TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi brutality and anti-semitic ideology
1942, Emilie arrives at Dachau to help her husband Otto with his medical experiments. She believes the inmates are all criminals so is shocked to find their former childhood friend Danner, a Jew, among the prisoners. His only crime is being Jewish and she is determined to save him…
The Nurse Behind The Gates is an historical novel set in the 1930s and 40s.
Emilie and her husband are forced to help the Nazis to help save German soldiers in the freezing seas. They join the medical team at Dachau where experiments use the inmates as live subjects. Death is a necessary evil for the cause but Emilie is distraught at the thought of her first love being in danger.
The book is written in 1942 to show Emilie’s experiences in the concentration camp but also has chapters from the past to show the friendship with Danner and how they both reached their current situation. The experiment scenes were quite horrific and I had to put the book down to go and get distracted by happy thoughts. I felt desperately sad for Otto. He is in an impossible situtation with his uncle and the Nazis and also knows that he is second best for his wife.
There was one part of the book that didn’t ring true for me. I didn’t really believe that Danner would put himself in danger when he could have written to his old neighbours for information about his missing father instead of travelling back to Germany himself and abandoning his family. Other than this, the book was completely captivating and I felt immersed in the lives of the characters.
The Nurse Behind The Gates is a devastatingly emotional imagining of the Nazi experiments at Dachau.
Dachau, 1942. Emilie has been told she’s here to nurse evil men. But the first patient she sees in the cold, dark room is hauntingly familiar. Her first love is not wicked. He couldn’t be. What is he doing here?
Emilie’s heart stops as she takes in her childhood sweetheart hunched in a tattered prisoner’s uniform, the light lost from his face. Her new husband, Otto, said this was a camp for criminals. He should know, he’s the doctor. But Danner would never have broken the law.
As she looks into Danner’s beautiful brown eyes, she’s transported back to their happy childhood in Munich. The friendship they shared. The way her heart once felt like it beat only for him. Before the Jewish laws were enforced and Danner pushed Emilie away to protect her, breaking her heart.
Now, Emilie rushes to find Otto, desperate for answers. But when she discovers him waiting with confidentiality papers for her to sign, she realizes her husband has been lying. This isn’t a place to treat sick criminals, but to murder the innocent. And Otto tells her if she doesn’t help, they’ll both die.
Her hands shake as she receives her instructions. But as she rushes back to the sickbay, searching for a way to escape, her gaze lands on Danner once more. In his eyes, she can see something that almost looks like hope…
The thought of losing her first love again tears Emilie’s heart in two. She’s determined to keep him alive, and perhaps she can alter the fate of more than just one prisoner. But can she save Danner? Or will she die trying to rescue the man she’s never stopped loving?
Author Bio
USA Today and International Bestselling Author, Shari J. Ryan, is known for her captivating World War Two Historical Fiction, Women’s Romance Fiction, and gripping Psychological Thriller novels. Each series and standalone contains a wide range of dark suspense and heartbreaking emotions.
Shari has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Johnson & Wales University and started her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer until 2012 when she discovered her passion for writing books. Since then, she has been captivating readers with her compelling storytelling and has written over thirty-five novels with translated publications in twelve languages.
Shari’s talent and dedication have earned her a place on the USA Today Bestseller List, as well as rankings in Amazon’s Top 100, Barnes & Noble’s Top Ten, and iBooks at number one. She has also received two Rone awards for her outstanding work.
Some of Shari’s bestselling books include: “The Stolen Twins,” The Bookseller of Dachau,” “The Doctor’s Daughter,” “The Girl with the Diary,” “Prison Child,” “The Soldier’s Letters,” and “The Lieutenant’s Girl.” These gripping novels are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Shari, a lifelong Boston girl lives in a small town in the suburbs and has a loving marriage with her adored husband. Together, they have two incredible young sons who make her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
To learn more about Shari J. Ryan and her captivating books, visit her official website at www.sharijryan.com
