The Novelist from Berlin (by V. S. Alexander)

I am a fan of historical fiction books … especially when they are set during WWII. And, because I had enjoyed several books by the author, V. S. Alexander (The Magdalen Girls and The Taster), I was looking forward to reading this one. However, I did not care for the characters or the story line. I know there were individuals who chose to align themselves with Hitler’s regime rather than risk their lives and the lives of the loved ones. And I won’t judge them. While I would hope I would have been strong enough to stand against the atrocities, I wasn’t there at that time and don’t know how I would have responded. I also did not care for Marie (Niki). Her character before she married was pretty trashy. And this is when I will be judgmental. It served no purpose other than she had low morals.

I felt like the story line was rather scattered. It did not flow easily and I had trouble staying focused and involved in the book. I will say that the author did an amazing amount of research and I appreciated learning about Niki and her determination to fight against Hitler and the Gestapo. Her character is based on the real-life character of Irmgard Keun who was also a novelist. The book does remind us that there were strong individuals who were willing to take a stand against the horrors that occurred during this time period. A different focus for WWII historical fiction than I have typically read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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