Title: From The Dark We Rise by @marionkummerow
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Verdict: Firstly thank you to @bookouture and @netgalley for introducing me to this fabulous series about a young woman trying to change anti-Semitistic attitudes and general abuse within the high ranking nazi social circles. Not only is this a story of a stolen identity but a story about a feminist trying to make a change in the patriarchy. I really loved Margaret and found that she had a firey attitude underneath her lady like demeanour and also a kind and sympathetic nature. This does not mean however that she is gullible, in fact she’s sharp as a tack, risking her life to save others.
I loved how this book explored how Germany was affected by the war and how facist attitudes, police brutality and prejudiced properganda became the norm over time - the country was truly brainwashed by hitler and it’s something the other explores in detail. Other themes that pop up in this immersive narrative are the startling contrast in the wealth divide and how much power you can gain from being rich, as well as gender in equality and traditional gender roles - evidence of this stems from how Margrete is constantly patronised and characters like Dora and Lena are subject to sexual harassment. This series is definitely worth a read for any history buff with a narrative that stays with you long after reading and that is helped by the authors sympathetic but stark and brutal writing style. This book made me cry and weep at the injustice of it all. It was people like our Heroine that helped us win the war. Overall, it’s a heart wrenching read not for the faint hearted, sprinkled with moments of kindness that gave me hope for humanity. Whilst the subject matter may be bleak and depressing it is definitely worth a read, especially with the authors knack of keeping to the facts without making you feel you are reading a textbook thanks to the engaging plot, suspense, stark imagery and making the reader appreciate their modern day privileges and how lucky we are to live in a much more open and honest society. This book proves that solidarity among humans can be the best thing.

This author is seriously becoming one of my favorite historical fiction WW 2 authors , in fact she up there with Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, whose another author I was introduced to by Bookouture and NetGalley . They both write stories that I know will give me everything I'm looking for in a story that takes place doing that time period and they've never let me down. Just like the first book The Light In The Windows ( which you have to read first to understand what is going on in this one) I was feeling all of the emotions, and fear that our main character was feeling, plus the story just came off the page and came to life. And this one showed even more so how strong our main character was , and even though its fiction it still shows that she did her research,

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
Having read a good few of this authors other books, I was very happy to read this one and certainly delivered on all levels can highly recommend.

Marion Kummerow is a powerhouse of an author and her well researched books set in WW2 just keep getting stronger and stronger. When I started reading From The Dark We Rise, I had no idea that I was reading book 2 in a series. I didn’t discover that until reading the authors note at the end of the book so this one clearly can be read as a stand-alone. I now have added the first book in the series A Light At The Window to my to be read pile and eagerly await book 3 in the series to find out what happens next in the life of Margarete Rosenbaum alias Annegret Huber.

This book is purely one of fiction, but Kummerow has done her research and makes it feel as if the story actually took place. There is enough truth to the background details of a munition factory that abused its slave workers to really capture the reader’s attention. I devoured this book within about a 24 hour period.

Margarete is a rather naïve Jewish woman who worked as a maid in the home of rich Nazi Germans. When the family is killed by a bomb explosion, she uses the identification papers of the daughter Annegret Huber so she can take over her life and hopefully survive the war. Imagine what it would be like to suddenly be masquerading as someone that you really didn’t know well and not just for a short period of time. This masquerade had to work until either the war was over or until Margarete could escape to somewhere she would be safe. With each day that went by she learned more and more about what a miserable person Annegret had been. She had to act in direct opposition to her innate character and her life depended on how well she did.
When Margarete is taken under the wing of a German SS Officer Richter he (not knowing her secret) smooths the way for her to receive her “inheritance” including a home in the countryside. Margarete hopes it will be easier to carry on her charade there, but little does she realize that some people there have strong memories of cruel actions from Annegret’s childhood which will make her job more difficult. All is much more challenging than she expected, and she soon discovers that she is the owner of a munitions factory where Jewish slave labourers and inmates from Ravensbruck are being dreadfully abused. When she finds a young woman on the brink of death hidden in the forest, she brings her home and hides her while she doers her best to feed her and keep her safely hidden.

