This book set during World War two is a what if Eva braun had given birth to Hitlers child... I really enjoyed it, really good page turner and detailed sometimes harrowing descriptions of what happened in those times. Very well written and can't recommend enough.

I always have a weak spot for WWII historical fiction... As soon as I recognized the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp entrance I was able to see with my own eyes a few months back on the cover, I just new I had to read A Woman Of War. Although I admit I was a bit disappointed to not see that particular camp featured, there is no doubt that the author has a very interesting premise here. The plot of A Woman Of War is a proper fictional one and more a what if? story than one based on true events. It also shows some pro-Nazi characters in a very positive light; something you don't see often in historical fiction, but also something I'm not sure how I feel about. The writing style flows and makes it quite easy to read this story rapidly despite the sometimes heavy topics and more graphic scenes. It shows that the author is a midwife herself, as there are detailed descriptions about women in labor and birth itself. The main character Anke is a midwife and her role is key in A Woman Of War. It brings forth a very interesting ethical and moral question: either Anke helping one of Hitler's inner circle's women during her pregnancy and betraying her own beliefs, or her refusing and being responsible for the death of her family. Seeing pro-Nazi characters in a positive light makes me feel uncomfortable and I could have done without the romance, but overall it was quite an interesting read. Anke's flashbacks of her life before working as a midwife and during her time as a prisoner in Ravensbrück were a good balance to the more 'fictional' present narrative. Fans of the genre will no doubtly find A Woman Of War an interesting read.

There is no doubt that A Woman Of War offers quite an original take on a what if? situation that could have changed everything. I'm not sure what to make of the way the pro-Nazi characters are portrayed, but it is definitely quite unique no matter how you feel about it. The writing was solid and I especially enjoyed Anke's flashbacks even though the parts set in Ravensbrück were quite brutal. All in all an interesting although a bit unorthodox WWII historical fiction read.

Anke is a trained midwife in Germany during the 2nd World War and because of her job she helps all women. Of course this goes against the Third Reich regime, especially when she helps Jewish women. The result being she's sent to a political camp where she sees awful treatments of new born babies.
This fictional story deals with Eva Braun and other high ranking officials in the Nazi party.
I enjoyed this book, the writing style is great for a debut novel. But however I do not believe it should be compared to The Tattooist of Auschwitz as that was a true story and an unforgettable read.

A woman at war by Mandy Robotham is her debut novel and what a great one it is. Set in Germany in 1944 Anker Hoff is a Midwife in a concentration camp, dealing with helping the women prisoners giving birth to their babies and the problems what occur afterwards. When she is called to Hitler’s inner circle to become the Midwife of Eva Braun, that is pregnant with the Fuhrer’s child. She has no choice but to agree, so she can keep her family safe. They are also prisoners in camps scattered over Germany.
When I read the blurb and it was comparing it to the Tattooist of Auschwitz. I had to read this. I understand that this is pure fiction and the Tattooist of Auschwitz is true life. But this didn’t deter me. I really enjoyed The Woman at war. I think it’s a brilliant first novel. The Author has really done her homework with the research. It has great characters and the novel is realistic and shows of the other atrocities and the suffering that happened in Germany in world war 2. The story made me feel I was actually there. I highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon books for ARC of this book.

This was an emotional story that left me feeling shattered. I couldn't put it down and it was so well written that it could have been a real story. It was like watching a film everything was described so naturally. Fantastic read with some closure in the conclusion.

This book is one of those "what ifs" in the historical fiction realm.
The what if belongs to Eva Braun (Adolph Hitler's long term paramour for lack of better word) became pregnant.
Anke is a midwife at a camp who is there as a political prisoner not as a Jew so this gives her a bit more 'freedom'. This freedom ends up with being placed at Berghof with Eva to help her with the pregnancy. Hitler himself is seen but once in the book. He is often mentioned in the internal dialogue of Anke. The focus is on Eva and what we should feel for her. There is also a sub- plot romance.
To be honest I am still wrapping my head around this book. The writing was good. The flow worked. The character development of Anke was good. Eva felt off and not in a way like oh don't like her but more of a needed to fleshed out more to truly form an opinion. It was a good debut novel. I do feel the comparison to the Tattooist of Auschwitz is not an accurate one and could cause people to be put off as they read due to their expectations.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

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 favorite 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!

Finished this book in just over a day! I couldn’t put it down and was so curious about the ending. It kept me guessing right up until the end. The author wrote in such detail, giving wonderful descriptions that made you feel like you were there and a part of the story. A few small things were a little unbelievable but overall I really enjoyed it! One of the better World War II books I’ve read and super interesting to think about what life would be like if this story was true. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this novel, a perfect combination of truth and historical fiction, it keeps you wondering and hoping while seeing a different perspective.

