This is my second book read in this series in as many days. I'll just warn you ahead of time, if you start this series, you may as well just buy all four books in it now. There's no way you're going to be to read just one, or two........ Each book will leave you fully engaged in the author's writing and needing to get right to the next book in the series. Each book starts at exactly where it left off in the previous book so an in order read is a must.
In this one, former Jewish maid Margarete has really moved up in the world. After the death of her former employers, an important senior Nazi officer, his wife and daughter she assumes the identity of the dead daughter. Upon taking her papers she must now assume her identity and her self-confidence rises as she goes on the run. Found by one of the son's she is forced to live with him, and this SS man falls in love with a Jew. She is devastated by the death of him and his brother in a bombing as he died protecting her. As the "daughter" of a rich Nazi officer she is the only one left in the family and is shocked to see she has inherited a huge fortune, including a house and factory.
Fooling the staff at the house is easy as they haven't "seen her" in ten years. When an escaped prisoner in Nazi Germany turns up, she knows she must help. Through her actions the woman realizes Margarete is also a Jew. Can she trust a few of the staff to keep her secret? Seemingly with Gestapo and SS everywhere it is getting harder and harder to pretend to be a strong German woman. The tension rolling off the pages kept me glued to them. The working conditions of the war prisoners was hard to read. These people were basically worked to death, very little food, filthy, beaten, no breaks. My heart breaks for the injustices. How can people treat others like this and live with themselves? Even though it's her people being treated so poorly Margarete can't risk doing too much so as not to give her identity away. I read this in one day, I was riveted and simply couldn't put it down.

Pub Date 17 Nov 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Marion Kummerow is a historical fiction novel set in World War 2. The second book in a trilogy, Margarete's Journey, which I can say can be read as a standalone. I shall be catching up with the trilogy pretty soon as this was a great and enthralling read.


1942, Germany: When a young woman calling herself Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune, including a house and factory just outside Berlin, her first thought is to try to see out the war quietly, avoiding the Gestapo and SS as best she can.

No one needs to know her dark secret. She must focus on staying hidden. Because she can’t risk being exposed for who she truly is. Not really Annegret. But a girl living a secret life. A girl who was once called Margarete.

But then an encounter with an escaped prisoner changes everything, as Margarete discovers what is happening at the factory and its attached labor camp. Witnessing first-hand the suffering of prisoners—shivering, with faces gaunt from hunger, as they work in brutal and cruel conditions—she realises she must act.

If she can save just one life, she knows she has to. Because the truth is that Margarete resembles the prisoners in the camp in ways she daren’t admit. And on the other side of the fence, she has seen a face that is achingly familiar…

From The Dark We Rise is a book full of suspense and also sadness. Margarete is a woman who is playing a very dangerous game that would end her life if discovered. She is masquerading as Annegret, risking her life everyday. A strong and brave woman who discovers the house she has inherited (as Annegret) has a labour campattached to the factory. She finds it disgusting enough and then she sees a face she knows behind the fence. From that moment she is determined to do what she can.
What a captivating read, a fiction story that could so easily be non fiction. Marion Kummerow has researched and created so much authenticity that you feel like you are with the characters and can't be sure whether this actually happened or not!
The characters are realistically portrayed and my heart went out to Margerete and the people she wanted to save. A very emotional and unforgettable read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book

This was not one of my favorite reads of recent. While there were parts I enjoyed, I just couldn’t connect with the characters enough for me. I did finish the book, and the writing is good. I think this was just more of a personal experience.

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

Unfortunately I have not been able to connect with this book and found it to be too slow. Maybe had I read the first book it would have made more sense.

