Millie Mosbach returns to her hometown of Berlin years beyond the end of the war, after fleeing with her brother David at the start of it. Her official job is to help interrogate the Germans suspected of being Nazis, while on the side she is searching for her parents and younger sister she left behind, while navigating her own guilt and grief.

As a historical fiction novel, The Living and The Lost did not evoke the emotional response that I would normally feel while reading it. I felt it didn’t have enough depth or character development to engage me, but rather just skimmed the surface if a great read.

I loved reading The Living and the Lost by Ellen Feldman. The historical details made me feel as though I has right there. Five stars.

I got an ARC of this book.

DNF at 17%

I was just really bored. The writing was sometimes beautiful, but often left me behind. The flashbacks were not well defined so I had issues figuring out when I was at any given time. Neither the past nor the present held my interest. I think this is more a me thing than the book. I have loved at least one other Feldman book.

Millie and David were fortunate to escape from Berlin. But they were separated from the rest of the family. Now they are both back in Berlin working and Millie is hoping they can find their family. She feels tremendous guilt about the others being left behind. And in her part in what happened. And anger about what happened during the war. The story is rich in emotion and descriptive of the atmosphere in the area after the war ended.

this was such a beautiful and thought providing novel, it is set after WW2. The characters were so well done and I enjoyed reading this story.

This book just didn’t suck me in, which surprised me because I typically really enjoy historical fiction. But this one I struggled with and I ended up skimming most. I would definitely be open to trying this again later on. Maybe it was just a wrong book, wrong time situation.

The Living and the Lost is the first book I've read by Ellen Feldman. I've read a number of World War II fiction novels, but this is the first I've experienced dealing with Allied occupied Berlin post-WWII, most particularly the denazification of Germany. It brings to life the horrors of man's inhumanity to man...but also invokes the powers of hope and forgiveness.

Millie Mosbach and her brother David escaped from Berlin right before Kristallnacht, leaving both parents and their very young sister behind. The young German Jews made new lives in the US - Millie went to college then worked for a magazine, while David went to school then joined the Army. However, now they both are back in their hometown of Berlin, a bombed-out city filled with desperate people. Millie works in an office that roots out dedicated Nazis from publishing. David works with Displaced Persons, though he has secret activities that he doesn't share with his sister. Like many German Jews, they feel hatred for Germans and also survivor's guilt. Millie, especially, has honed her hatred and has changed into a seemingly uncaring woman. Her boss, Major Harry Sutton, seems to treat the Germans fairly; this Millie simply cannot understand. She is confronted by her past and must learn to deal with an untenable decision she had to make when she left Berlin all those years ago, with the help of Major Sutton.

This story was absolutely heart wrenching and also depressing, truth be told, until Millie began to deal with her past. It was very hard to like her at first; you could understand her hatred because of the way the Third Reich and many German citizens treated the Jews, but all she saw was black and white. When she requisitioned a home and turned a woman and her child out, she had absolutely no sympathy. Millie had some emotional breaks when at the train station, as she was assaulted by memories. Major Sutton always appeared when Millie needed help, and seemed to understand her internal conflict. David worked hard with the displaced persons, but he kept his noble nocturnal activities from his sister; she believed he was fraternizing with the Frauleins. Major Sutton was by far my favorite character; he had his own past he had to deal with that helped him understand Millie. One is battered reading about the concentration and death camps, plus the rape of German women by the Soviet soldiers. (I have visited Auschwitz and saw proof of the atrocities committed by the Nazis. It's even more brutal than you can infer from this story, though the author did a marvelous job showing the effects of hatred.). The anti-Semitism in the US that was shown was also disturbing. However, Millie's journey from hatred to forgiveness (and self-forgiveness) shows the resilience and hope of the human heart, and is truly satisfying.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Ellen did a great job at painting a vivid picture in my head - one that was realistic and chilling! The story of Millie and David is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I really appreciated this book's look at the immediate aftermath of WWII. There are many, many books covering the years of the war, but I had not read any of aftermath, and this book introduced me to the massive things involved in recovery, who to trust, how to feed and house the victors as well as the populace. I especially appreciated the authors notes following the novel and am now tracking down her suggested readings

I love books set during WWII. This book was different in that it focused on the time period after the war. It was interesting to see how individuals dealt with the aftermath of the holocaust. There was a rampant use of the black market. The main characters, siblings Millie and David, fled Germany for the U.S. during the war. The author does an amazing job of taking you back in time and their new life in America. And yet, as they’ve escaped Germany, they still experience anti-Semitism. The brother and sister end up together in Berlin to assist in America’s efforts for denazification. But the healing that has to happen in Germany, their lives, as well as so many people you meet throughout the pages of this story will move you.

This is a tale of guilt, escape, bravery. compassion, loss, and love. As you walk through Millie’s past and present, you begin to unravel the mystery of why she is struggling and suffering. The effect Major Harry Sutton has on Millie’s process of acceptance and healing is admirable. I really like his character.

I highly recommend this book. What an emotional story that will touch you deeply.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Living and the Lost, by Ellen Feldman, is a powerful, melancholy, honest novel, examining post war realities, aftermath and survivors' guilt in post war Germany. Two American Jews, German in origin, escaped just in time, battling with their ghosts, deep conflicted rage, and determined to be helpful and productive as US government workers. Very well built up and depicted. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

This book about post-WWII Berlin caught my interest. I've never read anything like it. The main character, Millie, is a young Jewish woman who left Berlin as a child She now returns, working for the US government. Her first task is to requisition an apartment by throwing out a German woman and her family. She then meets the "frauleins" dating GIs, helps a long-lost relative find her child, and dates a Jewish man also working for the US Army. Eventually, Mllie's "secret" of deep pain and family trauma is revealed.

