Liesel Scholz is a teenager growing up in Nazi Gernmany. Her father is a chemist and his skills are being used to support the impending war. She is thrown into a world of high ranking Nazi officials yet is horrified by the violence and cruelty she sees in the streets.
1945 and the war has just ended. Captain Sam Houghton arrives from America to deal with the aftermath of wartorn Berlin. He finds a people broken by defeat and hardship. He hires a young secretary to help him with translation but can he trust her...?
The Girl from Berlin is an excellent dual timeline novel. The timelines are only separated by a few years at most yet the dramatic changes are huge. Both plotlines were convincing and compelling, drawing the reader in to puzzle how they are connected.
This book appealed to my history degree as well as my psychology masters. The situation for 'normal' Germans in the face of rising Nazism as well as the coping mechanisms for surviving war. Author Kate Hewitt has clearly conducted careful research which brings an authenticity to the plot and descriptions.
Liesel develops from child to adult over the course of the book and discovers that her perfect lifestyle comes at a price. I had plenty of suspicions about what chemistry Liesel's father was developing and was not disappointed to be proved right with his horrifying revelations at the end of the book.
The links with the other postwar timeline were quite obvious but it was fascinating to see the plot unfurl. I read with a distinct sense of dread and anticipation and was not disappointed. The horror of war and Nazi atrocities are handled sensitively and often subtly but this does not reduce their power to shock.
The Girl from Berlin was hugely enjoyable despite the tragedies included within its pages. Beautifully written and lovingly researched.

My heart breaks over this book! I can just imagine how many children had to process letting go of their friends simply because of religion. This book, both the parts, 1936 and 1946 tied together beautifully and hauntingly in its plot. Almost eighty years after, I still cannot imagine those having gone through this and having the strength some of these children and Jews had.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I have read many stories about WWII, but this one was different from any that I have read. the story is told in two timelines, during the war and in 1946 when the Amercians are now in Germany tracking down Nazis and helping with the reconstruction of the country.

Liesel Scholz is a young German girl living in Berlin with her well to do family. Her father is a chemist who is being praised for his work on fabricated rubber. The family is moving to Berlin where he is being promoted. As the Nazis rise to power, he becomes involved with some high ranking officers, going to parties and events. Liesel is not happy with the changes in Germany under the Nazis, but accompanies her father to these events when her mother refuses. She eventually does what she can to help some of the Jewish people trying to escape. In 1946. Sam Houghton arrives in Germany to help find Nazis, specifically scientists and interrogate them. He hires a young woman, Anna, as his secretary and interpreter. He knows Anna is not being truthful, but he is not sure what secrets she is hiding.

Kate Hewitt wrote a story to highlight something that I had not read about before. How did the ordinary German people feel about what was happening? How did they get drawn into the craziness of the Nazi platform? The two timelines were knit together in an excellent way that made the story flow seamlessly. The more we learn about Liesel, the more my heart broke. She did not share their beliefs or want to be part of what they were doing, but as a young teenager, what was she to do? This book focuses on the evil of the Nazis while also highlighting the courage and strength of those who never fell under their spell. It helps us to understand a little better how it crept into the German Society, destroyed friendships and divided families. This historical fiction story was well researched with events that occurred being including in a realistic way. The main characters were relatable, and well developed. I found it easy to figure out how the two timelines fit together, but my interest did not wain at all. As Anna and Sam got to know each other better, there was an attraction, but Sam was honorable and never crossed the line. This was an easy story to become engrossed in and I definitely recommend it to those who are looking to read an historical fiction story set in WWII with a different type of plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an eARC of this book!

The Girl from Berlin is a story about Liesel Scholz who lives in turmoil about her stance towards the Nazis in Berlin, Germany. I was excited about reading this book, but when college began I went into a leisure reading slump, therefore I have DNFed this book because I lost its eARC copy. Nevertheless, I am going to review it because from whatever I read, I found it to be an interesting historical fiction. I loved its coming of age aspect, the narration, and the characters which I believe make this book a must-read.