Germany, 1942 and Annegret Huber arrives at her country home to recover from the grief at the deaths of her parents and brothers. Except Annegret really died in a bombing and her identity was taken by their Jewish servant Margarete...
From The Dark We Rise is the sequel to A Light In The Window which I have reviewed previously. The plot follows on directly from the last book but there is enough information to catch up if you haven't read it.
There is a huge tension in the book as Margarete struggles to maintain the pretence that she is not a Jew but a wealthy woman with Nazi sympathies. This is heightened when she discovers a munitions factory that she owns is using and mistreating workers from concentration camps. She is determined to save as many people as possible but is she risking too much?
Margarete needs to work relentlessly to keep her true identity secret and hide the truth from those the real Annegret mistreated in the past. This contrasts with a softness towards her maid Dora and concentration camp escapee Lena. However a young Annegret made an enemy of Oliver who works on the estate and he is detemined to get revenge for being treated unkindly in the past and this is threatening to Margarete's safety.
I like the way that the author conveys the brutality of the Nazi regime with a degree of separation. However, the spectre of death and fear is ever-present for Margarete. This creates a dark tone within the novel yet the light of Margarete's choice to survive and save others twinkles with hope. Some of the information such as Lena's experiences are told unflinchingly in contrast with the Nazis' dismissal of their treatment of the persecuted.
From The Dark We Rise is an often tense but hugely gripping historical novel. I eagerly await the next book in the series.

I enjoy reading historical fiction books based on WWII. This one provided a new focus because it included information about a munitions factory and the plight of Ukranian workers. The efforts Margarete has to put forth to continue her ruse as Annagret is interesting. This story is filled with secrets, danger, cruelty, bravery, and sacrifice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the second installment of this series. I struggled with it. It felt too similar to the first book. I totally appreciate Margarete’s strength and determination to fool the Nazis and help those they are trying to eliminate…right under their noses. Those are the best kind of characters…but this one was just lacking something for me.

his is another case of me-not-reading-blurbs because I didn’t realise this was a sequel. Thankfully, I feel you don’t need to necessarily read the prequel in order to follow the story so that’s great.

This sequel starts off with a Jewish girl, Margarite, who is posing as Annegret Huber, the daughter of a high ranking Nazi officer who died in the prequel in 1942. Margarite unknowingly inherited the Huber family fortune and moved into the family home. She is trying to navigate her double life and constantly living in fear about being found out. The stakes are high for Margarite as she deals with running the household and servants. She promised to use the family fortune for good and possible help the Jews live more comfortably in an munition factory. How long can Margarite keep up her pretense and how can she help her fellow Jews without blowing her cover?

Margarite may look similar to Annegret but their personalities are vastly different so her fear for being found out is very real. I was holding my breath several times because of how close she got to being caught. Margarite’s will to survive is very admirable and I found myself quietly cheering her on throughout her ordeal. I absolutely love Margarite’s character development here. She started off a little naive and timid but she soon found strength and determination as she realise what she can use her identity for.

This was a wonderfully written story about resilience and courage but also of cruelty and hatred all in the name of power. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc.

“From The Dark We Rise” is Marion Kummerow's sequel to "A Light in the Window”, which I haven’t read. But at the start and throughout the novel she gives enough background for me to be able to enjoy the read right through. A well-written work with a captivating plot, it’s also character-driven. There are characters you’d love to hate because of their inhumane treatment of prisoners and greed. And there are some you can’t help but have pity on, like Margarete, the chief protagonist, who is so gullible and almost exposes her true true identity at times.

This novel isn’t as action-packed and fast-paced as I’d expected but still there’s enough intrigue and tension all round. I am keen to find out how Margarete gets on in the next sequel.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. My review is given voluntarily.

I entered this book unknowingly, boy did I get a surprise! The depth of feeling portrayed in the story is amazing. It is the 2nd in the trilogy, that said it can still be read on its own as it is easy to pick up the story although I shall be sure to go back and read the 1st one safe in the knowledge that I shall enjoy it also.

We follow the story of Margaret as she takes on the identity of Annegret Huber who has just inherited property and fortune. The biggest drawback being that she was the daughter of a Nazi. The excitement is nail biting in places. Loved it.