Who can Margarete trust? Is her foreman the principled businessman he appears to be? Is Oliver, who manages the horses on the estate, really as hateful as he seems or is that just their supposed past relationship getting in the way of the truth? There are some gut-wrenching scenes in this book and Margarete loses her naiveté and begins to use her newfound identity as if she was born to the role she is playing. I felt really tense as I was reading and just waiting for any slight little mistake she might make. There is heartache and hope and at times I felt as if I could hardly take a breath. When the story ends there is clearly more to come.

I loved the cover artwork and really look forward to hearing more of Margarete’s story. I would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction set in WW2. Reader’s won’t be disappointed!

Many thanks to #NetGalley & #Bookouture for allowing me to read an advance readers copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely mine.

No other author than Marion Kummerow can take me from cringing to screaming to relief in a span of a couple hundred pages. The journey of Margarete continues as she walks a fine line in her dangerous assumption as someone else. I think the author demonstrated the main character’s naiveness and her misplaced trust. I absolutely despised one character and one scene was particularly upsetting, but that character got what he deserved. I was biting my nails during other scenes. It was nerve wracking reading this story, but well worth my time. I’m looking forward to the next story about Margarete’s continuing facade to see how it all turns out.

From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow
is a great WWII-era historical fiction that is the second book in a highly addictive and intriguing trilogy.

This is the second book, and follow up to A Light in the Window, but can still be read as a stand-alone. Here we continue to follow Margarete and her transformation to becoming Annegret Huber, her cover, during this volatile and dangerous time in Germany.

Trying to right wrongs, and do what she can in the face of danger and adversity despite her initial plans, there is plenty of suspense, drama, mystery, intrigue, and surprises to keep even the seasoned historical fiction reader on their toes. Annegret is such a strong and complex lead character that I devoured her story and look forward to the last book in the trilogy to see how it all lays out.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Bookotoure for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

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

More now! Now, not later. I want to know how the story ends and I couldn’t put this story down once I started!

FROM THE DARK WE RISE follows on from A Light in the Window by MARION KUMMEROW, taking us to the beautiful manor house, Gut Plaun in Plau am See, that Margarete Rosenbaum has inherited in 1942 in her role as Anneret Huber. Although this novel can be read as a stand alone, I suggest that you read the first equally brilliant book if you possibly can.
Margarete is terrified of being caught out in her deceit, but is determined to use Annegret’s vast inheritance for good. She is horrified to find that she owns a munitions factory where workers, many of whom fellow Jews, are treated worse than animals. She has to tread carefully, not knowing who she can trust.
The story is both incredbly sad and encouragingly hopeful, with Margarete feeling that God has sent her there for such a time as this.
I will leave you here, not wanting to spoil the read for you.
I am looking forward to the third novel in the series.
I waa given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture The opinions in this review are completely my own.

If you are wanting a great escape this is exactly the book you will want to read. You will be so glad you did – I know I was glad I got to read it. The premise of this book sounded interesting from the very beginning. It was a quick, easy read and left me patiently waiting now for book 3!

From The Dark We Rise- Marion Kummerow- historical fiction (WW”) 18th Nov- BO netgalley
Margrette is now living as the privileged Annegret and is in her country home. Annegret fortunately hasn't been there since a child however Margrette being raised in a jewish family and Annegret very much an aryan, she has some steep learning to do if she is to keep her real identity secret- her life will depend on it as this is Germany 1942. When she takes a walk and finds an escaped Jewish prisoner she only has one thing on her mind. The manor soon has guests of the SS variety and the hidden ammunition factory has prisoners working there. When things don't quite add up Annegret doesn't quite know whom to trust and believe.
This is the follow on book from “ A Light In The Window” part of a trilogy and whilst this would probably stand alone things would make more sense having read the first one- why miss out on another fantastic read? A book that made me think about my own life and how we should appreciate perhaps the simple things that we so easily take for granted. A story of bravery and determination where to put a step wrong could mean certain death. A brave and interesting read that left me wanting the last book and hoping that Margrette finds peace at last.
#blogtour

From The Dark We Rise, the second book in Marion Kummerow’s trilogy, is, without a doubt, her best work to date!

