This is the second book in Margarete's Journey and I definitely recommend you read A Light in the Window first. This book begins where the first one ends, with Margarete back in Germany after both her "brothers" are killed in an explosion in France. Margarete Rosenbaum is continuing to impersonate Annagret Huber, a young woman killed in a bombing of Berlin. She was killed along with her parents, and Margarete was their cook and maid. Her two brothers survived the bombing as Wilhelm was with the SS in France and Reiner a high ranking Nazi lived elsewhere with his wife and children. This story finds Margarete/Annagret living at the Huber county home. She is now the mistress of the estate. What she doesn't expect to find is an escaped prisoner from the factory, the factory that is on her property and owned my her. She wants to help the prisoners, many of them Jewish like her, but she has to work around the corrupt Estate Manager and Manager of the munitions factory.

From the Dark We Rise is full of suspense and sadness. Margarete is playing a dangerous game, and their is always the worry that someone will recognize her, or realize that she is an imposter and not Annegret. With Nazis visiting the estate, workers who were there when Annegret was young and now trying to hide a Jewish prisoner, there is danger all around. Margarete is a strong, smart, and caring character. She has to be on high alert all the time. I liked seeing her change in this story and grow more of a backbone. Most of the major workers on the estate were also good characters. They were afraid to do anything wrong, so did nothing to help the prisoners, but they did not condone the actions. I loved the character of Dora, Annegret's maid. She was sweet and wanted to please so much. She was a Ukrainian worker, always afraid to be sent somewhere else. The two characters we were supposed to dislike, were definitely unlikable. They were corrupt, cruel, racist, greedy and did terrible things to the female prisoners. (It was not described, but alluded to). It was interesting to learn about the munition plant hidden in the forest in the country to escape ally bombs and well as the plight of the Ukrainian workers, two things that I learned from this story. Overall, this is a story of hope, but also of sadness, hatred and racism all in the name of power. I recommend this book and series to those who like Historical Fiction and I can't wait for the next book in Margarete's Journey.

From the Dark We Rise is the second book in the Margarete’s Journey series. Much like the first book, A Light in the Window, we follow our heroine Margarete on a new chapter in her life in Gut Plaun in the village of Plau Am See. Unlike Paris, where she was mostly anonymous, Gut Plaun holds many childhood memories for the real Annegret Huber. Can Margarete pull off being Annagret for much longer before she is found out?

Margarete thought she would be able to hide out in Gut Paun, but it is not easy when she finds out she owns an ammunitions factory. A factory that uses concentration camp prisoners for their labor. Conditions are harsh much like the concentration camps and when Margarete helps an escaped prisoner she comes to realize how dire their situation really is.

For as smart as Margarete was she made a lot of silly mistakes and had her head in the clouds for much of this story. It was a major point in this story which often landed Margarete in the TSTL category for me. At times, I wanted to bang my head on my desk over Margarete’s actions and naivety. Yet, at the same time you can also see her bravery with all that she has been through from the start of this series.

The plot moved along quite nicely and never seemed to lul or drag for me. It held my attention all the way through and at times gave me anxiety thinking Margarete was going to get caught numerous times throughout. This is a simple story and very character driven and it really pulls you in even with there not being a lot of “action” scenes. All in all it was a great story and I cannot wait for book three to come out. I need to see Margarete’s journey all the way to the finish line.

From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow continues on Margarete’s story which began in A Light in the Window. This second book in a planned trilogy is easily read as a standalone as there are several paragraphs at the beginning of the book which recap on what happened in the previous story. This was a handy refresher for me but also allows new readers to feel as if they haven’t missed out on too much. I loved that we were straight back into the action more or less picking up where book one left off. There was no messing about and anything we needed to recap on as I have said was explained in a few necessary sentences. Margarete having assumed the identity of Annegret, her former employer’s daughter, has now inherited the vast Huber fortune due to the dramatic climax that concluded book one. For the purposes of this review I will stick to calling the main character Margarete but to all intents and purposes she is now a totally different person and must remember to always stay in character and assume the qualities and personality traits of Annegret.

