The Bookseller of Dachau by Sheri J. Ryan

I Loved this book! from the very first pages I could feel I was going to enjoy reading it and it did not disappoint.

Grace’s mother has been searching for her birth relatives all her life until she died from cancer three years ago. All they know is that Grace’s mother came to America as a baby with no name or any information regarding where she came from. Then suddenly out of the blue Grace receives a letter from a solicitor from Dachau, Germany saying that Matilda, Grace’s maternal grandmother, has passed away and as the only surviving relative she has inherited some property. Grace gets on a plane for Germany the very next day to find out more information about Matilda. In Germany she meets Archie who knew her grandmother and he gives her the pages containing the story of her grandmother, Matilda and her best friend Hans of their friendship and love.

I enjoyed how as the reader you learn what happened to Matilda and Hans along with Grace.

I loved this book, such a heart-warming story of love and hope during the most devastating time in history

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

What a unique and interesting perspective on a historical time period. I found this story to be an easy one to follow and the characters were loveable, and some were even despicable. I enjoyed how the story lined was told in varying time periods, all the while knowing this is something that people did (and are) going through.

I have read many novels with a WWII setting and yet, the Bookseller of Dachau left me speechless because of the strength and perseverance of the characters in this novel.

Matilda is a teenager who falls in love with her best friend Hans. However, Hans is Jewish and both Matilda and Hans are aware that Jewish people are disappearing every day. Matilda's love for Hans is so strong that she decides to hide him in her attic - a secret she even keeps from her parents.

We also alternate between the present (2018), where we are introduced to Grace Laurent, an architect in Boston. Grace receives a letter from German lawyers informing her that she just inherited a bookstore. Grace has no ties to Germany other than the fact that her mother arrived from Germany in the 1940's as an orphan. Grace's mother had passed away 3 years ago and was never able to find out anything about her past. Grace is struggling in Boston with her job and her life overall and decides to travel to Germany and find out more about this mysterious inheritance.

Grace learns that the bookstore that she stands to inherit is a library of sorts dedicated to preserving the writing of Jewish authors from WWII. She also meets Archie, the current caretake of this bookstore and who becomes to key to providing Grace with the information to understanding her linkage to the bookstore and Matilda.

Grace embarks on an adventure of self discovery that helps her better understand herself and her family's past and gives her life new meaning that she was truly missing.

This is an amazing story that no one should miss and I appreciate having received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bookseller of Dachau by Shari J. Ryan is an beautifully penned novel set in WW2 Germany and 2018.
In 2018 , Grace, an architect living in Boston, receives a letter informing her of an inheritance left to her in Dachau , Germany by her maternal grandmother Matilda whose existence she has been unaware of all her life. Grace travels to Dachau to find out more about her mother’s biological parents whom her mother had been searching for till her death a few years back.
Matilda‘s story takes us to World War II Germany where the atrocities of war and the Holocaust are wreaking havoc . 17 year old Matilda , a German schoolgirl, is in love with her friend Hans , a Jewish boy , who is she hides in her in her room to keep him from being taken away to the Nazi labor camps. They are eventually discovered by her father who deceives her and has Hans taken by the Nazis unbeknownst to anyone but Matilda that she is carrying his child. Their fate is slowly revealed to Grace through the letters and memories documented by Matilda and Hans during those years that have been carefully preserved by a family friend she meets and befriends while in Germany. While Matilda waits for news of Hans we are given a vivid picture what life was like for those living in the vicinity of the concentration camps - the confusion, the anguish and the sheer violence that these places and people were witness to.
“There is no other place in the world where one can stand before an eleventh-century abandoned palace cloaked by delicious sprigs of greenery while concurrently bearing witness to the ash-filled human remains funneling up into the crying sky.”
While unraveling her grandparents’ story Grace starts to take stock of her own life in Boston and in the process of discovering her family history is made to rethink her own priorities.
This engaging novel will break your heart and bring you to tears at times but will also make you believe in the enduring power and resilience that love instills in people even in their darkest days. As Hans tells Matilda when in hiding “Life is about lessons and what we can overcome.”
The author’s descriptions of the concentration camp and the surrounding towns and landmarks are vivid and will take you on a journey through history . I do feel, however, that Grace’s and her mother’s backstories needed to be delved into a bit deeper but ultimately the story does belong to Matilda and Hans and I could not put this book down until very end. Fans of WW2 historical fiction will definitely love this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'He reaches for the paper as if it’s gold. “You are the most thoughtful person I’ve ever known, Matilda.”

“It’s only paper and a pencil.”

He shakes his head. “This paper is my door to someplace better."'

