Readers who enjoy books set during the Second World War are going to love Catherine Hokin’s absorbing and enthralling tale of love and loss that is brilliantly written, wholly mesmerizing and wonderfully researched: The Fortunate Ones.

Berlin is in the grip of the Second World War and printer’s apprentice Felix Thalberg feels the weight of the world weighing heavily upon his shoulders. The city that had once been his pride and joy is being razed and changed by Nazis intent on putting their malevolent stamp on this once great city and it breaks his heart to see his father retreat even further and further into himself and refusing to leave the house after being forced to wear a yellow star whilst his mother gets thinner and thinner with each passing day as worry consumes her. Felix feels as if he has been plunged into darkness, but a chink of light comes into his life one night when in a crowded dance hall he meets a mysterious and enigmatic woman who changes his life forever, Hannah…

Hannah’s intoxicating and beguiling personality transforms Felix’s life and he is determined never to let her go now that he has found her amidst all the darkness and despair. Felix does not want their magic to be a transient or temporary affair, but when he tries to find her, his quest is unsuccessful because Hannah seems to have vanished off the face of the earth. Whatever happened to Hannah? Has she been taken prisoner by the Gestapo? Or has something even worse befallen his beloved? As Nazi zeal and fervour continues to consume the city, Felix is imprisoned in a concentration camp run by sadistic officer, Dr Max Eichel, but the hardships and atrocities he is put through fail in comparison to the pain he feels being separated from his beloved Hannah.

All seems lost for Felix as he wonders whether he will ever clap eyes on his dear Hannah again. However, when
Dr Eichel brings his wife to work one day, Felix is completely and utterly flabbergasted when he spots Hannah. It seems like hope is not lost after all, especially when Dr Eichel’s wife makes it perfectly clear that she recognises him too and that his feelings for her are reciprocated.

Amidst all this cruelty and sadness, can Felix and Hannah ever find their way home to one another? Or is theirs a love that is simply not meant to be?

The Fortunate Ones is a stunning piece of historical fiction that grabbed my attention from the very first page and kept me on the edge of my seat and engrossed throughout. Catherine Hokin is a phenomenal storyteller who writes with style, flair and confidence about the Second World War and makes her readers feel every single emotion which her characters are experiencing.

Felix and Hannah are characters it is impossible not to care about. They are wonderfully drawn and so beautifully rendered that readers will find themselves reluctant to leave the world they inhabit when they reach the end of the novel.

Catherine Hokin is a writer historical fiction fans need to add to their auto-buy list and readers who enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz are absolutely going to adore The Fortunate Ones.

This was a difficult read for me. I knew going in that with the subject matter, this wasn’t going to be an easy happy-ever-after read. But, after finishing, I’m still unsure how I feel about the ending.

Let me say that Hokin is an absolutely amazing story teller. There was not one moment of this book that felt contrived, rushed, or fake to me. She told an amazingly beautiful story of two people who met, fell in love, and had the most difficult time getting back to each other.

Felix is a half-Jewish young man who is watching his family and those around him suffer in his home of Berlin, due to the Nazis. Hannah, well, she’s a German. I won’t get into what that means for them too much; but, beware… these two have a rough road.

I’m absolutely in love with how Hokin chose to explore these two very-opposite characters. And she portrayed their individual pain–due to very polarizing circumstances–brilliantly.

The only issue I do take, is the ending. And, I won’t get into why. It was appropriate…Even almost expected. And probably the wiser choice for Ms. Hokin. And, I’ll probably never forget it.

In the genre of WW II novels, this one definitely stood out to me as special and unique.

A fantastic piece of historical fiction! Very emotional and sad at times, with great characters and a gripping plot. It deals with the horrors of war but is also a powerful love story. Highly recommended for anyone who loves good historical wartime fiction!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found the subject matter fascinating. A lovely story with sadness as well as strength and endeavour.. Definitely recommended to those who enjoy this genre.

The Fortunate Ones by Catherine Hokin is historical fiction at its very best. Set in Germany during World War 2, this is a beautiful and poignant book with a love story at its heart. Beginning in 1941 it tells the story of Felix, a printer’s apprentice, and Inge, the beautiful young woman he falls in love with.

