A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow

Books

*AD-gifted: I received a copy of A Light in the Window in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are marked with a *

Today it’s my stop on the tour for *A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow a totally heartbreaking and unputdownable story about how far someone would go to save one life. Earlier in the year, I reviewed Not Without My Sister by Marion Kummerow and I thoroughly enjoyed that one so much I couldn’t wait to read her next novel! So here is my review:

Book Description

Margarete stumbles out of the bombed-out house, the dust settling around her like snow. Mistaking her for the dead officer’s daughter, a guard rushes over to gently ask her if she is all right and whether there’s anything he can do to help her. She glances down at where the hated yellow star had once been, and with barely a pause, she replies “Yes”.

Berlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…

Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety. That is, until her former employer’s son, SS officer Wilhelm Huber, tracks her down.

But strangely he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. Instead, he insists she comes and lives with him in Paris, and seems determined to keep her hidden. His only condition: she must continue to pretend to be his sister. Because whoever would suspect a Nazi girl of secretly being a Jew?

His plan seems impossible, and Margarete is terrified they might be found out, not to mention worried about what Wilhelm might want in return. But as the Nazis start rounding up Jews in Paris and the Résistance steps up its activities, putting everyone who opposes the regime in peril, she realizes staying hidden in plain sight may be her only chance of survival…

Can Margarete trust a Nazi officer with the only things she has left though… her safety, her life, even her heart?

What I Thought

Fantastic twists, lies, love, bravery, and action all rolled into this one! You end up on the edge of your seat most of the way through begging Margarete not to be found out! I mean who would dream of taking on a dead girl’s identity? It takes some guts to be that brave, but survival is the prize and anyway goes!

It’s full of tension and unease throughout. The characters are strong, powerful in their own way and everyone seems to have an agenda for their own gain.

I’m a huge fan of historical WWII fiction and this one is right there at the top! I would love to read a sequel to this one Marion!

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the read.

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 a 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.