War memoir as journalist traces her family path through World War 2, particularly her Maternal Grandmother's experiences as relayed in her later life. Well crafted and builds the background to her family's experience and creates their portayals very effectively to create a gripping read. Objective and balanced it gives an insight to the experience of a German family fleeing the carnage of the redefining of country borders and control.

This was certainly a different WW2 book to those I normally turn to – the Hitler of the subtitle features but fleetingly, as instead the book aims to show the warfare a woman might face just, well, being a woman. We see our journalist author, inspired by what she doesn't know of her grandmother, go through the past and work out what her family was doing in wartime. There's a strong sense she'll find something lacking, either a drive to be anti-Nazi, or something else that might have left the grandmother with a lifetime of reticence and reluctance to speak about her past. But no, what she finds is very different indeed, and even though it features flight, starvation, death and persecution, this really is not a routine wartime memoir – for one thing the leads are Lutheran and not Jewish. Throughout the style is very warm and readable, although the author does have the habit to continuously say what she'll have to do, or that she'll find something out she's yet to tell us, which are as welcome on the page as trailers for a film when we're halfway through watching it. There is also an awkwardness at the end, as the narrative admits, and almost a kind of selfishness from our wordsmith in wanting all this out in the air. You still published it, though.

What 'it' is, in the finish, is a strong story, one that wears its feminist heart on its sleeve, as it shows a young woman unable to get what she wants from life due to war. It also takes us to Konigsberg, the Russian exclave that was full of comparatively bohemian German culture before the Nazis, although nothing on what the young woman does end up wanting a part of. Taking us to this place with the help of people we didn't at all know, and which the author didn't fully either, is what I'll remember this book for. It tells of a very different corner, if you like, to the European theatre, and creates a very different corner of the shelf of similar books all for itself.

A great book that is well written and a genre that i enjoy reading from time to time. Inge's War is a mixture of family and history and is written in a very empathetic way.

An excellent and very moving book chronicling the experience of one woman and the life she discovers her Grandmother led. It shows how we can live with someone without really knowing a great deal about them apart from what they choose to show. Thus was a difficult read at times because of the subject matter but well worth it.

I have read a lot of novels about The Holacaust and also about life under Soviet Rule but this is the first time I have read a book about this time period from such a uniqe perspective.

Svenja had never felt particularly close to her grandmother who was aloof and often crtitical but all that changed when Svenja decied to visit the place where her grandmother grew up. A place named Konigsberg which once was part of East Prussia.

As a child Svenja was aware of the guilt that those of German heritage can feel when the subject of war comes up, a desire to avoid the subject in case she found out something unsavoury. Much is known about the plight of Britain during the war and various other countries under Nazi rule but this book is unique in that it captures what it was like for ordinary citizens of Germany.

Her visit to her grandmother Inge's former hometown opens the floodgates on the past in most unexpected ways.

The author managed to walk the line between well-researched and dry. The use of a mixture and facts and photos brought home the fact that her story is one that was shared with many others.

Not only was the story itself engaging but the historical and sociological context were both highly fascinating.

An eye-opening read.

Wow, what a read. It might be more poignant to me as my husband is currently trying to trace his family from Pomerania, a little way west of East Prussia but large amounts of this book could apply to his family.

I found the mix of historical, political narrative with the personal excellent. The descriptions of place and personal reactions to the story given by Inge are heartfelt. Either Inge was an excellent raconteur and/or the author's research ensured that she knew in detail what places were like at certain times. I read the book quickly finding it a compelling read. I was particularly interested in the descriptions of the sea passage and seeing the sinking of the other refugee boats. As a School Librarian I have promoted the reading of "Salt to the Sea", by Ruta Septys. O'Donnell's book confirms so much of the fictional lives of those who were aboard the MV Wilhelm Gustloff in the fictionalised version.

