A Light in the Window is the first book in Margarete's Journey series.
Such a breathtaking book. I simply couldn't put this down. A Jewish maid, after the senior Nazi officer, his wife and daughter. Taking the identity papers, she assumes the persona of this woman as she becomes more confident. Not rationalizing how her actions would be seen she goes on the run knowing if the girls' brothers see her the game will be over. As a Jewish woman she sees this as her only chance at freedom in life.
When her former employer's son, an SS officer tracks her down her insists she live with him in Paris and stay hidden. Why would an SS officer want a Jewish woman by his side and how could he possibly be convinced he won't be found out? What will the repercussions be for them both if he is caught? I could feel the fear Margarete was feeling but in spite of all of this she is a very brave woman. I was holding my breath as I was reading, my heart sped up and I couldn't put this down. Completely hooked. I must read the rest of the series to see how this continues to play out.

Pub Date 20 Jul 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Margarete, a young Jewish woman living in Germany in is in extreme danger. She is forced to work for the family of a high ranking Nazi officer.

When most of the family is killed in a bombing raid, Margarete makes the split second decision to save her own life by whatever means possible. She assumes the identity of the family's now dead daughter Annegret.

Margaret knows she must try to detect discovery, but she must also act as Annegret would if she is to survive the war without being discovered.

But discovery comes sooner than she hopes for when after finding a job in Leipzig she is discovered by Wilhelm, Annegret's brother, who was away when the bombing occurred.

Knowing that his elder brother, Reiner who is an SS officer, will likely send Margarete to a work, or even possibly a death camp, Wilhelm decides to take Margarete (posing as Annegret) to live with him in Paris.

Through this strange and unwelcome situation Wilhelm learns that he has allowed himself to make judgements on people from being influenced by the fuhrer, and that actually Jewish people are no different to any other german, possibly even better people.

Margarete herself learns that not all Nazis are heartless and cruel. When the two are in danger of being discovered by Reiner, Margarete plots with the Resistance to get out of Paris.

I can't say anything else for fear of giving something away, so you will need to discover this book for yourself!

There were some readers who described this book as “unputdownable”. I have to wholeheartedly agree! This story and the writing grab you from the first page until the end. I have read many historical fiction over the last couple years but I cannot recall any with this type of story. I really enjoyed this book and it is definitely on my recommendations shelf!

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

Loved Margarete, hated her love interest; which made it very hard to stay interested in the book as I was hoping they wouldn’t end up together!

I enjoyed this book a bit different from your usual War book.

Margarete is a Jew who works for a German family. The house is bombed and she survives she is mistaken for the daughter of the house so she ends up escaping and is treated so much better.

Margarete ends up in Paris where unfortunately she meets the son of the family she worked for and she cannot escape from him. The two of them begin to trust each other and become friends.

I enjoyed the premise of this book look forward to reading the next book.

I absolutely fell in love with the author's writing style, and am thrilled that this is a series!!! The cover art immediately drew me in to request this, and I fell in love with the story just as much. Margarete's character just came to life for me, and I could not put this book down. A beautifully written historical fiction, and I highly recommend this for any lover of this genre! 5 stars!

An absorbing and gripping book. It kept me hooked from start to finish. There wasn't a dull moment to be found.

Love this series, ten stars for the story, characterization and everything. Really interesting and cant wait for next book

This was one of the more interesting historical fiction novels I have read lately, not necessarily because of a unique setting but more because of the story itself.
Let me see if I can explain without giving the plot away, but I will say that you can actually get a big chunk of it from the blurb itself.
At the very start of the book, Margarete is given a Hobson’s choice. I found her instantly relatable in this regard because I think many people would make a choice to live – even if it meant undertaking dangerous subterfuge.
What follows is a story focused the role she must play and the things she must be aware of in order to survive. She soon realizes that the seemingly simple choice at the beginning was in fact only the beginning of her journey, not the pass to freedom that she might have initially thought it to be.
Interspersed with her chapters are those from the perspective of Wilhelm, a relation of those who suffered a terrible fate in the opening chapter – an event that Margarete has arguable taken advantage of for her own interests.
I’m not sure what else to write about, because the story itself relies on Wilhelm’s perspective of his family (not very favorable) and Margarete’s cunning to propel itself to the conclusion.
In some ways, Margarete’s choices validate Wilhelm’s opinion of “her kind.” But that’s too simplistic, because it really was a matter of life or death, especially as Margarete had found out what was to become of her had the tragic event not happened.
What I have not mentioned in this review is that Margarete is a Jew and Wilhelm is an SS officer, and the time is 1941 Europe. You can see where this is going.
I think what I found most strange was that the story itself could really have been set at any time and place. The identities of the two, and the situation, seemed to be more of a plot ploy instead of actually meaning something. I’m not quite sure why I feel that way.
I just kept thinking that everything was skimming along and seemed contrived in more than a few places, instead of having some actual depth to it. Characters came and went, some had one role to play and then disappeared.
A major plot twist occurred late in the book, which led to another twist. Neither of them seemed plausible to me. And in fact, almost derailed the story.
I realize this sounds like I didn’t like it, but I did. What kept me reading was that I was eager to see how Wilhelm and Margarete “ended” – if they would stay true to form or if they would buck tradition and expectations to forge a new path.
There was character growth from both of them, and that I enjoyed. And I seriously did NOT see the end coming – that was an interesting and bold choice by the author. I guess it ended up being about the sacrifices we are willing to make to protect the ones we love.

An absolutely stunning book. At first glance the cover drew me in immediately. I love historical fiction and A Light in the Window did not disappoint. It was a beautifully told story that kept me reading well past when I needed to be sleeping. I recommend this book for any fans of WWII era historical fiction. 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Bit of a strange premise: Jewish woman pretends to be German and live with her dead bosses Nazi son! It was OK but think the whole WW2 book thing has reached its limit!!

