Millie and David her younger brother manage to escape Germany to the United States. They are able to stay with family friends as they finish school. Their parents and youngest sister Sarah will meet them there as soon as they are able.
It has been years and Millie refuses to acknowledge what happened in her past. Until she can come to understand and forgive her past she will not have a future.
I was given this book to read and review by the publisher.
It is an excellent book. I learned a lot about the work that went on in the aftermath of the war. Great read.

This book was truly heart breaking. I cannot imagine myself in any of the characters positions, especially Millie or Anna. I get where Millie and David both are coming from, but really what choice did they have. Some sacrifices had to be made during this time in history. I don’t want to give anything away so sorry this is a short review, but readers really just need to pick up this book!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

The Living and the Lost by Ellen Feldman is an excellent WWII era historical fiction novel that weaved a story that kept me fascinated from beginning to end.

I have read Ms. Feldman’s Paris Never Leaves You last year which was stunning, so I knew I had to read this book, too.

This book focusses on not just WWII, but also post-war Berlin and it was fascinating to delve into this area as all of its citizens were trying to make sense of what just happened, the current situation, and what pieces to pick up to move forward. To see how people dealt with their lives and current circumstances after returning to their hometown was also intriguing.

Here we follow siblings Millie and David Mosbach whom are returning to Berlin from America after escaping the Nazis during the early years of the war. It is during the “de-Nazification” period and I have never read anything on this subject as of yet. They return trying to find information on their family that were left behind in Germany as well as in an official position employed by the US to help “clean” Berlin post-war in their assigned government positions.

The author interweaves the current story with flashbacks and memories to piece together what happened, what secrets were kept, what losses and sacrifices occurred, and to lead us to where Millie goes from here.

Here we confront not just post-war society and politics, but also the array of emotions that are experienced: survivor’s guilt, relief, fear, anger, resentment, shame, the battle between wanting to live her life and be happy with penance for perceived errors and faults. I enjoyed these fundamental character assessments and these glimpses into the human psyche. Amongst of this darkness was scattered hope, romance, life, and purpose. It all balanced nicely with the appropriate and satisfying ending.

A fabulous book that I highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St Martin’s Press for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Opening a book is always an adventure, this time it was a beautiful and inspiring one. Feldman explores Berlin during the era known as “de-nazification” when the allies were rebuilding Germany after WW II. The story is told with Mieke Mosbach at the center. She has come back to her native Berlin to work with the US army translating and rebuilding the news and publishing industries.

Mieke had escaped Germany at the start of the war with her brother David, who is serving there as well. They have returned not only to serve America but to search for information about their father, mother and sister. The group working on this fort are primarily Jews who had managed to escape with their lives, but not without pain, anger and trauma.

I must suggest reading this along with A RITCHIE BOY, Linda Kass, which will provide valuable insight into the young men who were part of this project.

The book also includes an element of romance which is lovely and brings hope for a future with it. Feldman has a few subplots, but she manages to provide closure and a very satisfying ending.

I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to both seminars and reading groups. Thank you Netgalley for this very special book.

The Betrayal

A haunting story of the living and the dead. Is it easier to be the dead or the living haunted by ghosts and nightmares? How far will a human go to save their life? Would they betray their own family?

Millie and David Mosbach , brother and sister, escape to the U.S. from Nazi occupied Germany in the nick of time. After completing school , when the war has ended, they both find themselves employed by the U.S. in their hometowns in Germany, because of their knowledge of Germany and the German language.

What they felt would be a return to their childhood becomes a painful experience instead. They find that prejudice against their race is not only still among the German people, but also within the administration of the programs ran by the U.S.

It is especially painful for Millie who cannot forget what happened all those years ago when they escaped from Germany. She holds the secret in her heart and she cannot forgive herself.

Will they recover from the trauma they suffered during the past, and what they see of those survivors that did not make it out of Germany. Can they conquer their survivor’s guilt and their hatred of the German people, or will it consume them.

A story of past and present history. A history of what happened after the war in Germany. A mention of the elusive camp Ritchie and the men that were trained there to interrogate and extract information from the German prisoners. Many of these men were Jewish men.

It was a good read and it had a good ending, it was a bit slow in spots, but still well worth reading. I would recommend it.

Thanks to Ellen Feldman, St, Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Millie returns home to Germany after escaping with her younger brother. She has returned to work in a government office to help decide who would be best to publish a new German paper but she also has a personal reason for returning. While in Germany, Millie is reunited with her cousin who spent time in the concentration camps, and learns that the Nazis kept detailed records of their victims. In these records, Millie finds her answers as well as reconciliation with her past.

I have read many books centered around the Holocaust and World War II but this was something different. This story is told from the perspective of a young woman who had the chance to leave Germany and return at a later date. Seeing the devastating aftermath of the Holocaust through the eyes of a Jewish woman was an eye-opener and made me wonder how those who returned to Germany in the aftermath of World War II felt about going home.

The Living and the Lost is a powerful, unsettling read. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, especially books set during WW2. This is one of the few books that I've read set just after the war ended. The descriptions are so real that I felt transported to post war Berlin. I liked the way the author alternated back in time to tell Millie's back story. This would make a great literature tie-in for a high school world history class, sparking lively class discussions.