This is a story set just after the end of World War 2 although there are als some flashbacks to wartime Poland. It examines what a mother will do to protect her child as well as looking at the chaos that reigned at this difficult time.
Klara and her daughter Alicja are in a Displaced Person camp in Germany having escaped from Warsaw as soon as the war finished, trying to avoid the Soviet occupation which followed.
They are awaiting notification from Klara’s English Grandmother’s so that they can settle England but this is slow in coming. Klara’s pilot husband has died in the war and it becomes apparent that Klara was in the resistance and after being caught by the Nazis has had to live on her wits to keep her and Alicja safe.
When one day she spies a man from her past in the DP camp her worst nightmare comes back to haunt her as he knows exactly what she did to survive. She has to use all her keen intelligence to protect herself before he comes for her and her daughter.
There is a lot of mystery about Klara’s past and this heightens the tension as the reader gradually works out Klara’s secret.
Kate Furnivall certainly knows how to tell a gripping story and has researched this period extensively so that the camp setting is well described and evocative of the era.
Klara’s actions are those of someone who is desperate but she shows her grit and strength; this is a powerful story of a mother protecting her child in dire circumstances.
Kate Furnivall has the knack of describing women who need a hard core of inner strength to survive.
A great read. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Having read most of Kate's books this one doesn't disappoint.A hard subject to read about but Kate does it so well.I look forward to Kate's next book now.thanks.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book. Powerful ,moving and extremely well written. Worth a read

I love Kate Furnivall, and I believe that this is one of her best novels. It was so beautifully written, so richly detailed and full of the kind of characters that creep inside your heart and don't let go. This was gloriously told, and imagined. It was also a new angle to epic war novels - set after the war has ended at a displaced persons camp, and shows how the battle is never over, not really when it comes to war and the price we pay - there are no real victors, just people asking themselves all kinds of questions and trying their best to survive. A triumph.

The story opens in Poland, 1945, a dangerous and desperate place where no one can be trusted. The reader is introduced to Klara and her daughter Alicija caught up in an escape through the forest which goes horribly wrong and leaves them penniless. In order to avoid starvation the pair make their way to Graufeld, a camp for displaced persons in Germany. 3200 refugees are housed amongst its walls and are the responsibility of the Allied Military Government.

Klara is a born survivor, strong and determined, she takes risks and never looses hope that she and her daughter will survive the camp and make their way t England in search of a relative.

The story moves between characters, seeing things from their perspectives. I particularly enjoyed the development of Alicija's character, and the bond she has with her mother.

Klara has an interesting past as a freedom fighter and also mistress to a Nazi. As the storyline develops, we get glimpses into this fascinating and dangerous past and understand the desperation that she suffered. This history and the discovery that a dangerous and ruthless Nazi character from her past is hiding out in the camp heightens her determination to risk everything for her survival.
This is the first of Furnivall's books I have read and what a wonderful, interesting and well researched novel. It is a part of post war history I was completely unfamiliar with and it really brings home all the suffering refuges went through at the time.
The characters are strong and desperate, all hiding secrets and the complexity of these interwoven secrets becomes a massive part of the final chapters of the book.
Highly recommended reading. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Shuster UK Fiction for allowing me to review this advanced reader copy.

Having read most of Kate's books over the year was delighted to get an early copy from net galley in exchange for a honest review.
The Survivors has you captured from the beginning where Klara and her young daughter alicija weave a story of sheer determination Quick wit a will to live after fleeing war torn warsaw in 1945 for a better life there captured and begin life in a dp (displaced persons) camp where Klara comes face to face with someone from her past, after loosing her husband her one aim is to keep Alicija safe.
This is a book you can't put down. I highly recommend this book it deserves more than 5 stars.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and Kate Furnivall for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Survivors.
I have had the privilege of reading Me Furnivall before which is why I jumped at the chance to read her latest novel.
I was not disappointed. Ms Furnivall has the ability to make you feel a myriad of emotions while you delve into the storyline.
It is evident from the writing that Ms Furnivall has thoroughly researched the historical aspect of her novel. She made the story come alive. It gives us an insight on what life was like for the Polish Jews.
There really are no words to describe how good this book is, no words that will do it justice. I would have no hesitation in recommending this novel. And for someone who only reads every now and then, a concept which I don't understand ( LOL ), then you really cannot go past The Survivors.

Kate Furnivall has written yet another brilliant book set just after the end of World War 2.
Polish Klara and her daughter enter a Displacement Prison; they need the paper work to get to their clearance to go to their family in England.
Whilst in the camp, Klara notices a face from the past. A face that haunts her and memories come back..She can't allow him to stop her dream
Through the pages we gain an insight for what life was like for Polish people during the war as well as afterwards. This book will grip you from the very beginning, the main characters appear so really.
Another beautifully written book by this author who's writing won't let you down.

What would you do, how far would you go to save your child? This book poses that question of both main character and readers in this story of World War II and its aftermath, when a woman is held hostage by a man who knows what she did to protect her child. A heartbreaking story