Even in book one I always felt Margarete was threading a very thin line and was in constant danger of discovery. The reprisals if the truth did become known did not bare thinking about because of the subterfuge she was undertaking but also because she was a Jew. This sense of needing to keep things under wraps and living as another person really added to the drama and danger throughout the story. With every turn of the page you think is this it? Is Margarete’s time up and the truth will out? Will she say something that will give the game away? I think she was in so deep and embroiled so much with the higher ranks within the Nazi regime as Horst, a leader within the Gestapo, became a good ‘friend’ and mentor to her that there was no way at all that she could back out of the circumstances she finds herself in. To do so would only lead to certain death and at this stage she had done so much and come through the firing line so to speak unscathed that really she had no choice but to push on and hope that come the wars eventually end that she would emerge stronger, resilient and unharmed out the other side.

Margarete was cunning but not in a sly way. She wanted to do good with the money she had inherited and the way she went about it in this book especially considering the dangers she faced made her an admirable character. A change of setting from the city of Berlin added an entirely different tone and feel to the book. Margarete moves to the Huber family estate deep in the German countryside, she is now the mistress of the Manor Gut Plain. I loved the descriptions of the estate, it seemed an entirely different world far away from all the bombings in Berlin. It was like the war wasn’t even occurring but soon Margarete realises that the war is very much on her doorstep when she discovers she owns a munitions factory hidden in the woods. She is even more horrified to learn said factory is staffed by slaves from concentration camps.

Jews and the undesirables as viewed by Hitler are those that make the munitions and face danger on a daily basis. Not to mention the appalling living and working conditions they are forced to endure. But Margarete is determined to do something about this especially when she thinks she spies a familiar face. I loved this element of the story as it brought something that she thought gone forever from her life back into her heart and mind yet she could do nothing about it. This strand of the story was developed well. The author could have gone gung ho about it instead it was carefully considered and there is a strong sense of Margarete biding her time and using her power when the time is right.I’m very eager to see how this will work out in the next book, if at all.

Margarete has to be alert at all times. I find her to be constantly on edge and always thinking of her next move. The real Annegret was spoiled, disdainful, selfish, obnoxious and manipulative and this is simply not in Margarete’s nature. Several times I thought the game was up and all that she had been through would have been for nothing but she surprised me with her determination and pulled things back from the edge when the consequences could have been disastrous. At the centre of it all, Margarete really is on a mission to do good and to help those who really can’t help themselves. She finds it so difficult to ignore the travesties happening round her and despite being in a precarious situation herself she really pushes herself to the limit and reads between the lines as to what is really going at the manor and how this is connected to the factory. She could have turned a blind eye to everything and just concentrated on getting herself through the war unharmed but instead she constantly shows her integrity and the fact that she is a force to be reckoned with. She is selfless as highlighted with how she deals with a chance discovery as she walks in the forest and she uses this to further her knowledge about the factory and in turn using this information to do something to help those incarcerated simply because of their religion or sexuality. Margarete is really shaping up to be an incredible character and I am very eager to see how her story will continue on.

Initially, I felt there was a danger that the book could have become repetitive more or less just describing the daily routine in the big house and what Margarete as a rich person would do. But thankfully the author had lots of little subplots ongoing throughout that all connected together brilliantly as the book neared its conclusion. Gustav, the estate manager, seemed as nice as pie when we first encounter him and you would take everything he says at face value but we soon learn as we read chapters from his perspective that he is far more complex and he relishes the power he believes his has and thinks he can pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. He believes the Jews working in the factory are getting their chance at redemption and are helping to rebuild the country they destroyed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I desperately hoped he would get his comeuppance and that Margarete would see through him. Oliver was the stud manager and ensured the Germans were receiving a supply of horses needed on the front. He didn’t like what was going on but he had no choice but to do as he was ordered. He had a crucial role to play in the book and he was a great addition overall. I did think on the romantic side things just seemed too obvious when he was first introduced. I thought he would connect to a certain character but I am glad things turned out differently.

From the Dark We Rise is a quick read and I thought hmm is this over really before it began? But on reflection the author did manage to pack an awful lot in. There was a peaceful resolute ending but still it’s left wide open for much more to happen in the next book. I’m really enjoying Margarete’s story and will definitely be there until the bitter end to see how things work out for her.

I just love world war II novel.

This is the second book in the series and it's amazing!

The main character is still hiding as a high ranking nazi daughter so she doesn't get caught.

I was gripped in her story and was eager to see what happened as the story came to an end.

Brilliant story, brilliant characters, brilliant writing. The emotions from this story are raw and you get to see how she lived a life which wasn't hers which I think is done amazingly well.

