All That Lingers

Loved, loved this achingly beautiful book! My emotions are in a puddle. Mainly set in Austria, specifically Vienna, this WWII to the 1960s takes us through all sorts of twists and bends, joys and heartaches, pain and anguish. I love Vienna, her history and culture, food, beauty and art. But as the author says, in the fifty years following WWII, Austria remained silent. I love that the author captured this perspective so wonderfully. The descriptions are gorgeous...and I don't mean just scenically but the psychological insights are outstanding (the before, then and after; evil begets evil...). The tragedies are many but there is always hope.

Not only do we learn about the various characters' lives but historical information which doesn't feel like addons but is seamlessly blended into the story (such as Nazis banning art and entertainment, Kristallnacht, confiscations). The poignant rolled carpet story is seared into my memory.

The various characters are fascinating, all with secrets and history. Some are engaging, others less so, and I really cared about the outcomes. The three main characters are Emma, Sophie and Friedrich and some secondary characters include Leonie, Greta, Marion and Hannah. We learn about their relationships, connections and lives as they navigate WWII and the effects on future generations. I appreciate that war details are not glossed over as they are important to know. Emma had been accustomed to ease but during and after the war she experiences tragedy which changes her. Sophie travels to Vienna from America to look for answers to her compelling family's history. And what she finds is much more than she had expected. Like Austria, Friedrich stands back in the sidelines. Love the way the pieces fit together. That ending!

All Historical Fiction fans ought to bury themselves in this unputdownable book. It is THAT good.

My sincere thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this remarkable book. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

This novel is hauntingly beautiful. How can one call a novel about WWII beautiful in any way? It is beautiful due to the writing that draws the reader in and captures the friendship of three (3) young women who met in school at the age of 6 when a teacher had them line up in alphabetical order, Grünbaum, Hellmann, Huber and it seemed so simple to say, "Friends forever."

The novel begins in Vienna in 1934, and continues to 1961 in New York. In 1934, Greta Grünbaum is now married and we meet her as Greta Bruckner, wife of newspaper journalist Otto. Léonie is now married and we meet her as Léonie Salzmann, wife of physician Josef. Emma Huber is engaged to the love of her life, Theo Berger, Socialist and activist. What could possibly interrupt their lives or even their friendship? It is a saga written of the prelude of WWII, through the darkest days of WWII in Vienna, to the aftermath. There are times of pure joy, times of celebration, times of the deepest despair, times almost unspeakable to live through let alone to remember. It is a novel of friendship and love, betrayal and deceit, secrets and lies, and most of all human resilience with the portrayal of emotions ranging the full spectrum as in life from gut-wrenching to heart-warming.

I have read many novels in the historical setting of WWII but I have never read the perspective of the war from Vienna nor did I have any educational background which made this a more enlightening read. But reading this saga of historical fiction provides more than any history class would reveal as it shares the different aspects of humanity from those who are motivated by power and greed to those that are motivated by caring and service to others. Through the friendship of three (3) women we become personally invested in their survival.

It was a mesmerizing reading experience due to the detail of the author's compelling writing. As politics are revealed, sides chosen, it becomes provocative and thought-provoking to wonder the choices one's family might have made, to wonder what your personal choices might have been. Regardless, it illuminates a difficult time in World history that one can only hope will never be repeated. It is a story I will remember. It is a story I will encourage others to read.

My sincere thanks to Irene Wittig, and BooksGoSocial for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#AllThatLingers #NetGalley

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to DNF this at 30%. It just so happened that I didn't have another book to read while having a long wait at a boring family dinner, so the only thing I had to entertain myself was this book. I've never been so thankful for a boring family dinner, because this turned out to be pretty great.

I thought this was going to focus on the war and Emma hiding her Jewish friends. That's what the summary led me to believe. So I was confused when at the 30% mark, the war was over. I wasn't really invested in anything that happened after.