2018. Grace finds an unexpected letter and some documents that say that she has inherited some property in Germany.

Grace's mother, who died three years ago, spent her life looking for her roots but couldn't find anything, so this information is overwhelming for Grace.
But it's too important so she travels to Germany in the quest for truth, which is going to change her life.

1941. The Bookseller of Dachau basically tells the story of Matilda, a strong, spirited and compassionate girl. She hid Hans, her best friend, lover and unfortunately a Jew, in her attic (crawl space) for eight months, just to protect him from the soldiers.
But they found him eventually and took him to Dachau, and Matilda, determined to find him, travels to Dachau in search of Hans.

This is a heartbreakingly beautiful story love, loss, endurance and perseverance. And hope. The story is told from two points of view: Grace and Matilda. So there are two parallel stories, in two different times, going on. So well written and smartly executed. The writing creates wonderful imagery and evokes the emotions like you could feel the sadness. Matilda is the hero of the story. I liked Archie's and Galina's character, too. It's a war story but it captures the outside scenario in a poignant manner.

A beautiful, engrossing read! One of my favourites this year.

Thank you Netgalley, for the ARC.

I was given an ARC from the publisher.
This book tells the tale of a family and friendship broken by the Nazi program to remove Jewish people from Germany. It's a heartbreaking take that intertwines fiction and history in the best way possible. At times i found it a little long winded but it is a fantastic story of a very real situation.

Set in the dual timelines of Boston in 2018 with Grace Laurent and Germany in 1940 with Matilda and Hans, this historical fiction novel will stay with me for a very long time. As a longtime fan of historical fiction, I firmly believe it is only through the emotion and experiences of others that we can truly understand the plights of those who lived before us. History comes alive through these pages as we learn of the ripping apart of two families - both physically as the Jews were rounded up by Hitler's regime and emotionally as Matilda and her parents' relationship was destroyed at the same time due to fear of the regime. We see Grace in the present time, learning of a grandmother she never knew existed, who bequeathed a bookshop just outside of Dachau to her. At the time Grace learns of this generous (?) gift, she is still grieving the loss of her own mother, and the trip to Dachau, just outside of a horrific concentration camp, not only helps her piece together her own life story but also discover a new life for herself. The dual timeline was beautifully woven and it certainly kept me wanting to turn the pages faster and faster with the hope that Matilda and Hans each had a happy ending, which we know was not usually the case for many victims of the Holocaust. The manner in which the author tells Matilda and Hans' stories is touching and well-crafted, leaving the reader to feel as if they were transported back to one of the saddest points in our world's history, and yet, as Archie is introduced to Grace, we see a beauty that rises from the ashes. A five--star book for me. Recommended to WWII historical fiction readers and readers who enjoy present/past timelines, as well as those who are interested in the many facets of humanity - our worst and best moments.

“In honor of those who didn’t make it, we will stay and guard their graves and give new life to the ground they are part of”
“If no one stays to make this town good again, it will forever be a prison and I don’t want that”
“We are all the same inside, and yet we are at war with each other for the beliefs we own, the color of our skin, and the type of blood that runs through us”
The Bookseller of Dachau is a duel timeline story (1939 and 2018) that I highly recommend. But, be prepared to go on a astonishing, inspiring journey.
Such a emotional read as most stories are about the Holocaust.
We were stationed in Germany while in the Air Force and we visited Dachau. It is a visit I will never forget. There are no words to express the feelings I felt.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hans and Matilda loved each other from a young age. They were never meant to be together because Hans was a Jew in Germany when the Nazi’s were in power. After Hans is taken away, Matilda is determined to find him and recover their daughter.

I am a huge fan of WWII fiction and this books focuses more on the love story. I found the book very interesting and hard to put down.

Heartbreaking yet heartwarming, this story drew me in from the start and held on to me until the very end.

The Bookseller of Dachau follows two storylines: one of Matilda during World War II, and one of Grace during 2018. When Grace receives a notice that she has inherited property from family in Germany, she travels to Dachau to learn about her family's history and get the answers to all of her questions.
We then learn of Matilda's story and her connection to Hans, a Jewish boy whom she vows to protect from the Nazis. When Matilda's parents betray her and Hans is taken away, Matilda vows she will reunite with him if it is the last thing she does.

I have rather mixed feelings about this one. I'm usually not a fan of dual timelines, and that was still the case for this one. Matilda's storyline was so much stronger than Grace's in my opinion. Every time I turned the page and found out it was one of Grace's chapters, I immediately started skimming so that I could get back to Matilda's.

The story of Matilda and Hans was one that was so heartbreaking and so well done. I can't say that I enjoyed it because it was so hard to read at times, especially when Hans was taken to the concentration camp, but it was also told so well, and I was engaged to the point that I just kept turning and turning the pages.

