I had high hopes for The Poet's Daughter given its historical setting and the intriguing premise of a young woman struggling to find her voice in the shadow of her famous father, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The story of Anna’s journey from the quiet parsonage in Alsace to the vibrant cultural scene of Weimar definitely has potential, and there were moments where it truly shone.

The writing does a wonderful job of setting the scene, especially in capturing the contrasts between Anna's quiet, controlled life with her grandfather and the overwhelming world of Weimar, where she’s thrust into the spotlight as Goethe's daughter. I also really appreciated Anna's internal struggle between the societal pressures to marry and her passion for writing, which is the heart of the story. The moments when Anna tries to break free from her father’s expectations, especially her growing friendship with Friedrich, were some of the more engaging parts of the book.

That said, I found myself a bit disconnected from Anna at times. Her character, while certainly driven, didn’t feel as fully developed as I had hoped. There were points where her motivations seemed a bit unclear or rushed, especially when it came to her decisions about love and rebellion. The romance with Friedrich, while sweet, felt a little predictable and didn’t quite grab me emotionally in the way I expected.

The pacing, too, was uneven. Early on, I felt like the narrative was dragging a bit, focusing a little too much on Anna’s sheltered upbringing and not enough on the more exciting aspects of her rebellion and writing. Once the French army and Anna’s escape plans come into play, the plot picks up, but by then, I felt like some of the emotional weight had been lost.

Overall, The Poet's Daughter is an enjoyable read, particularly for fans of historical fiction about strong women finding their voices in challenging times. It’s an interesting take on the daughter of a literary giant, but I do wish the characters were more fleshed out and the story had a bit more emotional depth. It’s worth reading, but I wasn’t as captivated by it as I thought I’d be.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for this free digital copy for my honest review of this beautiful story.

Although I am late getting this review to you I hope that you will take this writing into consideration as you consider the best novels of the year. This year there were truly few novels that impressed me quite as much as this novel did.

The story itself was captivating as a young girl raised by her mother and grandfather, a village pastor, Anna is sent away to live with her father. Anna did not even know her father was alive and he was never told of her existence so this added another layer of complexity to the intrigue of the plot. Anna’s father was the legendary poet Goethe. Her mother thought with her father’s connection that Anna would find a much more suitable husband.

The author’s voice is so strong in this story that the reader had the sense of being in the story and feeling the emotions of everything that takes place. The reader could gain the sense of a poetic voice without being a book of poems.

This is a book you will want to read again and again and savor along your path to completion.

I received a free ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I read the authors other book, "The Seamstress of Aushwitz.". I really loved that book.

This was an easy book to read. I finished the book in only a few days. The chapters were short. It was easy to get through the book.

The book is sweet. It's a simple historical fiction with a romantic twist. The characters are likeable. It's a sweet story.

The book doesn't have a lot of character growth. There aren't a lot of surprises in the book. It's a nice story.

I look forward to more books from the author. I am glad the author and Netgalley gave me the opportunity to read the book.

A great story of a girl who finds out who her real father is. She struggles with growing up and dealing with life. The author tells a great story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Paper Forest Press for an advanced copy of The Poet's Daughter. I enjoyed Ms. McAdam's writing style and bringing to light Johann Wofgang von Goethe, the famous German poet. This novel focuses on the life of Anna who learns she is the illegitimate daughter of von Goethe. Anna is a very strong, intelligent, and likeable character who stands up for herself during a time when women were meant to follow the status quo..
As I have not read many novels of this time period in German history, I feel fortunate to have read this engaging novel.

Anna is the illegitimate daughter of the famous poet and playwright Goethe. She has grown up with her mother and grandparents in a small village and has had a happy childhood, enjoying an education from her parson grandfather.

However, as Anna reaches her twenties it is clear that her future prospects are bleak with the stigma of her parentage. With her mother's health failing it is decided that she should be sent to live with her father, in the hope that his connections will help secure a marriage.

However, Anna Is more interested in her father's writing and as she gets to know him more she finds herself reaching for a quill herself...

This is historical fiction so I'm not sure if Goethe actually had a daughter. However, is an interesting idea that highlights the inequality between the sexes at the time. Whilst Anna's stepbrother August is given top tuition in the classics from a young age, the priority ultimately is marriage for Anna, rather than education, even though she is clearly very intelligent.

