It is 1933 in pre-war Germany and 12 year old Hetty Heinrich wants nothing more than to be a model German by following the lead of the new Chancellor of Germany Adolph Hitler. So what happens when she finds out the young man she's had a crush on since she was eight is Jewish.
The book explores how a teenage girl starts to question the beliefs she has been brought up on and which her family still hold. It is the story of a forbidden love with potentially disastrous consequences. It also provides an insider's look at the impact the rise of Hitler had on German society. A very good read.

Read if you: Want an emotion-packed novel about a romance between a young German girl from a Nazi family and a German Jewish boy.

Athough characterizations aren't particularly deep in this story, I found it moving and compelling. It can get rather soap-operaish in its storytelling, but not annoyingly so. Readers who enjoy romantic historical fiction will eagerly read this (the ending is rather heartbreaking yet hopeful). Although this is marketed as "inspired by the author's own family history," there is no author's note or explanation that supports this. I was rather disappointed to get to the end of the story and find no such note. I would have rated it higher if it had included further explanation.

Librarians and booksellers: This would be a good book club choice--lots to discuss!

Many thanks to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical fiction, particularly from the WW2 era, and this book did not disappoint. This was such a heartbreaking story. I loved the relationship between Hetty and Walter, as well as Hetty and Erna. Walter and Erna remind us that there is still hope in the most dire of circumstances. I will be thinking of these characters for some time.

Since I started reading historical fiction books a couple of months ago, I’ve fallen in love with this genre. Even though the stories are difficult to read, I’ve learned so much from each of them. This book in particular, Daughter of the Reich, is especial because it has a completely different perspective. I really enjoyed it.

This is a book that stayed on my mind well after turning the last page. Taking place during the onset of World War II, it is the story of a young German girl who falls in love with her Jewish childhood friend. As they grow older, and as tensions in Europe grow tighter, their love is put to the test along with their loyalties to their families and beliefs. It's true, if you enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale, and All The Light We Cannot See, you will not want to miss this story!

As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich. But she never imagines that all she believes and knows about her world will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.

I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. I have read many of the popular books on WWII, but this is the first one I have read, I think, that is from the German point of view. I thought it was well written and researched and would highly recommend it.

I read a lot of WWII-era books, so I was excited to check this one out. However, it didn't quite hit the mark with me. I found the pace too slow, and I had a hard time connecting with Hetty. It almost felt like it was geared toward a younger audience, as some of Hetty's actions were a bit childish. The writing didn't grab me, though it was solid enough. It was just an okay read, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to others.

A fast-paced, heart-wrenching story with a powerful ending that had me in tears. I finished the book in two days, I couldn’t put it down.

This is the first time I read a World War II book from this point of view and there were parts that were difficult to read. Over the course of the book, Hetty transforms and finally confronts the reality of the horrors committed by the Nazis.

The love story between Hetty and Walter is moving and heartbreaking. The characters are well developed and come alive on the page. An immersive, beautifully-written story where you feel the turmoil and peril at every turn.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and The Book Club Girls for this advanced reader’s copy.

This was a heartbreaking story that will definitely stay with me for a long time. It's told from the point of view of Hetty, a young German girl, starting from the age of 7 (in 1929) and then up into her teenage years. The reader gets to see how her opinion of Jewish people gets warped by Hitler's ideology, how her schooling turns into propaganda, and how things change for her family, friends, and neighbors as she grows older. As with any book about teenagers, I found myself screaming, "NO! Don't do that! What are you thinking?!" I actually lost count of how many times I said that, but all of the choices these characters made were believable and realistic for the situations they were in. Hetty is shocked to learn that her older brother's best friend Walter is Jewish. To her, there is no way he can be all of the bad things she has been taught to believe about Jewish people, but she struggles with the inner conflict of her strongly held beliefs vs. what she knows about a boy she grew up with who once saved her life.

Huge thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for giving me the pleasure of reading and reviewing this novel.

I absolutely loved it! A German girl, growing up in Nazi run Germany, falls in love with a Jewish boy. In a time where everything about their love is forbidden, she does everything she can to help him survive. This novel moved so quickly. It shows the good that people did in such a terrible situation. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you for allowing me to read an early copy of Daughter of the Reich. I enjoyed this book especially since it was told by a teenage girl and how she changed from being a supporter of Hitler to seeing how evil he and his followers were. I wish there was a little more of her story from age 16 to where it picked up. I was left wanting to know more about her life and those around her other than the very brief summary at the end.

Before World War 2 broke out. Their was a lot of setup to what Hitler had planned for his beloved country. To cast out the dirty swine, the unpure, the feeble minded. He chose the Jews as such. History shows us how crazy this man was. This book is about a young girl that is growing up and idolizing Hitler and his ways. Her influential family is high ranking and follows the guidance of the Fuhrer.

Herta (Hetty) is the daughter of a newspaper publisher. One that harps the praises of Hitler, and speaks ill of the Jews. This book is a coming of age story during the uprising of Hitler and his terrible ways. Hetty is brought up to believe that Hitler is amazing, and great. That they should idolize his ways and follow the path he has laid out for the Germans.

Along the way, Hetty has many revelations about the Hitler ideal. Her childhood crush turns out to be a Jew, although he looks and acts nothing like the dirty Jews that Hitler so wants to get rid of. He's kind and sweet, and she forges a friendship with him after she finds out his heritage. She knows this could be really bad for her and her family. Especially since her Father has a direct connection to the Fuhrer himself.
As the book moves forward, many things begin to happen and Hetty begins to find her own way in this tragic world.

