This was a very good book. While the subject matter is horrendous and sad, it shows the spirit of people and how they come to grips with the horrors of life and how some are able to live through it. Very poignant and heartfelt writing.

When Anke Hoff is plucked out of Auschwitz, where she was sent as a political prisoner, to act as midwife for Eva Braun's baby she is horrified it goes against all of her principles, but she has no choice! How can she work for the man who has caused such devastation for herself ,her family and her country,

This is a great story, obviously fiction, but a scenario that could so easily have taken place. The book is well written and one that I raced through as I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be looking out for future books by this writer.

Really enjoyed this book and the "what if..." scenario it conjured up. Fascinating and compelling. Highly recommended!

A Woman of War
Thank you to the publisher who contacted me with an auto approval which I was delighted with.

This book markets itself for those who loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but really, they are very different stories and I don’t think the comparison is a real one. For one this is a work of fiction reimagining what if Eva Braun had Hitler’s baby.

Anke Hoff is a Midwife in Auschwitz. She is not Jewish but she defied the Nazis and was subsequently deported. The novel follows a dual time line of Anke’s present situation where she is taken from Auschwitz to be Eva Braun’s midwife, and the early war time line which depicts how Anke defied the Nazi regime.

The novel itself is a fascinating read, the births are very graphic, and for the births in Auschwitz very upsetting. For Anke the midwife the story stood out in itself, I found the love interest very superfluous and I don’t think it added to it.

If you love historical fiction then I definitely recommend this.

Enjoyed this book, it gave a picture of what life was like in Germany in the Second World War. A sad ending.

While it may have taken me a few weeks to pick this one up (through no fault of the book and just a very busy schedule), I certainly had no problem blitzing through it.

The story follows Anke Hoff, a young German woman who is a political prisoner in a concentration camp during WW2 though it is very much an alternate history where she is made to make a very difficult decision.

I thought the whole concept was great. I liked the merge of factual history and an alternate path. I felt the characters were portrayed well despite the difficult situations.

The only issue I had, though it does not affect the book, is the comparison to The Tattooist of Auschwitz which is of course a true story of a survivor and felt a little insensitive to compare the novels with each other.

All in all, a great read and something I would recommend to any historical fiction fans.

This book is one of my all time favourites! A heartbreaking story of Anke's journey as a midwife during war time. I felt like I had been taken back in time and was living each and every page. Each character draws you in and connects with you. From Dieter Christa Anke and Eva you see the story through each of their eyes. Amazing read !

A Woman of War is a powerful read. It will most definitely be among my favorites of 2019. I highly recommend it. Five plus stars.

Anka Hoff finds her life come to a very strange crossroads when she is plucked from a concentration camp during WW2 and is asked to assist with the pregnacy of Adolf Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun. After a difficult time facing hunger, death and inexcuably heartwrenching moral dilemmas Anka needs to process how she will deal bringing the child of someone so evil into the world after they have created so much misery for herself and her family.

I was absolutely fascinated by this this story. Whilst it may not be historically accurate it does make you question 'what if'. Can you imagine a world where Hitler had had a child? How it would become a German poster child and demonstrate hope for a Germany on the brink of destruction. But what if that child was not the ideal? What if the very thought of having another Hitler to worship was just too much?

Through her time assisting Eva Braun Anka comes to realise that not everything is black and white and her gradual affection towards Eva Braun makes her ideals a lot more questionable.

What can I say other than this was an absolutely fascinating read. I love historical fiction stories and I found that I was absolutely tearing through this book to find out what happened next. Anka was such a likeable character and at times I did find myself even sympathising with Eva. This is the mark of an amazing writer who can stir up such emotions. I cannot wait to read more from Mandy Robotham.

Very moving and interesting historical fiction. Found i was racing through the book to find out the inevitable ending. Pulled in to Ankes story I fully recommend

Even though this book is a work of fiction, it was still a powerful story. None of it was out of the realms of possibility - right down to the love that grew where flowers shouldn’t bloom. This forbidden love moved me. It wasn’t the run of the mill love story and maybe, because of that, was doomed?
I was particularly impressed with the story’s epilogue. Everything was drawn together and secrets revealed that touched me and made me feel sad; despite it being fiction.
This story is beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend it.

A different kind of WWII story...

This is the story of Anke Hoff who is a midwife. Put in prison camps as a sympathizer, she faces many heartbreaking births to the woman in these prison camps. Once she has made a name for herself as a midwife, unwanted attention from Hitler sends her to his home in the country to help with the birth of a child.
We are introduced to many characters whose stories are very similar to hers. In service or face death.

This was a really interesting book. It gave a completely different look at life in Germany during WWII that most other books. I enjoyed this book. The story was easy to read and flowed really well.

I received this book from #netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

as someone who has spent most of her adult life surrounded by holocaust and wwii history, first out of interest and later as the subject of my honours thesis, i was excited about the prospect of reading a new story of wwii historical fiction: midwifery during the third reich. this was especially interesting to me as someone who spent a lot of time looking at the roles of women in the concentration camps of the holocaust.

this book had a lot going for it. mandy robotham is a beautiful writer, and paints vivid images of the process of childbirth. as a practicing midwife, she obviously knows her stuff, and this provided the foundation on which this novel was written. as well, her descriptions of ravensbrück (hitler's concentration camp for women about two hours outside of berlin) were true to the history i know of the camp, and were very well researched.

