Daughter of the Reich
A Novel
Book - 2020
"[B]eautifully written and emotional wrenching...its dynamic characters present a timely truth we should all grasp and embrace: We must stand up against those who preach hate." --Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen's Secret
For fans of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See, a spellbinding story of impossible love set against the backdrop of the Nazi regime.
She must choose between loyalty to her country or a love that could be her destruction...
As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich. But she never imagines that all she believes and knows will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn't know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.
Realizing she is taking a huge risk--but unable to resist the intense attraction she has for Walter--she embarks on a secret love affair with him. But as the rising tide of anti-Semitism threatens to engulf them, Hetty and Walter will be forced to take extreme measures.
Will the steady march of dark forces destroy Hetty's universe--or can love ultimately triumph...?
Propulsive, deeply affecting, and inspired by the author's family history, Daughter of the Reich is a mesmerizing page-turner filled with vivid characters, a meticulously researched portrait of Nazi Germany, and a reminder that the past must never be forgotten.
9780062964052
9780063019126


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Add a CommentAs a reader of WWII history and literature I am frequently disappointed by inaccuracies or unlikely narratives. This novel is excellent. Every aspect of the story rings true and is compelling reading. Highly recommend. Kristi & Abby Tabby
I thought the general story concept was OK, although it seemed sappy and predictable. There were very few surprise twists and I could have guessed the major plot turns more than one hundred pages ahead of time. Most of these stories seem to be set in Berlin or Vienna so it was nice to see this one set in the less common Leipzig. One of the main questions I am still left with is how everyone was so quickly and thoroughly converted to Hitler worship and hating the Jews. I can understand it somewhat from Hettie's father as he was able to use both to significantly further his career and especially his family's fortunes. I can also somewhat see Tomas' position since he came from a poor family to begin with and might have been looking for someone to blame for his family's poverty. I don't see why Hettie and her brother Karl were so completely swept up in the movement, even with their father's fervent allegiance. As terrible a person as he was, I would have thought them to be more resistant to the brainwashing. The fact that Karl never seemed to question the philosophy was curious. I thought the ending of the book was well done and tied everything together in a most satisfactory, if still sappy, way. It was interesting to get a brief glimpse of East Germany during the Russian occupation.