Historical fiction is my favorite genre. Ellen Feldman has written another great book. I read Paris Never Leaves you and loved it. The Living and the Lost covers the story of a brother and sister returning to a free Berlin working for their USA companies. Millie works for a magazine and her brother David is an Army officer training German speaking men for special intelligence services. The sister and brother emigrated to the United States before the Kistallnact and leave behind the parents and a little sister. In returns to Germany, they face demons haunting their past. The story is rich in character and a story of love, forgiveness and loss. Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartin’sGriffin, #EllenFeldman and #TheLivingandtheLost:ANovel for the copy for my honest review.

Having no idea what they are returning, Millie and her brother David return to post-war Berlin after being separated from their parents and sister before the war.

The author does a brilliant job of giving us a real picture of how terrible the war was and even after the war is over it wasn't easy for anyone. This is a really enjoyable story of survivors.

This is a different angle from usual WWII novels. This one focuses on the aftermath of the concentration camps being liberated. I enjoyed reading about the siblings going back to Germany.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

A haunting, poignant, richly researched and unusual look at the horrific consequences of war and genocide. In THE LIVING AND THE LOST, Ellen Feldman delivers a novel peopled by deeply conflicted and highly dimensional characters: this is a read which will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page: highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity of the read.

What an amazing story. I’ve read quite a lot of WWII historical fiction but this was a new take. Definitely an emotional read, highly recommend.

There are so many books about WW2 and the Holocaust. This book is different. It's about a Jewish brother and sister that escape Berlin just before the war then return to Berlin as the dust is settling from the destruction of the city and the aftermath of the German surrender. This book explores all the ways a society and individuals rebuild and cope with trauma and accountability for what they have personally done as well as passively allowed to happen. It's a story of forgiveness an acceptance and ultimately hope for the future and moving forward to rebuild a life.

The descriptions of bombed out Berlin, the desperation of traumatized women and children that lived through the bombing of the Allies and the description of how German citizens were de-Nazified and evaluated to be judged as to if they will be allowed to work and move on. The trauma of the victorious Americans who view and experience a city they tried to destroy with bombs and bullets is also explored. As the Iron Curtain was descending and splitting Berlin and Germany, the duality of the two sides of the struggle was not lost on me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was just okay for me, and I am very much in the minority here. Most reviewers loved this book. The good points are that it does talk about an aspect of the war that’s not been written about a lot. I very much enjoyed that. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Sometimes it’s all about timing of when you read a book as to how it hits you, and this very well is probably the case here. Even though it was just okay for me, I do still recommend this book for historical fiction lovers.

My thanks to Ellen Feldman, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC.

This book is a WWII historical fiction novel that takes place in Berlin after the war is over. This was a part of history of that time that is not usually written about and that I found very interesting. The characters were placed in difficult situations and made to seem very real. There were heartbreaking scenes and also scenes of hope that tied into the devastation of the war and the process of rebuilding.

If this is a time period you read about, I highly recommend this book as it is a fresh perspective and story. I found myself waiting to find out what was going to happen next.

From Ellen Feldman, author of PARIS NEVER LEAVES YOU, comes THE LIVING AND THE LOST, a refreshing take on World War II set after its resolution, right in the heart of Allied-occupied Berlin.

As a worker connected to the American military, Meike “Millie” Mosbach is determined not to let any Germans forget their role in the war that killed millions of Jewish men, women and children. She works in a “denazification” office in Berlin, where she interviews German citizens and ranks them in order of zealousness to help Germany rebuild without dedicated Nazis setting the tone for their publications, including newspapers, magazines and textbooks.

As a female, Millie is an unusual candidate for the job, but she has an advantage over even the best male soldiers: she herself is a German-born Jewish woman, one who not only speaks the language, but can read the expressions, equivocations and evasions of her fellow German citizens better than an American can. But with her particular skill set comes a major drawback: she is angry, angrier than any American soldier. Having borne witness to the worst of the German atrocities, she hates Germany, past as well as present, and will turn Nazi herself before she’ll let a single German forget their role in her family’s tragedies.

Millie and her brother, David, escaped to the United States ahead of their parents and little sister, Sarah, just before Kristallnacht, when they lost contact with them. Although Millie and David were raised by kind American friends of their parents, and even received exceptional schooling, Millie in particular cannot let go of the family she left behind. She and David oscillate between relief that they survived and extreme guilt that so many others did not, and the end of the war has done little to ease their psyches. So while Millie roots out Nazis and brands them as “exonerated or non-incriminated” or “major offenders,” David works with “displaced persons” to help them rebuild and recover from the last few years of tragedy and death. But the Berlin where they now reside is bombed out, full of desperate survivors, hidden monsters and spies. While their hatred fuels them, it also leaves them susceptible to blind spots.