Margarete is a Jewish maid working for a high ranking Nazi. The house is bombed and her employers are killed. Margarete seizes the chance for a new life and swaps clothes with the dead daughter of the house, leaving her Jewish identification behind. She feels safe until Wilhelm Huber, her employers' son arrives from Paris, searching for his sister to claim their inheritance...
A Light in the Window in an historical novel set in 1941 in Germany and France.
OK so this was a beautifully tragic book but does not offer a full conclusion: there will be a sequel! I loved the characters, the plot was wonderfully captivating although I doubted the realism. I thought the research into the lives and fears under Nazi rule was accurate. However, I did have to suspend my disbelief about the relationship between the main characters. The book overall was completely enthralling and the dramatic licence was creative, entertaining and emotive.
The whole of the book is delivered through the third person narrative perspectives of Margarete and Wilhelm. The mixed emotions from both characters are well written and fully explored to make both seem very human. Margarete shows amazing courage and daring as she adopts her new identity. Her determination to survive is inspiring. The nuances of Wilhelm's realisation that the Nazi stance on Jews is not accurate is delicately handled.
A beautiful love story ensues. Both Wilhelm and Margarete struggle against the Nazi ideology which governs their lives. Both are in danger and risk death. I didn't realise that there would be a sequel so the plot does not wrap up everything but does come to a major turning point following a dramatic and tragic twist.
A Light in the Window was a joy to read for an historical fiction fan.

A good ww2 story with a different premise of the Jewish girl pretending to be a Nazi. I enjoyed the story with lots of twists and tension and look forward to the sequel

As a Jew in Nazi controlled Berlin, Margarete’s future is in peril. Taking on the identity of a German girl killed in a bombing raid gives Margarete a chance for survival, but the family of the German girl becomes instrumental in revealing her true identity. Well written.

3 stars.

I wanted to like this book but couldn't quite bring myself to rate it higher than 3 stars. While the premise is one I haven't read yet (impersonating a dead Aryan) it felt like a reasonable attempt at a third draft that required yet another go-over, paying closer attention to the details. It could be a bit repetitive and preachy, as if geared to someone who lived under a rock and knew absolutely nothing about WW2.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a WWII historical fiction about a Jewish girl who pretends she is not to survive. The plot line was somewhat transparent in this novel but I enjoyed Margaret story and her courage. Reiner was a character you lived to hate and Wilhelm was a hero beneath his awful Nazi uniform. I loved the twist at the very end and saw there would be a sequel. I can't wait to see how the Huber money is used to save Jews!!!

I was all over the map with this book. I loved the suspense and story line but really despised some of the characters. It is definitely hard to read the anti-semitism and the pure hatred that was alive and well during this time period.

Margarete is Jewish and working for a German family that are heavily involved with the Reich. During an air raid the families home is hit and Margarete is the only one to survive. As she crawls out of the rubble she makes a choice that will change her world dramatically. She takes the papers of Annegret, the daughter of the S.S officer in hopes that she can become her and her life will no longer be worthless. What she doesn’t think about, in that split second, is that two family member were not in the house when it collapsed. Annegret’s brothers are S.S. Officers as well living and working for the Reich and will be looking for their little sister after the tragedy.
This book was a roller coaster of emotions but so well worth the read.

Looking forward to the sequel and will definitely be reading more from this author.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Another tale of survival, another WWII tale, another tale I did not finish. Although I thank NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, the honest opinion for me is the fact that I'm just about finished reading these types of historical fiction. Hundreds (if not more) are flooding the market, but there's just so much you can read before they all sound alike. A forgotten diary, secrets and denials in families, a painting taken by the Nazis that's worth millions, themes such as these and more that go on and on. Yes, they are appreciated by many, requested by many and reviewed by many...given 5, 4, or 3 stars. Well the publishers keep publishing WWII stories until the public has had enough -- that's me, I've had enough!

What a beautiful and emotional tale this was! The story of a Jewish girl rescued by a German officer and the feelings developing between them despite their different backgrounds and the horrible circumstances.

I really loved Not Without my Sister by Marion Kummerow. So, when I saw that Kummerow had a new book release, A Light in the Window, I knew I had to read it as I really enjoy her writing style and how easily Kummerow can draw you into her stories.

It is 1941 in Berlin and an air raid has just dropped a bomb on the home of Herr and Frau Huber, killing them and their spoilt daughter, Annegrete. Margarete Rosembuam, their Jewish maid is the only survivor. Taking on the identity of Annegrete allows Margarete more freedom in Berlin more so than what she would ever have if she told the SS her true identity. But, her lie comes with a price when Wilhelm Huber, Annegrete’s older brother, becomes aware of her charade and decides to use the ruse to his own advantage.

There are so many things I want to say about the characters in this story, but I am really not sure where to even begin! I have always said that I love stories and characters that can garner a reaction out of me whether it is awe, hate, love, horror, etc. This story certainly did that and I found myself at times wanting to bang my head on my table because Wilhelm was really trying my patience! I absolutely hated him, but yet didn’t. He may not have been sadistic and cruel, but he was still a Nazi and held a lot of the views that Nazi’s held about anyone Jewish. I know this is a hot topic kind of trope of a romance with a Nazi and someone who is Jewish, but both Margarete and Wilhelm really made this story come to life and I think portrayed a love/hate type of relationship with sprinkles of reality.

I wouldn’t say that the ending particularly leaves you on a cliffhanger, but it does make you want to find out what happens next. I am glad to have noticed there will be a sequel to this book!

If you love WWII stories that are a little bit different than the norm, then you will most definitely want to read A Light in the Window.