In regards to the coming-of-age aspect, the story was narrated from a third-person point of view limited to Liesel Scholz. This narrative voice gives a good insight into Liesel’s thoughts and how she becomes aware of the barbarity and absurdity of the Nazi propaganda and injustice inflicted on the Jewish minority. This insight is important because it shows Liesel’s growth from an immature to child to a more aware adolescent. From whatever historical fiction I have read so far, I have not seen much of children’s and adolescents’ perspectives, therefore shedding light on their perspectives shows how children matured and came to understand the world in Nazi Germany.

In addition to third person point of view, the narration includes two different time frames: a pre-WWII time frame and a post-WWII time period. Therefore, the story is not only limited to Liesel’s story in Nazi Berlin, it also includes the narration of events from Sam Houghton’s work after the war. Sam Houghton is an American captain who comes into contact with the mysterious Anna. It is obviously not a love story, but more of a search for truths of Nazi secrets (that’s what I understood). I liked the investigative aspect to this part of the narration as well as the secretive nature of Anna’s character that increases the suspense of the story. The structuring of the two time frames is nicely done because it not only shows how Liesel copes with the changes because of the rising power of the Nazis, but it also shows the post-war period where Germany is crippling with poverty and despair. The mystery of the plot is still a mystery to me, therefore I am confused by this narrative structure, but I liked how it juxtaposes two time periods, which increases the suspense of what happened to Liesel and how does Sam fit into all of this.

I found Liesel’s family to be complicated. As mentioned before, I liked Liesel’s character’s development and it was interesting to see it juxtaposed with the growth of her younger brother who despite being physically weak, vehemently hates the Jews and ardently supports the Nazis and their Fuhrer. This juxtaposition highlights the effect of the propaganda on children other than Liesel and how they innocently conformed to it. The parents are also juxtaposed because the father seems to be supporting the Nazis in order to secure his family from harm while the mother cannot bear to keep up with the pretense of supporting Hitler. The interaction of these different perspectives and persons is angry, sad, and complex, which shows familial struggles during the Nazi reign because it is important at a political and a moral level as well. It is about protecting family, a fight for survival, but more importantly struggling to do what’s right. I recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers and especially to those who love stories written in the coming-of-age vein.

This was such an amazing story!! I could not put it down! Historical fiction at its best! Highly highly recommend...

Liesel Scholz is raised in a upper echelon German household and pays no attention to the world around her . However, she starts to notice things little by little as Hitler starts his rise. Her father joins the New Government and her mother is now expected to do more things with the party. Her father forces her to join a girls group in school that is all about the Hitler Regime.

Liesel discovers that her familys housekeeper and daughter are Jewish and that they are no longer allowed to employ them. She takes drastic steps and hides them herself without telling anyone.
Liesel and Rosa the granddaughter become quite good friends during this journey of isolation.m

The book covers so many characters and there growth, but it is easy to follow them because the author does a remarkable job of intertwining them throughout each other’s lifetime.

I definitely would recommend this book to my friends.
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

WOW, this amazing, captivating and emotionally gripping story is one that you are sure to remember for a long time. It captures your attention from the very first page. This story will have you flying through the pages from beginning to end.

This story takes place in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Fourteen year old Liesel Scholz lives in Berlin in a nice new house and is living a life of privilege and safety because of her father’s job working for the government. As she notices the changes in her city from the war, she is amazed and disgusted at the destruction surrounding her and her family. Liesel meets Rosa who is the daughter of their Jewish housekeeper. Rosa comes to Liesel and begs for her to help her family. Liesel and her mother are appalled at what they are witnessing the Nazi’s doing to the Jewish people, so they agree to hide Rosa and her loved ones in the attic of their house. Liesel and her mother become the life-saving force that Rosa needs as the war rages on.