I absolutely loved the first book and this one is just as good! Annegret Huber once Margarete has inherited the Huber family’s fortune. She still doesn’t like pretending to be Annegret, but she must to survive. Now she “owns” the family countryside residence she heads back there to stay out the way. She hasn’t been back since she was a servant child. However, a member of staff at the house remembers the true Annegret and has his suspicions. She learns the secrets of the Huber family and she is disgusted by them. Her aim is to change them while keeping her own secret.

Like A Light in the Window, the author thoroughly details this time in history with precision. It’s wonderfully written and absolutely gripping. I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy out next year!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy.

what an interesting tale of a German Jew taking the place of a wealthy gentile. She inherits a small fortune and the story line is all about her trying to use the money for good. It was certainly a different take on the time period. I enjoyed the book, and the character are wonderful. You will fall in love with Annegret and take on more hate for some characters.

Fabulous book, love stories set in Germany where the characters are normal and not nazis. Kummerow does this extremely well. Highly recommended, ten stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
I have not read the previous book, but the author has summarised the important events in a few sentences so new readers are clear how Margarete, a Jew in Germany, has assumed the persona of Annegret, a German wealthy landowner due to a family inheritance.
The plot was good, and I thought the narrative was delivered fairly well although I didn't feel Margarete's constant fear was conveyed as a thread underpinning all her thoughts and actions. Some of the words used seemed a little clumsy or inappropriate (warming milk boils over not curdles, she 'sensed authority' should have been 'adopted authority', and 'frumps', 'things' and 'required' were used incorrectly). There were also a couple of inconsistencies around who held the keyring and who announced the new rules to the factory workers, and a reference to the 'plastic' material of the light switch was unrealistic as plastic was not available then.
The book is a 'light' historical fiction read, rather than a story which has been researched and within that genre it is interesting.

Although there is a plethora of historical fiction tales rising from the plight of Jews in the atrocity known as the Holocaust, Margarete's journey is one that that stands out in particular for me. Marion Kummerow's sequel to "A Light in the Window" picks up a short time after where the previous book left off and is as engaging and as well-written as the first one. While FROM THE DARK WE RISE can be read sufficiently as a standalone, I highly recommend reading "A Light in the Window" first to get a proper insight into Margarete's history and that of Annegret. It will make the sequel far more powerful.

Beginning a short time after the first one ends, this story follows Margarete's journey from Paris - in the wake of the death of her "brothers" Wilhelm and Reiner - to the Huber family estate in rural Germany. Wilhelm's wish was that she use the Huber fortune she inherited as Annegret for good and Margarete intended on doing just that. And so she left Paris with Gestapo officer Horst Richter, a close family friend of Annegret's father Herr Huber, who enabled her fresh start in the German countryside.

Margarete Rosenbaum was a young and rather naive Jewish woman who worked as a maid in the Huber household, the father being an SS officer of the Nazi High Command. Whilst in their employ she was subjected to the usual types of cruelty and abuse inflicted on the Jewish. The eldest son, Reiner, had raped her and the daughter Annegret took great pleasure in dishing out cruelty as the spoilt young woman that she was. But then tragedy struck when the house was struck in a air raid, killing everyone but Margarete. And in a moment of madness, she swapped her clothing, with its prominent yellow star assigned to all Jews, and papers with the dead girl...thus identifying her as Annegret Huber, the lone survivor of her family home. She flees to Leipzig where she has an aunt whilst trying to evade her "brothers" Wilhelm and Reiner and anyone who knew the Huber family.

When she came into contact with Horst Richter whom she knew to be a close friend of her former employer, she feared her masquerade was up. But Richter has only fleeting glimpses of Annegret and paid her no attention and so she was able to continue her subterfuge. But then Wilhelm tracked her down and recognised her immediately...and he became her protector as she fled to Paris to live as his sister.