While Matilda's storyline was filled with emotions and meaningful conversations, Grace's storyline fell flat in comparison. All of the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, and the romance was unbelievable and undeveloped. I almost wish that this had been told purely from Matilda and Hans's points of views rather than switching back and forth from the 1940s to 2018. I understand why it was told this way, and I do think it added another layer of emotional depth, at least when we got to the end of Matilda's story. I just wish that Grace's point of view had been developed a little more so that I could feel as attached to her as I did Matilda, because I loved reading about her and Hans.

Still, I did love Matilda's storyline, and even with my mixed feelings, I'm so glad I read this one. It was a captivating, heartbreaking story about the horrific experiences lived during World War II, and the strength and resilience it took to defy the impossible odds.

Sadly, this book wasn't for me. I was intrigued by the story but couldn't get past the writing. I read about 40% before I gave up. Thank you, NetGalley.

An emotional gem! The dual timeline in this book was used so effectively, creating suspense as the reader travels back and forth from the tale of.Matilda and Hans in Germany during WW2 to Grace, in present day. Grace receives a letter about a book shop that has been left to her by a grandmother she never knew. The story unfolds as Matilda and Hans and their families are brought to life. Shari Ryan flawlessly creates characters that walk off the pages and into your heart. I felt as if I was in their house watching, crying and screaming at the loss. Then again in the street outside the shop when they were reunited.
Then Grace enters the picture and as I read the pages telling their story more tears come.
A tale of everlasting love between two best friends, the struggle to do the right thing as a parent, perceived betrayal, friendship in spite of the frailties of life, especially in war times.
I have conflicted feelings about her dad’s actions. I honestly feel he was convinced he did the right thing for Matilda and also for Runa.
I was also surprised that the citizens of Dachau were kept so unaware of the horrors of what was happening. Appreciated that the setting was actually in the town as opposed to the camp itself.
The reunions between characters was so very emotional and will remain imprinted in my thoughts for a long time.
Many many thanks to Shari J. Ryan for introducing me to these characters who will linger in my mind, Bookouture for publishing this gem, and NetGalley for affording me the absolute pleasure of reading an arc of this just published book. Don’t miss out on this incredible read.

Seventeen year old Matilda Ellman lives in Augsburg Germany, in an apartment one floor above her best friend Hans Bauer. The Ellmans and the Bauers are close, until Hitler begins his persecution against the Jewish people. When the Bauers are relocated to a ghetto, Matilda convinces him and his family to let her hide him. Matilda creates a place for Hans to live in the attic of her family's apartment to hide him. With German soldiers living downstairs, Hans tries not to make any noise. He writes by candle light, Matilda smuggles him food and they fall in love. None of this keeps him safe and he is eventually taken to Dachau prison camp.

In 2018, architect Grace Laurent is living in Boston. Her mother died three years earlier from cancer and she is estranged from her father. She receives a padded envelop from a lawyer in Germany. Her mother arrived in the US on a transport from Europe in the 1940s and was never able to find her family. Before she died, she entered her DNA into a search website and it seems that Grace's grandmother found it. She is being contacted because her grandmother has died and left her property in Dachau. Grace drops everything and flies to Germany to find out more.

I read a lot of historical fiction about WWII and the Holocaust but The Bookseller of Dachau is a bit different from others I have read. This is the story about ordinary German Citizens and how they reacted to what was happening during this time. Told in a dual timeline, Grace reads diaries and letters (translated into English) to learn about her grandparents. Both of the storylines mesh together perfectly and I enjoyed them both equally. In the 1940s, Mathilda never gives up looking and waiting for Hans. Her hope wavers at times, but keeps her moving forward, especially after her daughter is taken from her. We don't really read much about the camps, just that it is there and some generalities about what is happening there. This plotline is about survival of the ones left behind when your loved one is imprisoned in a camp or in a Nazi uniform. It shows us about a mother who is ashamed of the decisions her son makes, but she still loves and worries about him. We also see how families were torn apart based on their reactions to Hitler's plans. It is about hope, love and never giving up. The 2018 storyline shows us why so many people get involved in things like Ancestry or DNA searches. We don't all have missing parents and grandparents, but finding your roots is important. Grace has no family left since her father is remarried and has a new family. She is a bit lost and never feels like she fits anywhere. When she begins to read Mathilda's and Hans' story, she begins to find peace and a place she feels like she belongs. She also begins to find a soulmate. This part of the story is about finding your roots, your family, where you come from and where you fit. I really enjoyed this well-written story, the characters and the themes. I also learned some things about Dachau, a camp that I know little about. I recommend this one to those who enjoy Historical Fiction, especially stories set in WWII.

