The Girl In The Shadows by Marion Kummerow

Today Mandie is taking over with a review of The Girl In The Shadows, the brand new novel from Marion Kummerow. Mandie has been loving this series and this is book three in Margarete’s Journey, and we’d both like to wish the author a very happy publication day. Thanks to Bookouture for including us in this #booksontour programme and providing an advance copy for review. Here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

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 Nazis become more brutal in their treatment of Jews, she realizes she must do more. She has to help the prisoners escape to real safety, because they will never survive 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 best selling 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.

Mandie’s Thoughts

The Girl in the Shadows is the third instalment in the story of Margarete Rosenbaum. Still living a lie as Annegret Huber, she is trying to do the best she can for the Jewish prisoners that are currently working in the ammunitions factory that she owns, whilst trying to remain undetected. With an instruction that all Jewish prisoners must be sent to concentration camps she hopes to obtain an exemption for the people in her care, including her uncle. When a new SS officer is put in charge locally he not only takes a shine to Annegret thinking that their union would enhance his career, but he also puts a stop to any such hopes that she may have of helping her “employees” escape.

Margarete is still constantly having to look over her shoulder, but she does still have two trusted friends she can rely on and who are doing everything they can to assist her in her quest to keep people safe despite what it could mean for them. The arrival of Thomas Kallfass with his designs on Annegret and the status he believes she can provide him add a new danger to her. He is truly a character you can’t help but despise. His attitude to Jewish prisoners is to be expected considering his rank and job, but it is his attitude towards Annegret that just makes your skin crawl. Whilst some of the SS officers that she has encountered in the past have at their heart wanted to ensure that she survived the war even if their attitudes towards women were not the best, Thomas is determined to control her and her money whilst ignoring her wishes or feelings. His constant attention also puts an added strain on what she is trying to do, and he gets a little too close for comfort.

This is not to say that this book is all doom and gloom, the continued relationship between Dora and Oliver and their impending marriage highlights the fact that despite war raging around them all, life still continued on for many people. Margarete’s blossoming relationship with Stefan gives hope that one day she will be able to reclaim her true identity and live a life no longer in fear.

Once again Marion Kummerow has produced a book that is steeped in both fact and fiction, bringing to life characters that you want to see succeed and those that you don’t. She does not shy away from the harsh realities of the war but handles them sensitively whilst weaving a truly compelling story. I can’t wait for book four in the series to see what is in store for Margarete.

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author of historical fiction.

Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and perpetual resilience.
She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, make 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.

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.

After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime. It’s a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.

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