Millie soon finds a companion in Theo Wallach, an officer who works in her department. If Millie has a chip on her shoulder when it comes to Germans, Theo has a whole lumber yard. Though she understands and often relates to his anger, even she can see that it is tearing him apart. Meanwhile, her boss, Major Harry Sutton, seems far too forgiving of the Germans, too ready to believe that while the Nazis were a devastating force, the German citizens were left with few options other than to conform.

Torn between the two perspectives and wrapped up in her own anger, Millie is forced to reckon with some harsh truths about survival and the plight of real German citizens. But she is not the only one who has difficulty keeping her personal feelings out of her job, nor is she the only one fighting against the past. As Millie, David and the rest of the Allies make efforts to bring a broken country back from the brink, they must grapple with their own histories within the country and find a way to move forward.

Simmering in the background is Millie’s hunt for her parents and sister, who were never officially declared dead. Her mission reunites her with a beloved cousin, pulls her into a desperate search for a child, and reminds her of just how much was lost to the Nazi regime. David also has his own mysterious story, and while these plotlines help propel the narrative, I initially had trouble connecting with Millie as a character. Feldman is unflinching in depicting her anger and resentment, but for at least the first half of the book, she felt cold and inaccessible, while others, like David and Sutton, practically leapt off the page. Millie does have a satisfying character arc in the end, but I was much more invested in Berlin overall rather than in her story.

Though there is no battlefront action, Feldman gives readers a real “boots on the ground” depiction of the rubble and mayhem left over from not just the war, but also the poverty and scarcity that came with it. Whether she is describing bombed-out staircases leading to decrepit apartments, the hedonism of Berlin’s black market, or the survival instincts of those who lived through all of it, her gaze is stark, clear-eyed and unabashed.

This is a deeply felt, atmospheric book, and Feldman does a tremendous job of evoking a sense of time and place. But even more than immersing readers in her setting, she writes the emotions of the moment --- the hunger of survivors, the anger felt by German-born Jews, the anti-Semitism of even the Allied soldiers, and the survivor’s guilt of those who escaped --- with vivid, unsentimental prose. Every scene, every emotion is stark and immediate, and Feldman makes you feel like you are right there with her characters, identifying Nazis, smoking black-market cigarettes and sneaking food to survivors.

If you read only one WWII novel this year, make it THE LIVING AND THE LOST. Feldman’s combination of a unique setting, meticulous research and a haunted heroine living in a morally gray moment makes it a crucial addition to any bookshelf. She has outdone herself with this gripping, heartfelt novel, and readers will find themselves wowed by her rendering of post-war Germany and the challenges faced by those tasked with rebuilding a country bolstered by decency, civility and humanity.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

A brother and sister return to Germany after the war searching for answers as the allied forces set about in reorganizing Berlin. It's a heartfelt and unsettling historical novel. I felt that it truly set itself apart from many different other books I have read about this time period.





Publication Date 07/09/21
Goodreads review published 26/12/21

There is so much to say about this well written book about grief, loss, trauma, love and hope. The setting is post WWII Berlin, where the city is almost decimated from the bombings. Millie and her brother David left Germany in 1938 at the urging of their father, separated from their family as they were all supposed to leave. After living in the US, Millie takes a job with the armed forces in the denazifiction unit back in Berlin. At first Millie can show no sympathy or empathy for the Germans after the millions of Jews slaughtered. Millie suffers from guilt, and from trauma, but she doesn’t face up to it until a series of events that let her see hope. I highly recommend this book for historical fiction lovers, and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

Ellen Feldman has written a gem of a story. This is a different look at a very popular genre of historical fiction. The story is told from the point of view of a German Jew who has returned to Germany after WW2 is over. Millie and her twin brother, David, have returned to their home country to help, in their own way.

Feldman has taken a unique point of view as a surviving German. While Millie is outraged at what her fellow countryman have done, she is also living with survivor's guilt when so many others were not as fortunate as her and her brother. David and Millie have to separately figure out their own futures, feelings, and thoughts while dealing with the unimagined past.

The story is told from three different timelines. The past when Millie and David were growing up in Germany, a middle time when the siblings were living in America and a third which would be considered the present during the Allied Occupied Berlin. If I had an complaint about the book, it would be that these switches in the timelines were not marked. Listening to the book, I found it at times hard to follow that the story had switched to a different timeline and setting.

This is a slow burn type of story. Feldman slowly pulls aways the layers to the story while revealing a beautiful and moving story. I can easily say this is my favorite historical fiction read of 2021 and one of my top books read of the year. I have already told my mom, my sister and a good friend that they must read this book.