This book had an interesting premise, mentioned in the author's foreword: Is there any point where a midwife will sacrifice her duty and refuse to save a mother and newborn child? What if it was Hitler's child?

While I enjoyed the first few chapters, I found it very difficult to connect with the characters or story. Nothing really happened for a good chunk of the novel. I also find the book's comparison to The Tattooist of Auschwitz extremely unfair, as that book was written from the perspective of a real survivor of the death camps. This story's main character is a fiction who is allowed to leave the camps - where she appears to barely suffer - to be Eva Braun's midwife (which is also fiction, as Hitler did not have a child).

Be warned that there are several, kinda graphic scenes of childbirth (if you're squeamish like me).

I think if you like the idea of an alternative history set during WW2, this book is definitely for you. Sadly, I'll pass.

This was a book about a midwife who is in a concentration camp and goes to deliver a child. This is a good historical fiction book.

A very compelling book of a Anke a Midwife being taken to care for a woman in Labour,Anke a young midwife must keep her wits about her and to follow orders or god forbid death.I personally love reading world war 2 sagas and thought this book sounded good.I will say this story is heartbreaking and throws up all sorts of thoughts.But go into this book with an open mind.5*

Good Lord, this book absolutely DESTROYED me. I went into it with high expectations, and I certainly wasn't let done. From beginning to end, the reader is swept up in a whirlwind of moral, ethical, and personal conflict as we see WWII through a young German midwife's eyes. We feel her disgust for the Nazis, her yearning to be reunited with her family, and her pull to do what's right even when telling the difference between right and wrong is close to impossible. It's a raw, unrelenting novel that puts a human woman in a position that seems none too human at all.

I'm curious to see how others react to this novel, considering the current political climate going on in the United States. On one hand, I'm tired of reading/watching/hearing stories that humanize Nazis, but on the other hand, I do think it's important to recognize that complexities lie beneath each person's motivations. Personally, I have no interest in reading about Hitler's complexities, Groebbels's, Mengele's, or any of the truly horrific Nazi figures who specifically and gleefully carried out/contributed to the persecution of Jews and other minorities. I'm not normally interested in considering any Nazi's humanization, but I did find myself caring for Dieter and trusting him while also feeling conflicted about it, much like Anke's feelings, too. Will this book receive any backlash for humanizing an SS officer? I don't know. Should it? No.

Already, I can tell that this book is going to stick in my mind for a little while now that I'm done with it. It's original and gut wrenching in its narrative, message, and characters while forcing the readers to ask ourselves what would we do if we were there? What choices would we make? How do we know what's right and what's wrong in a world that completely changes the usual definitions of those around? These are hard questions we're faced with as we follow Anke's story, and despite how uncomfortable it may be to ask ourselves what we would do in such an impossible situation, it forces us to choose what we want to be made of.

To wrap this all up, it's a lovely, heartbreaking book, and I'll be keeping an eye out for reviews for this one to see what others have to say about it. Highly recommend!

This book is very compelling. What if Eva Braun had given birth to Hitler's baby? It's a well written story, of not a chilling prospect.. Anke, a midwife, is chosen to assist Eva in her birth. There are flashbacks to the main character's earlier life and her experiences in Ravensbruck. I was eager to see how the author would resolve the birth and afterward. It was a clever twist, but I think the consequences for midwife's actions would have been much more dire than depicted by the author. The romance angle wasn't that believable either. All all in all, a good read, but the title is very unimaginative.

Very good story of a midwife who is taken from a concentration camp to help with an expectant mother.

I really did like and enjoy this book very much and although it dealt with some very painful and distressing issues it was done in such a thoughtful and compassionate way making it a very readable novel indeed. The writing was excellent and the characters realistic and although this was a work of fiction it had many true facts in it and this was done very well making for an interesting and thoughtful page turner.
Not my usual genre and in fact this also made for an even better read, a sad story but also filled with hope and love and that makes a novel that I can highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me a chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I cannot give enough praise for A Woman of War. I have had the opportunity to read many historical fiction novels (it’s a favorite of mine) and this one is definitely the #1 on my list of books Ive read in 2018.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but the main character is amazing. She’s courageous, compassionate, & inspiring. She was faced with many tough decisions during World War 2 and watching her wrestle with them was emotional. I’ll admit I cried more than once in this book, which is rare for me to do.
If you are looking for a page turner, this is it. I read the book cover to cover in 48 hours. If I could give this book a 6/5 Stars I would!

I found the story very fascinating -- sort of a 'what if' historical story...I suppose there could be truth in it, but doubt it. We follow the narrator, a midwife, on two journeys....one present-day journey to care for Eva Braun and one past-tense journey to see how she got to be who she is today. There are tragic moments, though not nearly as graphic as things I've read in other Holocaust books (thankfully), and you'll learn quite a bit about midwifery just by reading. The ending had an element of surprise to it, and I was glad to see the twists and turns...it kept me guessing.