As the story continues on, post-war to 1946, the war has come to an end. American Captain Sam Houghton is assigned to Berlin to investigate prominent Nazi leaders and to assist in the rebuilding of Berlin. He hires a very quiet, shy assistant named Anna. Anna who survived the war has secrets of her own that Captain Houghton is unaware of. The attraction between the two is sure to pull at your heartstrings, and the physical and emotional destruction of war that Anna holds in, becomes known to Sam.

This engrossing, unputdownable, gripping story is a must read. It is an unforgettable page-turner that is sure to stick with you for a very long time. This story that will have you reaching for the box of Kleenex. Kate Hewitt tugs at your heartstrings in this emotional and phenomenal read. I can’t recommend it enough. You won’t want to miss this amazing read.

The Girl From Berlin is such an intriguing book set in 1936 Germany.
Although, to be fair this book I'd pretty similar to The Berkin Girl where the action is and the setting are exactly the same, I enjoyed both of them since my favourite genre is Historical Fiction set in the WWI and WWII
The main character is a fourteen-year-old Girl, named Liesel Scholz who lives with her father Otto who is a chemist, her mother Ilse and her little Friedy who is six.
She is remarkably close to her father they go to the Olympics and is forced to attend parties held by high-ranking officers in the Nazi Party during the war.
I loved that Liesel was not having the same interests as her father and she was trying to help and understand the Jews, even though her father told her precisely that the ones who sympathize with the Jews are taken away and are shot. This was the horror of the second world war.

As I mentioned at the beginning, this book is pretty similar to The Berlin Girl and while this book was having the same setting, I couldn't help but notice that the action was somehow faded. Friedy was such a lovely character and the only time I felt like the story was going somewhere was when he was taken away, and his sister started to search for him. Otherwise, It was an easy read perfect for a day where you are bathing in the sun

There are so many wonderful things that I can say about The Girl From Berlin by Kate Hewitt. This story is absolutely brilliant, emotional, and heartbreaking. Yet, it shows such strength, compassion and determination during one of the worst periods of history. Hewitt has completely outdone herself with this story. I never thought Hewitt would ever be able to beat my love for one of her previous novels, A Mother’s Goodbye, but I was 100% wrong. I know this is only the beginning half of the year, but I am pretty certain that The Girl From Berlin, not only being a five star read, will be my TOP read of 2021.

The story starts in Berlin 1936, when Liesel Sholtz is only fourteen years old. She lives a life of privilege, she is not overly close to her mother, but she holds her father in high esteem. She is a daddy’s girl. But, when recent events come to light, Liesel is struggling with her beliefs and what is being taught through the country. Hatred of Jewish people is running rampant in Germany and while Liesel wants to believe differently, she often wonders why she sits back and follows or perhaps is she nothing more than a coward deep down inside. When the family’s Jewish housekeeper, Gerda and her young daughter Rosa are fired from the Sholtz household and later come back desperately needing help, will Liesel do the right thing?

In 1946, Captain Sam Houghton arrived in Frankfurt at the end of the war. He is a chemist tasked with ferreting out the Nazis so they could be brought to trial while also helping in the rebuilding of a badly damaged country. In need of an interpreter, he hires Anna as his secretary. But, who is Anna really? Sam knows she is lying about something, but yet still finds himself sympathetic towards her and feels a pull towards her at the same time.

There are so many brilliant quotes in this story and one in particular I seem to keep going back to. Here is the quote:

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free” ― Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I think this is really a central quote to the premise of this entire story and as you read along it makes you question what it truly means to be free in both thoughts and actions especially during this particular time period and of course many other trying times as well throughout history. It really is something to think about. I really hate the phrase “Do better,” and I think it is just thrown around a lot unnecessarily recently, but at times it can be applicable and in a way, the phrase also symbolizes Liesel and her strength and courage to try to do what is right.

The Girl From Berlin is an intricately weaved story and everyone should be reading this book. If you are a fan of historical fiction, this needs to be on your TBR. This book also should be in book clubs and/or book boxes as we need more stories like this. This book also needs to be talked about and discussed for many many different reasons. I can’t praise this story highly enough and quite frankly it is worth 1 million shining stars.