The characters and setting made this book. The plot meanders along, but this is not a plot-driven book. This book explores the pain of survivors of the Holocaust and their efforts to come to terms with it all.

This book shows another aspect of the effects of war. Millie is hiding her secret guilt and it affects everything she does. Being an American in her childhood home of Germany after the war triggers all the feelings she's been trying to hide. Other characters also have hidden secrets and pain and the author does a good job of showing how it affects their lives.

The book was slow moving at times and some of the events predictable but I felt sympathy for the characters and horror at what war does to people.

I was happy to pick up The Living and The Lost by Ellen Feldman because, besides loving WWII historical fiction, I had previously read her latest book, Paris Never Leaves You. Feldman's stories focus a lot on the exchange between Germans and Jews, particularly demonstrating how neither group is evil or good - both exist in us all (except maybe Hitler).

The Living and The Lost centers around Millie, who was able to escape Berlin with her brother. While her family stayed behind, Millie was able to get a good education and live a pleasant life in the United States. Haunted by her past and feeling guilty for surviving, Millie returns to a bombed-out Berlin to aid in the post-war efforts of setting up a democracy in Germany.

This book was a bit slower-paced than Paris Never Leaves You, but no less poignant and emotional. While I can't personally fathom Millie's loss in the way that millions were affected at that time, her character was relatable and easy to like. Feldman did a terrific job of layering her personality, giving her both compassion, but also the rage and anger towards the Germans that I can only assume I would've felt too. I also loved how Millie was one of the few women filling a man's role, and yet, she still held her own, throwing out snarky comments and letting her temper get the best of her sometimes.

Most of the WWII novels I have read are either set during the war or, if they switch perspectives, both during the war and several decades later looking back on it from present-day. This is one of the first stories I have read that explores the immediate aftermath and I loved that it took place in Berlin, capturing how devastating those years were for everyone - not just one particular group. Everyone suffered.

In many ways, most stories focus on Germans versus Jews. The Living and the Lost really focused on the Jews (like Millie) that were Germans in a Germany that tried to annihilate them, and how confusing the feelings of love for a country can be.

The Living and the Lost, by Ellen Feldman, is a deeply moving story of post-WWII survivors’ struggle to come to terms with their losses, actions, and future. The protagonist and her brother are native German Jews who escaped to the United States shortly before all Jewish travel was prohibited. After the war, they returned to Berlin to help in the Allied efforts to identify Displaced Persons, resettlement, and the identification of Nazis. This exceptionally well-written story is heartbreaking and hopeful; daunting and depressing all at the same time. The underlying theme is forgiveness. How do you forgive? And whom? I could not help but be inspired by the survivors’ resilience. Feldman masterfully seamlessly moves back and forward in time as her characters deal with memories and chance meetings. The characters are complex and multi-dimensional, growing as the story develops. Although this is an emotional story which raises unsettling questions, I highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was a privilege.

Wonderful historical fiction. This heartbreaking and gripping story is a definite must read. I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. This rapid page turner does not disappoint but keep your tissues nearby because you will surly need them.

During World War II in Germany, it was simply not safe to be of Jewish descent. After their father worked hard to secure visas for all of the members of the family, Millie (Meike) Mosbach and her brother David are the only ones to make it to the United States. Both siblings end up back in Germany, trying to help the war effort for the Americans and to find their missing family. Will the look back into the past prove to be both Millie and David's undoing?

The author does a good job of explaining historical aspects of life in post-war Germany, but spends too much time on the personal stories of her characters. It is almost as though the book is split in two: Millie's post traumatic stress and the mystery surrounding its origins, as well as the denazification of Germany and all it entailed. The beginning of the novel is not all that compelling and the sluggish nature unfortunately sets the tone for the book. Having read many historical fiction novels on the same subject, The Living and the Lost does not measure up in a meaningful way to the rest. For this reason, I would be hesitant to recommend it to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Living and the Lost by NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

Just as traditional romance books have a prescribed ending—the Happily Ever After—historical fiction novels also have their own pre-conceived conclusion: The War is Over! But just like a wedding doesn’t end life’s complications, the end of a war doesn’t stop the misery and suffering. Historical fiction author Ellen Feldman’s latest release, The Living and the Lost, takes place in post-World War II Berlin. The war may be over, but no one is happy. What’s left when the bombs have stopped dropping?

To read the complete review, click on the link below.

Millie has returned to her native Germany after WWII. She is here to do a job for the government but she has a hidden agenda. She is hoping to find out what happened to her parents and her little sister.

Millie is amazed at the level of depravity which is rampant and accepted in this post war Germany. She struggles with her anger and her guilt throughout this novel. Her guilt is a unique situation for the reader…you have to read this to find out!

There have been tons of WWII books lately. So, to find one which has a different take is tough. This one hits that mark. You usually do not have a book about the aftermath. This one covers this and more! The struggle to find out about your loved ones, to find a place to live, and the survivors guilt is brought to life in the novel. Add in the great characters and you have a very good novel!

Need a story you won’t soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The story of Mieke and David, brother and sister, who escape to America at the start of WWII. The story mainlty takes place in post war Berlin, with some back stories of both Mieke and David. Successful young people, they return to post war Berlin to do their jobs and to find the rest of their family. I really loved the setting of post war Berlin, a very dangerous, exciting, wild time in the history of Germany, So many emotions.