282 pages March 23, 2022 publication date Bookouture publisher
ABOUT THE BOOK
1943, Germany: Two years ago, fate gave a beautiful young Jewish woman named Margarete Rosenbaum the chance to survive the Nazis, by pretending to be one of them, hiding in plain sight. Now she must make a terrifying decision…
Margarete lives as Annegret Huber would have, in a beautiful rural mansion by a forest in northern Germany. She is the heiress to the entire Huber fortune—one which she has devastatingly discovered includes a factory and Nazi prison camp. Margarete has done everything she can to help improve conditions there, and to reduce suffering for the prisoners who remind her so much of her own lost family and friends.
However, as the war rages on and the Nazi party becomes more brutal in its treatment of Jews, she realizes she must do more. She has to help the prisoners escape to real safety, because they will never be safe in Hitler’s Germany.
She’s heard of a route to freedom through Sweden. Although that means secretly reaching out to the resistance. With the risk of betrayal at every turn, her enquiries lead her to a man named Stefan, who she instantly feels a powerful connection to. But she fears he will never trust her… unless she reveals the secret that keeps her safe.
At the same time, a Nazi officer begins to show romantic interest in her, making it harder to keep her identity a secret. His loyalty to the party is beyond question, so if he finds her out, not only will her plan be at risk, but also her life and those of everyone she cares for.
But can she let that fear stop her from saving others? Because she knows she herself could so easily be one of the faces on the other side of the fence. And that, in the darkest times, sometimes the only person who can rise up is the girl in the shadows…
The powerful third novel in Marion Kummerow’s bestselling Margarete’s Journey series is an unforgettable and devastating story, perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls, and All the Light We Cannot See.
MY THOUGHTS
In this, the third book in the Margarete’s Journey series once again Margarete aka Annegret , a former Jewish maid stole the identification papers of the dead daughter of an important SS leader after the family’s death. This was her way of survival assuming the identity of this woman.
As this woman she has inherited a mansion and factory employing Jews. These are her people, and she is trying to do everything in her power to get working conditions better for them, but people are starting to become suspicious, and rumors are flying when she hasn’t been entertaining with parties for the Nazi’s like her mother used to do.
When an upper ranking Nazi official falls in love with her and wants to marry her, she is sickened but when he becomes suspicious of who she is it becomes even worse. Will she be able to carry on, hiding in plain sight while helping her own or is there a traitor amongst them?
Full of hold your breath moments, I have to know how this ends and will start the last book in this series now.
Recommended series and fast reads.
Pub Date 23 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
262 pages October 13, 2022 publication date Bookouture publisher
ABOUT THE BOOK
944, Germany: The war is still raging, as a young woman named Margarete hides from the Nazis in plain sight. With each day that passes, she takes more risks. But will one of those risks ultimately take her to the most evil place on earth?
After a bombing led to her identity being mistaken, Margarete Rosenbaum has been living disguised as one of the Nazis themselves, for almost the entire war.
But secretly—aided by Stefan, a resistance fighter she’s becoming impossibly drawn to—she is trying to liberate the Jewish workers sent to work on the land she’s inherited, and to sabotage the work of the factory she’s meant to be in charge of.
She knows that every day she is risking her life. But she also knows what she has to do. Because it could be her on the other side of the barbed wire fence. And for every person she saves from the Nazis, it’s worth it.
Until she is discovered. And to protect the people she had been helping, she knows she must accept her fate. Even when they send her to the very place, she’s hoped to save her prisoners from: Auschwitz… Where no one comes out alive. As the war moves towards its brutal end, will she survive to see Stefan again?
MY THOUGHTS
Daughter of the Dawn is the final book in the Margarete’s Journey series.
Margarete has come a long way from her humble beginnings as a Jewish maid who took over the identity of Annegret Huber, the rich German daughter of an important SS man after their death. Having inherited a mansion, factory and riding stables she’s been hiding in plain sight for years but is her luck about to run out?
She is betrayed by an important Nazi man who had a love interest in her, but he then finds out she is Jewish and not the German woman she betrays herself to be. We spend a lot of time with Margarete’s uncle as well as there is a lot of brutal behavior towards many of the characters including him.
It’s heartbreaking thinking of how these people were treated. Margarete and her boyfriend Stefan, a resistance fighter go on the run but become separated believing they will never see each other again.
It was wonderful reading this four-part series and I’m glad I have. I learned a lot and the author has done a lot of research on this. Full of heartache but we see light at the of the tunnel with strong and courageous characters. I will be reading more by this author in the future.
Pub Date 13 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Marion Kummerow writes historical fiction that explores the dark side of human history. A USA Today Bestselling author, she has received rave reviews from readers and critics for her novels about the German resistance during World War II. Her books feature characters who face moral dilemmas, make difficult decisions, and fight for what is right. She also infuses her stories with humor and undying love, because she believes that love is what makes the world go round.
Born and raised in Germany, Marion has lived in various countries before returning to Munich with her family. After writing several non-fiction books, she felt drawn to the past and the subject of resistance to the Nazi regime. It took her years of courage and hard work to turn the true story of her grandparents Ingeborg and Hansheinrich Kummerow into a trilogy: “Love and Resistance in the Second World War”. UNRELENTING is the first book in this series.
Bringing history to life through her books is Marion’s passion. She visits museums, travels to memorials and the locations in her books, reads original source material, and consults experts to meticulously research the historical facts and details in her novels.
Her stories are authentic and immersive, transporting readers to another time and place. She writes with the conviction that we must never forget the past, so it won’t repeat itself.
When she’s not writing or researching, Marion likes to travel, do yoga, and spend time with her family. She also enjoys reading books by other historical fiction authors.
If you want to get a taste of her writing, you can download a free short story about a downed British airman here: https://kummerow.info/
Or visit her website for a complete list of her published books and interesting background information: https://kummerow.info/recommended-reading-order/
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