This is a dual time novel spanning between Berlin 1936 and Frankfurt 1946.
Liesel Sholz is a teenage girl living in Berlin . She has no love for Adolf Hitler or the Nazi regime but her ambitious Father is a chemical scientist working for the German government and understands the need to court these powerful men.
Sam Houghton is an American soldier sent to Frankfurt to find and bring prominent Nazi party members to trial. He is tasked with finding the Nazi scientists . His assistant Anna , a german interpreter is hiding something from her past. He just needs to uncover what.
In Berlin , Liesel quickly comes to understand that things are changing and the hatred towards the Jews is reaching new highs. Old men are victimised in the street by German officers and she is sickened when she witnesses the violence.
One night their former housekeeper and daughter come seeking shelter , Jews are being forced into relocation programmes and they give Liesel a family heirloom in exchange for her help in hiding them. Keeping them a secret will be a risky undertaking.
Each consecutive chapter reveals the storyline of each woman and what links the two together . This is harrowing reading at times as Liesel realises the full horror of what is happening around her and Anna has to face the demons of her past.
This book was very thought provoking and such a heartrending read.
I thoroughly recommend it .

I have read more books about WW11 and the Nazis then I can count. I’ve always wondered how so many Germans have stood by and turned a blind eye to the treatment of their own neighbors. Recently I watched a movie told from a Germans perspective and it definitely made me pause.
The Girl from Berlin is the story of a young German girl who’s father works for Hitler. Anna witnesses a man being beaten on the street for no reason other then the fact he’s a Jew. She goes home and pleads with her mother and father to please do something, to stand up to these monsters who are harming people for sport. Anna’s mother explains that although it equally breaks her heart they cannot risk their own lives to try and stop it. The youth are being taught Jews are unworthy, work for the devil, untrustworthy, and children should be scared and run from them.
Anna knows these things are untrue and she will do whatever she can to save her family and friends from the Germans, even if she is one of them.

A real page turner

I am a big fan of WWII historical novels, mostly set in France or England. This is the first one I have read that reveals the real challenges faced by young German civilians before, during and after the war. It is an excellent story coupled with the no-win situations faced by our heroine and her family. I stayed up reading late into the night to finish! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

The book was a decent read and well written. No doubt Ms. Hewitt is a talented author, and yet for me it was depressing to read. I cannot imagine how so many people could be filled with such intense hatred. As a Jew, I cannot feel sympathetic to the Germans after the war. Not for one minute do I think they had no idea of what was going on, nor do I feel that their smug attitude was something to be proud of. The author did her job, I read the book and did my job by reviewing it, I will say it was difficult. More than likely I will never go that country as a tourist. For that reason and that alone I simply could not give it more than 3 stars. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is always an exciting day when I get to share my thoughts on one of Kate Hewitt’s books, as there is certainly no denying that I am quite a fan of hers, and this latest novel certainly did not disappoint!.

In 1936, Leisel Scholz, along with her family have lived a somewhat sheltered life in Berlin, whilst the discontent began to stir in the world around them as Hitler began to demand more from his people every passing day. Ilsa – Leisel’s mother, would often accompany her father Otto as he worked his way up through the ever building regime. When Leisel takes her mothers place in accompanying him instead, she hates it immediately, especially the schmoozing with Hitler and his men. But Leisel knows better than to create problems, her father has made that abundantly clear to her from the start, so instead she finds herself despairing for their future as she watches the changes of her beloved Vati.

In 1946, six months after the war came to an end, Captain Sam Houghton, along with the rest of the American army arrived in Frankfurt. They are tasked with the job of finding any remaining Nazi’s and taking them to trial in Nuremburg for crimes of war. Sam employs a young German woman – Anna Vogel to interpret for him and help to decipher the papers in which they had obtained. Anna is somewhat aloof, and has certainly intrigued Sam from the start. Although she works hard, Sam knows there is something slightly off with her, that she is carrying secrets, but would he ever come to learn what those secrets were?.

