A Woman of War

One of the best Holocaust novels

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.Hauntingly told.

3.5 StarsWhat would have happened if Hitler had a kid? I’m sure that phrase pings a lot of interest for a lot of folks, myself included. So consider me intrigued when I got offered the opportunity to read/review this title. We follow Anke as she’s plucked from the horrors of the Holocaust to help care for and deliver Eva Braun’s child, all the while dealing with certain personages of Hitler’s inner circle and the politics of her odd situation.As the book went along, it developed some issues I had a hard time with, but they never detracted from my enjoyment of Anke’s journey. She’s an incredible character with enormous strength of character and will, willing to take large risks to ease the burden of those under her care. I enjoyed her unwillingness to be cowed by Nazi officials, even those with the power to send her back to the hell she was pulled from or even kill her outright.Her romantic connection to ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Dieter made for a sweet subplot. An SS officer with certain reservations about government policies and acting in small ways to counteract them was a nice gel with Anke. I pictured a Kurt Gerstein sort of figure, a man caught in a horrible scenario with few ways out and limited room to move.I also found the history and midwife tidbits the author included interesting. Though they could be graphic in places and made me squirm, the details of childbirth and all involved really made me picture Anke, her character, and profession better. I also loved getting a window into the precarious life of Hitler’s inner sanctum home. Staff members, guards, and inner circle heavy weights played their parts in the scheming for places on top or just for survival.Now for those issues I mentioned. I know the last few paragraphs extol the many virtues of this title and deservedly so. However, there are some problems that either irritated me, made me raise my eyebrow in disbelief, or just plain sour me.The first problem is the premise of the book. The idea of a gal being stuck in the world of Nazi politics while trying to deliver the child of the Fuhrer was intriguing. However, my issue arises from where they pulled her from. I guess I have a hard time believing, no matter who wanted the child or not, that a random midwife from a concentration camp would be pulled to take care of this very politically charged scenario. While Anke is a good midwife, no where does it give an explanation why she was the one picked rather than another random midwife or even a sanctified Nazi midwife. This is especially given Anke’s personal and family history of anti-Nazi activity. The whole situation was my main issue with the premise.Then there’s also the ending. I don’t want to go too far into things and give anything away. Yet, let’s just say that things are wrapped up, warp-speed! A ton of story threads are wrapped up in an epilogue that consists mainly of “this happened, then this happened, then this…”. I never really felt like I got to say goodbye to any of these people or situations properly. To me, it felt like there was at 2 or more chapters of story to tell to gather all the threads up to a satisfying conclusion.However despite those two issues I had, ultimately I enjoyed this look into Nazi inner politics and seeing Anke grow as a woman and professional. As I’ve mentioned, I loved her journey and felt very connected to her as she went through these trying times. If those two issues hadn’t arisen, I’d feel very comfortable giving this a firm 5 stars. However, they do, so it’s a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for me. Definitely give this a look, though, it’s a great journey despite the flaws.Note: Book received for free from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Don't read this review if you are worried about spoilers. It's hard to write about this book without addressing the main event in this book and I was spoiled myself before I started this book. Although that just intrigued me...Anka Hoff, a midwife sent to a camp is the "lucky" one to be selected to help a woman through her pregnancy and upcoming delivery. The woman is Eva Braun. Yup, she's expecting Adolf Hitler's love child. But, what you think now. Eva and Adolf did not have any children. Right, this is a "what if" story. Totally fiction. However, it's so very well written that you for the moment you read this book actually starts to think about what would have happened if this would have been the truth. An heir to Hitler. But, also an innocent child. This story is interwoven with flashbacks to Anka's time at Ravensbrück. How she came to be there and what she experiences there. It's a very strong story, with some tough moments. Anka herself falls in love with someone, but can their love last?A Woman of War is a tough book to read, but well worth it. If you enjoy "what if stories" or like to read WW2 novels than I recommend this book warmly!