It seems I’ve read a lot of World War II novels lately. Many of them have been written with various, unique foci and some have also had dual timelines, as did this one. I loved The Bookseller of Dachau. The idea of presenting the atrocities of Nazism along with the pain and joy of discovering lost relatives years later worked well.

Although perhaps a little fairy talish, it was well written, engrossing, and touching. The story tugged many heart strings; the pain and suffering experienced during World War II and the discovery of lost relatives. Lest you think it was a downer, it was not. There are many positive human emotions here as well.

Having, during my adult years discovered the family of a grandmother I thought was lost to me, despite much searching by my parents, I thought Grace’s persistence and feelings were quite realistic.

I have frequently commented on the plethora of World War II historical fiction (see above!) written now. It is important though for them to continue to be written and read, especially by younger generations. We need to never forget man’s inhumanity to man and atrocities committed in the name of hate. And we need to be sensitive to the dangers of cult like figures, hatred, and how easy it is for the unthinkable to become reality or a nation to be led astray.

My eyes were glued to the words of this book from beginning to end. If I didn’t need sleep, I would’ve read it in one sitting. This dual timeline WWII story, set in the time of the war and 2018 was thoroughly engaging and heartfelt and I absolutely loved it.

While it’s not a perfect book (some of the dialogue read a little awkwardly), I can’t give this any less than the 5 stars I believe it deserves. It was unique and I felt I knew the characters. I was transported into both timelines presented and actually didn’t favor one over the other, which is always wonderful.

I definitely recommend this for WWII historical fiction readers in hopes that it will capture your heart as it captured mine.

Shari J Ryan certainly knows how to write a dual timeline book. This one centres on Matilda who grows up being friendly with Hans who happens to be Jewish. Now as the title of the book implies the main part of the story features around Dachau, home to the concentration camps. The story in 2018 is about Grace who is looking at her family history after her mother passes away. The early story in 1943 is the story of Hans and at the same time Matilda is told through their own writings.
As the story develops you realise that you are reading a cleverly put additional story. I recommend you read this, I’ve been telling everyone about it (no spoilers, of course).

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful book this is!

I’ve read a lot of historical fiction of this era, but not often from this side, of those living in Nazi Germany.

I loved the dual timeline, where Grace is discovering her heritage through the medium of Matilda’s memoirs. Matilda and Hans’ story is heart-breaking, and the fact that it echoes so many peoples’ reality makes it all the more poignant.

As Grace discovers the history of Dachau, it’s as though we are transported there, and the descriptions are so vivid and real. I could picture the place so clearly in my mind.

A really emotional read, beautifully written, and clearly so well researched, this book had me held completely enthralled and had me reading late into the night.

An absolute must-read for anyone who loves poignant and moving historical fiction.

Ryan has done it again. After reading another one of her works earlier this year (Last One Home), and it becoming an instant favourite, I immediately fell in love with this story too. Her ability to craft characters and weave together timelines is admirable. Usually when reading a Historical Fiction told through different timelines, I struggle. However, this was written so seamlessly that I found myself easily encapsulated in both worlds. There were several scenes that moved me to tears and the ending wrapped up the novel in the most satisfying way. Another brilliant read, I cannot wait to see what Ryan writes next, I know I'll love it.

Germany, 1940, and World War II is raging on. Already so many lives tragically changed forever. Matilda’s childhood sweetheart Han’s is in danger and without hesitation she hides him in her attic. They grew up next to each other, and as they grew up, they were in love with each other, she will do anything and everything she can to protect him from the Nazi’s. For months their secret had been safe until one day the soldiers find Hans in the attic. In America, 2018, Grace receives an envelope and inside she discovers that she has inherited a bookstore in Dachau, Germany. It belonged to her Grandmother, whom she didn’t know existed. Grace travels to Germany, and as she searches through the bookshop she inherited, she finds many handwritten letters that tell the story of her Grandmother Matilda’s life. Grace discovers the truth about her own identity and the unwavering hope of her Grandmother. This story was so inspiring, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. This book definitely hits all the emotions. I found myself flying through the pages unable to stop until the very end. Reading with a box of Kleenex nearby is a must. This is an amazing and fantastic read. The detailed description portrayed by the author pulls you so deep into the story that you feel like you are hiding in the attic with Matilda and Hans and holding your breath at every little sound you hear. Wow, truly an amazing story.

Thank you Shari J. Ryan for such a wonderful and engrossing story.  I truly enjoyed every bit of this book. A delightful and an absolute must read. I loved everything about this book! I highly recommend this book.