But then I read a couple chapters further, and I realized that while I wasn't invested in the story yet, I was invested in Emma. So I kept reading. Before I knew it, I was invested in the story and I wanted to know how it all ended for everyone. A lot of characters died, which makes sense considering what this book is about. But the way some of these people died, the betrayals that occurred, were absolutely heartbreaking. I'm not gonna sit here and say it's one of my favorite WWII books, because it's not, and that's not the only thing this book is about anyway. But this was a pleasant historical fiction novel that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre

All That Lingers is a powerful tale of three friends, two Jewish and one not whose friendship starts in pre-WWII Vienna. The author, Irene Wittig, follows their disparate paths in life as they attempt to escape the Nazis who soon forcefully occupy Austria. The characters and plot are compelling as the non-Jewish friend stays in Austria, and the other two escape to England and the US to avoid the death camps. All that Lingers is an excellent way to learn, in particular, about the role Austria played in the war and her relationship to Nazi Germany. Wittig is forthright about the recondite way that, even until now, Austrians have made excuses for their participation in the War. Her ability to write frankly about this situation and about the people who died and survived in this grisly war is admirable. I recommend this book in particular for younger (teenage) readers who can learn about WWII through the fiction of friendship, escape, and love.

ALL THAT LINGERS by IRENE WITTIG is a heart wrenching story of what Austrians, particularly those who lived in Vienna, went through during and after the second world war.
The story revolves around Emma, Léonie and Greta, three young women who met their first day at school and have been friends ever since, and their families. The author gives us a real understanding of the characters' emotions as they undergo terrible hardship and loss. Experiencing the hatred that is unleashed, especially towards the Jews, affects Emma in particular and she puts herself in danger by looking after her Jewish friends. We see the depression and hopelessness of people who feel their country has betrayed them. There are also those who collaborate with the enemy, and, even in families, there are some who cannot be trusted.
I like to see how the characters who are still alive after the war slowly start to live and love again with hope for the future.
I recommend the novel as an excellent read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from BooksGoSocial. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Set in WWII Vienna, All That Lingers brings to light yet another perspective of the perils of a world at war. Before WWII finds it way to beautiful Vienna, Emma and her friends celebrated life and were planning their futures. But as war and reality invades, things begin to fall apart, lives are lost and fear of what’s right and what’s wrong set in. As time passes, Emma questions her role in the war, did she do enough, what could she have done to protect her friends, to stop the evil. Survivors guilt and the pain of wonderful memories paralyze her until new people come into her life causing her reevaluate her post war choices.

I loved every page of this book. Some WWII paint very vivid, detailed portraits of a world at war...instantly creating emotion. Irene Wittig does that without those extremely detailed accounts. Her words are eloquent yet drip of emotion. You feel the sadness and the guilt. I was so invested in the character of Emma and loved watching her grow over the years. I’ve read stories that mention Austria and Vienna but never one that was set there so this was also a great history lesson for me as well. There are so many secrets and lies attached to war and this story shares just a few. I highly recommend reading the authors notes at the end just to give a better timeline of Austria’s involvement in the war.

Thank you to NetGalley and Irene for the chance to read this story. It’s one that will definitely stay with me for a

The book spans over more than four decades, 1934-1960. Austria, in 1934 was witnessing the rise of Nazism due to the growing influence of Hitler in neighbouring Germany. Anti-semitism was widespread. In 1938, after the Anschluss- the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany without even a shot being fired, Jews fled the country.

The book follows the life of Emma and her friends in Vienna. Emma was at the brink of happiness in her life. She was looking forward to a future with Theo. Then the whole world was thrown into chaos and everything was snatched away from her. Emma spent the war years confined in her house along with her mother and friend Leonie. When she lost Leonie, it broke her. After the war, she gradually picked up the pieces of her life.
There are two other subplots of Friedrich, a poor nobleman from Germany and Sophie, Emma's best friend's daughter.

