Deaf after contracting measles as a child, Mina is a brilliant student but is thrown out of school due to the Nazi rules about disabilities. Luckily she can lipread and is able to get into university, keeping her deafness a secret. But her scientific brain is recognised by the government and she is whisked away to Berlin to work on the German atomic bomb…
When The World Went Silent is an historical book set in Austria and Germany during WW2. There is some basis in fact but Mina’s character is completely fictional.
Mina won’t let her deafness get in the way of achieving her dream. Luckily she became deaf as a child so is able to talk normally and she is proficient at lipreading so others don’t immediately realise she has a disability. However, she is also in danger from the Nazi ideology about perfect Aryans and the threat of sterilisation and euthanasia are mentioned to coerce her into working for their atomic project.
I loved Mina’s character and her determination to succeed. Her passion for science radiates from the pages as does her desperate hope for humanity. The latter leads her to sabotage the German atomic project to prevent the Nazis creating a weapon of mass destruction. The science behind the story was fascinating and I also enjoyed the medical side to the radiation plot.
I really loved this book despite not understanding most of the science! The best and worst of humanity are depicted with authenticity. The historical side of the book has been well researched. I felt immersed in the history and geography portrayed in the book. The supporting characters are a mix of real people and fictional but all add depth to Mina’s character through their relationships. My only quibbles were that the prologue and epilogue by ‘Mother’ weren’t really necessary and I felt the ending was a little rushed.
When The World Went Silent is a wonderful historical book about bravery and overcoming adversity.
When the World Went Silent: A completely heartbreaking and utterly gripping World War Two page-turner
Berlin, 1942. “All I know is we will survive this together,” he says before kissing the tears away from my cheeks. But I know if the Nazis discover what we’ve done, how we’ve conspired against them, we will die together.
Deaf since the age of five, Mina has had to fight for everything she has, including her place at an Austrian university to study physics. She has never felt accepted—until she meets fellow student Siggy, and her heart stops at the kindness in his bright blue eyes.
But Mina’s world comes crashing down when the SS arrive at her door and escort her to Berlin. She’s terrified it’s because of her disability—she’s heard the awful rumours about the Nazi euthanasia program. So relief washes over her when she’s told as one of Germany’s brightest minds, she’s been recruited to work for the government.
Soon, this relief turns to horror when Mina learns why she’s truly here: they want her to build the atomic bomb that will win Germany the war. Mina knows if she refuses they will kill her. But if she does as they say, she could be responsible for the death of millions.
With Siggy’s help, Mina vows to do everything she can to sabotage the project. Will they save the world from a devastating catastrophe? Or will everything they’ve risked be in vain?
An absolutely unforgettable and page-turning WW2 novel about one woman’s bravery and determination to save millions of lives. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale will be gripped.
Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 14 languages. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their two dogs.
Our first full week of the summer holiday at home! We have been taking it easy and enjoyed a trip to the cinema to see Despicable Me 4 before getting the paddling pool out ready for the hot weather.
Bella Winter’s father was a police officer and she has inherited his love of investigating. She is first on the scene when a local man is found dead next to his metal detector and she is convinced the death was murder…
The Antique Store Detective is the first book in a new series of amateur sleuth cosy murder mysteries.
Bella is sure that Oliver Barton’s death is suspicious but the local police believe it was accidental. She takes it upon herself to investigate alongside her friend/colleague John who was given a precious coin by the victim. Did Oliver find treasure, could money be the motive, or was there something else behind the murder?
There are lots of characters and relationships to establish as this is the first in a new series. Bella’s character didn’t really stand out despite being the lead and she certainly doesn’t have the charisma of Eve Mallow, the lead in this author’s other cosy murder mystery series. Hopefully this will develop in future books. Her forceful, eccentric mother did make me smile though!
I thought the pace of the book was quite slow. There are several strands of investigation for our amateur sleuths, many characters and motives to explore. Bella and John work their way through their investigation and there are plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing.
The Antique Store Detective has a good mystery and I look forward to getting to know the main character as she develops.
Bella Winter moved to charming Hope Eaton for some peace and quiet after quitting her busy city job. She delights in spending time in her little antique store on top of the hill, hunting for bargains at auctions, and getting to know everybody – because if there’s one thing Bella’s good at, it’s solving other people’s problems.
But her peaceful life is overturned when she finds eccentric local historian Professor Oliver Barton dead in the ruins of Raven Hall, a trowel lying near his outstretched hand. At first, Bella is like everyone else: saddened by a tragic accident. But then her colleague John asks her to dig deeper. Because the dead man gave him an ancient coin he should never have had, and John thinks he was murdered.
