Via Amazon
Title: The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlast War
Author: Phyllis Edgerly Ring
Genre: Historical Fiction
How I got it: From the author in exchange for an honest review
Summary (from Amazon):
Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father’s war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun. Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did—that her mother and Hitler’s mistress were friends. The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna’s. Plunged into the world of the “ordinary” Munich girl who was her mother’s confidante—and a tyrant’s lover—Anna finds her every belief about right and wrong challenged. With Hannes’s help, she retraces the path of two women who met as teenagers, shared a friendship that spanned the years that Eva Braun was Hitler’s mistress, yet never knew that the men they loved had opposing ambitions. Eva’s story reveals that she never joined the Nazi party, had Jewish friends, and was credited at the Nuremberg Trials with saving 35,000 Allied lives. As Anna’s journey leads back through the treacherous years in wartime Germany, it uncovers long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that always outlast war.
My Review (may contain spoilers!):
During my read of this novel, there were times that I wasn’t sure if it was fiction or not. The information spread throughout the story seems so realistic that you would think you were reading a memoir from Hitler’s time.
Of course, I don’t know too much about that time period so I’m not entirely sure exactly how much of the information was true and how much was fiction. However, I enjoyed following Anna on her journey as she researched her mother’s past as well as Hitler’s mistress.
I enjoyed the characters enough that I actually cared about what Anna was going to find about her past. Every character was well written and developed well. The only character I had a problem with was Anna’s husband… But I’m sure we’re not really supposed to like him.
I loved the subtle genres in this novel. It’s historical fiction, with a hint of mystery and romance. I love mysteries and it was fun to piece together Anna’s past along with her and Hannes.
Speaking of Anna and Hannes, their romance was perfect. I’m not one for romance, but their love story was subtle enough that we knew they were a match, but it took time. It wasn’t dramatic love-at-first-sight.
The writing style fit the story as well as the timeline for the story. Phyllis Edgerly Ring wrote this story perfectly. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t normally read this genre.
The Munich Girl by Phyllis Edgerly Ring gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“And I think there’s wisdom in those dreams. Your heart knows there’s only one thing worth searching for. And it has absolutely nothing to do with him.” –Phyllis Edgerly Ring, The Munich Girl
About the Author:
Phyllis Edgerly Ring lives in New Hampshire and returns as often as she can to her childhood home in Germany. She has studied plant sciences and ecology, worked as a nurse, been a magazine writer and editor, taught English to kindergartners in China, and frequently serves as workshop facilitator and coach for others’ writing projects. She is also the author of the novel, Snow Fence Road, and inspirational nonfiction, Life at First Sight: Finding the Divine in the Details.
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You can buy The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlasts War on Amazon.