The Children of Berlin by Sharon Maas

Books

‘I will never forgive you! You had a choice. You could have listened to your mother, your brother, your father, but you chose to listen to those monsters. And that choice remains with you. Forever.’

The Children of Berlin by Sharon Maas - Book Review

Book Description

Berlin, 1933. Leah and Magda have been inseparable for as long as they can remember, and one beautiful summer’s day in their courtyard, they vow nothing will ever come between their friendship. But Leah could never have predicted the darkness looming just around the corner…

As Hitler comes to power and the Nazi Party gain even more influence, Magda proudly tells Leah she has decided to join the Hitler Youth. Leah’s blood runs cold before she begs Magda to change her mind – because Leah is Jewish. Magda refuses, and heartbroken Leah knows this will not only destroy their friendship, but put her life in mortal danger. Suddenly, the only light in her life is Magda’s brother Markus, who is furious at his sister and vows to do everything he can to keep Leah safe.

As Magda becomes more entrenched in the Nazi Party, Leah’s life starts to shatter as the Gestapo raid her home, sending her beloved brother Aaron to a concentration camp. Devastated, Leah and her parents are forced to flee and hide. Desperate to save Leah, Markus decides the only way he can help stop the Nazis and his sister is to infiltrate the party as an undercover resistance fighter. But will Magda see through his lie, and how far will she go to prove her loyalty to her Führer?

What I Thought

The Children of Berlin by Sharon Maas is a powerful and heartbreaking novel. It takes readers on a journey through the lives of two teenage girls living in Berlin before, during the war and in the later years.

Leah and Magda have been inseparable for as long as they can remember, and they vow nothing will ever come between their friendship. But as the war looms, their lives take very different paths, and their bond is tested in ways they never could have imagined. Magda’s side of the story is told from letters to an elderly Leah. Leah’s is in the present format and much better reading from my point of view.

Maas’s writing is both gripping and heartbreaking, and she does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. The story is full of love, family, betrayal, sacrifice, and ultimate forgiveness. It is sure to leave readers with a deep appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit.

The Children of Berlin by Sharon Maas is a must-read for anyone who loves WWII historical fiction, and it is sure to be a book that stays with readers long after they have turned the final page. I’ve read many novels in this genre, and this one is right at the top!

Where Can I Buy It?

Author Bio

Sharon Maas was born to politically active parents in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist. Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America, followed by an overland trek to South India, where she spent two years in an ashram. She lived in Germany for forty-three years and now lives in Ireland. She is the author of The Violin Maker’s Daughter, The Soldier’s Girl, Her Darkest Hour and many other novels.

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