Highly recommended.

I loved this book, i was captivated from the beginning til the end.

I read alot of historical fiction. Mainly WWII stories and this is one of the better stories i have read in this period.

Definitely a must read for all historical fiction fans….wow, just wow, I’m totally speechless.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher.

My thoughts and opinions are my own and it isnt influenced by other reviewers.

This is the second book in this historical fiction series by Kummerow. I actually didn’t read the first book in this series but had no trouble understanding what was going on or the background of the main female protagonist.

This book was interesting and quick. While there were some repetitive moments that felt a bit unnecessary and some of the writing felt laborious, I still found a lot of the story intriguing enough to want to finish it.

It did feel like it ended abruptly but that’s because a third book is in the works, which I can see myself reading once it’s available.

I found it interesting that Kummerow’s inspiration for this series came from her own family’s history. Her grandfather was one of the men planning to assassinate Goebbles and talked of the moral dilemma of whether saving many would make it okay to kill one man.

Thanks to netgalley and bookouture for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

The second in a series and this is one of those series where I highly suggest you start at book one and therefore the review below may have some spoilers that could spoil some plot points in book one.

So we are in book two and Margarete is still impersonating her former employer's daughter to escape the potential wrath of the Nazi regime and now she is headed to a country home in Germany since she is now the sole heir to the family's wealth. She must really present herself correctly around people who knew Annegret as a child and had strong opinions formed about her. Can Margarete play the charade and fool these people?

I loved that this book picked up not long after book one and it was so easy to dive back into this character and follow her on this adventure. It was refreshing to see Margarete try to impersonate Annegret in this new setting and see how she dealt with new challenges; i.e. working with staff, interacting with people from Annegret's past and so on. Watching Margarete struggle with her inner truth, while surrounded by a world that wouldn't accept her as she is was enjoyable to read.

I hope there are more to come from Margarete as Annegret. I want to see how she handles those who know the truth and what is going in the world with the war.

This is an excellent WWII, well written, well researched story about a young woman who finds herself the owner of a factory that has been taken over by the Nazi's. What can she do to help the Jews who are now working and dying in her factory? How is she going to help while protecting her own identity?

This is book #2 in a series, however, I did not realize this until the very end while reading the author's notes. This can be read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy. This book released on November 17, 2021.

Loved the book it's amazing although a slow burner while it's part of a series i didn't know about it but was able to fully enjoy it as a standalone book.
While the main character has good intentions she is a bit trusting. It will be interesting to see what will the Allied Invasion bring into the story

Germany 1942, Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune that includes, a house and a factory outside Berlin. She holds inside a secret of who she really is and the only thing she can do to survive is to stay hidden and never reveal the truth about her. Her real name is Margarete. But then a prisoner escapes, and Margarete discovers that her factory is attached to a labor camp and when she sees what is going on at the labor camp, and how horrible the conditions are, so she realizes she must do whatever she can to make a difference. One day while looking at those on the other side of the fence, she see’s a face that is extremely familiar to her. But, can it be someone she recognizes, someone she knows? Wow, this book, was so amazingly captivating. I devoured this book in one sitting, unable to stop turning the pages once I began. I had to read through, non-stop to the end. I loved it, I found it exciting, breathtaking and intense. This in one unforgettable read. I wish I could give ten stars. Definitely a must read for all historical fiction fans….wow, just wow, I’m totally speechless.

Thank you Marion Kummerow for such a wonderful and beautifully written story. I enjoyed this brilliant and gripping story so much. I highly recommend this phenomenal book.

In the heart of War World 2, so many were looking for an escape. Margarete was given an opportunity when the Nazi family's home she worked for was bombed and she was left as the only survivor. Quick thinking gave her the chance to take on the identity of the family's only daughter, Annegret. As a Jewish girl, this could be her way to safety. She only planned to follow the charade for a few months, but many months later she found herself having fully inherited the family's estate, which included a home and ammunition factory outside of Berlin.

As the new mistress, everything would fall under her realm, but as a woman, she should only worry herself with the manor and leave everything else to the estate manager, Gustav. Things seemed to be going well until she found an escaped prisoner from the ammunition factory. Annegret was now determined to plant herself into all of the estate's business. Margarete once thought she would be able to fight this war with the French Resistance, but as she marks her place in the world as Annegret and realizes that she can make a difference against the war in other ways.