What a great new perspective of this time period. To have a direct connection to Hitler and the decisions to know them firsthand. The first half of the book has a ton of backstory and was a bit wordy for me. About half way through the book seemed to finally have a purpose and direction. I couldn't read it fast enough to find out the conclusion and how things would resolve. If you can get past the slow beginning and extra words, the rest of the book is pretty good. We know from history the terror that Hitler has shown. That knowledge makes this perspective so rich. Overall a great Historical Fiction perspective on WW2.

ARC from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review...
I couldn’t put this down! I found myself reading later and later into the night to see what happened. I am a huge fan of WWII novels and this one was unlike any I have read before. It really brought the turmoil of the German who didn’t know better and then realized. You couldn’t help by root for Herta and just feel crushed when things didn’t work out as she would have liked them. But she was a such a strong character! Well done for a debut novel on a topic that can be considered, overdone!

I quite enjoyed this book which gave me the insight and mindset of the youth in Germany during this era . I see how the youth and others were swayed by the propaganda and the various organizations they belong to.

Was not a fan of this book. Not sure if it was because of the genre or simple because of the particular way the writer chose to go about the story. Would love to try to author again but i just was not feeling this book unfortunately.

Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein is a wonderful novel set in Germany during the time leading up to the Second World War. It is a riveting journey told through the eyes of Hetty, a German youth who watches what is happening in her country during this tumultuous time . Hetty falls in love with a Jewish boy she has known for many years. The Jewish boy, Walter, shows her how horrible it is to hate Jewish people. He shows her that all people are capable of love and hate and that all races are the same. There is no superior race or perfect bloodline. Once Hetty accepts this reality her life is changed forever. She lives in a family that is firmly rooted in Hitler’s philosophies. They despise Jews. Hetty must live with the stark reality that her family’s moral compass is severely distorted. The journey through Hetty’s life takes many twists and turns and is a pleasure to read. I would highly recommend this novel to all. You will not be disappointed. Love, loss, family dynamics, lies, secrets, inhumane suffering, sacrifice, loyality, and friendship are subjects touched upon in the engrossing novel. I was given this novel by Harper Collins Publishers and netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Daughter of the Reich is so good, but so profoundly sad! Hetty falls in love with her older brother Karl's good friend Walter, but they live in Germany in the late 1930s, and Walter is Jewish. With a father that is a proud member of the SS, Hetty has grown up being fed the idea that a pure Aryan race is essential, Hitler is god-like, and Jews are filthy pigs. Everyone else seems to willing to fall into line, but Hetty sees the good in Walter and increasingly finds herself coming to grips with the fact that the ideas so readily accepted by so many other people are abhorrent to her. The two sneak around to spend time together while trying to avoid getting caught, all while questioning just who is on their side and who is willing to betray them. This is the second WWII historical fiction book I've read recently that takes a familiar period in time and is willing to look at it from a different perspective. It's certainly hard and more than a little stomach-churning to reads parts of this book, but it's also a reminder that there were people in Germany that grew up being force fed information without any alternatives to make them think otherwise - except their own innate sense of right and wrong. I think Fein is really on point with focusing on the challenge of Hetty and Walter's relationship, and the gradual change in perspective on Hetty's part. This is a tough, but good WWII novel!

I regularly read books of the WWII genre and this was a very good story. Hetty's family is up and coming in the Reich. Her father is in charge of the newspaper in Leipzig where they live. He's very involved in the Nazi party and their status has been elevated as such. They live in a large house with servants. Hetty and her brother Karl have always been close, especially when their family lived in the less affluent neighborhood, but as he gets more involved in young Nazi groups, eventually joining the Wehrmacht, Hetty finds herself adrift. The world is quickly changing and idealistic Hetty finds she's not sure she likes the direction things are going. Their old friends from the neighborhood like Walter, who once saved Hetty from drowning is a Jew. He's no longer acceptable,but Tomas, whose father is a Communist is accepted, but only after he turns against his father, by informing on him to the Nazi Party. Hetty finds herself inexplicably drawn to Walter against her better judgement. He looks more German than she, with his blonde hair and blue eyes, and she finds herself sneaking away to meet with him as their friendship turns to something more serious. The reader observes Hetty's life as it barrels forward, toward what you know will be a treacherous outcome. You cannot help but close your eyes and hope at the end things will be alright. As I finished the book, I dried the tears from my eyes.

It is the 1930s, pre-war Germany. At the start of the book, we meet twelve-year old Hetty Heinrich, her brother Karl and his best friend Walter. In a few years, the rise of Hitler and the spread of Nazism start to overtake their lives. Hetty’s father is rising in the ranks of the SS and Karl is following in his footsteps. At first, Hetty is taken by the promises of Hitler and vows to also follow in line believing the propaganda. At age sixteen, her friendship with Walter reignites and grows into love. Walter is Jewish and his family is suffering. He educates Hetty about all the lies she’s been told and she quickly learns that everything her family stands for is wrong.

The tender love story between Hetty and Walter reminded me of Romeo and Juliet as all odds were against them. Seeing the rise of Nazism through the eyes of a German girl offers an interesting and different perspective to the WWII oriented books that are generally written. I enjoyed Daughter of the Reich – it has a YA (Young Adult) feel which may serve well to reach younger readers who need to be reminded of this horrible period in history. Worth reading for all ages.

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins/William Morrow and the author for an advance copy.

This book is an excellent read. It takes place in the years just prior to and very beginning of WW2. It is told from the viewpoint of a young German girl who is the daughter of a Nazi officer. She becomes disillusioned by what she was seeing happening to the people around her. She had to learn who to trust and what she needed to do to survive. I really enjoyed this book. It is well written with fleshed out characters. Anyone interested in historical drama should enjoy it immensely..
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