From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow

Books

*AD-gifted: I received a copy of From The Dark We Rise in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are marked with a*

Yay, I’m back today with another masterpiece by Marion Kummerow! You may remember my review of A Light in the Window back in the Summer by this amazing author, and today I’m excited to bring you a review of *From the Dark We Rise the second book in the trilogy.

From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow - Book Review

Book Description

“Please, let me help. I won’t tell anyone.” It was madness to help an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany, but how could she not? If it weren’t for a lucky strike of fate, she might be the woman on the ground shivering with fear. A light of hope entered the prisoner’s eyes and she knew what she had to do…

1942, Germany: When a young woman calling herself Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune, including a house and factory just outside Berlin, her first thought is to try to see out the war quietly, avoiding the Gestapo and SS as best she can.

No one needs to know her dark secret. She must focus on staying hidden. Because she can’t risk being exposed for who she truly is. Not really Annegret. But a girl living a secret life. A girl who was once called Margarete.

But then an encounter with an escaped prisoner changes everything, as Margarete discovers what is happening at the factory and its attached labor camp. Witnessing first-hand the suffering of prisoners—shivering, with faces gaunt from hunger, as they work in brutal and cruel conditions—she realises she must act.

If she can save just one life, she knows she has to. Because the truth is that Margarete resembles the prisoners in the camp in ways she daren’t admit. And on the other side of the fence, she has seen a face that is achingly familiar…

What I Thought

I absolutely loved the first book and this one is just as good! Annegret Huber once Margarete has inherited the Huber family’s fortune. She still doesn’t like pretending to be Annegret, but she must to survive. Now she “owns” the family countryside residence she heads back there to stay out the way. She hasn’t been back since she was a servant child. However, a member of staff at the house remembers the true Annegret and has his suspicions. She learns the secrets of the Huber family and she is disgusted by them. Her aim is to change them while keeping her own secret.

Like A Light in the Window, the author thoroughly details this time in history with precision. It’s wonderfully written and absolutely gripping. I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy out next year!

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy.

Author Bio

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.

Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.