It wasn't until I finished that I realized this was actually the 2nd book in the Margarete/Annegret story (doh!). The author did a great job giving enough back story that I wasn't phased at all and didn't feel I lost anything. I couldn't help but be captured by the characters. So many WW2 historical fiction books focus on the French Resistance as one of the biggest fights against Nazi Germany, but this gave such a different perspective. I will absolutely be going back to find the first book and can't wait to see what might happen next in the story.

Thank you Net Galley, Bookouture and Marion Kummerow for the e-arc in exchange for my unbiased review.

<b>Note:</b> I received an advanced copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley.

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…

This was an interesting concept of a woman stealing someone else's identity to survive. While having a couple of hiccups along the way it did seem fairly easy for the description to take place and Margarete seemed entirely too calm most of the time for constantly being on the verge of being killed. Also, I felt that most of the other characters in the story were not that likeable at all.

I have made no secret that historical fiction intrigues me. There is so much fodder and untold stories abound.
Case in point, this trilogy.
The first book in the series (A Light in the Window) was engaging and I was surprised to see that it would be a trilogy. Here we have the second book, and once again, the author tackles the ugly history from a unique perspective.
If you have not read the first book, you may want to skip this review and just go pick it up so you can read for yourself. If not, be warned that this review gives away plot points from the first book.
Margarete continues her charade as Annagret. She has absolutely no choice but to do so. The opening chapters are heavy with recap, but that is to be expected.
The connection between the first and second books is tenuous. It takes a while for Margarete (as Annagret) to remember the promise she made at the end of the first book. But one event changes that.
Margarete sees how easily her life could be very different – if she still had a life at all. And from that point, the story becomes brisker.
Sometimes we need a stark reminder to goad us to action, and that is what happens to Margarete. She recognizes herself in Lena and knows she needs to do…something.
She is clever in the steps that she takes, and it is fortunate that she receives help from both Lena and Dora. Their involvement is another reminder that good people had to do bad things for their own survival.
However, the specter of atrocities always hovers. And when Margarete sees a familiar face, she knows she has to kick her plan into higher gear.
Margarete walks a tightrope with her charade, and the reader walks along with her. Every time she thinks she is caught, the tension rises. Ultimately, this becomes a page-turner to see how Margarete progresses with her ruse.
To me, this takes more focus than the plot points for the story itself. But that is probably a personal thing.
This historical fiction novel mimics history in that the reader knows there is more to come. It ends in a similar fashion to the first book.
I look forward to seeing how Margarete’s plan works out in the end.

Well what can i have loved these 2 books , and im looking forward to the 3rd i need to know what happens next. The ending was shocking very abrupt but it hasn't put me off

It was only after I'd finished this book that I discovered its the 2nd book in a trilogy. That left me a bit deflated as I would've read the first book. However this book was still very good and proved it can be read as a stand alone, and i shall look forward to reading the next book to find outwhat happens to Margarete

Thank you NetGalley for From the Dark We Rise an absolutely gripping and devastating WWII story by Marion Kummerow. Set during WWII, the main character Annegret Huber finds her life totally turned around when she suddenly owns an estate, a factory and a sum of money. Actually, it is really a girl who was once called Margarete a Jew who had the fortune to get all of this. Margaret must live in the estate, keeping her secret identity while trying to figure out how her money may be able to help the Jewish community. You will want to root for Annegret to survive and somehow make her life meaningful. To add to the intrigue and suspense, the factory on the estate is a horrible place where Jewish people are worked to death. Two things happen that make Annegret put herself in danger. Annegret stumbles across a young girl who escaped from the factory and is barely alive. How can she keep this young girl hidden and keep her secret safe at the same time. If Annegret is discovered she will be killed or worse. (Worse things happen all of the time in the factory...horrible things.) When visiting the factory, Annegret sees her uncle beaten and abused at the factory. Annegret is determined to make a difference, and she is making enemies just by trying.

The book feels like a race against time. Will Annegret (Margarete be) discovered? Will she be able to make a difference in people's lives? Will she live? A WWII page turner that I loved until the last minute.