With every passing year, I become more and more addicted to WW2 novels. Following  I Am Juden (Kindle Edition)  so soon with ‘A Woman of War’ makes me pretty excited about what else 2019 will bring. What I love about both are the really fresh perspectives the writers manage to find, the characters’ agonising ethical choices and the compelling escalation of tension as we walk in their shoes. Mandy Robotham tells her story from the point of view of a mid-wife critical of Hitler’s regime, and it’s an inspired choice. Anke is pulled out of Ravensbruck concentration camp and forced to look after the pregnant wives of some very senior Nazis. Immediately we have a character to root for, in a nightmarish scenario – if she refuses to help, her own family will suffer the consequences. Unlike some reviewers here (!) I won’t give any more away, but complication piles upon complication and by the end I felt like putting a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign up on the living room door as I raced towards the climax. I gulped it down in a single sitting. Life, death, resistance, evil, it’s all here. Engrossing from the beginning to end, this is one to savour. I Am Juden (Kindle Edition)

What an extraordinary story, filled with the horrors of WWII and the kindness and understanding of a German midwife. The premise of imagining what would happen if Hitler and Eva Braun had a child was a masterstroke. It was so believable and so well written, it was almost like reading non fiction. She obviously has done her research and the German hierarchy come across as the evil perpetrators they were, but within these desperately unhappy times, Mandy has introduced us to a world where there were almost certainly those who were brave and compassionate amongst the German people to challenge what was going on around them. I read it within 2 days and found myself sad to have finished.

I finished this wonderful book at two o’clock in the morning because I was unable to put it down. It is a gripping and moving account of a German midwife during WW2 who is given the unenviable task of delivering the baby of the Führer. This brilliant hook is alternative history, but the most harrowing accounts of life for women in Ravensbrük are tragically real.The author’s research is meticulous and yet she wears it lightly as she writes, transporting the reader back to the sight, smells and sensations of another era. She brilliantly highlights the suffering and privation of life in Ravensbrük by comparing them to the simple luxuries Anke experiences when she first arrives at the Berghof – a bed with a real mattress and a night under clean sheets. Even here, there are stark reminders of the conditions in which Anke has been forced to leave her friends. When she steps out from the miracle of the hot bath she notices the ‘tiny black corpses of varying insects lying on the leftover scum’.The pace of the story never falters. The birth scenes are grippingly exciting but never gratuitous. Even during quieter moments, the hum of danger fills the air. There is a touching love story here too but for me, the most moving relationships are among the women. Anke is a compassionate and courageous central character, forced to battle brutal moral dilemmas as well as a world of controlling men. She fights constantly for the dignity and peace of the women and babies under her care. This book is not only a compelling thriller, it is a wonderful celebration of sisterhood.

I loved the parts of the novel about Anke in the present - first being a fine midwife in the distressingly shocking Nazi camp and then when she's moved to the remote house in the mountains to take care of Hilter's mistress as she prepares for the birth of her first child. The relationship with Dieter is convincing. But the story stops after most chapters to take us back to Anke's journey to the camp, back into the past, and it adds very little. I wanted to continue in the present. The back story feels like padding because it's challenging to maintain tension in a narrative about a woman about to give birth, but this is where the interest lies. I skipped pages towards the end, impatient to see the present story play out because that's what is fascinating about this novel.

I found this to be a compelling, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting read. The author has taken great care to ensure that the novel is historically accurate, despite the fact it is fiction, and I honestly couldn't recommend it enough for anyone that wants to go on a journey and experience darkness and light alongside the characters. I very much look forward to the next book from Mandy Robotham.

Bought this for 99p, thought I’d give this new author a try as the book sounded interesting. Absolutely loved it, couldn’t put it down and would have given it more stars if possible. About a German midwife who helped Jewish and German women to give birth during World War II. Won’t tell you anymore as it will spoil the story, a little bit of history with some fiction. You will love it.