Most of my World War II fiction has been limited to Great Britain or Germany. So a story set in Austria was thought-provoking. It is slightly slow in the middle but picks up pace after the war ends. Another thing to reflect on is the effect of war on the privileged class. Did it have any effect on their lifestyle?
The character of Emma is well sketched out and is by far my favourite. She is a loyal and true friend who hides her friend Leonie, a Jew despite the constant threat of getting caught. I could feel her grief and misery. Friedrich is not bad at heart but due to his circumstances, he does what he deems right for his survival.
It is a touching story that would tug at your heartstrings.

A totally different fiction book on life both during WWII in Vienna following Emma’s life, with its joys and tragedies, along with those of her friends, as well as life after the war. Following the brutalities of the war, this captivating story continues on with the effects of the war on the characters as well as the well deserved outcome for Sophie's relatives. A must read if you're a historical fiction fan!

This book is set in WW II Vienna. Emma Huber and her friends, Leonie and Greta were leading a simple life - indifferent about the differences in their races and social status.

Leonie and Greta were relatively more well to do than Emma. During the pre-German occupation, a socialistic revolution in Austria was crushed in which Theo Berger, Emma's fiance was killed. As a result of this shock Emma had a miscarriage. And then came the Nazi occupation of Austria. This is when things start to fall apart

Leoni's parents who were jew decided to leave Vienna and Leoni and her Doctor husband refused to join them, but agreed to send their young daughter with them.

Greta's who was half jew, also decided to leave Austria along with her husband Otto and daughter Sophie. Otto was the editor and owner of a newspaper which was writing about anti-Nazi sentiments and encouraging the Austrians to fight against the occupation. But unfortunately Otto could not join his family and Greta and Sophie left without him.

When situation became too tense, Emma and her mother decided to give refuge to Leonie and her husband Dr Josef Salzmann. This is where we see the lives of all these characters taking a roller-coaster ride and provides a portrait of society at war with itself. We get to see the ugly side of humanity in this book, which is normally hideden behind the masks we wear.

While this is the first book which I have read in the Austrian setting, it reminded me of another book which I read little more than three years back - The Girl from Krakow

I am deeply touched by this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.
This was my first and not my last novel by Irene Wittig.
It was a roller coaster ride of emotions. I fell in love with the characters. It was very hard to put the book down.
I learned quite a bit about Austria's role in World War II. I highly recommend this book.

This book had so many anguishing moments that I not only was near tears, but I felt anger.
Austria was a country during the war that turned not only on the Jewish people, but their friends to get ahead.
The heartache Emily suffered and as the years went on knowing or not knowing for sure if your friends were safe or dead could make you feel guilty you survived or why didn’t you do more?

The author has written characters that are so believable that you feel your following their path of emotions. I felt attached to them as I turned the pages and that is what makes a great book!

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

I am always interested to read about WWII and this book drew me with its description. The beginning of Nazism in Austria marks the shattering of hopes and dreams for the multiple characters in this novel. This tale is of friendship, betrayal, love, and greed.

Thank you Netgalley and Irene Witting for giving me this opportunity to read this book.

She wanted to protect them, but was their protection dependent on her wish?

Emma is a beautiful girl who had a wonderful life and the faith in the bright future with her fiance and theit expected child. She had had the quite life full of happy moments before the rise of Nazism in Austria, when everything turned upside down. She had to hide her Jewish friends in her apartment. She had to do everything to protect them.

I enjoyed reading this book. As for me the main value of it is the historical facts of the presence of Nazi Germany in Austria during the World War 2 and how the Austrian people survived in the wartime.

This is a good book and it is worth reading. I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in historical fiction.

Thanks #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I was hooked in this book by the first chapter. It is a harsh, realistic look into the lives of the characters through and after WWII. There is friendship, heartbreak, loyalty, loss, love, redemption.

I really can't go into much without giving too much away. The main focus of the book is about the life of Emma before, during, and after the war. She is scared, feels love, tries to forget, tries to remember, is heartbroken, suffers survivor's guilt, helps others, finds love and forgiveness.