I also want to read her precious novel A Light in the Window: a Completely Gripping WW2 Historical Novel with a Heartbreaking Twist

Margarete is still living as Annegret Huber. It's WWII and she was the sole survivor of the bombing of the Huber home in Berlin and was identified as Annegret- and thus the heir to the Huber fortune, She thinks a move to the country will help keep her under the radar of the Gestapo but her life is still fraught with danger, especially after she discovers what's really going on at a factory and labor camp. While this is about a woman who is living a lie to save her own life (that's a broad characterization) it's also about what we do to help others when it can lead to our own destruction. Nicely written characters and a propulsive plot make this a good read for fans of the WWII genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Well written and an easy read. The story was delightfully not super predictable, and it often had you guessing what was next, while rooting for the characters.

The main reason for my reduction in rating is that I thought Margarete was a little unbelievable in how transparent her anxiety seemed. For Nazis who jumped at any little vulnerability and were good at sniffing out resistance, I found it difficult to believe she would have stayed under cover that long and not blown it. For someone in her position just knowledge of her identity wouldn’t be enough to fool people or break in the process.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having absolutely loved the first book in the series I couldn’t wait to get my hands on From the Dark we Rise so that I could find out what was next for Margarete and if she would still be able to pass herself off as Annegret Huber.
It still doesn’t sit well with Margarete that she has to pretend to be Annegret, but she knows that she must as it’s the only way she will survive. After the events in the first book, she is now the sole survivor of the Huber family and has inherited everything. Keen to get away from any possibility that her deception will be discovered she goes to stay in the family home in the countryside. As Annegret had not been there since she was a child she thinks that she will be safe. Unfortunately for her the head groom remembers the child that she was so he is very distrustful of her. As she spends more time at the house she finds that all is not as it seems there, and she is confronted by her own true past in more ways than one. Can she work out who she can trust before her secret is exposed?
This is truly a test of Margarete’s determination to stay alive as more and more she comes to see just how bad Annegret was and just how badly her fellow Jews are treated. Now more than ever she is risking exposure and her life as she is determined not to be the quiet little woman that people expect her to be. The more she learns about what the Huber’s were involved in the more she is determined to change things as best she can. She is constantly disgusted by the things she has to do and the people she has to cosy up to but knows it is a necessary evil. She does manage to find a couple of friends in the form of her maid Dora and escaped Jewish munitions worker Lena. She knows she is risking everything, but she also knows she has to do whatever she can to help.
These books may be fiction but the attention to detail that Marion Kummerow provides is what makes them grab your attention and keep it. Highlighting the treatment of Jews during the war it also shows that not every German was cruel but did what they needed to in order to survive themselves, after all disobeying orders or showing sympathy in anyway could get you punished or worse. This is truly a dark time in history, but I am really loving following Margarete’s journey and I can’t wait to see what happens as the war nears its end and if she will ever be able to embrace the person she really is ever again

Misguided Trust

Exciting, full of suspense and sadness, this story continues in the series about a Jewish girl posing as the daughter of a high ranking Nazi officer. Will she be able to continue her charade, or will she place her trust in the wrong person.

Margarite is still posing as Annegret Huber and is surrounded by Nazi's. She has now claimed the family fortune and moved to Germany in the country where the family's large estate is located. She is haunted by the lie she is living and afraid she will misstep at any moment and give away her secret. If she is found out to be a Jewish girl posing as an Aryan Nazi it would be a death sentence for her.

She is navigating as the heir to the Huber fortune with the help of the head of the Gestapo Horst who believes her to be Annegret Huber. She also must trust her estate manager Gustav, but is he trustworthy?

She must also deal with running the household and the servants. Once being the Huber's housemaid she has been a servant but never in charge. Somehow she now must be the lady of the estate. She must deal with a housekeeper that thinks she runs the place, a stable master Oliver that has a past with Annegret and does not like nor trust her, and a lovely maid Dora who she both grows to trust and befriend.

She has promised that she would use the Huber fortune for good and she looks for ways to do so. She, however, must do so without incurring the wrath of the Nazi's and giving away her disguise. Can she help the persecuted somehow while surrounded by Nazi's and pretending to be one of them?

When she discovers an escaped prisoner she must find who she can trust and who she cannot trust. This is harder than she thought, especially when she finds out secrets about some of the staff. Will she be able to accomplish what she wishes or will she be found out and ousted as an imposter.

Another thrilling book by Marion Kummerow. I always think each one is the best then they just keep coming and each book is as good as the one before. I can't wait to read book three in the series.

I loved the characters, especially Dora and was saddened by some of the story. I think the setting was perfect for the story and it is very well written.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Marion Kummerow, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.