The Girl from Berlin: Standartenführer's Wife

The Girl from Berlin: Standartenführer's Wife

This is a diary of Annalise Meissner, a young German Jew with long time ago falsified papers, living a carefree life in pre-war Berlin. A talented ballerina, she comes from a wealthy family and at first doesnâ€™t want to concern herself with the changes her country starts undergoing under the new Nazi regime. However, when the oppressions against the Jewish population begin, she realizes that she canâ€™t be a silent bystander and swears to help her people in any way possible.
She falls in love and gets married to her father's longtime friend, StandartenfÃ¼hrer Heinrich Friedmann, who even though he works for SD â€“ the Reich Secret Service â€“ seems to share her views, and soon Annalise learns why. Her new husband turns out to be a counterintelligence agent working for the US government, and together they start a dangerous game against the sinister Gestapo, trying to save as many lives as they can and not to compromise themselves.
But it's not only the persecuted people Annalise wants to save; she meets the leader of the Austrian SS GruppenfÃ¼hrer Ernst Kaltenbrunner who everyone seems to fear, but for some reason Annalise isn't intimidated by the Chief of the Austrian Gestapo and doesn't believe the rumors about his brutality. GruppenfÃ¼hrer Kaltenbrunner isn't hiding the fact that he would love to get this beautiful girl as his mistress, but Annalise, despite the mutual attraction, stays faithful to her beloved husband. However, the risky game sheâ€™s playing will soon change everythingâ€¦

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Girl from Berlin: StandartenfÃ¼hrer's Wife is an historical novel written by Ellie Midwood. When she was growing up, Annalise Meissner was not interested in going to school with the other children her age. Sheâ€™d much rather practice her pirouettes and dance in the square, but somehow, Gryselda, the familyâ€™s housekeeper, knew her preferences and made sure she was safely back in school. Annalise was really much more comfortable with adults than children her own age, and she loved being with the grownups in her life. Her perfect world had some strange aspects to it, however, such as the talk her father had with her and her brother, Norbert, when she was nine years old. The Meissners were not really the Aryans she had always believed them to be, but rather they were originally from Poland and were Ashkenazi Jews. Her fatherâ€™s grandparents had seen troubles coming and had changed the familyâ€™s name and converted to Protestantism to protect the family and their assets. Still, as Annalise was growing up in the comfort of the familyâ€™s upper middle class lifestyle, the treatment of the Jews in the increasingly intolerant conditions in Germany during the 1930s was troubling, especially considering her beloved family doctor, his son who would become her dance partner, and the other Jewish people she cared so much about were in deadly peril while her life continued unchanged.

Ellie Midwoodâ€™s historical novel, The Girl from Berlin: StandartenfÃ¼hrer's Wife, is a fast-paced and utterly enthralling novel that chronicles the years leading up to World War II through the eyes of a young ballerina, Annalise Meissner. This novel is meticulously researched, and Annaliseâ€™s story is so compelling that I became totally engrossed in her life and experiences. Midwood is a master at blending fact and fiction in such a way that I was often tempted to revisit my history books to see which characters were historical personages and which were not. Her writing is seamless and inspired, and I soon forgot that an author was actually the creative force behind Annaliseâ€™s words. I was quite pleased to discover that Midwood plans a sequel to this story, Gruppenfuhrerâ€™s Mistress. The Girl from Berlin: StandartenfÃ¼hrer's Wife is highly recommended.

Other books in the series:

Book two: "The Girl from Berlin: Gruppenfuhrer's Mistress"

Book three: "The Girl from Berlin: War Criminal's Widow"
Country USA
Manufacturer Ellie Midwood
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2015-09-12
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Ellie Midwood
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2015-09-12
Format	Kindle eBook

The Girl from Berlin: Standartenführer's Wife

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