But now Wilhelm was dead, along with his self-satisfied elder brother Reiner, in an explosion orchestrated by the Frnech Resistance of which Margarete had played a part. Now Richter has taken her under his wing and, without knowing her secret, eases the path to her inheritance as Annegret. This includes a sprawling estate in the German countryside where she decides would be the perfect place for her to continue her masquerade without fear of detection.

But Margarete doesn't realise that many people there have strong memories of the spoilt little rich girl who thought nothing of throwing a tantrum to get her own way or playing cruel pranks and setting others up to take the blame. To all intents and purposes, Annegret was a spiteful and selfish child and locals there assumed nothing had changed now that she had become a young woman, now sole heir to the Huber estate and its fortune. This makes her task more difficult and even challenging as she portrays a very different Annegret to the one everyone remembers. However, Margarete hopes she is able to convince them that Annegret is a changed woman in light of her recent bereavements thus enabling her to continue her charade.

She is thrilled the maid who is assigned to her, Dora, is new to the estate after escaping the Ukraine and therefore has no knowledge of Annegret. Her boyfriend stud master Oliver, on the other hand, has. He remembers Annegret's cruelty all too well and the times he was left to take the punishment that should have been hers when she lay the blame at his feet. Oliver doesn't believe she has changed at all despite a few glimpses he catches of her that don't marry up to the memories he has of the spoilt child. But no matter how Dora sings her praises, Oliver knows different. And it is he who proves to be Margarete's biggest threat...for his memories of Annegret are so vivid she doubts she can pull of her charade in front of him.

But then things become further challenging when she discovers a beaten, abused and emaciated young woman in the forest and is shocked to learn that she has escaped from a secret munitions factory which apparently belongs to her! Her estate manager, Gustav Fischer, looks after the books and machinations of the factory whilst foreman Heinz Strobler overseers the workers and production. But Margarete soon discovers conditions there are poor and workers are pushed to the brink of death. When she brings up her concerns with Gustav, whom she trusts implicitly, he informs her that they are merely Jews and are the lowest of the low. Despite his initial misgivings, Margarete convinces him to instill new work practices which see in the fair treatment of the workers as well as sufficient food and bedding. But upon an impromptu visit to the factory she discovers none of her instructions she sanctioned have been imposed and when she confronts Gustav he pleads ignorance, claiming he handed over her instructions to a third party to be delivered.

Then when she discovers there have been thefts from the rations intended for the workers, Margarete makes it her mission to uncover the culprit with the welcome help of Gustav who does some undercover digging. Who on the estate is helping themselves to the rations meant for the prisoners/workers? Can Margarete uncover the guilty party before it's too late? And is she able to help Lena, the Jewish prisoner who escaped the munitions factory, without putting herself at risk? Determined to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety and well-being of the prisoners and uncover the thief without compromising her own identity, will Margarete succeed? Or is she doomed to fail?

A story about resilience, sacrifice, courage, hope and love, FROM THE DARK WE RISE is as powerful in its prose as it is heartbreaking in its reality. I read it in one sitting late into the night and did not stop until I turned the last page. Having followed Margarete's journey from the start, I am eager to see where life takes her next and quietly cheering her on to survive the war living as Annegret Huber so she can shed that facade once and for all and become Margarete Rosenbaum once again...before she loses her identity completely. Living your life as someone else takes a tremendous toll, keeping up a charade of deception and lies in an act of desperation and will to survive.

In "A Light in the Window" , Margarete was a naive young woman living under the protection of her "brother" Wilhelm who knew her true identity and shielded her from discovery. In FROM THE DARK WE RISE, she really comes into herself taking on the responsibilities of the heir to the Huber fortune and friend of the Reich whilst secretly doing what she can to help her own kind from the harsh treatment as prisoners under her care. She no longer had Wilhelm to hide behind and, although she had Horst Richter to ease her smooth transition from Paris to the family estate in Gut Paun, his having been urgently called away to Leipzig was the best thing that could have happened to her because it enabled her to become her own version of Annegret as a much stronger and resilient young woman who has lost her entire family. Without his watchful eye, she had greater freedom and she flourished.