O'Donnell's depiction of the German guilt is interesting and it seems from her story that this is still a problem today. As we have found in recent years there are atrocities performed in the heat of war by most armies. It is not something to be proud of but the discussion as to how to pay reparations and ask foregiveness and ensure "the end does not justify the means" should be discussed. This book setting out the facts goes some way to starting the conversation. The figures of death both German and Russian, soldiers and civilians are enormous and stark. The lack of humanitarian aid given by the Danes is something I had never heard about and because we here in the UK have not been invaded for so many centuries I do not think we can properly relate to the feeling of revenge. These issues were all dealt with in a sensitive manner,

This is a remarkable book. One that I will promote with the History Department. I have come across few books which deal with the subject of German civilians during the war written in English. I have recently been asked for books about how German propaganda was used in World War 11, this gives a number of insights and examples of the tightening grip of the Nazi Party on freedom of expression and thought. The feeling of dislocation in your own country is also dealt with and so could be of interest to anyone looking at how refugees are treated.

In some ways the story of what happened next after Inge met Wolfgang that last time is of interest to me. How did Inge become more affluent? How much more did she have to fight to pull the family out of poverty? How did she recover and what was life like in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s? These are questions that I feel are unanswered and could be as interesting as the war years.

This is simply a brilliant book which tells a fascinating story told in a sensitive but gripping manner. The author's piecing together of her grandmother's wartime experiences are so well told that the book is truly "un-put-downable". I defy anyone not to be moved and angered by the lives of the main characters and the general refugees of this era. This book touched me greatly and I hope it gets the large readership that it deserves.

I initially thought this was a non fiction holocaust memoir written from the view of a German woman. At times during reading this I again forgot it was a work of fiction as some of the research that has gone in to this has been incredible. I was moved by the story as much as I have been with some of the holocaust memoirs I have read.

A tale of the 1930s and WW2 through the eyes of a young German woman. Clearly based on the family story of the author, it is packed with historical content and information passed on from her Grandmother. In some ways it reads more like a non-fiction book than a novel, probably because of the huge amount of research the author obviously put into the task. It is clear how passionately she feels about the story, the era and the difficulties faced by those associated with Nazi Germany.
Thank you to Svenja O'Donnell, the publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I didn’t realise when I requested this that it was non-fiction, so the style was jarring to begin with. I soon fell into the rhythm of the narrative however and the tale told is a captivating one. Perhaps enough time has now passed for both sides of the war to be told, as this is the second German perspective of World War II I have read in as many months. Being the story of an ordinary family living in Germany and caught up in the times, this is heartfelt, touching and powerful by turns.

Svenja retells her grandmothers story through conversations, documents and photographs that have survived the years. Having never been all that close to her grandmother, who Svenja describes as a self contained and difficult woman, a trip to Konigsberg where Inge spent her youth is enough to kindle a relationship between the two women. Finally Inge begins speaking about her past, first retelling the lighter and more innocent times before the story naturally moves into descriptions of war torn Germany, of authoritarian rule and crimes committed in their countries name. The story isn’t complete, there are gaps where Inge didn’t speak of all the facts. Where possible Svenja has filled in the missing pieces with additional research and by speaking to other friends and family, but the patchiness at points only adds to the veracity of the tale.

The concept of German guilt is a constant backdrop to this story, how could it not be? Even Svenja herself, born long after the last concentration camps were closed and the men responsible were tried and judged, feels it. It is in the bones and blood of every German, it is felt every time the war is brought up or taught in class. But it isn’t the only thing here. At the heart of it, this is a story of people just trying to survive in a world that’s gone crazy. Trying to find some measure of happiness and normalcy in the darkness. Inge is a young girl of sixteen when things really start kicking off, she is yet to fall in love or to do any of those things girls approaching adulthood do. She is finding her way through a world that makes no sense and she is naive in many ways. She makes mistakes and pays dearly for them. She loves and she loses, she feels triumph, grief and heartbreak.

Inge’s tale is strangely touching, even told through the filter of memories so many years later. I found myself captivated by events and the people described. Even knowing how much of the story is to end, I so desperately wanted it to end differently. The tale takes you not just through the years of war torn Germany, but through Russia’s encroachment into East Prussia, the panicked evacuation and the moment of surrender. But it doesn’t stop their. The evacuation into Denmark of hundreds of thousands of Germans and the fate of those with no other means of support. The past moving into the present and how the boundaries of Inge’s world just kept shifting and changing.

This is a story of love, of loss, of betrayal and heartbreak. It’s touching, poignant and educational. I learned about aspects of the post war years that I had no idea about. It’s a fascinating and insightful insight into the life of the German populace during and after the Second World War.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my free ARC of this title.