Told from several different perspectives, this is a heartbreaking story of two people facing impossible odds, in a tale of love and war that will move you beyond words, taking you on a devastating wartime journey that will stay with you long after the final page has been turned.

Felix and Inge, or ‘Hannah’ as she is known to him, meet one night in a crowded ballroom. They have an instant connection and Felix soon finds himself completely infatuated by her. But Inge is due to be married to a much older man, a doctor, whose true character she is yet to see, and when Felix tries to find her again, she’s vanished without a trace.

Where has Hannah gone? Was she taken away by the Gestapo? Or is there something even more sinister going on? When Felix, a non-practising Jew, finds himself imprisoned in a concentration camp, all hope of finding the woman he’s fallen in love with appear to be lost. But then one day, after a life threatening injury lands him in the ward of Dr Max Eichel, he spies his lost love in the vice like grip of the sadistic doctor – her husband.

The Fortunate Ones is a gripping and beautiful wartime story that will both horrify and mesmerise you as you race through the pages, taking hold of your heart as you become desperate to see if Felix and Inge will ever find their way back to each other. But as heartbreaking as it is, this is also a story of how resilient the human spirit can be, even when all hope appears to be lost. I was mesmerised by Felix and his love for Inge, but it was Inge whose story moved and inspired me the most. Would she be able to escape the clutches of the sadistic Dr Max Eichel? Or are Felix and Inge destined to be apart forever?

A devastating and poignant read, this is a story that not only portrays the horrors of war, but also shows the power of love in all its guises, leaving you with a feeling of hope as the final pages draw to a close.
Catherine Hokin has written a beautiful, gripping and poignant wartime love story that I would highly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Fortunate Ones" by Catherine Hokin. As a fan of historical fiction, I just knew I wanted to request this one. Let me start off by saying that the writing and the story are absolutely beautiful. There were moments that took my breath away. Felix and Inge felt so incredibly real as did all the other characters. If I could give this a 4.5, I would. I loved the book. The ending I did not. While I can understand why the ending went the way it did, of course I was hoping for a different one (which is no fault to the author). I will gladly be looking for books from Catherine Hokin in the future!

The Fortunate Ones by Catherine Hokin is a World War II story set in Berlin in 1941. It is an extraordinary story that encompasses bravery, heartache, love and the power to keep going even when faced with adversity.

Felix Thalberg is a Mischling. He is neither fully German nor fully Jewish. While still being able to hold a job as a printer’s apprentice, Felix is not really sure where he fits in under the Nazi regime. His father has been stripped of his lecturing position and forced to wear a yellow star and is fearful of leaving their home. Felix’s mother, an aryan, refuses to leave her husband and finds herself shunned in the community. While at a dance, Felix meets Hannah and falls in love, but soon after finds himself arrested by the regime and sent to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp. While in the camp, Felix sees a glimpse of Hannah through a window pane, with an SS officer, Max Eichel, a sadistic medical officer and loyal to the regime, standing right behind her. While fearful of Hannah’s fate, she also gives him hope in a world that has changed.

Catherine Hokin really emmerses you into life in a concentration camp and all of the atrocities done to other people the regime labeled as undesirables. She shows how Jews were dehumanized and treated like nothing more than cattle. People were stripped of their dignity, murdered, and tested on like lab rats. Names no longer mattered. You were nothing more than a number, you were no one. There was no humanity in a concentration camp. Just reading the text was so disheartening and gave me the chills. Not only is this a story of what it was like in a camp, but it also takes it a step further until after the war had ended. I find it to be refreshing to see what happens after the war, which not many authors tend to write about.

What is most apparent is all of the research Hokin delved into while creating this story. Names and places have historic merit and I found it quite refreshing to read. From Berlin to Argentina, Hokin takes us on a journey of the SS from concentration camps in Berlin in 1941 all the way up till the end of the war when many SS Nazi’s escaped to Bariloche, Argentina’s Lake District.

Felix is such a strong well written character. I could feel his pain and suffering, but I could also feel his strength even when he felt like giving up. The only thought holding him together was his love for Hannah. I know many might not understand the symbolism of the romance in this story, or may feel it was short shafted among the bigger picture, but I feel it was a necessary plot point that kept Felix going and one that gave him the strength he needed to survive through the atrocities thrown his way.