i found the concept of anke being sent to aid in the birth of hitler's lovechild with eva braun to be a bit far fetched, and also tedious at times -- the book dragged in the middle as we waited for time to pass and the fetus to develop. as well, i was never fully sold on anke's relationship with dieter, the ss officer assigned to supervise her stay at the berghof with eva. it seemed a bit forced, given anke's previous hatred of the reich and everything it represented. as well, once eva gives birth and dieter is removed from the story, she goes back to her original mindset while still pining for this underdeveloped ss officer.

i also thought the ending could have been fleshed out a bit. it ends very abruptly and then summarizes the next 45 years in 10 pages in an epilogue. more time could have been focussed here, instead of on the middle of the book, where the focus shifted from anke's role as a midwife to her lusts for dieter.

thank you to netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike anything I've read of this genre - I've never 'seen' things from this perspective. I found it captivating and well researched

It’s been a while that while reading a book, I’ve felr so close to the main character and have felt the despair and heartache and joys as I did with this book. Mandy Robotham did an excellent job of weaving the story of Hitler’s mistress and the birth of his son. It was to the point that I wondered as though what was written was a factual account. Anke was a true heroine during the time she spent surviving the war and my heart broke for her and Dieter. Such an amazing story of love, perseverance, anguish, and survival. One that will surely stick with me for some time.

A Woman of War is a World War II story unlike anything I have read before. It follows Anke, a midwife, during the final year of the war. in 1942 Anke is put in a labor camp for being "a pest" to the Reich. As a trained midwife she feels an obligation to assist any mother and child through the birth process. To her this does not matter if they are German or Jewish and she cannot abide by the Reich's rules against deformities.

In 1944 she is pulled from her camp, Ravensbruck, to attend a pregnant woman in the Furher's inner circle. This book relies on Anke undying loyalty to her oath to help expectant mothers and their babies no matter who they are. It is also a story about perceptions and that sometimes people we do not expect might be prisoners of their circumstances as well.

If you are a World War II novel fan, a historical fiction fan, or a women's fiction fan give this book a read. The story keeps you wanting more and a need to know what happens to the baby in the end will drive you to finish this in no time at all.

This is written as an alternative history. I love historical books especially those set around the World War era. We follow a young woman who has been kept in a concentration camp and her midwifery skills are called into use. The characterisation is brilliant and you feel the angst of the main character. I will be really keen to read more by this author and which eras of history she may have in store for us next

I found this a good read but some characters seemed lacking and that spoilt it for me.. The writer seems very capable and the plot excellent but somehow I didn’t care about Eva as much as I felt I should.


I still recommend it as an usual story for fans of the genre. Do have tissues to hand, a lovely, sad touching story just a bit boring and slow in parts.

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me an eARC read in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to the next Mandy Robothom book, She has talent.

A Woman Of War by Mandy Robotham is a fabulous debut novel set inside Nazi Germany. It is a powerful story using real historical figures blended with the author’s imagination. Some book have the power to really affect the reader – this is one such book.
For me, A Woman Of War spoke of the bravery of women, especially mothers who continually sacrifice their needs for that of their children.
War brings out the very best and the very worst in people. Women, of good moral character, place their lives on the line to practice kindness in a world where there is no kindness. “I had warmed to her… mainly for treating me like a human being.”
The novel has two main settings – Ravensbruick concentration camp and the Berghoff, also known as the wolf’s lair. The reader ‘experiences’ the horrors of the concentration camp from the confines of our sofas. We are horrified at man’s inhumanity to man and our hearts are warmed as women with nothing, try to make childbirth pleasant experience. There is a camaraderie that comes from having nothing and being there to help others in the same position. In contrast, the Berghoff is luxury but one is always just one step away from life in the camp.
The main theme is that of midwifery. The reader sees that a midwife treats all women as equals, being only concerned for the safe delivery of the baby and the welfare of the mother. The skills of the midwife are highly valued.
Mandy Robotham has turned Eva Braun from a historical figure into a fully rounded 3D character using poetic licence to imagine what it would have been like if Eva had conceived a baby. Did I like Eva Braun? I am not sure. Coming to the tale as a historian with a passion for WWII, I pitied her for her blatant worship of Hitler, who clearly had little time for her. I think without my prior knowledge, I would have liked Eva more, as it was I merely pitied her, knowing what her end choices would be.
I hesitate to use the word ‘enjoy’, given the subject matter, so instead I shall say that I thought A Woman Of War was marvellously constructed with its gripping plotline and realistic and likable main character, Anke.
Within the novel a hint of love beginning to bud in war, spoke of hope for the future.
I think that Mandy Robotham has a wonderful imagination and is a very talented author. I am hoping that A Woman Of War is only the start of many more novels to come.
A fabulous debut novel.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

What would you do given the choice of life or death?

If you were forced to live in hell like freezing conditions full of pain and suffering and had a choice to get out back out into the real world, but that world is being run by a murderous mad man.

What would you do?

Anke Hoff is a respected and experienced midwife, when she is forced to make a choice for the sake of her family. She has been summoned by the fuhrer for her experience to attend to one of his inner circle, as their midwife.

If she refuses then her life in camp will surely become worse, she may be killed, her family certainly will die.

Anke puts her family first and soon finds herself amongst unimaginable luxury at the Berghof.

The pregnant member of Hitlers inner circle is not who Anke was expecting it to be, and she almost instantly wishes that she could leave. Being in the house itself is bad enough. But being that close to someone she despises is almost too much.

But Anke is a good woman, and despite her reservations she begins to form a reluctant friendship with the expectant Mother. A friendship she never expected. But there are a lot of things that Anke doesn't expect to experience at the Berghof, particularly love.

But Anke’s love comes at a high price. It is dangerous, forbidden, and could be deadly. A Woman of War is a beautifully written historical novel, that is set to become a firm favourite.