Author Svenja O’Donnell is half German and half Irish, living in Paris, so has links around Europe. During most of her childhood, she was not particularly close to her elderly, cold and disapproving, German grandmother, Inge. However, it was a spur of the moment trip to Konigsberg, previously in East Prussia, where her grandmother was born, that led her to establish a closer relationship. Konigsberg was, O’Donnell was told by friends, not anywhere that tourists visited and, indeed, she was disappointed by the town she found – modern, with wide streets, lots of traffic and a lack of visual beauty. Yet, when she spoke to her grandmother to tell her where she was, she heard the emotion in her voice.

Ingeborg Gertrud Wiegandt was the beloved only child of Albert and Frieda. They had a comfortable and secure life. Albert was a wine and spirits importer. Frieda a housewife. Together, they gave their daughter a loving home life – she was indulged, a little spoilt, and, on Friday, her father would leave his office and take her to a café for hot chocolate. Into this life of little treats, love and attention, war came to change things. Neither Albert, not Frieda, supported the Nazi party – they were, the author states, “the people whose disagreement was quiet or unspoken.” Yet, it is obvious that O’Donnell is uncomfortable when she writes that Albert brought a house from one of the 3,170 Jewish citizens still in the town in 1933, when the Germans come to power, and that Inge still struggled with guilt at her inability to recall the name of a Jewish girl, forced to leave her education, as laws gradually limited the freedom of those for whom the Nazi presence was felt as a cold, menacing shadow, invading every aspect of their lives.

The author listens to her grandmother’s stories and begins to try to investigate on her own. What happened to her grandmother, after war was declared and she left for Berlin to study at Lette Haus, a college for young woman in Berlin. Who was the man she loved and what happened to a young couple, whose life was interrupted by war?

This is a moving and interesting read. O’Donnell tells the story of her grandmother with respect and honesty. It is about people who experienced all the ordinary ups and downs of life, but in a time which made the ordinary dangerous and difficult. Even going dancing could result in trouble, if ‘degenerate’ Swing music was heard – meaning that guards had to be posted at the doors, so that those dancing could switch to a more sedate foxtrot, at any hint of danger. Overall, this is an excellent choice for anyone interested in social history, the history of women or WWII in general. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

An excellent novel, evocative a sense of times past and the struggles therein. Excellent plot and well drawn characters. An very good engrossing read in these difficult times. Looking forward to the authors next book

A sad story of a wartime love affair in a little reported area of North Eastern Germany telling the story of a family and in particular of a young woman who falls in love with a young man who is of a higher social class ..He is forced to join the army and fight on the Russian Front. Story is a little disjointed as it swaps back between the ages but gives an insight into the privations suffered by ordinary German people trying to survive within a culture of violence and hatred.

This is an amazing book and one that should be on the secondary school curriculm in all European countries. Two sides to every story and the author has done a great job in showing both sides in an unbiased manner - at least as unbiased as you can be when dealing with close and much loved family during such a traumatic time in Europe's history. I was fascinated by the whole tale and the way it was written to unwind the tangled ball of memories. With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review and e-ARC of the title.

I loved this well-written and moving book. It tells a fascinating story from an unusual viewpoint, and the author skilfully manages to avoid painting a stereotypical picture of wartime Germany. I really couldn't put this brilliant book down, and would thoroughly recommend it.

INGE’S WAR
by
Svenja O’Donnell



One of the best books I have every read, leaving a lasting impression in my mind. At heart a family story with all the ingredients of a great book, family, history, grief, romance, suffering and courage, this is a must read.
The writing is of the highest standard as one would expect from an experienced war correspondent, concise and to the point. The horrific events associated with WW11 have always fascinated me especially those that illustrate man’s inhumanity. This story is slightly different as the focus is on a family living in Prussia and caught between the Germans and the Russians.
Inge is the writer’s grandmother, a private, self contained and rather distant woman who never spoke of her early years apart from brief tales of a happy childhood leading to college in Berlin, where her new freedom from parental supervision led to dancing the night away to bands playing American jazz.
When Svenja finds herself in Konigsberg, the small Baltic town where Inge spent her youth she phones Inge in anticipation of pleased surprise but instead she heard Inge gasp before a brief acknowledgement. Was there a hint of emotion Svenja wondered. Curious, on her return home she visited her grandmother, unsure of her reception. She had unwittingly opened a locked door of memories the austere Inge was reluctant to open.
The two women grew close over several meetings as Inge slowly revealed a tragic tale of suffering, and Svenja began to understand the reason Inge had always been distant. Little is written about the ordinary families in Germany and how Hitler had such power of control over them.
‘How the Nazis managed to maintain their grip over the German population is something that continues to divide historian to this day’.
And those who did not concede to the orders what of them? This riveting and harrowing story reveals how impossible life was for them. They lived in fear.
This is a wonderful book that often moved me to tears and I cannot commend it highly enough.