Hannah is a well written character as well and I could see how she felt trapped in a marriage she did not want to be in while she carried around a love for a boy she briefly met. I found her to be very naive in the beginning, but yet I can understand why she wore rose colored glasses. In the beginning of 1941, I don’t think she could have truly handled all that was going on at the time. Hannah does grow in character and you can see how she changes for the better as time goes on.

I would really like to mention the ending of this story, while I didn’t get the ending I wanted, I think it still ended perfectly and kept with the entire theme of the story. I think one really needs to encompass all that is going on to truly understand why the ending is the way it is.

The Fortunate ones is a beautifully moving, gut-wrenching World War II story that will pull on your heartstrings. I highly recommend this book if you are a historical fiction fan. A definite five star read for me and I am really looking forward to more from Catherine Hokin.

Contained within a richly-detailed narrative was a story that spoke of prevalence of the human spirit, both resilient and beatific, bowed but never broken by the unfathomable horrors of war. Captivating. Sobering. Unflinching.

Moving historical fiction novel about Felix a printer's apprentice and his relationship with Hannah who he meets at a dance then she disappears. It will capture your attention from page one and keep you through to the end. Very moving, very thought provoking with a great cast of characters. .
#NetGalley #Bookouture

A stunning look at the impossible losses suffered by the German people during WWII, this book contains points of view that one usually does not see beyond history books. I found the character of Felix to be especially interesting because he personified several known groups (mixed blood, Jewish, had an exceptional talent, was relentless in trying to find justice, etc.) He was complex yet easy to understand. I also thought Inge was interesting because she represented the people who were “safe” but still felt like there was no escape. There was a lot to unpack in this book and the author did a fantastic job with the story. I highly recommend it. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

Oh my goodness me, this book had me from the synopsis alone. I am a book geek and a history nerd, who particularly loves stories set during the Second World War. I love German history and I have been on a couple of history trips to Germany, one of which included a tour of Sachsenhausen. So I hope you can appreciate why this book was screaming 'you need to read me as soon as possible' at me. Anyway I started reading and I couldn't stop. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Fortunate Ones' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to the characters of Felix and Hannah from the start. Felix lives in Germany but it has changed from the Germany that he used to love, because the Nazis have seized power and are imposing strict limitations on Germany's residents. Felix's father has been forced to wear a yellow star marking him out as a Jew and he doesn't want to leave the house. Felix's mother is losing weight at a rapid rate with all the stress and worry that she is going through. Felix doesn't have much to distract him from his problems. One day he goes to a dance, where he meets Hannah and he falls for her. He tries to find her again but she has vanished and he tortures himself with thoughts of what might have happened to her. That isn't the end of their story though because Felix is imprisoned in Sachsenhausen Camp, where he happens to meet Hannah again. It appears that Hannah is married to the medical officer of the camp. They both recognise each other and they reawaken their feelings for each other. Do Felix and Hannah survive the story? Do they get a chance to act on their feelings for each other? Is there a twist to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out because I am not going to tell you.
Oh my goodness, 'The Fortunate Ones' was one of those books that well and truly got to me. I was blown away by how fantastic this book was. From the moment I picked the book up until the moment I put it down, I was completely under this book's spell. If I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about this book and I was also thinking about everything I had learnt on our trips to Germany and in the classes I studied at university. I couldn't bring read this book over the course of a day because life got in the way but I did binge read it and finished it over the course of a couple of days.
'The Fortunate Ones' is very well written. The author has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Catherine has chosen to write about a difficult and emotive topic but she treats the subject with great care and compassion and at the same time she doesn't sugar coat anything or leave anything out. I was blown away by the quality of this story. Catherine drew me into the story from the start and through her fantastic writing, I felt as though I was part of the story myself. I found myself going through the same sorts of emotions that the characters went through. In that sense, Catherine put me through the emotional wringer somewhat.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Fortunate Ones' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Catherine's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A book that held me from start to finish. It was enjoyable (not really the correct word) to read about another concentration camp and also to how the German soldiers saw themselves.
Again I found myself searching for information on the camp and the main names characters.
A love story with a difference that pans over ten years.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about WW2 and those fleeing to South America.

There is a large trend in historical fiction to write the powerful yet overdone topic of the concentration camps.

