of scene setting. I shamefully admit I knew hardly anything about the Ravensbruck camp and how I feel I’ve learned a great deal and would love to know more. I googled the places after reading as I normally do for The BookTrail but I lingered and looked a little more with this book. How do we not learn about Ravensbruck in school?
A gripping read and I was shocked at many parts. There are flashbacks to the main character’s earlier life and lots on the risks of childbirth and the business of midwifery was interesting. The romance side of things wasn’t my main interest and I did worry for what would happen to a certain character but I imagined worse in some ways!
Lovely writing and easy to read despite the subject matter. Beautifully researched.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: A Woman of War
Destination: “Ravensbrück Author/guide: Mandy Robotham Departure Time: 1940s
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