Overview
When World War II ends, among the ashes of the Nazi's defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels vows to fulfill the promise she gave her husband who was killed for opposing Hitler: to reunite and protect the women and children of those valiant men who collaborated in the resistance. She is only able to rescue two women, but together they hole up in a Bavarian castle of her husband's ancestors. The three women must learn to live with the choices that determined their lives and destroyed their country.Reviews
"Moving . . . Shattuck's achievement—beyond unfolding a plot that surprises and devastates—is in her subtle exploration of what a moral righteousness looks like in the aftermath of the war, when communities and lives must be rebuilt, together."—New York Times Book Review, on the English-language edition
"If you love historical fiction, this is your must-read book: It's captivating, fascinating, and incredibly faithful to the events as they happened, and Jessica Shattuck reveals an entirely new side of what it's like to be a woman in wartime."—Newsweek, on the English-language edition
"A poignant, World War II page-turner."—Marie Claire, on the English-language editionAuthor Biography
Jessica Shattuck has published stories in the New Yorker, Glamour, Open City and the Tampa Review. She has also published articles in the New York Times, Wired, and the Boston Globe. Her previous novel, The Hazards of Good Breeding, was chosen as the best book of the year by the Boston Globe. She lives in Massachusetts with her family.