Each of the characters were perfectly drawn and played their roles to perfection. Kummerow has cleverly crafted a plot to resonate with readers both in plight and reason. She also highlighted just how easily people could be lead. The sheer fact that one man, Hitler, could manipulate an entire nation into believing that Jews were an abomination to the human race and should be eradicated is shocking! How easily they believed his ideology and propoganda. And how easily others were swayed to follow the orders of those above them. All in the name of power. That's all it was. And that is so completely shocking. People march and protest today about the atrocities dealt out to others for whatever reason centuries ago, but what they don't realise is that pulling down statues of those who represented that ideology doesn't change history. The past is the past and history can never be rewritten...but it can be learned from. And that is the purpose of history.

I thoroughly enjoyed FROM THE DARK WE RISE and eagerly await the continuation of Margarete's journey in "The Girl in the Shadows" in March 2022.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction, particularly wartime fiction with a specific focus - albeit a different one - on the Holocaust and the plight of the Jews.

I would like to thank #MarionKummerow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #FromTheDarkWeRise in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry i could not get to read this book, I am in college and there was just not time. I will keep a look out for it as this seems like something I would enjoy.

What an amazing book this is, you are drawn into the heartbreaking emotional story from the first pages and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. A definite for anyone who is drawn to WW2 stories and the holocaust

WW2, Germany, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-figures, historical-setting, history-and-culture, Jewish, secrets, triggers, subterfuge, lies, sanctuary, suspense, suspicion****

This is the second installment in the story of the life of a fictional young woman named Margarete living in WW2 Germany and her lethal secret. Well written.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley.

Marion Kummerow’s From the Dark We Rise is a heart-breaking, haunting and gut-wrenching historical novel readers will be completely captivated by.

In 1942 Germany, a stroke of luck had changed Annegret Huber’s life. Unexpectedly inheriting a huge fortune comprising of a house and a factory outside of Berlin, for Annegret this unexpected legacy has come at the most opportune time. With the Second World War still raging on, Annegret plans to see out the war in this remote and quiet part of Germany where she intends to lie low and avoid the SS and Gestapo as much as she can. Annegret has dark secrets in her past. Secrets which she will go to great lengths to keep hidden. She daren’t risk anyone finding out who she really is because if someone discovers the truth, then her entire life could be in danger…

Annegret is a girl living a secret life whose real name is Margrete. Annegret isn’t prepared to put her new life in jeopardy – until she discovers what really happens at the factory and its attached labour camp. She is shocked to her core when she sees the atrocities the prisoners have to face, the hardships they have to endure and the brutal and cruel conditions they are expected to work in. Annegret cannot sit idly by and do nothing. She needs to act and she needs to act now – especially because she has far more in common with the prisoners on the other side of the fence than she is prepared to admit.

Annegret has seen a prisoner on the other side of the fence who is very familiar. Determined to whatever it takes to save the prisoners, will Annegret’s quest be successful? Or is she doomed to fail?

A brilliantly written novel about sacrifice, courage, resilience and love, From the Dark We Rise is historical fiction at its best. Marion Kummerow writes about war and the people living through this horrible time with authority, sensitivity and heart and so brilliantly evoked is the time period she is writing about, readers will feel the danger, terror and tension alongside her characters.

From the Dark We Rise is a book readers will struggle to put down and it is one they will wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who enjoys high quality historical fiction.

Will Margarete maintain her freedom?
After having read the first book in the series I was looking forward do the continued story about Margarete’s journey. How far is she willing to go to save not only her own skin but also that of others? Pretending to be Annegret Huber and surrounded by Nazi’s she has to tread very careful. One mistake can easily cost her live. Helplessly she has to watch one person been killed that she had hoped to save. Finding it hard to know who she can trust she is easily misguided about the true nature of some of the employees on the estate. Having read this book in record time I hope to been able to read the follow up soon to see if Margarete will survive the remaining years of the war under Nazi rule.