I have read many stories about WWII, but this one really helped me understand some of the aspects I had never thought of, the loyalty and guilt some faced., the deniability and duplicity of others.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about those in Europe during the war and after.

I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every other read I pick up seems to be of the WWII vintage. Each story is different though a common theme of anti Nazism seems to run through it all. No one likes being submissive to a foreign invader, and this is something that has happened through the centuries (still happening sadly).

Emma is our chief character but the story of Sophie and Uncle Freidrich are paramount to the story too. Set in Vienna, the idyllic period of Austrian history was about to be demolished and in its place a more darker part of history began.
It is also surprising that Austria did not acknowledge this dark period in its history till very much later.

Emma is leading a very comfortable life, well established when her eyes are opened to an alternate life for those around her - the Jews and those who are not sympathetic to the Nazi cause.
The story was unusual. It did not end in 1945 but it continued into the next generation.

This was an unusual take on WWII and the rise of Nazism in Europe, and then the eventual downfall.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I am especially drawn to stories from WWII. This one was a bit difficult for me to get in to at the beginning as there were so many characters introduced with little chance for character development (I was concerned when the book started with a list of characters several pages long) and I had trouble connecting with any of them initially, especially our protagonist Emma. The emotions the characters experienced were well described in the authors writing but didn’t evoke the kind of emotion I’d expected... it’s one thing to read about a character’s anger, grief, or frustration and another to feel their emotion, and it wasn’t until I was fifty percent in that I truly began to feel Emma’s despair, anger and sadness.

That said, I really really liked the perspective from which this story was told, not only pre and post WWII Vienna, but also the stark differences in how the different characters were affected (or not) by the perils of wartime and the betrayal they felt from their country. I found the second half of the story more engaging and thought provoking, allowing me to ponder on the moral fiber of the characters and how this played into motive. So many came into play (compassion, greed, betrayal, complicity, complacency, loyalty, selfishness, truth...) but for me I think it was the overall journey through wartime and the decades beyond, watching Emma, Sophie and even Friedrich to an extent, maneuver their way through loss, heartache, destruction, betrayal and devastation toward survival and hope that was most captivating. Such resilience and strength they possessed. I felt the character development was able to soar in the second half and I was finally able to connect with several of the characters and become invested. I loved watching Emma grow as a character and found myself routing for her in her search for some happiness and peace. I am very glad I pushed through with this beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a chance to read this story. It’s one that will stay with me for a while.

I was hooked from the first chapter. Excellent book. My favorite genre probably made it that much better for me. I felt like I knew the characters personally. I felt like I was there with them. Absolutely recommend.

Having read many books on the subject of WW11 and the rise of Nazism, I was not expecting too much from this novel. However, the author had me hooked from the first chapter and I became fully engrossed in it as the narrative unfolded. The characters are well developed and sympathetic and the action totally convincing. An enjoyable read and one I would definitely recommend.

Emma had an idyllic life in Vienna with a good circle of friends but the Rise of Nazism in Austria sent her life into chaos. Some of her Jewish friends left Austria for a safer country. One of her friends was apprehended by the Nazis in his home as he was getting ready to meet his wife to flee the county. Emma risks her life by hiding some Jewish friends.. She keeps her humanity while watching others turn in people to the Nazis in order to obtain favors for themselves. She finds comfort in helping those less fortunate than herself.

As the war ends, a young girl, Sophie, that has sought refuge in America during the war returns to Vienna to seek her lost history. Her Uncle, Friedrich teeters on the edge of what is right and his personal survival. HIs actions threaten the lives of the others. This book interweaves the stories of those that still have hope of a better life as they suffer through loss and devastation. I recommend this book.