It was obvious that Mandy Robotham was a midwife in the way she described the state of giving birth. I to was a midwife a long time ago but you never forget all the emotions she describes. But at that terrible time in the camps and a Eva Braums midwife she still managed to survive physically and morally. A story nevertheless but a possibility.

What an amazing book. I didn't want to put it down and when I did drag myself apart from it then it was constantly on my mind.It tells the story of Annke, a political prisoner of the Third Reich. Annke is a midwife and her skills are used in Ravensbruk and then elsewhere.Its so beautifully written that I defy anyone not to be enthralled.It will be a hard book to follow.

This book couldn't have been written any better. I was captivated right from the beginning by the protagonist and her journey from nurse to "patron" of a concentration camp and back again. From the first few pages I was wondering if this was going to become my favourite read of the year, and I dare say it's done just that!The writing is magnificent. Descriptive but not monotonously long-winded, captivating without any lulls in plot movement, and a truly fascinating protagonist to follow. Everything from her demeanor to the decisions she made throughout the story make for a whirlwind of a tale. Usually when stories do the back-and-forth from past to present, I have a hard time keeping up with it, but it was done so well here! I thought it wrapped up beautifully with an epilogue. Truly a lovely read!

This is the kind of book that draws you in with almost a morbid fascination of how a novel could ever be imagined that Hitler had a child! I'm finding more and more I'm reading books only related to this time both fiction and non-fiction, and have a deep rooted interest particularly in the holocaust and a growing need in myself to keep the memory of those lost alive as a mark of respect. But many novels based around these times fade out the details shying away from the true horror of the camps,or seeking to shock with tragic description of acts to brutal to think of so I was hesitant about this book.....how wrong I was!!This book drew me in from the very beginning and was almost impossible to put down. Spanning topics we can all relate to the love of our family, the.miracle of birth, the sour taste of loss, the laws of attraction, the fear of our own mortality, and remaining true to yourself.and your own morals.I can't say how much I respect the authors determination to show both sides of one of the most fervent regimes by showing its darkness with brutal honesty and acknowledging .the terrible losses of life, to the brilliant opulence of.This who were at the pinnacle of the.power house that tore through Europe.

I have read many world war 2 novels and I must say that this book must be one of the best. I've been unable to put it down as I were so engrossed, intrigued, overwhelmed and totally gripped.As a nurse myself, I'm unable to imagine being in that awful position myself. It's our instinct and training to save and prolong lives doesn't matter whom the patient's are. So many poor young lives lost. It's totally heart wrenching.I've shed tears all the way through. It's such a powerful and extremely well written book. I would highly recommend.

Wow, what an incredible read this was. I am not going to give any of the story away, except to say, this book certainly tugs at your heat strings. From start to finish, you are taken on an emotional and sad journey within the concentration camps of Nazi Germany., women giving birth in the most terrifying conditions, with an even worse outcome. I could not put this book down, the detail and research that has gone into this book was amazing. This will not be the last book i read by this author.

I've always been fascinated and horrified in equal measures of events that occurred in this period of history, so this book had my attention from the start. It did not disappoint! Beautifully written - it was hard to separate fact from fiction. Absorbing, totally believable and had me wondering what really happened that we know nothing of. History aside, this book also had love, compassion and strength of the human spirit which was conveyed in just the right way. Loved this book immensely and am looking forward to reading more from this writer Well done Mandy Robotham

This is one of the best books I have read recently. I was a bit sceptical at first. Out of all the midwives working in Germany, they had to get one who was in a camp?? However, once I started reading it, I was hooked. I always enjoy alternative history plots and this one is entirely believable. The ending was realistic too. I don't want to say any more in case I spoil it for anyone. It is definitely one to read if you like historical fiction.

I enjoyed this book it was well written And very true of the second world War. Something that we will not see again. The story was easy to read with a touch of what did happen in Germany. The German people at that time wanted a leader who was strong. And would lead the people to a better life. But has the book said sadness and grief was caused by an evil man who had unknown powers where the Germany people were frightened of him. I enjoyed the book and look forward to M R next book.