I loved Margarete’s character in A Light in the Window (book 1) and was invested in the story about how she came to be Annegret Huber. When Kummerow announced that she hadn’t finished with Margarete’s story and a sequel was in the works, I couldn’t wait to see how Margarete evolved and what she did with the legacy that was left to her.

Told through Annegret’s eyes, book two focuses on Annegret’s life in Plau am See, a quaint little village in the Mecklenburg Lake District about a 2h drive from Berlin. Having unexpectedly inherited a vast fortune, including the estate, Annegret wishes to wait out the war here and avoid the Gestapo and SS….that is, until she meets someone who gives her a reason to fight. Just as she begins to weave another web of deception, Annegret stumbles upon one operating under her very own nose. Enraged, she attempts to restore justice - a very big undertaking, considering the circumstances.

Kummerow always manages to transport me to a place I know nothing or very little about and sweeps me along with masterfully crafted characters while totally immersing me in a time period. She produces engaging reads that offer pure escapism while also giving readers a glimpse into a life they couldn’t otherwise imagine. I love historical fiction because the characters’ triumph over adversity really appeals to me; a great wartime story with strong characters, preferably female, who battle their way through oppression and come out triumphant. Kummerow delivers. Her characters always bring to light little known wartime facts and their actions capture the nuance and danger of the time period. Kummerow is also able to satisfy my voracious appetite to learn. She knows how to dovetail her narrative with just the perfect amount of facts and integrate them so that readers don’t feel they are being lectured or reading a huge info dump.

What set this story apart was (1) the amazing sense of place and (2) the additional elements of mystery and romance that were at play and (3) the superb ability to sustain tension throughout the narrative. Kummerow’s blog post featuring photos and maps from her research helped me to visualize the setting. Decades later and the majority of the foundations gone, yet the photos still give off eerie, anguished vibes. The suspense and tension created by readers knowing more than the characters and the incredible risks taken to deceive the Nazis, propelled the narrative. A protagonist who has a lot to lose if the level of deception is discovered, keeps readers interested and invested in the story.

Congratulations to the graphic designer for the phenomenal cover art. It caught my attention before I even recognized the author's name.

I’ll be eagerly watching for book 3 which promises to further Margarete’s adventures hiding with a false identity.

If you enjoyed Schindler’s List and love a fast-paced 5-star historical fiction featuring a strong female protagonist, this book needs to be on your radar come Nov. 17, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Marion Kummerow, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

“From the Dark We Rise,” by Marion Kummerow, is the second in a trilogy following a young woman, Margarete, as she portrays Annegret during WWII in Germany. I didn’t realize this was part of a series until after I’d finished it - so each book is a complete stand-alone.

I found this book a rather quick read. The book had a quick pace with interesting characters. I did find some of the characters a bit too quickly binned into “good” vs “bad,” but that’s a really minor quibble. Although parts of this book weren’t easy to read, Ms. Kummerow did a good job giving enough detail to describe the abuse the prisoners had, while not being overly gratuitous in her description. I also liked how Ms. Kummerow walked the fine line of explaining the passivity of some of the minor characters toward the prisoners; no matter how difficult it is to think about people believing or thinking that way. I did think at times that Margarete was a bit too naive, but I also liked it when she showed a bit of spunk and backbone, especially toward the end. Do read the Author's Note in the back of the book to discover what inspired Ms. Kummerow's setting and tale. I look forward to reading the first book in this trilogy to fill in some of the background information and look forward to reading the final book when it comes out.