This is a novel about friendship and survival during one of the darkest times in history. We follow three friends and their families as they deal with the repercussions of anti-Semitism in Vienna, the Nazi occupation, and the search for loved ones after the war is over—and how those times impacted the next generation. A touching read, it brings life and history together. This was an emotional story, as the author captured the love and bravery of people in the midst of betrayal and atrocities "All That Lingers" brings to life the human drama of this war, something you won't find in text books. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great, great book! Ms. Wittig has created a wonderful story based on events in pre and post WWII Vienna.

Even more interesting and alive than the time and place are the characters; some heroic, some villainous but none you can easily dismiss from your mind. Tragedy and traumatic events shaped their lives like nothing else and I’m talking about more than the Jewish genocide, I’m referring to the evil that people do to others personally. Fear, greed and self-centeredness caused some of the most deplorable acts.

Although there is always a silver lining as was the case here with Emma. She lived a terrible early life, but brought so much value and love to those she took under her wing she triumphed.

Thank you Net Galley and Irene Wittig.

Oh Emma! I cannot even come close to imaging how your life must have been in Vienna and how brave you became. This book had all the feels, yes I did need a tissue or two. The author perfectly weaved all these characters in and out to the point that you just fell into the book. There was no stopping to try and remember something from earlier. It just read like cozy book.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

I've never read a WWII novel before that focused on the perspective of war from Vienna so it was a very interesting book to read. I felt connected to the three women as I personally became vested in their fight for survival. I hope we never experience anything like WWII again as we go into the future and that we remember those who faced difficulty times during the Great Wars. This book certainty will help us to remember.

This is an amazing novel set in Austria during and after WW II. This is a part of history that I knew little very about. Emma, Greta and Leonie are best friends. We see how their friendships are affected by the war. You will be drawn in right away. The true horrors of war are not sugar coated. But we also see the goodness of people and how people will do what they have to in order to survive.
I like how Irene Wittig put a character list in the beginning of the book. I definitely had to refer to it while reading! The author’s notes at the end also gave me more insight to this topic.
This is a different take on the usual WW II book. If you like historical fiction, this book is for you. The message of guilt and wondering if you did enough will stay with me.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book for review.

The one thing I truly admired about this book was how it dealt with such a long period of time. It takes the reader right from before the war starts until the 1960s. For me, that allowed the reader to gain a comprehensive understanding into the changing dynamics of Europe throughout the Second World War and its aftermath. Very few authors do that.

However, this also came to the detriment of the engagement with the characters. The chapters were very sparse and could have done with much more character development. The reader gained no emotional attachment to the characters. Due to the emotional and heartbreaking nature of some of the events, this attachment was necessary for the reader to care about the characters. Perhaps the book could have been turned into a sequel to allow for more development.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The realities of the War and its aftermath were very real and raw. I applaud the author for dealing with such a long period of time and also focusing on Vienna - a place sometimes forgotten in Second World War historical fiction novels.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Another interesting take on the WW2 books, this one set in Vienna from 1934 to 1961. Found some parts disturbing and some characters really unlikable. The main character, Emma, was annoying in some parts but improved as the story went on.

Wonderful, wonderful book.

Another war book but it wasn't boring or the same as others. It drew me into their world, the world of Emma, Sophie and Friedrich. A world that is changing, life's that are changing and and author that can express all of this with emotion.

A well researched, emotional, heart-breaking story that keeps you enthralled. I just didn't want to put it down. I loved the authors notes as the provided more information which actually enhanced the book.

Loved it and recommend it to all lovers of historical fiction Nd those who just live a great and interesting story.

this was a really well done historical novel, I enjoyed going through this story. It worked with the time period and I enjoyed going through this book.

I enjoy reading historical fiction books based on WWII. This one has a little different focus in that it deals with the time before, during, and after WWII in Austria. The story of Emma will tug at your heart. There are a lot of characters included … in fact, so many that it was hard to keep track. One advantage of a paper copy of a book is that you can easily flip back to a list at the beginning. that is harder to do with an e-book. However, by the time you are about halfway through the book, you begin to connect with the characters and experience their loss and betrayal and how determined and strong they were.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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