Phenomenal historical fiction about post WWII Europe and the European Jews who escaped to the US. I found the historic information fascinating. I had never heard of the secret army unit of Jewish American soldiers, many of whom had escaped from Europe before the war. I loved the romance and the passion that Feldman puts into her writing. I couldn’t stop reading and the suspense was wonderful. This is a tribute to the powerful people who survived WWII and the people they lost. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the opportunity!! My book club loved it!!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Ellen Feldman for free e-ARC in return of my honest review of The Living and The Lost.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, especially WW II era. Finding The Living and The Lost with its intriguing synopsis about immediate events right after the armistice in Berlin was no brainer for me, I was sure I would enjoy the book.

It was well-written with interesting timeline, narrated in present with some flashbacks to not-so-distant past. The characters seems to be developed quite nicely through both present narration and events in the past. I think that the author did a great job in building up a story regarding main characters parents and sister fate, and I was intrigued to find out what actually had happened. She did an amazing jb in exploring the guilt of survival during those terrible times.

However, I felt disconnected to the story line and the characters along the whole book. The story felt important and the narrative unique, on the other hand, I did not feel compassion towards Millly and her struggle. I felt that I should and it never came.

It was a good solid read, however, I wouldn't come back to it.

A heartfelt written historical fiction. WWII theme postwar occupation of Germany.
Unique story for any fan of this era.
Thank you NetGalley.

I was looking forward to reading this book but as many have written, I felt very lost with all the characters going back and forward. In the beginning, I was having a hard time understanding what was happening so it took me so much time to understand the story and what was going on as I felt the details were too much and the story got slow.

The Living and The Lost is the story of Meike aka Millie, who escape from Berlin and move forward with her life even if that meant to live always surrounded by memories of her past and the things she saw and lived during WW2. plagued by her memories she decides to return to the very first place that sends her running away now determined to fix and help as much as she could. The question is would she ever forgive and forget?

One of the things that I like about Millie was that she was a very strong character and she was probably one of the few women at those time that was speaking up and doing things that weren't acceptable for women. she didn't hesitate to speak up and say whatever she was thinking.

The story of Millie goes back and forward making us understand what she went through and what was happening during those days when she was living in limbo at the hands of the terrible war.

This is one of the few books that I've read about denazification is not a topic you see in many books and it was very interesting to see how Millie and David were helping some way or another in this matter

Without giving too much away The living and the lost it's a story that will show you a different side that hasn't been explored that much, the hard work for trying to rebuild what was left of war, entire families were lost and disconnected, so many didn't know about each other and Milli and David helped so much to that cause.

it is a good book but at the same time, it was very hard to get into the story.

The Living and the Lost by Ellen Feldman is the story of one Jewish family in Berlin during and after the Second World War. The Mosbachs are the parents of three children: Meike, David and Sarah. For reasons beyond their control, the family is torn apart. The parents and young Sarah were left behind and Meike and David travelled safely to the U.S. where someone sheltered and took care of them to adulthood. The novel moves from the war years to the return of David and Meike to Berlin as adults to help return the devastated city to its prewar glory by seeking out hidden Nazis and helping Jews to travel to safety. This will take its toll on the siblings. I have read several books about the holocaust but this one is different. Ellen Feldman has written a book that puts the reader on the streets of Berlin at the worst time and she also delves into the emotions and realities of the victims but also of the survivors. This is my second book by this author and I was not disappointed. The prose is beautiful and at times achingly unbearable. The flawed and authentic characters take us to some of the worst times in history. This is a difficult read but it is well worth spending time on its pages. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is such a pleasure to start a book and to be able to enjoy the writing from the first page to the last. A family friend who was a Richie boy died while I was reading this book at the age of 99. It made the book even more important to me. I've read many stories of WWII yet this one was different. I definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent historical novel from Netgalley, Ellen Feldman, and St. Martin's Press - Griffin. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Ellen Feldman to friends and family. She writes a tight, suspenseful tale with depth and intensity and a real look into the chaos and hardship suffered by the German people after the war was lost.

The Living and the Lost is a window on WWII that we don't often encounter. Berlin, after the death of Hitler and the end of the conflict, was a mess, and we read all about it in this fascinating novel. We accompany Kindertransport siblings Meike 'Millie' and David Mosbach as they return to Berlin, David as an American soldier, Millie under the protection of the US military as a translator, and see Berlin through the eyes of ones who were natives of and had loved the city as they mourn the turmoil of Berlin, and seek news of their parents and little sister who were captured as they all tried to flee.

This is a story I found myself reading all night long. Couldn't put it aside until it was finished, and then found myself wishing for more. Feldman is an author I follow.

The Living and the Lost was a great book that I really enjoyed. I have read LOTS of WW2 novels and this one was a bit different with a look at the denazification program after the liberation of the camps and working to rebuild Germany. Millie and her brother David both left Germany when their Jewish family felt threatened and fled. Now they return to a war torn city they barely recognize in Berlin. Each has their own reaction and work they believe in, as they continue to heal and balance their lives and choices. I truly enjoyed this story and highly recommend this book. I received an ARC, all opinions are my own.