A really interesting story, I look forward to reading more from the author.

With historical fiction, I expect historical accuracy, a clear timeline, and a rich character arc—unfortunately, these were the missing elements in The Poet's Daughter. The liberties taken with the timeline (as mentioned in the preface) and the fact that the daughter’s character is purely fictional and based on speculation detracted from the story’s authenticity. The author shares that Goethe has been a lifelong influence, but this did not translate into a passionately written narrative.

The absence of a proper author’s note was frustrating, leaving me unable to distinguish between fact and fiction. This lack of clarity, combined with the inconsistent timeline, was my biggest struggle. As harsh as it may sound, the story is as forgettable as its cover and would have greatly benefited from a few more rounds of editing.

Some redeeming qualities:

+ A strong female protagonist
+ Dual perspective
+ A light read that may resonate more with other readers
+ The novel highlights the challenges faced by women in Goethe's era, whose literary efforts were often overlooked

This was a well written and emotional love story. It told of the life of a poet with the ups and downs of his life. It also told of his daughters life. It was very intense and interesting, and it kept me engaged. I enjoyed that in the end, things worked out as they should be.

I received an ARC of The Poet's Daughter from NetGalley, and I’m beyond grateful to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review it.

The protagonist, Anna, is the illegitimate daughter of the famed German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The novel primarily explores their complex, love-hate father-daughter relationship.

The story is set in an era when women were often deprived of formal education, which makes Anna’s hidden talents all the more striking. Her grandfather taught her to read, write, and speak multiple languages—skills that she keeps secret to avoid drawing unwanted attention. This aspect of Anna’s character added a layer of depth to the narrative, as it highlighted the limitations placed on women at the time.I really appreciated how outspoken Anna is, unafraid to speak her mind and challenge the circumstances around her. Her character is strong and insightful, with a keen awareness of the world beyond her immediate situation.

During the book's climax, I love how Anna fought for her love to Friedrich. The tension of the approaching war was palpable, I felt worried and then felt relief when Goethe's house was spared all thanks to his long time partner and mother of his son - Christiane. Which came up to Goethe's relation to marry her. I still feel he is an asshole for not doing it for all the years they were together.

I was glad to see Anna receive the recognition she deserved in the end, and the story wrapped up on a hopeful note. How I wished Anna's writing skills were discussed more, how she learned to read and write, and what her written tragedy came up to her mind. The novel touches on this, but I felt it could have been explored in greater depth, particularly in relation to the tragedy she writes about. After all, The Poet's Daughter is, at its heart, about Anna’s voice and the legacy she leaves behind.

Overall, I’m rating the book 3 stars. It’s a quick read, but some events were glossed over a bit too hastily for my liking. That said, I’m still impressed with C.K. McAdam’s ability to weave historical fiction in a way that draws you in, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

review first appeared on: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6985353178v

I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley for a review.

It was cute, and seemed historically accurate, but I felt like large parts were missing. The description made it sound as though large parts of the book would cover the occupation, but it was barely acknowledged. Other parts seemed choppy. The time jumps would have been more helpful with months and years listed. I felt like the characters were not well developed, and I didn’t understand why they made the choices they did, and was left wondering what happened to a few of them at the end. Finally, why is there only a singular chapter narrated by a nonimportant character?

On a more positive note, I enjoyed the dual perspectives between Anna and Goethe, and learning a bit more about that time frame. I loved Anna’s relationship with Christiane and August, and that the time at her father’s house wasn’t something where she felt ‘trapped’ (she refers to it as home). It was refreshing to see that perspective on this genre, which more often includes the ‘trapped’ girl who wants to be a free woman. I also liked how the ending wrapped up the story, which was cute and fun.

“The Poets Daughter” by CK McAdams is an interesting historical fiction novel. Set in the early 1800’s, Anna is the illegitimate daughter of a famous poet who is raised by her mother and grandfather. With no future prospects of a husband for Anna, her mother sends her off to meet and live with her father, Goethe.

A coming of age novel about the evolving relationship between a father and daughter in the early 1800’s. At times the pace was kind of slow but overall a great read.