This is not one such as these. In fact it kind of deals with the other side of things and takes the evil persons side. It also doesn’t deal as much with the annihilation of a whole culture.

I enjoyed this book a lot and felt sorry for Inge who is trapped in a marriage of convenience it seems and noone seems to believe her about just what her husband is like.

A dark and disturbing tale where you see the fear from some of the spouses of those who are committing heinous acts.

I believe that this should really be something all should read as it’s such a great story wvwm if not a really happy story.

If you are looking for something that little bit different from your World War Two fiction then Catherine Hokin's The Fortunate Ones is the book for you. Taking the reader deep inside Germany during the destructive years which changed the world forever, the author brings her readers on an incredible, emotional, beautiful and moving story with the power of love at its centre. To be honest, I was expecting another book based simply around the events of the war of which I have read so many and its certainly a genre I enjoy reading but here Catherine Hokin took things to another level and the book just went from strength to strength the further I delved into the story. It had such fantastic and emotive writing with each word so carefully chosen as to make the reader stop, think, take stock and to absorb everything they were learning and feeling.

We have all read descriptions of what went on during the war in labour and concentration camps, and also as to what people went through living in fear in the towns and cities, but it felt like I was reading about everything for the first time. Simply because the author opened my eyes and grabbed my attention through such detailed and rich descriptive words and paragraphs. She seemed to have this unique ability to make things I had read about before fresh and never once did she shy away from saying exactly how things were despite how gruesome and appalling some of the images that sprang to mind while reading. At the same time, she was always able to capture such a real and intensive love that burned from first sight which then took the characters through many difficult and challenging times.

There are two distinct voices throughout the story which alternate every few chapters or so, these being Felix and Inge. In turn the book is split into four parts which begin in Berlin in late 1941 and take us through the war and beyond to 1956. I am glad that the story didn't solely focus on the war years but instead brought us passed this to see how the characters were coping with the impact of all their traumatic experiences and what they had witnessed. It showed that the effects of both war and love didn't end with the conclusion of fighting in 1945. Instead the influences and impressions had long term consequences. The story opens with a very prologue as a man is being interviewed post war about his imprisonment and what he had been made to do. These brief pages made me keen to read on and discover more. We then return to Berlin.

It is 1941 and Felix, aged 18, is struggling through the tough times where food shortages are rife and people are being taken because of their faith. There are strict rules and regulations for Jews and Felix thinks he is lucky as so far he is only categorised as a middling - mixed blood - whereas his father is full Jewish. His father Arno has retreated into himself, never leaving the apartment and barely speaking following the label put upon him and the loss of his job from the university. Felix and his mother Kirsten are the sole providers for the family but times prove even more desperate the longer the war rages on. He struggles to fit in but does whatever his mother requires of him when it comes to joining organisations and obeying rules. He is an apprentice printer which in the long term will stand him in good stead. One night as he is out dancing in a club he encounters Inge and as soon as he lays eyes on her he is smitten and this initial feeling of lust will develop into much more and sustain him through his times of incarnation, punishment and terror.

Inge tells him that her name is Hannah, a name which he will cling to for many years. They know nothing about each other, not even the fact that they come from very different backgrounds, but a second meeting in a park cements his feelings for her. Yes it may seem strange that such a deep and lasting love develops despite only meeting twice and then endures separation and the unknown for so long but the way the story was written everything felt very realistic as if this love could truly happen and that it was strong enough to fortify Felix through the times of cruelty and acts of inhumanity.
We journey with Felix as his life is turned upside down and capture and imprisonment becomes a reality but throughout it all he clings to the memory of Hannah and even when at his lowest ebb the memories of her sustain him and give him strength even though he has only met her twice. The descriptions of what Felix experiences were very hard to read as they were so vivid and haunting. You think you have read it all when it comes to what punishments were meted out and then out of nowhere the author surprises and horrifies you even further. But as the years pass Felix wants to know what happened to Hannah? Was she too taken prisoner? Will the letters he write to her remain unsent? This dogged determination and passion will keep Felix striving forward even when the war ends but will he be happy with what he eventually uncovers? Is he really only clinging to an image that he has carefully constructed in his head when in real life the reality is very much different and stark?

