Jewish Margarete is still living as Annegret Huber, running her estate and factory within the rules of the Reich. However, she continues to attempt to protect her Jewish workers and family. Orders arrive to deport all Jewish people in the area and an SS officer begins to show a romantic interest in Margarete. Can she save herself and others?
The Girl in the Shadows is the third book to feature Margarete and I have previouly reviewed A Light in the Window and From the Dark We Rise. I think this would work as a stand alone novel but believe that Margarete’s journey and character development is so gripping and tense that the books should be read as a series.
Margarete has now been impersonating Annegret for two years but is still not confident in her role and fears discovery. She outwardly conforms to the Nazi regime and her factory makes weapons for the war effort, yet she provides extra food and supplies for the Jewish prisoners. New orders threaten the security of her Jewish workers and she decides a more dangerous resistance is needed to save as many as possible from the extermination camps.
Meanwhile SS officer Thomas Kallfass returns to the area, intent on furthering his career and marrying Annegret. I found the chapters showing his perspective quite chilling as he revels in Nazi doctrine. Danger and cruelty are never far away and Margarete does not get a moment’s peace as she is constantly in fear for her life.
I was completely immersed in the plot from the very first page. The fear and brutality caused by the Nazi regime was so realistically described that it can be upsetting to read. However, this tone is lightened through the bravery and humanity of many of the characters.
The Girl in the Shadows is a gripping historical novel.
Book Description:
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.
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 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.