This is such a wonderfully written, powerful story that had me engrossed from the start. I adore a dual timeline story, and witnessing the varying perspectives the author details from these different times adds so much depth and context to this story. The characters were well developed and had strong personalities, and it was fascinating seeing how their own unique traits would impact on their interactions throughout. The entire storyline is so wonderfully researched and really gives you a sense of how it must have been to live through such troubling times and the ways in which it impacted on peoples lives and relationships.

A fascinating, emotional read that really captivates you entirely. I loved this book and would recommend it highly to everyone!.

What would you do if not only your country is torn apart by conflicting ideals, but also your family? What choices would you make? In THE GIRL FROM BERLIN by Kate Hewitt examines WWII from two different perspectives, with a dual timeline, and creates a story that will fascinate and leave you wondering.
Liesel Scholz, 14 years old when we first meet her in 1936, and her father is her hero. Proud of her father for his accomplishments, she is already wary of Hitler and believes her father feels the same, as he initially indulges her refusal to join the BDM and together, they mock the party. But as her father rises in status, thing begin to change at home. Her younger brother is all in, her mother checks out, and her father requires more of her, from joining the BDM to ultimately joining him for official events and parties. Liesel’s feelings haven’t changed, only strengthened as her eyes are opened to what is going on around her, while her father and brother get more involved, especially as the war starts and intensifies. But what can she do? As she and her mother look for ways to help, what the Nazis are doing hits home.
Captain Sam Houghton, an American analyst sent to Germany in 1946 to help identify Nazi scientists that could possibly help the US, as well as others that should be punished. In Frankfurt, he’s given every amenity and assigned a German secretary to help him weed through the paperwork. He’s shocked at what he sees and at how the people are treated, but he’s determined to do his job. He’s drawn to his secretary and is determined to uncover what she’s hiding.
Hewitt can be relied upon to craft a novel that will plunge you headfirst into a story that will take you on an emotional journey, and this novel will do just that. She has taken a point of view that is unusual and I spent most of the book wondering what I would do in a similar situation. Would I have the strength to survive what Liesel did? Would I be brave enough to defy not only my leader, but members of my family that I adore? THE GIRL FROM BERLIN gives us many things to think about and admire. Hewitt has been a must-read for me, and this novel is another that does not disappoint
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#KateHewitt #TheGirlFromBerlin #Bookouture

After reading the description, you probably think "Oh my, another one of those WWII novels." That is exactly what I thought at first before starting the book. The Girl from Berlin may have the same setting, but this book is hauntingly wonderful! It didn't quite make me cry as much as much as The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah did; however, the book broke my heart over and over again throughout the chapters. I love that this book tells the story in two timelines. At first, you jump between the late 1930s/early 1940s and the post-WWII months which helps unravel the entire big picture step-by-step. I love books that give us bits and pieces here and there, like little clues in a murder mystery, and make you keep wondering how these pieces will eventually fit together. The book ends in a climax in 1946 with a shocking twist in the epilogue.

But what I love most about this book is that Kate Hewitt follows the characters in a super realistic manner through morally grey decisions, danger, secrets, doubt, family drama, etc. The Scholz family is a quilt of all the different facets of German character during WWII, we have rebelliousness, ignoring, resilience despite the circumstances, a character who goes from criticizing and not identifying with the Nazis to a complacent follower all because of (deadly) ambition, as well as surrender and capitulation. It is as if the author took one representative of each of the groups of Germans and brought them together in this one family. This makes for a gut-wrenching, mind-blowing family dynamic.

Great job, Kate Hewitt!!!! This was my first book by this author, but it will definitely not be my last one!

The Girl from Berlin by Kate Hewitt is set during WW2 and is told from two characters point of view. I really enjoyed this book and read it over the course of one day. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future,

There will come a day when I tire of WWII historical fiction books. Every time I pick up a new book I wonder will this be the one that will move me away from the genre. The Girl From Berlin had the opposite effect: it pulled me in more.