I was slightly apprehensive having so much of the story told from a male perspective as I am used to and comfortable with hearing more from a woman's point of view when it comes to the war. But in The Fortunate Ones, this genuinely did work and it's all thanks to the carefully constructed images and characteristics of each character and scene that Catherine Hokin creates. We get such a sense of the real inner feelings of both Felix and Inge and I felt I plunged with them to the depths of terror, fear and anger but yet there were very brief moments of love and relief. The further I read on, and the more difficult it became to leave the book out of my hands, the more raw, powerful, fascinating and intriguing the story became.

Inge otherwise known as Hannah was a character who I felt compassion for but at the same time I felt a slight resentment towards her in that she couldn't seem to break free from the chains around her even though she knew what was going on was unlawful and horrific. I wondered was Felix's love for Inge stronger as I thought there were numerous times where Inge didn't mention Felix or even think about him. I knew she was miles away from him in another world completely, having been forced into an arranged marriage with a much older man. A man who in turn will throw up many surprises as to his true characteristics and the actual nature of his job the further you move through the story. There were moments, flashes as such, which showed Inge's daring side and how she attempted to break free from the upper echelons of Germany's society that she found herself in. But they came few and far between.

Was she just a bit too biddable instead of striking out on her own? But yet one particular scene at the labour camp shows her making the ultimate sacrifice which then turned my initial thoughts and opinions on their head and demonstrated maybe she was cleverer than I gave her credit for and maybe her two meetings with Felix meant just as much to her as they did to him. The world where Felix and Inge meet is very different to the one post war, they cannot be the same people given all they have witnessed. Can their love help them persevere through the unbearable times?

I have seen some people with some complaints regarding the ending of The Fortunate Ones but I loved it and I thought it was very apt and I wouldn't have changed a thing. This book was truly a phenomenal read so expertly crafted and the fact the idea for the basis of the book sprung from a short story where a man and woman met in a Berlin cafe and whose paths briefly crossed just shows what an imagination and talent the author has to turn such a simple idea into an honest, intense and heartbreaking story. Catherine Hokin has written a very accomplished novel that blends to perfection imagination with historical fact. It should be read in as few sittings as possible as trust me you will be completely lost in the world that Felix and Inge inhabit. I have no hesitation in recommending this incredible story and the author has certainly become one I will look forward to reading more from in the future.

Happy publication day Catherine Hokin! Your deeply emotional WWII story only goes to prove how many unique stories there are to still be created about one of the bleakest eras of human history. Although this is a work of fiction, all of the literature based during these years finds its source in fact.

Felix falls into the category of ‘Mischling’ – a classification given by the Nazi’s to those who are not fully Jewish but who are tainted by having Jewish blood in their veins. In Felix’s case, he has a Jewish father (which according to the Jewish faith doesn’t make him Jewish as the religion is passed down through the maternal bloodline). His mother goes out of her way to protect him, ensuring he doesn’t fall out of favour with the ruling party. She makes him join the Hitler Youth and urges him to attend regular meetings, regardless of how distasteful he finds them.

Inge is the daughter of wealthy parents. Although her father is a softer, kinder character, her mother is another story altogether: stern and austere. And both of her parents are staunch supporters of The Reich. They force her into marrying a man many years her senior, despite her protests. But Max Eichel is well-respected and his star is rising in Hitler’s ruling party. He’s well-connected and can bring Inge’s father lucrative business deals. So … more of a business merger than a marriage really!

But one fateful night before her wedding, she manages to talk her parents into allowing her to go to a party with a good friend who her family knows well, and she and Felix just happen to meet! Wanting to escape for just a few hours from the life her parents and Max seem to have mapped out for her, she tells Felix her name is Hannah. They share what seems like a few short moments together before the sirens go off and they are separated.

The story follows the trajectory of Felix and Inge’s lives in alternating chapters and I must admit, none of this unfolded how I expected it to! It’s unlike any other war story I’ve read. As both struggle for survival under entirely different circumstances, they each cling to that tiny hope that the other has somehow survived the horrors of the war and of what their beloved country has been forced to endure.