There are always a minimum of two side to history or two opinions and the Second World War is a fine example. Not all Germans were Nazis obviously those at home manning the fort may of found the first part of the war different to the English but the evils of war still got them. I've often wondered about your average German who supported their army but there had to be a time when they knew they just knew. For some it may have been the news reels that they saw afterwards, some despised Hitler and his party before the war they saw they saw the plight of the Jews and other The rest fell in between somewhere, but most didn't know the full extent of this evil till it was shown to all the world.
So after all that Inge's War, is the story of Inge's journey for want of a better phrase as was told by her to her Granddaughter Svenja. It's an eye opener with historical detail and the pain that lasted into the 21 century for some. It is a book to open any ones eyes to the horrors that ripple through the whole country and its not all pleasant but there is fun for a couple of teenage girls until well everything changes one is left pregnant and the simplistic life or as simple as it can be in any country at war specially in the last century . It's not great this century but in Western Europe recent wars have not effected life in the same way I think it's fair to say.
The details are deep the emotional journey can be heart breaking but it is real and this is unmistakable as you read on. I felt at times i was imposing on others private secrets but that's what this is the story of Inge's life a story that is worth telling, it will show you the strength of the human willpower to forge on and knowing that your country isn't what you expected that the behaviour of others does have an impact on others it just how many that is the real question.
How ever this is a book review so I should tell you that its a book i feel glad to have read in the way I feel privileged to be allowed into the private life of this family and when you read it which i hope you do this will all make sense (well i hope it does). So yes five stars seems mean but like life we live with the restrictions we have and push on till six stars becomes the new normal. 🤔

This book is an important contribution to history. History of war often ignores the effect on families where wives become widows and children lose parents. These are the long term effects of war and social upheaval. History too is not only about major events or famous names. It needs to be traced to the lives of ordinary people. That is what this book does,telling the history of the period before,during and after the Second World War in terms of the author's own family. Faced with a grandmother,Inge, whose experience are the key to understanding the family history but who is reticent about revealing all that happened to her,the author works at her relationship with this reticent woman and at the same time researches three generations deeply affected by history. The story is compelling and sad but also gives important insights into what ordinary Germans thought of their leaders and how they too were damaged. The book is a brilliant piece of research,well written by an experienced journalist. It becomes obvious that the author too has been affected by researching her family's story. The repercussions of war persist down the generations. This book is a superb contribution to history. I recommend it.

I have literally just finished this book and it’s made a huge impression on me. Inge is the author’s grandmother and I wonder, as she does too at the end of the book if she should have started the journey into her grandmothers past at all.

Inge was 15 at the beginning of World War Two and lived in Konigsburg in East Prussia. Initially the war had little impact on her young life where dancing and flirting were the most important things on her mind. She leaves East Prussia to go to study Berlin where she finds friendship and happiness and love with a family that takes her in.

As soon as her lovers call up papers to join the war arrive in the post life turns from lightness and laughter and dancing all night to jazz tunes to darkness difficulty and survival. Inge’s story is one of literally doing anything to survive.

There are few stories of an ordinary young girl’s experiences from Germany during those years of war - when she had no control over her life and then the awful time at the end of the war when things were almost worse.

The author’s journey to discover her grandmother’s story is almost obsessional but understandable and makes for fascinating and gripping reading and even had me in tears at one point. I can not recommend it more highly for anyone who is interested in all sides of the story of the appalling World War Two.

Very well researched and very well written. This is a memorable story which needs to be read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.