It turns out the professor was hunting for buried treasure in the middle of the night. But who would have wanted him dead? And who are the four suspicious women he told John about, calling them the queens of hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades…?
As Bella delves into the case she uncovers a hoard of suspects: the lord of the manor, a secretive group of treasure hunters, the dead man’s desperate niece and her no-good son. And when another local historian takes a fatal tumble, she is certain that the answers lie in the antiques the professor stole. But can she solve the crime before someone tries to bury her?
A delightful cozy mystery introducing your new favourite amateur sleuth. Fans of Fiona Leitch, Faith Martin and Agatha Christie will love The Antique Store Detective!
Author Bio
Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture,
cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
Day 3 was full of highs and lows. We started on a high with a visit to the castle and priory at Castle Acre.
Both sites are English Heritage and within close walking distance.
Next we moved on to Castle Rising but sadly they had a special event on which was not free for English Heritage members and we were not allowed in even though we only wanted to see the castle and not partipcate in any of the activities.
Another closure was at Sandringham as the house was not open. It turns out it was for a good reason as the King was in residence as I later found out! We enjoyed looking around the estate and the kids enjoyed the play area. But my highlight was the church of St Mary Magdalene which the Royal Family famously visit every Christmas Day. If only we’d been there 4 hours earlier on this day, I would have seen King Charles III…
After the regal visit to Sandringham, I wanted to see the nearby Royal Station but it wasn’t open yet (differing times on the internet and signs). Luckily the platforms are visible from the street and I joined other tourists in taking a few pics.
Our final stop was Bircham Windmill. I was super proud of the kids for going all the way to the top even though they were scared. There was a sandpit and playground which the kids enjoyed. Anya hurt herself on some of the equipment but she was given first aid by a member of staff and was very happy with her huge bright blue plaster…
1940, French bookseller Madeline discovers that her late husband had a son in Germany, making the boy half Jewish and in danger under Nazi rule. Meanwhile she is also enlisted by the Resistance to save banned books. 2011, Olivia discovers a photo of her great grandmother with a Nazi and wants to find the truth about her heritage…
The Bookseller of Paris is the second book in The Paris Sisters series. I have previously read and reviewed the first book, The Last Day in Paris.
Madeline is adjusting to life as a widow as well as the occupation of Paris by the Nazis. She is shocked when she finds out that her husband had fathered a child that he never knew about. She wants to travel to Germany to see the boy and protect him if possible. She also has another secret mission which also puts her in danger.
Olivia spots a photo in an auction lot and recognises her great grandmother Ada. She knows very little about her family history and is estranged from her grandfather Kurt. She travels to Scotland to meet him properly and try to find out about his past. I enjoyed her exploration and investigation of the truth behind the family secrets, in tandem with events unfolding in the 1940s narrative.
I thought both timelines were equally vividly portrayed and effectively imagined. The use of the two timelines allows the plot to unfold and interlink, and I thought this was well executed by the author. The writing style was easy to read and the characters felt authentic. At the end of the book is an author’s note which demonstrates the author’s research and basis on real events and people. This added extra depth and emotion to the plot and character depiction.
The Bookseller of Paris is a hugely emotional and enjoyable historical novel based on real life people for added poignancy.
Book Description:
Paris, 1940: Madeline tries to scream, but she can’t breathe. A German soldier is working to free her from the rubble – but if he reaches her, he will find the books hidden beneath her clothes…
When the Germans seize Paris, its peaceful streets fill with terror overnight, and nowhere is safe. Desperate to help her friends, Parisian bookseller Madeline Valette turns her bookshop into a sanctuary for those in hiding, but she knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s found out.
So when she is asked to join the Resistance and smuggle banned books from Berlin, she accepts, desperate to defy the Nazis. And while she wants to save precious books from destruction, she also hopes her trips to Germany might help her find the last living connection she has to her beloved husband…
Because Madeline has received a letter from a German woman called Ada, the mother of her husband’s son. Facing persecution, the Jewish boy is in terrible danger. But where are they now, and can Madeline help them before it’s too late?
When Madeline finally finds Ada and the child, she realises Ada is at the mercy of a high-ranking Nazi official and both their lives are now at risk. Can Madeline get them to safety? Or will the unthinkable happen to this innocent child?
The second unputdownable novel in the Paris Sisters series, this is the story of two women’s bravery in the face of the darkness of the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy.
Author Bio:
Suzanne Kelman is a 2015 Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Finalist, Multi-Award-Winning Screenwriter and a Film Producer. As well as working in film she is also an International Amazon Bestselling Fiction Author of the Southlea Bay Series – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding. Born in the United Kingdom, she now resides in Washington State.