The situation that Inge found herself in was horrific. As a Nazi wife, she was not allowed to question anything, but was merely expected to accept whatever she was told, and to go wherever she was told to. She was as much of a prisoner as those who she saw out of her window at the concentration camps, the only difference being that she was being well fed. She was abused emotionally and mentally and sometimes even physically, which absolutely no hope of escape. Hokin’s accurate description of her situation is chilling.

Hokin’s description of Felix’s PTSD is also spot-on. His inability to adapt to life after the war; the survivor guilt that he carries with him like the heaviest load; his unwillingness to share what he went through with anyone else as he cannot imagine them understanding or being able to bear what he needs so desperately to say; the way it all eats away at him because it has nowhere to go, because he cannot get the words out. Felix survived the war, but it continues to live inside of him, eating away at him like a poison.

This is a soul-searing 4-star read. I didn’t find it an easy book to get through, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.

This is a very well written WWII story and post WWII that has a focus on the Nuremberg trials. I have not read anything about the trials until this one and I must say that it has certainly piqued my interest.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in January 2020.

If I'm being completely honest, I wish I could give this books 0 stars. I hate to be that person to hate a book everyone else seems to love, but hear me out.

The story itself is written beautifully. The descriptions of the concentration camps, for example, are enough to break even the most calloused person's heart.

My problem with the book is how it romanticizes sexual assault, and yes... that's what this "romance" is. I can't in good faith support a book that does that. It's unfortunate and I would possibly this author another chance in the future because their writing truly is great.

This was provided by Netgalley for my honest review.

A story that will leave you breathless . . .

"The soldiers moved quickly, separating mothers and children, the old from the young, the able from the not."

"There’s no emotion. There’s no anger. We’re nothing to them. Their indifference is more dangerous than hatred."

They find each other amidst a world in flux.  She knows it can't happen, he knows nothing about her except that he loves her.   Inevitably, their paths lead them to their vastly different destinies.   Irrevocably lost to each other.   Yet always in each other's hearts.

I had to keep reminding myself that this is fiction.   But it is fiction with a huge dollop of truth, of facts, and of history.   But the scarier part, the part that fills me with foreboding, is that this historical fiction could very well be an account of the world we live in right now.   There are parallels to be drawn from every chapter.

"I do know what revenge looks like, and it looks like more of the same. I don’t know what justice is. Unless it lies in keeping the memory of what was done alive so that it never happens again."

The inexorable trajectory their separate lives take as they each battle the demons of both their past and present lives, is an absorbing tale for all times.

Masterfully written, this book is a must read!

[Many thanks to NetGalley / Bookouture and the author for an Advance Reader Copy of this book.   The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. ]

It's the outbreak of World War II in Berlin. Felix Thalberg foes to the local dance hall. He meets a woman who says her name is Hannah. But her real name is Inga Ackermann and she's engaged to a prominent Nazi doctor. Felix come from Jewish origins but he's not a practicing Jew. Felix and Inga meet a couple of times and they were falling for each other. Felix and his father are deported to a work camp. Felix sees Inga in the camp. He thinks she's a prisoner trying to get away from the Needle. But Inga is married to him. The Needle is the camp doctor who runs crazy experiments on the prisoners.

It was quite heartbreaking to read about the lengths Jewish people would go to to hide their identity. The story is told from Felix and Inga's point of view. Its told in great detail of what it must have been like for people in the work camps. We learn of Felix's struggles in the prison camp and his life after the war is over. It covers the period 1941 - 1956. This is a must read for fans of Historical fiction who don't mind a it of romance thrown in.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Catherine Hokin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but had some major issues with it. Well, namely one issue. The book centers around this epic love story of the most star-crossed lovers one could imagine. And yet, this love is founded on a solid two hours of interaction and a few kisses. Somehow, this sustains Felix through his darkest times and causes him to act rashly and naively. It makes more sense on Inge’s part, but at the same time not really. I just don’t understand how two hours can really allow people to fall in love, especially when they don’t know anything about each other (and in Felix’s case, he doesn’t know her real name). For all my frustrations, the ending of this book fealty with that frail love well. The author wrapped up their stories well and there was hope in it.

All in all, I really liked this WWII book. I think I enjoyed the nonromantic parts better, and honestly think that the romance slightly detracted from the story. Inge and Felix were both so interesting and I was completely engaged while reading about what happened to them.