I’ve read so many books in this genre, and I’ve been living in Berlin for 10 years now, so I cockily thought I knew it all at this stage. The Girl From Berlin was a wake-up call that I will never fully know or understand what went on during this period. Yes, this book follows some of the major events of the time and provided nothing new there, but it was the subtle inclusions that provided new knowledge. Take the changes in Christmas celebrations, for instance: replacing the start on top of the tree with a swastika, changing the words of Silent Night to remove reference to Jesus, swastika-shaped Christmas cookies. I was shocked.

Beyond the details of the story, I was not expecting to be hit with such emotion as I was while reading The Girl From Berlin. There are scenes that I don’t want to share here for fear of spoilers that shook me to the core because really what stands out in this book is the exploration into humanity. The book really focuses on that grey area of involvement; the question of how involved you had to be before you were held accountable. The author went even further with this and explore the breakdown of various relationships because of different beliefs/levels of involvement. This for me was the best part of the book.

A POWERFUL WAR-TIME THRILLER

Set in Germany during the 1930s and 40s, The Girl from Berlin is distinctly historical fiction. It is a wartime drama yet I would also class this gripping story as a thriller – and its a damn good thriller too. Full of intrigue and dramatic subterfuge, I was on edge all the way through.

This is a story that captivated me, educated me and chilled me to the bone. It powerfully explores the dangers of growing up in Nazi Germany, even as a ‘good Aryan girl’ and how the Nazi ideology bred vanity and ‘delusions of importance’ that eventually led to betrayal, ripping families apart.

It is a slow burning read that is rich in detail and emotion. I couldn’t put it down.

The Girl from Berlin is juxtaposed between the coming of age story of Liesel, who we initially meet as she’s getting ready to attend the 1936 Berlin Olympics; and the idealistic Sam Houghton, a captain in the US army who is sent to post-war Germany to assist with denazification.

With her father working for the new government, the narrative follows Liesel’s privileged life as Germany prepares for war and the subsequent war years. Although she barely notices the subtle changes taking place in society, Liesel cannot understand the growing tension between her parents, nor the adoration that many of her peers have for Hitler. However when she witnesses an old Jewish man brutally attacked by a group of SS officers, she is shocked and outraged. Liesel begins to ask questions. And then her Jewish housekeeper Gerda, along with her daughter Rosa who are desperate for survival, ask Liesel for help.

Sam’s story begins in late 1945 as he arrives in Frankfurt to seek out prominent Nazis to hold them to account for their crimes against humanity. He hires Anna, a young enigmatic German woman as his interpreter and secretary. Drawn to her, he soon realises that Anna is not all that she seems.

This is an emotionally-charged novel that portrays the destructive power of vanity and fear. It is compelling and heartbreaking as it explores love, loss and betrayal.

My one criticism of The Girl from Berlin is the book cover – personally I feel the cover does not do this great read justice. Yes, it is a nice cover that some may view as romantic. However this is a hard-hitting, emotive novel; one I loved and couldn’t put down.

Thank you to Sarah Hardy from Bookouture for inviting me to The Girl from Berlin blog tour to help publicise this compelling book.

The Girl from Berlin was published on 25th February 2021.

I love world was 2 books and this did not disappoint.

We follow Liesel a fourteen year old girl from Berlin during the war and Anna a thirty ish year old woman after the war.
From the introduction of Anna I knew there was a possibility she was Liesel, not sure if we were supposed to figure it out so quickly, but I get that I'm not the only who made the connection from the start.

I really enjoyed how the author described the main characters feelings throughout this novel, we went from a confused teen not knowing what was really happening to an adult helping and hiding the Jews.

I did wish we got to see and know more about Rosa and her mother, because the synopsis led to think that they were to be a bigger part of this story.
My favourite character growth was Freidrik's, he went from being a kid obsessed and devoted to Hitler, to one standing his ground and speaking up against him, which did cost him his life.
The shift in is attitude was due to a trauma where the SS took him from his family and sent him to a camp to be killed because of his disability.

This story was well written, I appreciate the amount of research that went into writing this.